Introduction
When the Bible seeks to present God’s reign as universal, it uses examples of how He maintains a strong influence over great empires. The events of the book of Daniel are set in a vast empire ruled over by incredibly powerful men such as Nebuchadnezzar, Darius and Cyrus, yet the message of the book is summed up in the phrase, “… that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Daniel 4:17). This is repeated several times. For example, Nebuchadnezzar was disciplined for a period: “They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.” (Daniel 4:25) This is rephrased in 4.26 when Nebuchadnezzar is told that his discipline would cease after he came to understand something of the sovereignty of the God of heaven: “... your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules.”
In the book of Esther we are again in the same great empire, albeit about a century later in its history. It is now described as stretching from India to Africa: “Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia)” (Esther 1:1). At this time there are still many Jews living in exile. So similar to the book of Daniel, Esther is written as a book of encouragement, the lesson being, ‘you are far from home, but God has not forgotten you’. It repeats the message of the book of Daniel, that God reigns even when it doesn’t look like it. To the untrained eye the book of Esther looks like a book of coincidences, but with God there are no co-incidences.
God’s First Move – Esther’s Elevation
In the capital of this vast empire, Vashti the queen had offended the king, and was to be replaced. Out of the large number of young women available, Esther was among those that were chosen to be presented to the king. But first, along with many others, she had to be dressed, educated and adorned to be fit to attend on the king. Just as Daniel’s attitude and behaviour brought him into favour with Nebuchadnezzar’s officers, Esther’s beauty, personality and poise brought her into favour with the royal attendants that were caring for the candidates, and she given all the assistance that could be offered to prepare her for her audience with the king.
As in the book of Daniel, God will lift up whom He will – this time a young woman to be queen. Early in the book it is anticipated that Ahasuerus, a Gentile, will be required by God’s sovereign will to choose Esther, a Jew, as his new queen, and this he does. On instructions from her uncle Mordecai, she did not, at least at that time, reveal that she was Jewish. But like Miriam, Deborah, Ruth, and others before her, this young woman is identified as one who will emerge as a heroine for her people. The mystery of the book is that God is only present implicitly, but not explicitly. By that we mean that He is not mentioned at any time, although we are aware of His unseen hand. Throughout the narrative the hand of God is understood to be the force behind events. Although the Hebrew people were oppressed and anti-Semitism was evident, God brought a Jewish woman into the royal court to become queen. Just as Joseph was introduced to the court of the Pharaoh and Daniel to the court of Nebuchadnezzar, Esther came to the court of Ahasuerus for a similar purpose.
Joseph’s leadership meant food for his famine-stricken family and their eventual prosperity.
Daniel’s leadership led to a new status of acceptance of Jews in Babylonia.
Esther’s leadership would yield similar results.
The common element in all three is that it was God who brought about these results.
The other major character in the book is, of course, Mordecai, Esther’s uncle: “In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.” (Esther 2:5–6) The relationship of Mordecai to Esther is given. “And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.” (Esther 2:5–7) Adoption in the extended family was widely practiced among the Jewish community for those who had been orphaned.
God’s Second Move – Mordecai’s Discovery
Mordecai was probably an official at court, sitting in ‘the king’s gate’. Some suggest that it was the Esther, now in a position of influence, who had Mordecai promoted. In a secular record of the same period there is made mention of an accountant who carried out an inspection tour for the king and who had a similar name. Whether it was this Mordecai we are unsure. Nevertheless it is clear that he had access to an area of the palace complex where he would be able to carry out his duties and also be aware of much that took place in higher society. It was in these surroundings that he learned of a plot. Two of the king’s officers, Bigthan and Teresh, conspired to assassinate the king. Mordecai told Esther and she told the king, giving credit to Mordecai for the information. However, the Targums suggest that Mordecai’s discovery of the plot was by God’s design, not by Mordecai’s wisdom. The assassins were caught and punished but Mordecai, in the will of God, received no reward. But it did bring both Esther and Mordecai into the good grace of the king, although at that time it seemed as if he was overlooked – a bit like Daniel in prison, forgotten by the one he had helped. But God does not forget. But God expects Mordecai, like Daniel, to exercise patience. The key fact is that the episode was recorded in a book. As the narrative unfolds we will see Ahasuerus, a man of great power, required to be compliant to the will of God.
Haman is introduced
As in Daniel, there is an evil influence at large, always ready to try to thwart the purposes of God. As the unseen hand of God is evident for good, so the unseen hand of Satan is evident for evil. The Devil is going to use Haman, an Agagite, to try and destroy the Jewish nation. This is a reference to the old enemy of Israel, the Amalekites, whom Israel fought after the exodus. They are spoken of as implacable enemies of God who would war with him “from generation to generation” (Exod.17:16). Haman was promoted, and like his evil master, his pride and ego knew no bounds. As evidence of his promotion above all the princes in the empire, he required people to bow and make obeisance to him as he rode past, in accordance with the king’s commandment. But Mordecai refused to bow to him … because he was a Jew. The exact reason for Mordecai’s reluctance is not given. It could be because, in the society in which he was placed, some high dignitaries claimed honour because of the god they served. If that was the case then there is an echo of the problem that the three Hebrews faced when they refused to bow to the golden image. One Targum suggests that no self-respecting Benjamite would bow to an Amalekite. Whatever the reason, Haman was outraged and plotted his revenge on all Jews. Haman’s actions reveal how deep his anti-Semitic feelings ran.
Haman, described as the Jews’ enemy, brings an accusation to the king, an accusation that has been regularly expressed by many of those who wish to do them despite. He said, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain” (Esther 3:8). Haman was a spokesman for the Devil, the true enemy of the Jews, described in the New Testament as “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev.12:10). They cast the ‘pur’, the lot, to set the date for the extermination of the race. They sought to guarantee the cooperation of the nations in which the Jewish people were dispersed, by declaring the possessions of all Hebrews to be spoil that could be taken by those engaged in the genocide. ‘Pur’ is a Hebrew form of the Babylonian ‘Puru’ which means ‘lot’ but also means ‘fate’. The casting of the lot would be part of the duty of the astrologers to find the most favourable day in which to carry out this devilish plan. On hearing the news, Mordecai immediately entered into mourning, tearing his clothes and wearing sackcloth and ashes. Esther was advised of Mordecai’s dress and countenance, but did not yet know of the decree. She contacted him through messengers and heard of the plight of her people. Mordecai instructed her to go in to the king, and intercede for them, but she spoke of the danger. She advised Mordecai that those that enter the king’s presence without an invitation could face execution. “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live” (Esther 4:11) Moreover, I have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.
The response of Mordecai was measured: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13–14). Mordecai hit the nail on the head! Even so, Esther’s response was magnificent: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish! ” (Esther 4:16 (emphasis added). To be continued
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