Ester 8
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Ester 8
Wiersbe adds a cautionary comment to this great scene of Mordecai's exaltation "God doesn’t always give this kind of a “happy ending” to everybody’s story. Today, not all faithful Christians are promoted and given special honors. Some of them get fired because of their stand for Christ! God hasn’t promised that we’ll be promoted and made rich, but He has assured us that He’s in control of all circumstances and that He will write the last chapter of the story. If God doesn’t promote us here on earth, He certainly will when we get to glory. (Be Committed - Ruth & Esther - Doing God's Will Whatever the Cost) Haman should have lived his life for God instead of self as Solomon (who had everything the world offers but found it empty and ultimately unfulfilling) wrote near the end of his life... The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God (cp Rev 14:6-7-note) and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For (term of explanation) God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Eccl 12:13-14). GOD THE CHANGER OF HEARTS Chuck Swindoll ascribes the heart change in King Ahasuerus' to God's ability to change any heart (Pr 21:1) noting that "that you may have some such individual who has one major goal in life: to make your life miserable. You may work alongside him, or you may go to school with him or even room with him. You may be married to him, or have once been married to him. Now then, it is essential that in the midst of this to remember there is no wall so strong that Almighty God is not stronger still. There is no will so stubborn that He is not able to soften it. If God can change the heart of an Ahasuerus, He can change any heart—any heart! Read that again. You who live your days intimidated and threatened, anxious over the falling of the next shoe, listen to this counsel! God is able to take the heart of anyone and change it, just as He did with the heart of this king. Yes, anyone." (Ed: And all God's people said "Praise the Lord. Amen!") Esther 8:3 Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews.: fell: 1Sa 25:24 2Ki 4:27 wept:, Isa 38:2 Hos 12:4 Heb 5:7 plot: Esther 3:8-15, Esther 7:4 NET Bible - Then Esther again spoke with the king, falling at his feet. She wept and begged him for mercy, that he might nullify the evil of Haman the Agagite which he had intended against the Jews. ESTHER'S SECOND INTERCESSION FOR HER PEOPLE THE JEWS (Es 8:3-8) Then Esther spoke again to the king - This marks a separate encounter, one in which she was not summoned as indicated by the fact that the king extended the golden scepter in Esther 8:4. Esther is interceding at the king's throne which resulted in her people Israel being saved from certain death. THOUGHT - How much more should we who know Christ be continually interceding (at the King's throne Heb 4:16-note) for those around us that they might receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that they might not die and enter a Christ-less eternity! Are you interceding for souls God has brought providentially into your life? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity! Warren Wiersbe adds that "Esther’s example encourages us to come to God’s throne and intercede on behalf of others, especially the nations of the world where lost souls need to be delivered from death. One concerned person devoted to prayer can make a great difference in this world, for prayer is the key that releases the power of God. “Yet you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2, NKJV)." (Ibid) Fell at his feet - This action reflects a different approach to the king by Esther. Earlier the queen was "standing" (Esther 5:2) but now she is falling. Such a prostrate attitude expresses the utmost lowliness and humility before the king. Whether she knew it or not it is eternally true that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:6-note). Lxx = prospipto - prostrate oneself before someone, falling at their feet. Imploring - On this occasion Esther is speaking even before the king's scepter is even extended (Esther 8:4). Implored (02603) (chanan/hanan) means to be gracious toward, to favor, to have mercy on. It describes gracious acts toward someone in need (Job 19:21; Pr 19:17). The English word implore means to petition, to call upon (in supplication) and includes a suggestion of great urgency or anguished appeal. The Greek translation uses the imperfect tense which vividly pictures her act of imploring as occurring over and over. Wept - Esther now weeps, something which she had not done in the earlier encounter with the king. Why is she weeping? Surely she knows that there is a chance the king could deny her request. Raleigh adds that "there may be legal difficulties in setting edict against edict in a country where the law is that no duly-enacted law can be reversed." Matthew
Ester 8
