Esther 9:20-10:3

Well, tonight we will end our study in Esther. Hopefully this has been helpful and illuminating, and not simply a history lesson. I do hope that you guys have gotten something out of this.

We are going to look at the feast of Purim tonight, and the epilogue that we see here. Let’s read the verses, and then dive in.

Esther 9:20–10:3 ESV

20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing. 1 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

So, last week, we really focused on the mechanics of the decrees, both Haman’s and Mordecai’s. We saw how the Jews defended themselves, and how over 75,000 people died because they had attempted to murder the Jews. We saw that at the end of the fighting, which only lasted a day (or two, in the city of Susa), they people rested and celebrated. It was a dar of feasting and gladness, and it was a holiday and the people sent food and gifts to one another. We also see that the Jews in Susa celebrated on the 15th day of Adar, while the rest of the Jews celebrated on the 14th day of Adar. This was because the extra day was needed in Susa to eradicate their enemies.

Now, we see that Mordecai records all of this for posterity, and takes what was a spontaneous celebration and converts it into a prescribed ritual.

And we have to remember that this is how many of the festivals and feats came about.

If we look in Exodus, we see that in chapter 12, Moses gives instruction to the Jews about the Passover, prior to God bringing the tenth plague. After the plague, the people go out, just as God had said, and then God tells them “remember this and do this forever.”

In the same way, in chapter 13, we see that Moses institutes the Feast of Unleavened Bread, calling back to Exodus 12:33 and following, where the Jews went out in haste and therefore didn’t have anything but unleavened dough. In remembrance of that, Moses instructs the people to consecrate their firstborn and keep the feast as a remembrance of their exodus from Egypt and how God had saved them.

In the same way, Mordecai and Esther here tell the people, in essence: Hey, let’s not forget what happened here. Let’s make this a memorial of remembrance.

Esther 9:20–22 ESV

20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

So, there is a movie about Esther, called “One Night With The King.” It isn’t great, but it isn’t terrible. For the most part, the story does adhere to Scripture, although it also seems to lean heavily on Rabbinical tradition as well. There is a bit of artistic license, to be sure, but the essence of the story is there.

In that movie, Mordecai is a scribe for the king’s court. But, Haman is portrayed as a precursor to the Nazis, so your mileage may vary.

However, I think we see in this chapter where the rabbinic tradition might point to Mordecai being a scribe. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, we just don’t know that for sure. We don’t have enough evidence either way.

What we do see, though, is that Mordecai, now firmly entrenched in his new role as prime minister, is very astute at how he communicates with the empire. He sends letters to all of the provinces, codifying that Adar 14th and 15th would be officially celebrated in response to this “great reversal” as we talked about last week.

We see that the Jews got “relief” from their enemies, that the whole month went from sorrow and mourning to gladness and holiday. And we see that that, in order to make sure everyone could celebrate, regardless of economic state, that gifts would be given to the poor, that food would be given to one another, and that all of the Jews should celebrate together.

Remember, that sense of community was and is very strong in Jewish culture, especially among orthodox Jews.

Esther 9:23–25 ESV

23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

Well, we see the response of the people. We see that the Jews realize, ok, we can officially celebrate this thing here. They had spontaneously been celebrating because of their victory, and now it has become a memorial. It has been added to the official calendar.

We also see the recap of the “why” of the feasting/celebration. Haman had plotted for the Jews’ destruction, but the king, when he heard of it, he gave orders for the evil of Haman to be rebounded to him. And we see again the reminder that Haman and his sons were hung on the gallows.

Notice here how, as this seems to be doubling as information to the Jews as well as official record of events (see 10:2), notice how the king is painted. “When it came before the king, he gave orders that his evil plan…should return on his own head.” (9:25)

Conveniently leaves out that Haman’s plan wouldn’t have had any legs if the King hadn’t allowed it to go through, right?

Mordecai is not a fool. He knows that the king allowed Haman carte blanche in running the government. He also knows that the king has now given that same level of power to himself. In recording all of this, he would want to make sure the blame fell squarely on Haman, and the king was absolved of wrongdoing.

I think sometimes we overlook little details like this. Mordecai was a man just like me. He was human, he made errors in judgment. He made shrewd decisions. The king certainly shared some blame, but the evil was Haman’s. I think that the text bears that out. I think it is clear that while Ahasuerus was not a great king, he doesn’t have any ill will toward God’s people. He makes poor decisions, but he doesn’t actively seek to destroy the Jews. When he hears of the genocidal plot, he allows Mordecai and Esther enough political depth to work out a solution. He could have said, “welp, that stinks, but the law’s the law.” But he didn’t. While certainly not perfect (not even close), the king isn’t the villain. And that is born out very smartly in these verses.

We also see that the whole plot of Haman against the Jews started with the casting of lots. The idea of leaving things to chance, of seeking to divine the future by rolling the dice.

