Wrapping It Up
Last one about Esther! I promise to move on after this.
Ok, spoiler alert, but not really a spoiler alert.
We know these things – even if they aren’t at the forefront of our minds.
Esther saves the Jewish people through her obedience to go before the king on behalf of them. The juicy part is how she reveals Haman’s evil plot.
We have already covered how Haman thinks everything is about him. Esther plays this to her advantage and hosts King Ahasuerus to a few banquets where the only other guest is Haman.
Haman’s head is so swollen over this that it’s about to pop! The Bible doesn’t say those exact words, but I feel pretty confident that Haman felt a bit more haughty than usual.
Then, at the second banquet, Esther finally makes her request known to the king. She requests that her life, and the life of her people, be granted to her because someone has sentenced them to death.
The king is furious and asks who had done such a thing. Esther declares that Haman had done such to her and her people.
And the king replied – Off with his head!
Not really.
But if it was a daytime soap opera, that’s totally how it would have gone.
He did have Haman hanged, though, so close enough.
Esther proceeds to cry, beg, and plead at the king’s feet that he would revoke the edict that had gone out about her people.
The king says that he can’t revoke the order that had been sent out but that a new order could be written. The king gives Mordecai his signet ring and instructs him to write an edict according to whatever he sees fit to help preserve the Jewish people.
Mordecai wrote that the Jews could defend themselves against all enemies.
And defend themselves, they did! God is so good! The victory was so great that Mordecai instructed for there to be a feast every year in remembrance.
There are so many parallels I see in this story.
It makes me think about the Old Testament versus the new edict of the New Testament. The Old Testament was not taken away or canceled. Instead, it was fulfilled and revealed in the New Testament.
There was an edict that works were the basis for salvation, but a new decree went out. A directive that said no longer were works the way to heaven, but faith in Christ was now the avenue.
The story of Esther also makes me think about how we live in a fallen world.
Sin entered the world when Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil. There was no way to stick it back into the bottle, so to speak, but God was going to write a new way.
His Son would be granted God’s signet ring, and whatever Jesus put His stamp on was backed by God the Father. What Jesus taught, and did on the cross, would equip us to fight back against the enemy.
You see, God hasn’t left us powerless against sin. He has given us His Son and His Holy Spirit. We have the tools we need to push back the darkness and win victory over the onslaught of attacks we encounter during this human experience.
Therefore, let us remember to be bold in our faith.
Towards the end of the book of Esther, the king asks her if there is anything else she would like to request, and her reply is to allow her people in Susa one more day according to the previous day’s edict. She also requests that the ten sons of Haman be hanged.
Bold.
Savage even.
But just.
An eye for an eye was very much the way of the land during the Old Testament times. Her request was a request for justice.
As believers, yes, we are called to forgive. We are instructed to turn the other cheek. However, our God is a God of justice. We can boldly pray and ask for His justice to be executed against the enemy and his attacks upon us.
Ask God for His justice to overcome the places where you see unjust things taking place. Ask Him to restore to you the things that have been stolen.
James 5:16b - The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
We are righteous by the Blood of Christ. Let us use that righteousness to pray powerful prayers for justice, peace, mercy, and grace to overcome us, this world, and those around us.