Wiersbe notes that "In the text of the Hebrew Scriptures, the ten names are arranged on the page to look like a gallows. On the Feast of Purim, the synagogue reader reads these ten names all in one breath because the sons of Haman all died together." Why are they specifically named? One cannot be sure except that their names will live in infamy, much like 10 of Hitler's top associates who were put to death by hanging after their trial at Nuremberg in 1946. One of Hitler's henchmen, Julius Streicher, expressed an awareness of the parallel with the events of Esther, for as he was on the way to the gallows, he shouted "Purim Fest 1946!" Here is the account in Wikipedia... “...For his 25 years of speaking, writing and preaching hatred of the Jews, Streicher was widely known as ‘Jew-Baiter Number One.’ In his speeches and articles, week after week, month after month, he infected the German mind with the virus of anti-Semitism, and incited the German people to active persecution... Streicher's incitement to murder and extermination at the time when Jews in the East were being killed under the most horrible conditions clearly constitutes persecution on political and racial grounds in connection with war crimes, as defined by the Charter, and constitutes a crime against humanity.” Streicher was hanged in the early hours of 16 October 1946, along with the nine other condemned defendants from the first Nuremberg trial (Göring, Streicher's nemesis, committed suicide only hours earlier). Streicher's was the most melodramatic of the hangings carried out that night. At the bottom of the scaffold he cried out "Heil Hitler!". When he mounted the platform, he delivered his last sneering reference to Jewish scripture, snapping "Purim-Fest 1946!". (Julius Streicher - Wikipedia) Judaism 101 also records that "Another echo of Purim is found in the Soviet Union a few years later. In early 1953, Stalin was planning to deport most of the Jews in the Soviet Union to Siberia, but just before his plans came to fruition, he suffered a stroke and died a few days later. He suffered that stroke on the night of March 1, 1953: the night after Purim (note: Jewish days end at sunset; you will see March 1 on the calendar as Purim). The plan to deport Jews was not carried out. (Judaism 101 Purim) Esther 9:8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,: Esther 9:9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,: Esther 9:10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.: ten sons: Esther 5:11 Ex 20:5 Job 18:18,19 27:13-15 Ps 21:10 109:12,13 enemy: Esther 3:1 7:4,6 Ex 17:16 plunder: Esther 9:15,16 Esther 8:11 Ge 14:23 Ro 12:17 Php 4:8 Esther 9:11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king.: ESTHER'S ADDENDUM (Esther 9:11-15) Esther 9:12 The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done.": The outcome for Haman’s wife Zeresh and his wise men is unknown (Esther 5:14; 6:12, 13). Now what is your petition? - The king seems to be relatively unperturbed by the casualty report! Esther 9:13 Then said Esther, "If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows.": If it pleases the king (Esther always defers to the king), let tomorrow also be granted - Esther has a two fold request: (1) an extra day (14th of Adar) for the Jews in Susa to assemble and defend themselves. The reason is not stated but the clear implication is that there are enemies in Susa who desire to kill the Jews and somehow Esther is aware of this. (2) Haman's 10 sons hanged. Recall that ancient hanging was more like being impaled on a post that swinging from a rope.
Ester 8
Wiersbe notes that "While Purim is not a Christian festival, Christians certainly ought to rejoice with their Jewish friends because every spiritual blessing we have has come through the Jews. The Jews gave to the world the knowledge of the true and living God, the Scriptures, and the Savior. The first Christians were Jewish believers, and so were the first missionaries. Jesus was a Jew who died on Passover, a Jewish feast day, and rose again from the dead on another Jewish holy day, the Feast of Firstfruits. The Holy Spirit came from heaven upon a group of Jewish believers on a Jewish holiday, Pentecost. “Salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22). If there had been no Jews, there would be no church." (Ibid) Esther 9:24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them.: For - term of explanation = This verse introduces the explanation of why the celebration came to be named Purim, an explanation that continues through Es 9:26. Esther 9:25 But when it came to the king's attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.: But - A term of conclusion, which in this case marks one of the greatest "reversals" in the history of the Jewish people, one that impacted the destiny of the all mankind! Return on his own head - Another way of saying what one sows, he will surely reap (Gal 6:7-note, Gal 6:8-note) Esther 9:26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them,: PURIM HONORS GOD WHO DIRECTED THE DECISION OF THE PUR Therefore - (term of conclusion) The conclusion of Haman's evil edict and Mordecai's clever counter leading to Jewish victory and preservation of their race was the establishment of a feast to commemorate this great reversal of fortunes with the feast being named Purim, because of the central role played by the providential casting of the pur (see below).