Esther 9:11 On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.
12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.
13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.
14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
15 For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.
16 But the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,
17 On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
18 But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.
As the reports came in of the Gentiles killed in Shushan, the king just took it in stride. As we noted in another study, life was cheap in the Persian Empire. Life is generally cheap among the lost. The king was interested in how many were killed in the rest of the Empire. Now the king wanted to know what else Esther wanted. He was not done granting her petitions yet. He was still willing to give her more. It was not hard for the king to work with other people’s lives and possessions.
In verse 13 Esther showed she had a further request. She wanted a second day of revenge in Shushan. She also wanted Haman’s ten sons hung on the gallows. They were already dead, but she wanted a public display of their death. This would certainly have put the fear of the king in the minds of anyone who would be thinking of following Haman’s lead.
The king did not hesitate to grant this request. Apparently it was common for criminals to be killed and then hung on the gallows in a public show.
In verse 15 we read that the Jews stood that second day and they killed another three hundred Gentiles that day. They also hung Haman’s ten sons that day.
In verse 16 we read that the Jews in the other provinces gathered together and killed seventy five thousand people. They killed the people, but did not take their prey. The Jews were not into materialism. They just wanted to be able to live. Seventy five thousand Gentiles had bought into the lies of Haman and they were ready to kill Jews. However, their plans were thwarted by God. God was not going to allow those seventy five thousand Jew haters to have their way.
That is a lot of people dying in one day for such a senseless cause. As we have noted before, the Jewish nation will never be destroyed. Other nations have failed and disappeared. However, God does not make empty promises.
In the rest of the provinces the fourteenth day of the month Adar was a day for feasting and gladness. The Jews were celebrating this great deliverance. However, in Shushan, they had two days of defending their lives and they took the fifteenth day of that month to celebrate their victory.
We read in verse 19 that the Jews set these days of celebration apart. They would gather for feasting and for sending portions to one another. This would become a yearly feast for the Jews. We will see that in the next portion of this text.
God had been good to them. He had set things in order so that His people would not be destroyed. He showed the Persian Empire that evil does not prevail. He showed the Jews in that Empire that He was in charge. They looked to Mordecai and Esther and the king for help. However, God had changed the course of history there. He made it so that Haman was removed, as well as his sons. He elevated Mordecai to a position where he had influence with the king. Yes, the king used Esther in her ungodly position. God did not need that. God did not sanction her relationship with king Ahasuerus. He showed Himself strong for His name’s sake.
As we have noted before, all this good news, but still no mention of God. The Jews were so secular here that no one would dare to remind the king there is a God in heaven.
Today is the Lord’s Day on our calendars. It is the day that born again Christians should be willing to stop their busyness and go to a good church to spend time with God’s people around His Word. There is nothing more important than finding fellowship with the true God in His house. Yes, doctors, nurses and a few others might not be able to be together with other saints today. It is a shame that so many professing saints think so little of this great opportunity that God gives us every week.
England gives us a good picture of where our country is going. England is quickly being taken over by the Muslims. Their laws now protect Islam and punish those who speak against that wicked ideology. There was a major protest yesterday in England against the takeover. However, the government and the police are working against freedom.
Canada is heading in the same direction. Our government is working on bills to limit personal freedom. They are also protecting terrorism and punishing free speech.
As we study the book of Esther, we see a system that resembles that of an animal kingdom, where it is a dog eat dog mentality. When we look at God’s Word, and we see God’s design, we see a God of compassion Who desires to see man humble himself and turn to God in repentance. When God is exalted, there is genuine peace and gladness. It is a clean peace and gladness.
That is what God’s Word teaches. Be sure you find yourself in a good church today where you can be encouraged to know Him and know His peace and joy.
Pastor Bartel