One person, however, did not want to talk about our most recent Video or the JW’s but what Israel, at the present time, was doing in Gaza. He commented, “I dare you to read Esther 9:5.” Which I did and then asked him, “What was I to learn from this passage?”
He said, “Look what the Jews did in the OT and how it’s related to what they are doing to the children in Gaza today.”
BTW, Esther 9:5 reads: “The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.”
I responded—”It is never a
good idea to read one passage from Scripture and then determine what that
passage is saying—always read in context.”
Esther is a young
Jewish woman living in Persia who finds favor with the king, becomes queen, and
risks her life to save the Jewish people from destruction when Haman, the
highest court official, persuades the king
to authorize a Pogrom (organized massacre of a particular ethnic group) against
all the Jews of the empire.
Esther and her cousin Mordecai persuade the king to retract the EDICT for the general annihilation of Jews throughout the empire. The massacre had been plotted by the king’s chief minister, Haman. Instead, Haman was impaled on the spike he built for Mordecai (who would not bow down in the presence of Haman), and, on the day planned for their annihilation, the Jews destroyed their enemies.
I then decided to reread Esther 9 to see the context for Verse 5. Esther 9:1—
"On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the EDICT commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.”
What I learned from this verse was that an EDICT commanded by the king was to be carried out. What was that edict? You need to turn to Esther 3:13—
“the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.”
I GOOGLED: “Jewish population at the time of Esther.” Estimated at 750,000. Population of the area controlled by Xerxes (the king identified in Esther 1:1) who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush = 50 million.
The Jews killed “500” v.6 and the “10 sons of Haman” v. 7, 8, 9 and “300” v. 15 and “75,000” v. 16. Total Killed = 75,810. But the Jews did not plunder any goods.
BTW—Haman was the instigator of the EDICT to kill all the Jews (Esther 3:5-15). On the king's orders (Esther 7:9-10), Haman was impaled on a pole that had originally been built by Haman himself in order to impale Mordecai (Esther 5:14).
The message of the Book of Esther is to show us that the hiddenness of God is not the absence of God. Even though God is not even mentioned in the entire book, He sovereignly and mercifully preserves His people in the midst of adversity.
It is a gross overreach to relate Esther to the present-day battle between Hamas and Israel. But I did notice the IRONY that Haman (Hamas) had a goal of the entire annihilation of Jews only to have all the haters of the Jews destroyed.
I then asked, “knowing the context of Esther, what is Esther saying to you?” Waiting for a Reply.
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