Part 15- Unfinished Business
Esther 8 NLT
We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 15 is called, “Unfinished Business”, and we discuss Esther's second court appearance before the king. The question we will ask today is, how should we handle unresolved problems?
1 On that same day King Xerxes gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Then Mordecai was brought before the king, for Esther had told the king how they were related. 2 The king took off his signet ring—which he had taken back from Haman—and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman’s property.
Xerxes view of Mordecai:
On the very day that Haman was impaled, Xerxes confiscated his property and gifted it to Esther. Overnight, Esther became one of the richest people in the world! She designated Mordecai as manager of her property because she trusted him.
Mordecai had already proven his loyalty to the king by exposing an assasination plot against him and saving his life. Xerxes later finds out that he is Esther’s adopted father. He and Esther couldn’t be in safer hands and he promoted Mordecai into Haman’s former position, the second in command of the Persian Empire.
3 Then Esther went again before the king, falling down at his feet and begging him with tears to stop the evil plot devised by Haman the Agagite against the Jews. 4 Again the king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So she rose and stood before him.
Time frame:
Let’s take a look at the time frame. Haman ordered his decree in April (Esther 3:12) Thirty days later, Esther reveals Haman’s true intentions and he is impaled in the month of May (Esther 4:11). It is now June 25th (Esther 8:9) so Xerxes has not summoned Esther for the last 30 days. She made a petition before the king to save her people and she gave him time to do something about it. But, he didn’t. He wanted to call it one and done.
God’s will:
Just as Esther knew that it was God’s will for her to give the king a second banquet, she knew that He wanted her to follow up on the status of her petition. She had unfinished business with the king and Esther entered the king’s court uninvited a second time. Notice Xerxes response. Unlike her first visit, he didn’t smile when he saw her and he didn’t raise his scepter to accept her into his presence and cover her with his protection. Esther continued marching down the aisle looking for signs of favor, but he gave none. In fact, his stony countenance was meant to discourage her and she knew it.
Arriving at his throne without Xerxes permission, she flung herself at his feet crying inconsolably, begging him to spare her people. Xerxes was forced to face the issue at hand. Everyone at court held their breath anxiously waiting for Xerxes’ response. Finally, he extended his scepter to Esther. Only then did she stand to her feet.
5 Esther said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor with him, and if he thinks it is right, and if I am pleasing to him, let there be a decree that reverses the orders of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, who ordered that Jews throughout all the provinces should be destroyed. 6 For how can I endure to see my people and my family slaughtered and destroyed?”
Petition follow up:
For the second time, Esther implored Xerxes to spare the lives of her people (the first time was in Esther 7:3,4) . Esther pleaded for a decree that reversed Haman’s orders. She could not stand by and watch her family and her people annihilated. Her trust in him would be shattered and the unimaginable trauma would cause such heartbreak that she would be emotionally wounded for life. The Esther that Xerxes knows and loves would no longer exist.
7 Then King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “I have given Esther the property of Haman, and he has been impaled on a pole because he tried to destroy the Jews. 8 Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king’s name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king’s signet ring. But remember that whatever has already been written in the king’s name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked.”
Fearless Mordecai:
Evidently, Mordecai, who was also not invited to present himself before the king, accompanied Esther. He was her spiritual, moral, and legal support. If she was going down, he was going down with her. Xerxes does not want to repeat the mistake he made with Vashti and he noted their courage. His dear wife and her adopted father, his most trustworthy servant, were willing to die for this cause.
Xerxes, Acting Judge:
Speaking as king and judge, Xerxes reviews his course of action so far. Haman was impaled for his crime against the Jews, his property confiscated by the king, and ownership deeded to Esther.
Learning from past mistakes:
To his credit, Xerxes didn’t ask for a bottle of the best house wine or summoned his “think tank'' to ponder the matter. Humbling himself before his court, Xerxes publicly admits that Haman passed an immoral and unjust law with the seal on his signet ring. He grants Mordecai permission to craft a counter-law that gives the Jews instructions on how to defend themselves against this attack because the attack itself cannot be reversed. Unreservedly, Xerxes submits himself to Mordecai’s wisdom on the matter and hands over his signet ring.
This is the second time that Xerxes hands over his signet ring to Mordecai. The first time was in Esther 8:1 when Haman was impaled and Mordecai was promoted in his place. It appears that Haman had possession of the ring once it was given to him, but Xerxes has learned to have his ring returned to him once business is completed.
