Despite what this world, this country, is coming to, we still need to stay faithful to Jehovah God by remaining faithful to His Son, Jesus Christ. We need to stay humble toward God and stay humble toward our fellowman. Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matt. 23:12).
The story of Esther is a story of two individuals who remain faithful to God in the midst of a society that could easily ignore their religious convictions but could, just as easily, turn against them because of their religious convictions.
We see God working to preserve His people in a pagan land, not because they are somehow uniquely special to Him, but because He has to bring Jesus into the world and He had chosen the descendants of Abraham through whom to accomplish that object.
When Mordecai refused to bow before Haman, Haman decided with the help of friends, to destroy all the people of Mordecai, to destroy all the Jews (3:6). Haman and his friends cast “lots” (the word in Hebrew is “pur”) to decide what day they were going to influence the king to allow them to exterminate the Jews. The “lot,” “pur” fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, and permission was given to seize their plunder (3:13).
Mordecai refused to bow before Haman (3:2) because that was a violation of the Law of Moses. But, Jeremiah had also commanded the Jews, when they were being overtaken by the Babylonians, that they needed to seek the welfare of and pray for the prosperity of their new, albeit pagan, homeland (Jer. 29:4-7). Consequently, when Mordecai had the opportunity to report an assassination plot against King Ahasuerus, Mordecai reported it, without any suggestion, hint, or hope that it would save his life one day. He did it because God commanded it, because it was the right thing to do (2:21-23).
Thus begins, what might be considered the theme of the book of Esther, found in 9:1, in the NASV: “the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them.” The Persians’ world, Haman’s world, turned “topsy turvy” when they tried to attack and kill God’s people.
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Because Mordecai saved the king’s life, the king wrote an edict to allow the Jews to fight the Persians, in self defense. The king’s edict allowed the taking of the plunder (8:11), but the Jews did not do so (cf. Prov. 24:17–18). This illustrates that the Jews did not kill Haman’s sons for their own profit.
The crisis that breaks in chapter 3 is not totally resolved until 9:19, where the last of the enemies of the Jews have been destroyed. Now, the paleness of death which hung over the Jews at 3:7-4:17 is replaced with the exaltation of Mordecai, feasting, rejoicing, and sharing food and gifts. Earlier the Jews had fasted; now they are feasting. Earlier, Mordecai was wearing sackcloth; now he is dressed in royal colors. What made the difference? “Whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” “He that is faithful over a few things will be made ruler over many things.”
Esther teaches us that it is possible to be “in” the world and not be “of” the world, to be “in” Persia but not be “of” Persia.
God loves you. God cares for you. God provides for you. God is faithful in all that He does. That’s why we worship Him! Be faithful to Him and His Law.
Paul Holland
