Queen Esther: Purim

The rollercoaster of events leading to the condemnation of Haman shows the need for careful planning and the most important role of the hand of God. Haman was condemned and he took the place of Mordecai. That same day, the pole Haman made to hang Mordecai was reversed to Haman. As if that was not enough, that same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. That same day, Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. That same day, the king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. That same day, Esther appointed Mordecai over Haman’s estate (see Esther 8:1‭-‬2). God turned the tables around and that same day, the lives of people changed for good and the vile one, Haman, lost his life. As we round off our discussions on the book of Esther, we need to understand that the death of the enemy did not automatically nullify the decree to exterminate all Jews. Haman knew that any proclamation that has the king’s signet ring cannot be repealed. Thus, although Haman was impaled, the Jews still lived in danger. 

Understanding the systems of proclamations and decrees, Esther said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if he regards me with favour and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?” (Esther 8:5‭-‬6). The king replied, “Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” (Esther 8:8). In the new edict, the king’s granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies (Esther 8:11). In other words, the Jews were given the power to protect themselves in any means possible. Mordecai left the king’s presence, wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen (Esther 8:15). He took off his garment of mourning. Other nationalities became Jews because of the fear of the Jews (Esther 8:17)

So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. (Esther 9:29)

On the set day for Haman’s evil schemes, on the same day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the tables turned and the Jews did unto their enemies the evil that was originally planned for the Jews (Esther 9:1). Haman’s ten sons were killed and impaled. What was meant for the evil of the Jews, turned for their good. Haman had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction (Esther 9:24) but the evil Haman had devised against the Jews fell on his own head, and that he and his sons were impaled on poles. Thus remembering these days that the Jews gained victory over their enemies,  initiated the Purim festival (from the word pur). Purim was established as a festival to be celebrated each generation. Confirming the celebration, Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim (Esther 9:29). The decree from Queen Esther confirmed the regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records (Esther 9:32). 

To the Jews, Purim is a reminder of their salvation from the evil death trap set by Haman the Agagite. But, we have a salvation greater than the rescue mission celebrated during Purim. We were not just saved from a human, we were saved from the power of sin, temptation and eternal death. Our sins were paid for by the sinless atonement of Jesus Christ. For the Jews, Haman, who was a vile sinner, had to die for the evil against them to be averted. But, for the Christian, Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of the Living God, had to die for our sins so we may have eternal life. John 3 :16-17 summarizes our salvation as this, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” We have a permanent enemy,  the devil who has been accusing the believers since the Garden of Eden. We need to understand that Jesus has paid the price for us and we should be gracious enough to share this with others. When Esther and Mordecai established Purim, they passed it down as a festival for the generations yet to come. Jesus saves and we should be bold enough to pass this great salvation to all around us.