9 On June 25 a decree was written exactly as Mordecai dictated. It was sent to the Jews and to the highest officers, the governors, and the nobles of all the 127 provinces. The decree was written in the languages of all the peoples of the empire. 10 The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. Mordecai sent the dispatches by swift messengers, who rode fast horses. 11 The king’s decree gave the Jews in every city authority to unite to defend their lives. They were allowed to kill, slaughter, and annihilate anyone who might attack them or their children and wives, and to take the property of their enemies. 12 The day chosen for this event was March 7 of the next year. 13 A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that the Jews would be ready to take revenge on their enemies on the appointed day.
Three Decrees:
Decrees have been issued three times so far in the Book of Esther. The first time was in chapter 1. The second time in Chapter 3 and here again in Chapter 8. In Chapters 3 and 8, copies of the decree were delivered by pony express to each province and was written in the dialect of each province to ensure that everyone understood its meaning and carried out its purpose.
Make haste!
Make note that this happened directly after the king handed over his signet ring to Mordecai. Mordecai did not waste any time. This is a repeat of Esther Chapter 3, only this time, the law and the king was in favor of the Jews. This course of action was only valid on March the 7th of that year because the law was passed for the self preservation of the Jewish people and was not an uprising against the king.
Right to bear arms:
The reason verse 13 records “so that the Jews would be able to take revenge on their enemies on that appointed day” is because the people of the Persian empire did not have the right to bear arms. Once this hideous law was passed, the Gentiles had a head start in acquiring weaponry. Only the remaining eight months of the year were left to fashion weapons for the Jews so they may be able to defend themselves. (1)
15a Then Mordecai left the king’s presence, wearing the royal robe of blue and white, the great crown of gold, and an outer cloak of fine linen and purple.
Mordecai’s robes and crown:
Mordecai lived to tell the day that he dressed in his royal robes and entered the king’s court uninvited. God gave him favor and he reversed the evil plan that was set in motion by Haman the Astrologer, enemy of the Jews.
In Esther Chapter 5, Esther dressed in her royal robes to present herself before the king. The robes that Esther wore were not described, but they were probably similar to Mordecai’s. Let’s take a look at these colors and objects.
Blue in the bible refers to the Spirit of Might (Isaiah 11:20) and is symbolic of the heavenlies (2).
White is symbolic of righteousness and purity (2).
Gold is symbolic of glory, wealth, prosperity, and abundant blessings (2).
Crown refers to eternal rewards (Phil. 4:1; 1 Thes. 2:19) and sovereignty (3).
Cloak is a mantle of authority (2) .
Fine linen is only used by the wealthy (4).
Purple is symbolic of authority and royalty. (2)
So, the blue would indicate that Mordecai was positioned as second in command of Persia by God, and the white is heaven’s declaration that he is a righteous man. Prophetically, blue and white are the colors of Israel’s banner.
The golden crown is an earthly symbol of sovereignty but it is also a reference to wearing a halo, indicating that the glory of God encircled Mordecai.
Mordecia’s purple cloak is an earthly mantle indicating he has authority with the king and acts as mediator for his people to the king. But he also has authority in the heavenlies as seen when he interceded for his people and God answered his prayers. Fine linen was used by royalty and the wealthy, but the Hebrew priests also wore fine linen because they were mediators between God and man.
15b And the people of Susa celebrated the new decree. 16 The Jews were filled with joy and gladness and were honored everywhere. 17 In every province and city, wherever the king’s decree arrived, the Jews rejoiced and had a great celebration and declared a public festival and holiday. And many of the people of the land became Jews themselves, for they feared what the Jews might do to them.
Confusion turned into joy:
Everyone who stood at the posts and read the decree rejoiced, including the Gentiles! These are the same group of people in Esther Chapter 3 who were confused over the decree in the first place. Can you imagine the jubilation?! The Jews were so thrilled to be freed from their bondage that they hugged each other's necks, wore their best clothes, and opened up their homes to praise and worship God. All the families united to prepare a table filled with their favorite foods, exchanged gifts, and filled the air with music, song, and dancing.
Atmosphere shift:
Most importantly, the atmosphere of the empire shifted. Haman’s goal was to induce a spirit of fear upon Mordecai and all of the rest of the people, especially the vulnerable Jews. He wanted them to shake in their boots in his presence and to live in dread for an entire year. But he died a painful and dishonorable death. Instead, a percentage of Gentiles converted to Judaism to remain in their good graces. God’s favor removed their shame and the vulnerable became “the feared” and “the honored” throughout the entire Persian Empire.
Let’s pray:
Father,
When You give me an assignment, You expect me to carry it to completion. I cannot be satisfied with just my own safety and my own needs met. Give me the courage to stand for those who are vulnerable. In Jesus name, Amen.
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References:
https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Esther/Esther%20Chapter%208.html
Dream Encounter Symbols, Barbie Breathitt, BreathoftheSpiritMinistries.com
http://www.historyofclothing.com/textile-history/history-of-linen/