Haman was defeated, but the king could not cancel his previous edict to have the Jews destroyed. He could, and did, issue a counter-edict in which the Jews could defend themselves with his blessing.
Comparing translations of Esther 8 shows the scene from various angles. In the case of Eugene Peterson’s Message, I’m not sure the tone is reverent. In fact, I wonder if — like Bob Deffinbaugh — Eugene Peterson was unimpressed with Mordecai and Esther.
Esther’s Plea Fulfilled
Deffinbaugh explained that Mordecai’s counter-edict “is just what Esther pled for — a reversal of the decree made law by Haman.”
Why is this problematic for Deffinbaugh? Because the queen doesn’t go to Scripture and ask what God would want, what his Word has said about right or wrong. “She appeals to the king solely on the basis of his affection for her and on what the destruction of the Jews would do to her. She does not know how she can endure if her people are slaughtered. Haman’s plan will break her Jewish heart.”
The important thing to her was that the king please his wife, or she will be distraught.
Then Mordecai gave the Jews permission to destroy their enemies utterly. Even though God had said, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18). Mordecai encouraged the Jews permission to take vengeance into their own hands.
And then what do we see, but Mordecai decked out in the ostentatious garb of a pompous man of court, wearing just what Haman wanted to be seen wearing. “Mordecai walked out of the king’s presence wearing a royal robe of violet and white, a huge gold crown, and a purple cape of fine linen” (Esther 8:15-17, The Message).
Did Mordecai become corrupted by pride? Was he now gloating over his enemies and reveling in his reversal of fortune? I feel like he sold out here when I view Scripture from this different angle, although I could turn the passage a different way and regard this scene more positively.
The Joy of Susa
The city of Susa exploded with joy (Esther 8:15-17, The Message).
Susa was not an all-Jewish city, but by the time Mordecai was done, well, Eugene Peterson put it this way in The Message: “Not only that, but many non-Jews became Jews — now it was dangerous not to be a Jew!” (vv.15-17, The Message).
Sure, things were looking up for Mordecai and his people, but what about their neighbors who did not believe in God but had no intention of hurting the Jews either? What would their fate have been had they expressed their disbelief?
Makes me think about the cancel culture we live in, where it’s considered intolerant and aggressive to speak of a just God whose commands and instructions don’t change. There is a lot of hatred out there from groups who call for “tolerance,” but it works both ways.
Christians can be incredibly aggressive and unreceptive in the way we propound our views.
“It seems the Jews were granted to kill virtually anyone they perceived to be a threat — or even a potential threat” (Ibid.).
I don’t know how God would like us to see this passage, whether he wants to draw our attention to the irony here. Or is he saying, “Woe to all who threaten my people”? Or even “what was meant for evil, I used for good” (Genesis 50:20)?
Fear of the Jews
And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them (Esther 8:17, ESV).
Fear of the Lord did not fall over these people but fear of the Jews. The prepositional phrase is very clear here — “of the Jews.” Not fear of the Jewish God.
It’s so shocking to take a close look at this passage and to think of the people who have told us we’d go to hell if we didn’t love Jesus. That’s not faith but fear, encouraging slavery instead of hope and repentance.
And what if I lived in a country where it was dangerous to openly follow Christ alone — would I pretend to adopt the world’s beliefs? Or would I drift into apostasy as a matter of self-preservation? How are we identified on the day of judgment when Christ returns?
The Persians of that day who proclaimed themselves “Jews” — some of them might have truly seen the power of God in this counter-edict, and I want to hope that those men and women were truly transformed.
I want to hope that Mordecai and Esther meant, in their imperfect ways, to glorify God. After all, Joseph was elevated at court but still glorified God, even while wearing the clothing of a man of stature. Was he any less a Jew than his brothers, than his father, also the father of the 12 tribes? No.
Mordecai bravely refused to bow down to Haman, and we assume this was out of love for God. And if this is true, then the power he received might have corrupted what was previously a heart of reverence for his Lord, just like Solomon’s former wisdom and worship were corrupted by power.
David was the same — 1 and 2 Samuel chronicle his life, his mistakes, his prayers, his periods of sin, repentance, worship, rejoicing, and so on. We see times when the power went to his head.
But Esther herself…what do we make of her? One writer suggests that “Esther’s bravery and faith in God are a testament to the trust this young woman had in the living God.” This writer asserts that her life shows how God directs everything, he is in control, and she knew that.
No government, no world power, is bigger than him. “We may not know what God is doing at a particular moment, but a time might come when we realize why we have gone through certain experiences or met certain people [...] when everything comes together, and we look back and see that we, too, were in the right place at the right time, just as Esther was.”
Esther was being faithful to God when she did what Mordecai commanded of her, although we could also argue that she trusted God through Mordecai, like a faithful Jew seeking God’s face through the High Priest.
We could also say that Esther’s heart, like any human heart, struggled to comprehend the real and almighty power of her God, and her own heart was mixed up.
A Shallow Belief
But if becoming a Jew was a matter of merely saying, “I’m Jewish!” that’s not a faith but a heritage and a system. God spoke about that problem over and over.
He was appalled by his people’s shallow religion. “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Joshua 22:5).
And here is what Micah reminded the people: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (6:8). Not only was it important to obey, but to obey out of love for God and to reflect his righteousness.
God didn’t want shiny, perfect ritual followers and law-keepers; he wanted broken and contrite hearts filled with love for their Lord, a people who wanted to honor, praise, glorify, and love him. He wanted to walk with his people as he had walked with them across the Red Sea and in the desert.
Belief that merely looks good on the outside but is really a matter of public profession in the interests of self-preservation is no better than the sort of religiosity the Pharisees peddled and which Jesus decried.
In a way, Mordecai makes me think of those false preachers leading their flocks into a false sense of safety. The Lord condemned such men.
When he wanted real heart change, the Lord sent a prophet — Jonah, for example. The people of Nineveh were convicted by the Word of God, not by the threat of death.
Finding the Gospel in This Mess
Where do I find Jesus in the potential bloodshed of Esther? Just as some figures are prototypes of Jesus, some are also reminders of his grace. And we can’t forget God’s wrath: anyone we know who does not love Jesus is in danger of perishing forever.
We can take Esther 8 as a reminder that Jesus’ way of sharing the gospel is the best way. Be loving but truthful.
Point others to God just as we are recalibrating daily, so our focus is also on the Resurrected King; even if people hurt us, remember we were saved from destruction ourselves by the mercy and grace of God.
For further reading:
The Counter Decree: Esther’s Connection to the Gospel Series
The Queen's Patience: Esther's Ninth Connection to the Gospel
A Convenient Justice: Esther’s Tenth Connection to the Gospel
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Allen Taylor