That is where the feast gets its name.

Esther 9:26–28 ESV

26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.

It is called “Purim” because purim is the plural of pur, which means to cast lots.

We see that because of the letter Mordecai writes and sends, and because of their own experience fighting off their would-be assailants, the Jews “firmly obligated themselves” to keep the feast. To celebrate it. To pass it down. To tell the story.

Also note how those who had sided with the Jews (see 8:17) were invited to keep this remembrance as well. They were encourage to celebrate alongside the Jews.

And notice how deftly Mordecai handles the fact that in Susa the celebration was on a different day than in the rural areas.

In our culture, the city and the country do not mix. We see increasingly how rural America versus urban America colors politics, economics, and even morality. It seems that in our culture, rural and urban cannot coexist.

However, Mordecai, in order to clarify and not make one better than the other, decrees that both days of feasting should be celebrated. This means that both areas celebrate both days. That is a neat little touch.

And this isn’t a temporary thing. The decree is that this becomes an annual festival that will not end. The remembrance of Haman’s evil and God’s deliverance should be celebrated every year forever.

Esther 9:29–32 ESV

29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

Now we see that Esther makes her appearance again, lending her own authority to the decree, so that both Mordecai (as Prime Minister) and Esther (as Queen) are behind this.

In an official sense, that is basically saying, “look, Persia, this is a holiday for the Jews. You have seen how God has spared them in the face of dreadful evil. Join us every year in celebrating God’s deliverance from the hands of our enemies!”

I am sure that some Persians were not very happy about the Jews. I don’t imagine that all of the enemies of the Jews were brave enough to come out of the woodwork, especially as the bodies started hitting the floor. But we know that with royal support from the chief advisor and the queen, they would have to be silent.

Anyway, we see that this letter from Mordecai that we have been discussing is the “second letter,” most likely referring to the letter sent in 8:10 for all the Jews to defend themselves. We see that this letter, with the authority of the crown behind it, carries a bit of that “official” weight. Furthermore, we see that the letter was sent out en masse to the entire empire, and that it was classified “in words of peace and truth.”

I think that is interesting. We see that, even in the midst of a pagan rule and the dispersed nature of the children of Israel, the words of peace and truth go forth.

We should, even in the midst of regimes that are against God, still be a people that speak peace and truth to the world.

We also see that the feast was not something that was supposed to be a temporary thing. The Jews are reminded to keep it yearly, and not just go through the motions, but really lean into it. Look at verse 31:

Esther 9:31 ESV

31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting.

The days of Purim are to be observed at the right time, and they were obliged to celebrate them with the same reverence and attention to detail as the other feasts and fasts and laments. In other words, this celebration is just as important as any of the others you already hold.

And we see that the official designation of the holiday was through Esther’s command, and it was written down.

So, we move to the epilogue of the story.

Esther 10:1–3 ESV

1 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

And I have to admit, at first blush, this seems like....a weird way to start a passage.

Hey, we’re celebrating! Hey, we’re instituting a holiday! Also, here are the tax bills!

But I think, again, because we don’t always put all the pieces together, we forget the context.

So what is 10:1 talking about?

Well, think back to Esther 2:18

Esther 2:18 ESV

18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.

Remember, Esther 2 happened like 6 years before this, at the very least. If we are reading Esther 10 as immediately following on from Esther 9, it would be 6 years. It could be longer.

So, in all of this time, the king has been granting tax relief to the citizens. But now we see that things are going back to normal.

One commentary also noted that this verse is intended to show the power of the empire, because if he is even taxing the coastlands, the farthest-flung areas, then he has full power over his empire.

Remember, this is pre-internet era. It is a lot harder to control the populace if they are not directly under your nose. Yet he is able to tax the entire kingdom, from sea to shining sea.

And we see that Mordecai is still in power as well. We see that the king has him in second place. And this calls to mind Joseph’s status in Genesis, where he was second in command to Pharaoh. Again, showing the providence of God over the pagan rulers.

Also note the legacy of Mordecai here.

Not only was he politically ranked high, but also morally.

He was great among the Jews, and popular with the multitude. Now that could also mean the Jews because it says “his brothers,” but that would seem redundant. I think this means his Persian brothers. I think the text here is showing us that Mordecai was a man respected by all.

Why do I think that?

Look at how the whole kingdom reacts to him:

Esther 8:15 ESV

15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.

Esther 9:3 ESV

3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.

The people seem to really, genuinely like Mordecai.

And I don’t think it is really a mystery. We touched on it briefly earlier:

Esther 9:30 ESV

30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth,

Mordecai spoke in words of peace and truth.

Look what it says here in chapter 10:

Esther 10:3 ESV

3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

He spoke peace.

He didn’t let his power go to his head. He spoke peace.

Let that be our legacy as well.