Esther 9 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Historians have long criticized Esther for her decision to eradicate all those who stood against the Jews. Herodotus, a Greek historian, wrote that Esther was a cold and vindictive woman. To outsiders, justice can seem distorted. God used this entire ordeal to bring judgment to Haman and the Amalekites for their hatred of His people. Ultimately, this whole thing began with the actions of Haman who tipped over that first domino eventually leading to their complete destruction.
We must also remember that the Jews were defending themselves against their enemies who were taking advantage of the King’s first edict. Furthermore, the King was on their side, so their victory was directly tied to his support.
The Jews had to trust and believe in the King’s counter-decree. They could have denied it or rejected it and tried to defend themselves in a different way under their own strength. They could have lived in fear and anxiety wondering if the King’s decree was actually strong enough to deliver them. None of these suggestions are far-fetched. We do things like this all the time.
The Gospel is what saves us and it is not accomplished in our own strength or even in our own way. Salvation is all about what someone else has done for us. God does not request that we first come to Him and clean ourselves up in order to be saved. He asks that we trust in what He has done and cooperate with Him in that plan. This is what the Jews had to do in order to receive deliverance from their enemies.
If we do not place our trust and faith in what was done for us by Jesus, we will never receive the deliverance He has planned for us!
