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Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Whenever the calendar gives us a ‘Friday the 13th’, are you one of those people who either doesn’t want to get out of bed in the morning, or walks through the day constantly both looking over your shoulder and very cautiously putting one foot in front of the other? Today is one of those days, isn’t it?
Would you believe June 25, 474bc is a date on the Persian calendar historians tell us was also such a day? Let’s watch as Queen Esther was facing a “Friday the 13th” type of day. It may have been the very next day after all the miraculous things we saw yesterday, but now with Haman dead; Mordecai identified as the man who adopted and raised orphan Esther; and Haman’s estate given to Queen Esther who gave it to Mordecai; the fate of Mordecai and Esther had certainly taken a dramatic turn from the terror of Haman’s influence.
But both Mordecai and Queen Esther knew that while their sudden good fortune was temporarily great for them, a terrible day of death still awaited every Jew in the Persian kingdom including them. Remember Haman’s plan had been put into law by King Xerxes and no law of the Medes & Persians could be revoked even by the king! Thus the day of death for all Jews in Persia was still fixed and approaching quickly. By the way, historians tell us the specific execution date was scheduled to be March 7, 473bc.
In the flurry of excitement in the palace, we should imagine deep in their souls Mordecai and Esther were deeply troubled and Queen Esther knew it was time to take action. The record says: “Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. Then the king extended his gold scepter to Esther and she rose and stood before the king. ‘If it pleases the king, and if he regards me with favor and thinks it is the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman 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 8:3-6)
It is one of the most impassioned, compassionate, morally right appeals made by a queen to her king ever recorded in all the annals of history. It was only logical that Queen Esther would again appeal to the king’s affection for her and his delight in her as his young queen. But did you notice Esther also appealed to King Xerxes’ soul, his moral conscience. She hoped the king would rationally agree that ‘it is the right thing to do’.
We have no evidence that King Xerxes was a particularly moral or religious man and certainly nothing indicates he had any particular interest in the God of Israel, but still Esther appealed to his conscience. Do you also see that Queen Esther understood the political structure of the Persian empire? She knew the king’s order for the annihilation of all Jews in the kingdom could not be revoked or modified in any way. But a new order could be given, even if it was in total opposition to the first order, and this option was Esther’s wise request of King Xerxes.
How long Xerxes reflected on Esther’s appeal, or if he sought the advice of his wise counselors or military officers in consideration of her appeal, we do not know. But what King Xerxes next did is nothing short of miraculous! He actually empowered Queen Esther to write the new law!!
The record says it this way: “King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther…’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 signet ring can be revoked.” (Esther 8:7,8) Friends, I am not aware that ever before, in any kingdom of the world, has a king done something exactly like this! Did you see the little phrase “as seems best to you”?
Esther’s appeal touched something very deep in King Xerxes’ heart. I cannot imagine the complexities which faced this king every day as he tried to keep peace in and govern over a kingdom as vast and diverse as the Persian kingdom, stretching over 127 provinces of millions of people. Immediately the royal secretaries and scribes were summoned to the palace.
The next verse of the record is very interesting to me: “They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script and language of each province and people. Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses bred for the king.” (Esther 8:9,10)
I’m astonished as I imagine watching what is happening here! Did you notice who was summoned and given full authority to issue this new edict of King Xerxes? Mordecai was functioning in this new role King Xerxes had given him, and was I presume in the king’s court, surrounded by the king’s scribes and secretaries writing in dozens of different languages spoken across the empire! What were they writing?
Word for word the new edict declared by Mordecai. He did so in the name and authority of his Majesty, King Xerxes! Then when the ink was dry, Mordecai took the king’s signet ring which was on Mordecai’s finger, and sealed each scroll with the irrevocable authority of King Xerxes!! If the angels in heaven were watching all this, I imagine a hush of astonishment swept through all of heaven as the angels watched God’s miraculous sovereignty at work in Persia!
And with that carefully selected, trusted couriers; carrying these edict scrolls; riding specially bred horses; raced out of Susa, going to the far corners of the empire with a new edict from the Susa palace throne room!
Tomorrow we’ll look at what that edict was. For today I urge us to simply pause in awe of what miracles only God could do, that we have witnessed today. And what is the biggest challenge you are facing today my friends? This great worship song “Way Maker” seems to fit so well, let’s worship Him. Is Jesus your “way maker” today?
Today’s Scripture: Esther 8:3-10.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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