The Jews were not only spared from the penalty of death which had been sent out, but a new decree was written, giving the Jews liberty to put to death any “that would assault them.”
V.15 What a wonderful change! No more sackcloth and tears, but kingly raiment and rejoicing. And all this came about without the Jew’s own efforts, but rather from the faithful hand of the Lord working for them. Notice the contrast between last words of Esther 3:15 and the last words of this verse!
V.16-17 We can understand their joy, for one day they were under the sentence of death, and the next day they were delivered from it. Notice too that “many of the people became Jews.” What a good thing it would be if many people would turn to the Lord today, and receive Him as their Savior and become Christians.
We pointed out seven sad things in Esther 4:1. Here we see the contrast: (1) light, (2) gladness, (3) joy, (4) honor, (5) a feast, (6) a good day, (7) rest (Esther 9:17). What a perfect description of the unsaved and then the believer.