Reading: Esther chapter 9 and 10; 1 Samuel 15:13-23
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Commentaries: (Optional)
v1: Another obvious reversal.
v2-4: Mordecai grew to greatness and influence in 9 short months. That the king's officials helped defend the Jews without official orders demonstrates the Jew's new status of honour/respect within Persian society.
v5-6: Note there's no mention of women/children killed despite the fact that Mordecai's edict "permitted" it. Chapter 10 describes Mordecai as a peaceful man, his intent was never to condone needless slaughter, but to symbolically mirror Haman's edict.
v7-10: It was customary to kill not only enemies, but their children as well to end all threats. Several of Haman's sons were named after old pagan gods/demons - gives some insight into this family.
The author notes the lack of looting on three separate occasions, despite the fact that Mordecai's decree allowed it. Not only does this implicate protection, and not gain, as the motivation behind the killings; it also hints at something culturally significant. Read 1 Samuel 15:17-23 and remember Haman was a descendant of the Agagites. Saul (Israel's first king) disobeyed God and plundered the Amalekites, as a result he fell from God's favour and the Amalekite/Agagite line survived, resulting in Haman. The Jews of Esther's time were well aware of this stain on their history and very likely saw this as a sacred war to correct Saul's mistake. They intended to succeed where Saul had failed, and refused to allow greed to guide their hands to plunder. In the words of one commentator, "There was to be no personal profit in holy war because the destroyers were acting not on their own behalf but as agents of God's wrath." This adds significance to the author's specific mention of the termination of Haman's line.
v11-15: Esther wasn't squeamish to take steps to ensure this threat against her people never rises in the Persian empire again.
v16: Our consciences recoil in horror at the thought of 75, 800 killed in 2 days. Remember that the Jews were outnumbered, and only fought against those who attacked them. They were aware that the Jews have been preparing and chose to attack regardless, fully expecting to win.
v17-19: The Hebrew word for "gifts of food" is manah, the same word is used in Psalm 16:5 and is translated there as "portions." The Jews saw God as their inheritance and provider, the giving of gifts served as a reminder of this truth; similar to how Christians give gifts on Christmas as a reminder of God's gift of His son
_______
Commentaries: (Optional)
v1: Another obvious reversal.
v2-4: Mordecai grew to greatness and influence in 9 short months. That the king's officials helped defend the Jews without official orders demonstrates the Jew's new status of honour/respect within Persian society.
v5-6: Note there's no mention of women/children killed despite the fact that Mordecai's edict "permitted" it. Chapter 10 describes Mordecai as a peaceful man, his intent was never to condone needless slaughter, but to symbolically mirror Haman's edict.
v7-10: It was customary to kill not only enemies, but their children as well to end all threats. Several of Haman's sons were named after old pagan gods/demons - gives some insight into this family.
The author notes the lack of looting on three separate occasions, despite the fact that Mordecai's decree allowed it. Not only does this implicate protection, and not gain, as the motivation behind the killings; it also hints at something culturally significant. Read 1 Samuel 15:17-23 and remember Haman was a descendant of the Agagites. Saul (Israel's first king) disobeyed God and plundered the Amalekites, as a result he fell from God's favour and the Amalekite/Agagite line survived, resulting in Haman. The Jews of Esther's time were well aware of this stain on their history and very likely saw this as a sacred war to correct Saul's mistake. They intended to succeed where Saul had failed, and refused to allow greed to guide their hands to plunder. In the words of one commentator, "There was to be no personal profit in holy war because the destroyers were acting not on their own behalf but as agents of God's wrath." This adds significance to the author's specific mention of the termination of Haman's line.
v11-15: Esther wasn't squeamish to take steps to ensure this threat against her people never rises in the Persian empire again.
v16: Our consciences recoil in horror at the thought of 75, 800 killed in 2 days. Remember that the Jews were outnumbered, and only fought against those who attacked them. They were aware that the Jews have been preparing and chose to attack regardless, fully expecting to win.
v17-19: The Hebrew word for "gifts of food" is manah, the same word is used in Psalm 16:5 and is translated there as "portions." The Jews saw God as their inheritance and provider, the giving of gifts served as a reminder of this truth; similar to how Christians give gifts on Christmas as a reminder of God's gift of His son
v20: Some scholars believe Mordecai to be the author of the book of Esther, this verse seems to hint at this.
v21-28: One more reversal: what Haman determined, through pagan rituals, to be a day of calamity turned into a day of deliverance and gladness for the Jew. The Jews were well aware of God's involvement in their salvation and deliverance. The sheer unlikelihood of a Jewish girl becoming queen, that she could convince the king of his trusted advisor's treachery, the king's timely notice of Mordecai's heroism, all point to God's unseen hand at work. The Jews were not opposed to obeying what their thankful hearts naturally desired to do, to celebrate God's faithfulness.
v29-32: The Jews are essentially commanded, by royal decree, to commemorate those two days of Adar as a testament of God's faithfulness. Remember what Persian law said about royal decrees.
