“A Blank Check”
Esther 8:1-17
We talked last week about how God works things out. There are no
coincidences. He doesn’t miss a thing… is always at work… has our
very best interest at heart… all the time… in everything. In chapter 7
Haman’s evil scheme was revealed and the king had him executed on the
gallows he had planned to hang Mordecai on. Esther 8:1-17 begins with…
I. Changes at the Palace vs.1-8 on the day that Haman was executed…
A. Mordecai Elevated 1That same day King Xerxes gave Queen
Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Persian law
gave the state the power to confiscate the property of those who had
been condemned as criminals. The king gave the estate to Esther by
way of compensation and as a token of good will. And Mordecai
came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was
related to her. She finally revealed her relationship with Mordecai
as kinsman and foster father. 2The king took off his signet ring,
which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai.
Mordecai was made prime minister of the Persian Empire, with
power to act in the king’s name. He became one of a select group who
had right of access into the king’s presence. And Esther appointed
him over Haman’s estate. Haman’s wealth, title and power now
belonged to his enemy Mordecai. Esther and Mordecai are now both
“set for life.” Esther has been saved personally, which was the
king’s great concern. The chief enemy of the Jews has been
destroyed but the edict, written in the king’s name, and published
throughout the empire for the destruction of all the Jews on the 13th
day of the 12th month was still in full force. Esther did not forget:
B. Esther’s Plea 3Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at
his feet and weeping. With a great show of emotion: She begged him
to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had
devised against the Jews. She wanted him to repeal the edict
condemning the Jews. 4Then the king extended the gold scepter to
Esther and she arose and stood before him. The gesture was
intended to encourage her to rise from her prostrate position before
continuing to speak. It also was a sign that he would graciously
grant her petition. 5“If it pleases the king,” (great deference to the
king) she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the
right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be
written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha,
the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s
provinces. She reminded the king that Haman’s orders had been sent
with the explicit purpose of destroying the Jews in all the king’s
providences. She wanted the decree reversed and was careful to
place the blame on Haman and not the king. The king would have to
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break the law to do this. 6For how can I bear to see disaster fall
on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my
family?” She expressed her grief in the face of the coming disaster.
C. King’s Response  the king could not simply revoke the edict
issued by Haman in due legal form but; ready to help the queen, he first
assures her of his good intentions reminding Esther and Mordecai of
what he had already done. 7King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and
to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have
given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the
gallows. Another solution was required. No prior document written in
his name and sealed with his ring could be revoked; even by the
king himself. It could only be neutralized by another decree. 8Now
write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as
seems best to you, (just like he had done to Haman) and seal it with
the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name
and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” He has his ways, and
means of achieving his will. He gave them a “blank check” – total
authority to do what they thought best since the first decree could
not be undone.
II. A New Decree vs.9-17 reveals what Esther and Mordecai came up with
to save the Jews in the kingdom from annihilation. The new decree was…
A. Drafted by Mordecai 9At once the royal secretaries were
summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month
of Sivan. (May/June) two months and ten days after Haman had
issued his order, and eight months prior to the appointed date for the
slaughter of the Jews. 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 (Ethiopia). These orders
were written in the script of each province and the language of
each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.
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Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the
dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted
couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.
Arabian horses specially bred for the king (racehorses). He wanted
to get the decree out to the empire as fast as possible. Mordecai’s
edict: granted the Jews the right of…
B. Self-Defense for Jews 11The king’s edict granted the Jews in
every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to
destroy, kill and annihilate any armed force of any nationality or
province that might attack them and their women and children;
and to plunder the property of their enemies. A “blank check” to
retaliate completely against anyone who attacked them. This
allowed them to fight back and destroy those who came against them,
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keeping their property. The emphasis is on self defense not
aggression. No one would be attacked who did not first attack the
Jews. 12The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the
provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth
month, the month of Adar. This was almost a paraphrase of
Haman’s edict. It was good for one day so the killing would not
escalate into an ongoing vendetta. 13A copy of the text of the edict
was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the
people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that
day to avenge themselves on their enemies. Everyone would be on
notice that the Jews would be ready on the designated day to take
vengeance on their enemies. This was an example of justice, not
revenge. 14The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out,
spurred on by the king’s command. And the edict was also issued
in the citadel of Susa. The response of the people was…
C. Widespread Rejoicing 15Mordecai left the king’s presence
wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold
and a purple robe of fine linen. All of this signifying his new position
as prime minister. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.
The Jews received the news gladly and the whole city welcomed
Mordecai as the prime minister. 16For the Jews it was a time of
happiness and joy, gladness and honor. Contrast with: Haman’s
edict which caused grief and mourning. 17In every province and in
every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was joy and
gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And
many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of
the Jews had seized them. They were afraid of what the Jews might
do to them on the appointed day. The tables are completely turned
so now it is dangerous not to be a Jew. Heathen people could not
miss the fact that the God of the Jews had protected them and
overturned Haman and promoted Mordecai. They turned from their
many gods and became Jewish proselytes believing in the Living God.
III. Personal Applications  the king bestowed the estate of Haman to
Esther and advanced Mordecai to Haman’s place as prime minister. Esther
begged the king to change the evil edict against the Jews and the king
permitted her and Mordecai to send letters in the king’s name to all the
Jews in the kingdom, commanding them to stand for their life and to defeat
their enemies on the day appointed for their own extermination. God works
the same way in our lives today.
A. Reward of Humility  Proverbs 29:23A man’s pride brings
him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor. Mordecai was
humble as opposed to Haman’s pride. He was given the same
power that Haman had used against him and his people. He
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enjoyed popularity with the people where they had to be ordered to
honor Haman. Esther also gave him all of Haman’s wealth. God
rewards humility: Philippians 2:5-11Your attitude should be the
same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did
not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but
made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being
made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a
man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even
death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Humility is not thinking of
ourselves and a willingness to obey God regardless the cost.
B. God’s Reversals  God reverses fortune: once an alien
orphan, Ether is now Queen of Persia. The house belonging to Haman
was given to Esther. Esther, formerly under Mordecai’s authority,
appointed him as steward of her new house. Mordecai is named the
king’s top advisor. The king granted Mordecai the authority to issue a
decree that neutralized the decree issued by Haman. Citizens once
bowed to Haman because of the king’s orders now they celebrated
spontaneously to Mordecai’s new position. Gentiles who once
intended to harm the Jews began to identify themselves with the Jews.
God reverses things if we let Him. Mark 9:35 Sitting down, Jesus
called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be
the very last, and the servant of all.” The way to up is down and
the way down is up. The first shall be last; the way to glory is the
way of the cross. People notice how God provides for His children
who honor Him. God wants us to develop a…
C. Holy Ambition  to seek God humbly and to leave our
greatness to Him. I Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under
God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. If God
chooses to exalt us in this life so be it; it not; so be it. For some
Christians that due time will occur in this life, but certainly for all
Christians it will come when Christ returns in glory.
God wants to use us in unusual ways if we are willing to humble
ourselves before Him and others and seek to obey Him.