Esther 9
I. \\#Esther 1:1-22\\ The Wife Who Refused to Obey
II. \\#Esther 2:1-23\\ Choosing a New Queen
III. \\#Esther 3:1-15\\ Haman Forms A Plot
IV. \\#Esther 4:1-17\\ For Such A Time As This
V. \\#Esther 5:1-14\\ The Courage and Wisdom of Esther
VI. \\#Esther 6:1-14\\ A Sleepless Night In Persia
VII. \\#Esther 7:1-10\\ A Just Dessert
VIII. \\#Esther 8:1-17\\ Fixing A Wrong
IX. \\#Esther 9:1-32\\ An Overwhelming Victory
I. \\#Esther 9:1-31\\ An Overwhelming Victory
A. \\#1-10, 16\\ The First Victory
1. \\#1\\ "the Jews had rule over them that hated them"
a. It was now "the twelfth month… the thirteenth day." It had been
eleven months since Haman schemed to kill the Jews and nine months
since Mordecai gave the Jews permission to defend themselves.
b. "the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them," but God
had other things in mind.
2. \\#2-4\\ "The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities"
The Jews did not take their victory for granted. They prepared by
gathering together to defend themselves. Yet, they had additional
advantages.
a. "the fear of them (the Jews) fell upon all people" - Seeing how
the Jewish God had delivered them produced a powerful effect on
the Gentiles. That fear gave the Jews a great advantage.
b. \\#3\\ "all the rulers… lieutenants… deputies, and officers
of the king, helped the Jews" - It was not just the Jews against
the Jew-haters. Those who were loyal to the king helped the Jews.
The reason for that is given in the next verse.
c. \\#4\\ "For Mordecai was great in the king’s house" - Since the
king had sided with the Jews and against Haman, it behooved the
king’s servants to support the Jews.
d. \\#5-10, 16\\ "Thus the Jews smote all their enemies"
(1) \\#6\\ The Jews killed 500 in Shushan.
(2) \\#7-10\\ They killed the ten sons of Haman.
(3) \\#16\\ And they slew 75,000 throughout the kingdom.
e. \\#10, 15, 16\\ "but on the spoil laid they not their hand" - It
is interesting that the Jews did not take the spoil of their
enemy, especially since this was both a common practice and
specifically granted to them in the king’s degree
\\#Esther 8:11\\.
B. \\#11-15\\ The Second Victory
1. \\#12\\ "now what is thy petition?" - The king, upon hearing of the
number slain in Shushan, again asked of Esther what else she would
desire.
2. \\#13-15\\ Esther had two requests.
a. "do to morrow also according unto this day’s degree"
(1) Esther asked for a second day for the Jews to hunt down and to
kill their enemies.
(2) Esther probably figured that some had gone into hiding on the
13th day of the month, but would return to the city on the
14th day. Being in hiding, they would not hear that the day
of reckoning had been extended.
(3) While there was not time to notify all the kingdom of the
additional day, the Jews in Shushan did devote a second day
to that task.
b. "let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows" - Even though
Haman’s sons were already dead, Esther requested that their dead
bodies be publically hung as a warning to all others who might
feel emboldened against the Jews.
3. \\#15\\ "on the fourteenth day… slew three hundred men at Shushan"
An additional 300 were found and slain on the second day of slaughter.
C. \\#17-32\\ The Days of Purim Instituted - The remainder of this chapter
explains how the Feast of Purim was instituted. The holiday is actually
celebrated on two different days. For most Jews, it is celebrated on
the 14th day of Adar, but for Jews who live in cities that were walled
in the days of Joshua (such as Jerusalem and Shushan), Purim is
celebrated on the 15th day. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purim)
1. \\#17\\ Most of the Jews, defeated their enemy on the 13th day and
feasted on the 14th.
2. \\#18\\ The Jews in Shushan destroyed their enemies for two days,
the 13-14th, then feasted on the 15th.
3. \\#19\\ "the Jews… that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the
fourteenth day… a day of gladness and feasting: - Those who lived
in unwalled villages, celebrated Purim on the 14th day of the month
Adar.
4. \\#21\\ "that they should keep the fourteenth… and the fifteenth
day of the same, yearly" - Although no reason is given, this verse
makes it clear that Purim would be celebrated by some on the 15th
day of Adar. The Jews understand that the ancient cities that had
walls, like Shushan, were to celebrate Purim on the 15th.
5. \\#20\\ "Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters" - Mordecai
used his position to declare Purim an national feast day.
6. \\#22\\ Purim is a day to rejoice and to send "portions one to another
and gifts to the poor."
7. \\#23-26\\ Mordecai reviews the history of Purim in his letter.
8. \\#27\\ "that they would keep these two days" - Another verse to
emphasize Purim as a two-day feast.
9. \\#28\\ "and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout
every generation" - Mordecai’s instructions were to celebrate Purim
perpetually.
10. \\#30\\ "he sent the letters unto all the Jews" - Mordecai and Queen
Esther both used their authority to confirm this holiday and then
sent the letters throughout the kingdom.
11. \\#31\\ "and it was written in the book" - The Scriptures do not tell
us to what book Esther had these details added.
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