Ch10: There are strange gaps in ancient Persian records during the period Mordecai held his office. Although one tablet does identify a man named Mardukaya as an official in the early years of Xerxes' reign, many scholars believe this to be Mordecai.
Note that Mordecai remained popular with his people; this says a lot about how Mordecai used the power at his disposal, the kind of power that so easily corrupts.
v21-28: One more reversal: what Haman determined, through pagan rituals, to be a day of calamity turned into a day of deliverance and gladness for the Jew. The Jews were well aware of God's involvement in their salvation and deliverance. The sheer unlikelihood of a Jewish girl becoming queen, that she could convince the king of his trusted advisor's treachery, the king's timely notice of Mordecai's heroism, all point to God's unseen hand at work. The Jews were not opposed to obeying what their thankful hearts naturally desired to do, to celebrate God's faithfulness.
v29-32: The Jews are essentially commanded, by royal decree, to commemorate those two days of Adar as a testament of God's faithfulness. Remember what Persian law said about royal decrees.
Ch10: There are strange gaps in ancient Persian records during the period Mordecai held his office. Although one tablet does identify a man named Mardukaya as an official in the early years of Xerxes' reign, many scholars believe this to be Mordecai.
Note that Mordecai remained popular with his people; this says a lot about how Mordecai used the power at his disposal, the kind of power that so easily corrupts.
_______
Reflections:
Why do you think Esther asked for a second day of death in the capitol? While her reasons may have been perfectly legitimate, keep in mind that she is still fallibly human and prone to imperfections like panic, fear, and spite. Has feelings of protectiveness ever caused you to react more harshly towards a threat against someone/something you cared for than the situation warranted?
The Jews showed mercy to the women and children of their attackers with the exception of Haman's family; they also did not ruin the lives of those left behind by plundering them. Have you ever given or received grace to/from an enemy? What was the response? Read Proverbs 25:21-22, what did Solomon mean by burning coals?
Mordecai said to kill the women and children, but the Jews did not; to plunder their enemies, yet they showed restraint; made no mention of killing Haman's sons, yet they did so; commands them to celebrate, and they've already started. Mordecai was a peaceful man whose edict was meant to symbolically mirror Haman's, yet the Jews anticipated his true will/intention and followed that rather than the written orders. Ever been in a community (family, church, small group, sport team, etc) where the leader and the led are so in sync, that the leader's authority rarely need be exercised? What qualities in the leader and the led allowed everything to run so smoothly? (See Matthew 20:25-28)
Note one commentator's words, "the Jews did not commemorate the day of their victorious battle, but the day on which they rested from their enemies." Do you make a point of remembering milestones in your Christian walk, times that God's pulled through? Why might this practice be helpful/important? What are the implications of commemorating the day they rested from their enemies rather than the day of their victorious battle? Does this translate into what or how we choose to remember God's faithfulness? What are some of your personal "Purims"
Which characters or story elements have you identified with in the study as a whole?
Reflections:
Why do you think Esther asked for a second day of death in the capitol? While her reasons may have been perfectly legitimate, keep in mind that she is still fallibly human and prone to imperfections like panic, fear, and spite. Has feelings of protectiveness ever caused you to react more harshly towards a threat against someone/something you cared for than the situation warranted?
The Jews showed mercy to the women and children of their attackers with the exception of Haman's family; they also did not ruin the lives of those left behind by plundering them. Have you ever given or received grace to/from an enemy? What was the response? Read Proverbs 25:21-22, what did Solomon mean by burning coals?
Mordecai said to kill the women and children, but the Jews did not; to plunder their enemies, yet they showed restraint; made no mention of killing Haman's sons, yet they did so; commands them to celebrate, and they've already started. Mordecai was a peaceful man whose edict was meant to symbolically mirror Haman's, yet the Jews anticipated his true will/intention and followed that rather than the written orders. Ever been in a community (family, church, small group, sport team, etc) where the leader and the led are so in sync, that the leader's authority rarely need be exercised? What qualities in the leader and the led allowed everything to run so smoothly? (See Matthew 20:25-28)
Note one commentator's words, "the Jews did not commemorate the day of their victorious battle, but the day on which they rested from their enemies." Do you make a point of remembering milestones in your Christian walk, times that God's pulled through? Why might this practice be helpful/important? What are the implications of commemorating the day they rested from their enemies rather than the day of their victorious battle? Does this translate into what or how we choose to remember God's faithfulness? What are some of your personal "Purims"
Which characters or story elements have you identified with in the study as a whole?
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