The book of Esther is very, very little read; and I suppose because the name of God does not occur in it, many think it is not inspired. But the book belongs to the word of God, and there are great lessons for us to learn from it. What we have read is a picture of the gospel.
The position of the Jews, in a strange land, was due to their sin. Had they been obedient they would never have been captives. They had gone on in sin and rebellion against God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came and took them captive; and this was their condition. But they had another enemy Haman. And there was someone else behind him the devil. Had the devil had his way in destroying the Jews, God’s purposes would have been frustrated. His purpose was that from the seed of Abraham One should arise that should redeem His people from their sins. He, the Christ, Who is God over all, came of Jewish stock, to be the Saviour.
But here we have the letter of death. Haman told the king it was not for his profit to keep the Jews; they might rebel; so he would pay 50,000 talents to have them destroyed. The king gave him his ring, and told him to have it written and sealed, that on such a day the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, there should be a general massacre of all the Jews; young and old should be destroyed. What a condition! What would it have been for us, had we been living then, and had been Jews, to see that death-sentence posted up! Yet a message has gone out from God far worse than that. We, like the Jews, have rebelled against God, and have done that which is contrary to Him. He has said there is wrath gone out—it is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness (Romans 1:1818For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18)). He has said, “When they shall say, Peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh.... and they shall not escape” (1 Thess. 5:33For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:3)). The wrath of God is against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men; for “the wages of sin is death”; yet what is the result of the proclamation of that message?
Did the people in Esther’s day, when they saw the notices that on the 13th of December (as we should say) they would be slain, go on lightly as men do today? No; a general fast was proclaimed, because they knew the king’s word would be carried out. They knew “the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse” (Chap. 8:8). But today people who have been warned of eternal death turn a deaf ear to it. In 2 Thess. 1 we read “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord”; that is the sinner’s doom—total banishment from God for all eternity.
God is working behind the scenes, and brings a sleepless night to the king, and he remembers his life was once saved by one of his servants, Mordecai. He asks, What honor has been done to him? None; so he honors him. Queen Esther, too, pleads for the people (Chap. 7:3, 4). The queen herself was a Jewess, who had become the favorite of the king, and had been made queen by him; but she, too, was under the condemnation, for being queen would not avail her, since the decree had gone forth that all Jews were to be destroyed. So she takes her life in her hand, and goes in unto the king, and pleads, and he grants her her request. He gives his ring to Mordecai, and he and the queen send out another notice, sealed as the former that all Jews should stand up for their lives and destroy all who would destroy them.
So the message of death has gone out to you, unsaved sinner, that you are under the condemnation of death. But in the gospel we have the glad tidings the message of life. We have not Queen Esther risking her life, but the blessed Lord Jesus Who gave His life to save you gave it, “a ransom for all,” that you and I might be rescued from the sentence of death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
What was the result to the people? When they received the message of death they believed it because it was sealed with the king’s seal. When they had the message of life, equally sealed by the king’s seal, they believed it, too, and acted on it (Chap. 8:16, 17). They believed the king’s word; when the message of death came they mourned; when the message of life came, they rejoiced. Did they not rejoice too soon? Should they not have waited till the thirteenth of the twelfth month came? No; had they delayed believing it, they would have been destroyed.
Are you going to believe what God has said? The message of life has gone out by the Lord Jesus Christ, for “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself”; what are you going to do with the word? If you believe it, you have eternal life. They believed before the day came, and rejoiced; so you, if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, have eternal life NOW, and eternal death will not be your portion.
The people of Shushan saw Mordecai in royal apparel, with the chain of gold and the ring; and surely they knew that because he was accepted, so were they. And we know the Lord Jesus Christ has been accepted “raised again for our justification.” “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).
H.B.