Ester 8

Ester 8

Spurgeon adds that "Now it was God’s intent that a last conflict should take place between Israel and Amalek: the conflict which began with Joshua in the desert was to be finished by Mordecai in the king’s palace." Esther 9:15 The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.: The fourteenth day of the month Adar - The original "target" date was the 13th day, but Esther had requested and received an extension of one day (Es 9:13). But they did not lay their hands on the plunder - As in Esther 9:10, 16 the failure to take spoils from their victims shows that the Jews were not out to pillage and enrich themselves, but only to defend their lives. This also suggests that the Jews did not kill women and children but instead left the property for them. Esther 9:16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.: KILLING FIELDS IN THE PROVINCES (Es 9:16-17) Rid themselves - Literally this reads "to have rest from" (their enemies) Rid (05118) (nuach) refers to a resting place, a freeing of oneself from something. This noun is also used in Es 9:17 (rested), Es 9:18 (rested) and Es 9:22 (rid). Every use in the Septuagint is translated with anapauo which means to cause one to gain relief from toil and thus to refresh or revive them. This is the word Jesus used of spiritual rest in Mt 11:28. 75,000 of those who hated them - Given 127 provinces, the number killed averages out to about 600 per province. Remember that the Jews were not the aggressors. Those killed attacked the Jews. They did not have just a minor case of Anti-Semitism but a hatred which drove them to seek to murder the Jews. And so we see that Anti-Semitism was not restricted to the capital city but was throughout the kingdom, much like Anti-Semitism today is worldwide. Esther 9:17 This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.: They...made it a day of feasting and rejoicing - This jubilant atmosphere continues to this very day when Jews annually celebrate the Feast of Purim. Banquet/feast (key word in Esther) - Esther 1:3, 1:5, 1:9, 2:18, 5:4, 5:5, 5:6, 5:8, 5:12, 5:14, 6:14, 7:2, 8:17, 9:17, 9:18, 9:19,9:22 Esther 9:18 But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.: SUSA REDUX (Es 9:18-19) Assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month - Because of the extra day to defend themselves as requested by Queen Esther and granted by King Xerxes. Esther 9:19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending portions of food to one another.: Make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday - The Jews outside of Susa celebrated on the day the Jews in Susa were still assembling. Holiday - Literally "a good day" (yom tov). Our English word holiday is (from halig = holy and d + g = day) is literally a "holy day!" It is a day marked by a general suspension of work in commemoration of the event being celebrated. Esther 9:20 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,: MORDECAI'S FIRST LETTER (Es 9:20-22) These events - What events? Surely the historical events that led up to the day which saw the Jews victorious over their enemies. Esther 9:21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually,: Mordecai's letter called for the Jews to set aside two days of celebration, but the modern feast of Purim is generally only celebrated on one day. Esther 9:22 because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.: those days: Es 3:12,13 Ex 13:3-8 Ps 103:2 Isa 12:1,2 Isa 14:3 sorrow: Ps 30:11 Mt 5:4 Jn 16:20-22 sending portions: Es 9:19 Ne 8:10-12 Lk 11:41 Acts 2:44-46 Gal 2:10 Because - A term of explanation, in this case explaining why two days were set aside. Sorrow to gladness....mourning into a holiday (literally "good day") - reminds one of the words of David... Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness (Ps 30:11) Spurgeon comments on Ps 30:11 - Observe the contrast, God takes away the mourning of his people; and what does he give them instead of it? Quiet and peace? Aye, and a great deal more than that. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing. He makes their hearts to dance at the sound of his name. He takes off their sackcloth. That is good. What a delight to be rid of the habiliments of woe! But what then? He clothes us. And how? With some common dress? Nay, but with that royal vestment which is the array of glorified spirits in heaven. Thou hast girded me with gladness. This is better than to wear garments of silk or cloth of gold, bedight with embroidery and bespangled with gems. Many a poor man wears this heavenly apparel wrapped around his heart, though fustian and corduroy are his only outward garb; and such a man needs not envy the emperor in all his pomp. Glory be to thee, O God, if, by a sense of full forgiveness and present justification, thou hast enriched my spiritual nature, and filled me with all the fulness of God. Gladness ((08057)(simchah) refers to joy, rejoicing, gladness, pleasure, especially the experience and the manifestations associated with joy and gladness. Thus it signifies a celebration of something with activities filled with joy and cheer. In some uses simchah functions as a synonym for the feasting (translated as "festival" in Neh 8:12). Simchah is used 6x in Esther (Es 8:16, 17, Es 9:17, 18, 19). Gifts to the poor - This is a practice continued by Jews in the modern version of the Feast of Purim. Esther 9:23 Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them.: PURIM NAMED & COMMEMORATED (Es 9:23-28) NLT - So the Jews adopted Mordecai's suggestion and began this annual custom. NIV - So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. NAB - The Jews took upon themselves for the future this observance which they instituted at the written direction of Mordecai. NJB Once having begun, the Jews continued observing these practices, Mordecai having written them an account The author now presents a recapitulation of the events that led to the establishment of the annual celebration of Purim.