God's Great Reversals

Ben Trigsted

For Such A Time As This • Sermon • Submitted 10 months ago • Presented 10 months ago

Esther 8:1–17

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Introduction

For those of you who know me, you know I’m a big fan of sports...

One of my favorite things in sports is when you see a team that is struggling turn things around and overcome their troubles.

I particularly love it when it’s one of my favorite teams!

We call this the “comeback” or the “turn around.”

One example was Phoebe’s junior year of basketball, during a playoff game against Curlew...

In sports we love the comeback story, but how does that translate to real life?

While sports are not super important within the Bible, we do find that God often guides His people to “comebacks” or “turn arounds” when the odds are stacked against them.

We call these reversals. God allows His people to go through an extremely difficult time, then just at the right moment, He turns things around, or reverses them in the favor of His people.

In many ways, the book of Esther is a book about reversals.

This morning we are going to begin looking at the final three chapters of the book of Esther.

I’ll warn you, some of what happens in this section is very difficult for modern Christians to balance ethically, as we will see.

We will address these, but we cannot lose sight on the more important lessons in Esther: God specializes in great reversals for His people, so we must never lose hope!

Body: Esther 8

Verses 1-2

Esther 8:1–2 (ESV)

On that day King A-hass-u-air-us gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

We see two reversals in these two verses:

The property of Haman is ceased from his family and given over to Esther.

In the Persian Empire, when someone found guilty of a crime against the crown they had their property taken and given to the king.

In this case, because the Jews were wronged, Xerxes gives the estate of Haman to Esther, his queen.

The Reversal: While Haman planned on killing the Jewish people and taking their possessions, now Haman has been killed and his possessions have gone to someone he was trying to eliminate.

Additionally, God is taking two people who at the beginning of the story had very little (Esther and Mordecai) and now He is putting them over much.

Mordecai is given the position that Haman once held.

This should have been one way back in Esther 2 when Mordecai saved the king’s life. And, it’s quite possible that this slight against Mordecai started all of Mordecai and the Jewish people’s troubles.

However:

The Reversal: Mordecai’s credit for his faithfulness to the king (and more importantly, God) has been delayed until now. Now, God has taken a man of little authority, but much character, and giving him the second highest position of authority in the kingdom.

So things are looking up, right? Well, there is still a major problem of Haman’s irrevocable edict calling for the genocide of the Jewish people.

Verses 3-6

Esther 8:3–6 (ESV)

Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Ham-med-atha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”

Once again Esther takes up the mantle of savior of her people.

In pleading with the king she is very careful not to blame the king for anything (although he clearly is at least partially responsible).

She is asking for something that, frankly, could once again cost her life. For a woman to request that the king overturn a irrevocable edict could be seen as her trying to put undo influence on him, or worse, questioning the “rightness” of his rule.

So, after showing the proper honor to the king, she pleads that the edict of Haman be revoked.

Verses 7-8

Esther 8:7–8 ESV

Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.”

Xerxes’ response to Esther is complex:

First, he says he’s already done much for Esther and Mordecai by giving them the estate of Haman.

This is the rule of reciprocity (reh suh praa suh tee), which the ancient world usually lived by. This is the idea of you getting repayed for what you have done, good or bad.

Second, without saying it directly, Xerxes cannot personally overturn the edict.

Partly because the Persian laws were supposed to be irrevocable.

But probably more so in order to save face...

Third, he will allow Mordecai to write a edict on his own, using the king’s authority, in order to save the Jewish people.

This will allow Mordecai the freedom to come up with a plan to save his people.

Verses 9-14

Esther 8:9–14 ESV

The king’s scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king’s service, bred from the royal stud, saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods, on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king’s service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.

There’s a lot here, but the most important thing is this:

Mordecai’s edict states that the Jewish people have the right to defend themselves if attacked on the 13th day of the month of Adar.

The Jews could not go on the offense, but if attacked, they could kill those who attacked them.

Mordecai even uses the same words as Haman did in the original edict, but this time in defense of the Jewish people.

Then the message is sent all throughout the Persian Empire.

Next week we will see this play out.

We will also discuss the ethics of it, which is frankly challenging for NT Christians.

We see another reversal here:

The Jewish people were powerless up until this point, because they didn’t have the right to defend themselves. Now, per royal edict, they are given the gift of being able to defend themselves against those who would attempt to kill them.

Not just that, but they would not spare women or children and they would be able to take the possession of those who were trying to take their possessions.

Again, we will discuss that part more next week, but for now we need to see that those without power are now powerful.

Verses 15-17

Esther 8:15–17 ESV

Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. 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.

There are three reversals here:

Mordecai, who once wore sackcloth and ashes, would now go out in royal garb; blessed because of his faithfulness to God and to his people.

In chapter 4 we see the people of Susa and the Jewish people throughout the rest of the empire, are mourning, weeping and lamenting. But now look:

They are shouting, rejoicing, they are light, and glad, and experiencing joy and honor.

That’s a significant reversal! They aren’t completely out of the woods, but they can at least defend themselves.

While the Jews experienced great fear with Haman’s edict, that has been reversed, and now many non-Jews are afraid.

So much so that some even claim to be Jews, just to save themselves!

This probably means that many who once would have attacked the Jews now will not.

So What?

Our God still specializes in reversals.

The Great Reversal:

The greatest reversal of all was that God made a way that guilty sinners, like you and me, can have our punishment for our sins atoned for and be justified before the Thrice Holy God.

He did this through the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Paul says it clearly in Romans 8. (We are going to go back to this chapter a bunch here, so get ready!)

Romans 8:1–4 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

This, beloved, is the great reversal!

Our Lives:

Once we’ve received the free gift of salvation by placing our hope in Christ Jesus alone, we are adopted as the sons or daughters of God. Not only does He protect His own, but He also guides His own through His own Holy Spirit.

Go back to Romans 8.

Romans 8:12–16 ESV

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

In short, we are continually experiencing reversals because of the Spirit’s presence and God’s favor.

Warren Wiersbe: “God hasn’t promised that we’ll be promoted and made rich, but He has assured us that He’s in control of all circumstances and that He will write the last chapter of the story.”

The Future Reversal:

We know that there will be a final reversal as well, when God once and for all makes all things new.

We don’t know when that time will come, but we are assured that God is leading history to His ultimate purposes.

Once again, Paul has much for us in Romans 8.

Romans 8:18–19 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

Look at how Paul ends this:

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is the culmination of our great reversal!