Mortal Combat
3/16/25
Esther 9:1-19 ESV
We are in the final act of our story
The King of Persia has recently issued a decree allowing the Jews to protect themselves from their enemies. They have been given authority to defend themselves from danger.
Today we will read how God turns around this terrible situation and God’s plan come to completion. This whole book, Esther and Mordecai have been great examples of leadership; we will see more of their courage today. And lastly, we will see the larger picture of God’s people unite and triumph over their enemies through a miracle of his protection.
Let’s dive in and see how God works an incredible miracle on behalf of his people like he has done so many times before.
9 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them.
• The new decree gave them the power to defend themselves, but it didn’t guarantee their success. The decree was to give them a fighting chance of survival. Even still we aren’t sure how all of this is going to shake out.
• Realize from last week to this week, 9 months go by. This new decree happens in the 3rd month, and here we are 9 months later. Put yourself in their shoes; imagine being a Jew during this period. There is a one-day war coming and you don’t know…
• Or maybe not, maybe they were confident, that they had faith in the LORD that they knew he would follow through and protect them. We can only speculate, and think how you would feel in that situation.
o Scripture speaks nothing of these 9 months, instead the story picks up right with the action. The enemies of the Jews suffered a huge defeat.
• The enemies of God’s people hoped to conquer them, to extinguish them. But instead, “the reverse occurred”. It doesn’t go the way their enemies expected. That is a core theme of the gospel, it is all about reversals.
o Instead of Esau, Jacob. Instead of a handsome tall king, a little shepherd boy. Instead of an eternity separated from God, his son died in our place.
o God is the same today as he was in Esther’s day.
o We do not get what we deserve, in fact we get the exact opposite. Just when they were supposed to be destroyed, that very day, their fortunes reverse.
• God gave them their success.
o “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” psalm 127:1
o They conquered their enemies, even when they were unsure what would happen and how God would make a way, through it all, His will prevailed.
2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful.
• Beginning of v2 says they came together. There is Unity in God’s people. The Jews gathered in their cities; they united. It was not every man for himself. The text implies they worked together to defeat their enemy, to execute God’s vision and plan.
• Draw your attention to the second part of v2; it is so declarative! “No one could stand against them”! This is a description of the Lord’s power; this story doesn’t make sense as a tale about how lucky and clever a small people group was.
o They were unstoppable, fear had fallen on their enemies. Again, God is present here, their enemies knew that He was their God.
o 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 ESV
5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed… [Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha,] 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder.
• It tells us about 100 times in this book who Haman was and what people group he was from. The reason this is important is because the Agagites were historical enemies of Israel. Joshua had been given a command to wipe them out, all of them. But the people of Israel disobeyed. They neglected their job and these people ever since have been a thorn in their side.
o “Now it was God’s intent that a last conflict should take place between Israel and Amalek: the conflict which began with Joshua in the desert was to be finished by Mordecai in the king’s palace.” (Spurgeon)
11 That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day’s edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
• We still see courage in her. Even though the King is on team Esther at this point. God’s leaders are courageous. That is difficult, being brave and courageous is not the normal.
• She wants to make their death public. Meant to deter additional rebellions or uprisings against God’s people.
• We read last week that the Jews were entitled to the plunder, according to the king’s decree. And now for the second time, the text says they did not take any of the plunder. They did not enrich themselves through the material goods they were offered. They were strictly about self-defense; survival was enough of a gift.
16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.
• We get an explanation as to why different Jews might claim a different date for the celebration.
• Do you understand how many people that is? From a world population standpoint that has to be a big percentage. That’s more people than the US causalities in Viet Nam.
• This isn’t just ordinary people dying, these are people who hated them. The enemies of God are destroyed.
• The last point we’ll look at it the word rest in v17. His people celebrate the occasion and the intentional use of the word “rest” evokes the sabbath. It is to sit back and say “it is good”. It certainly is good; God’s plan has been executed and the enemies of his people have been devoted to destruction.
What can we takeaway from this passage?
God has a way of turning the story upside down
• Don’t sell God short. Everything is in the realm of possible, there is truly nothing he cannot do. In unexpected ways, God flips the script.
• How many times do we have to see it to expect it? Whether it was when Joseph was sold as a slave, or when God’s people were caught between the red sea and a furious Pharoah, wandering marching around the city of Jerico, or using the murder of his perfect son to restore his creation and gift us salvation.
• God can turn the story around and use it for his good
• God is the same yesterday today and forever.
• Same is true for your life, do not put God in a box, do not diminish what God is able to do
God is faithful to his promise
• The Jews deserved to be punished and deserved to be destroyed but God would never let that happen. He is faithful to his promise to keep a remnant of his people He is looking out for them and protecting a remnant
• not because of what they’ve done. Because of who he is.
This story is a miracle
• The Jews did not succeed in this story because of their own strategy, or their own might and prowess.
• God is at work, all over the place. There are areas of my life where I often feel all alone, but God continues to move. Where is God working in your life, and how can you find ways to be more tuned in, the miracles he is working right in front of you?
God’s work is to be celebrated.
• Do you take time to celebrate the things that God has done?
• What does that look like? Do you take a sabbath, do you rest in the Lord?
• Take time to be with others, feasting, giving and resting in our salvation
There is unity in God’s people
• The Jews fought off their enemies as one united front. They came together for a common purpose to enact the will of God. How often do you come together with God’s people? Physically gathering, spending time with other believers. Also important that we are on the same page about spiritual matters with one another, that we are united spiritually.
• Is this just a social club to you? Do you look around and think, how fun it is to have friends outside of your workplace or your home? Or do you see people that you can point you closer to Jesus, can correct you when you stray and come along side you when you fight spiritual enemies?
• The rich community we are called to is built on accountability, trust, openness and love. It is made up of people who know each other deeply enough to ask, what did the Lord teach you this week? What scripture stood out to you in your quiet time with the Lord?
The text used the phrase “no one could stand against them”. God is unstoppable and what he wants will happen. We cannot control that; we can only acknowledge it. For every man who has ever lived, there are two reactions. We see in the text two distinct types of people. There are the people who see what God is doing, fear him and even join. Last week we read about those who saw their fortune turning and wanted to become Jews. This week we saw the leaders helping the Jews fight their enemies; they knew they had a powerful God on their side and they wanted to be a part of it.
And yet we still read about a fight. There were still people who attacked the Jews on the 13th of Adar. There are those people who double down and continue to hate him, and attack his people and receive judgement and destruction because of it.
Where do you stand? Don’t be the second man. Grab hold of the God of victory and restoration, unite with his people and celebrate the good work he has done.