Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - A Royal Reversal | The Writings | Esther 8

Episode Date: June 21, 2024

How does God fight against His enemies? Do sin, death, and evil get the last word? In today's episode, Jeff shares how Esther 8 reveals God's ultimate plan for the world: to reverse mourning, fasting, and lamenting into happiness, joy, and honor. Read the Bible with us in 2024! This year, we’re tackling a group of Old Testament books traditionally known as “The Writings”— Psalms, Chronicles, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth and more! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Esther 8

Welcome to 10 minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jeff Parrott. In the world of martial arts, there's this approach to self-defense where you use your opponent's strength against him or her, leveraging their power so that it's refocused, redirecting movements of attack to create a kind of reversal in outcomes. Now, while this power reversal is practiced in many different martial art forms, It's foundational for disciplines like Aikido,

hapkido, and others. The thing I find especially interesting about this reorientation or reversal of power is how it exposes who's really in control. In moments like this, the attackers think that they're the ones in control. They're about to deliver the final victorious blow, only to find out that they're not actually in the driver's seat. They're exposed as powerless.

A reversal like this reveals the one who's really in control, the one who's really reigning in the moment. Esther 8 shows us the power of reversal in the story of God's people. And like the most sophisticated martial artist, this reversal shows us who's actually reigning. Now before we explore this part of the Bible, let's slow down and ask for God's presence to work through our time together. Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of life and breath, and thank you for your word. Jesus, help us abide in you as we engage with your truth. Holy Spirit, we ask you to move in and through this time in Esther. As we read these words, let these words read us and restore us in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, from the outset of Esther chapter 8, we see a sense of reorientation or reversal in power. In verses 1 through 2, Esther's cousin and and guardian, Mordecai, experiences a surprising change of fortune. Mordecai is given the king's signet ring. And this, of course, is more than just a piece of jewelry. It was used to seal the king's documents, carrying the weight of royal authority. Now, this is the same ring, importantly, that was given to the villain Haman back in Chapter 3.

So the power that once seemed to be moving in favor of Haman has now reversed, into the favor of Mordecai. And just in case we miss the point here, verse two adds a detail about Esther handing Haman's estate over to Mordecai. So while he was once endangered back in chapter three, here in chapter eight, Mordecai is given a sense of dominion. And this is just the beginning of the reversals at play in chapter eight of Esther. I mean, they're all over the place. As we read on, we see the unexpected reorientation of power through a new decree given to protect the Jewish people. So verses 3 through 8 recount Esther's plea for the King of Persia to end Haman's plan to wipe out the Jewish people. Esther's boldness and courage are on full display here as she continues to embrace her identity as a member of the people of God.

And in response, the King of Persia allows a new edict to be written, overriding the plot of Haman. And this new decree gets us back into the theme of reversal in a really big way. The substance of the royal decree here shows up. in verse 11. And the verbiage is really important. I'm going to read it. Here's verse 11. The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children and to plunder the property of their enemies. Now, notice here, the language revisits the events of chapter 3 verses 12 through 15. It's really a complete

reorientation of Haman's decree using the same verbiage yet this time that verbiage is overturned in a way that helps the Jewish people defend themselves. And that's the main point at this juncture of the narrative, the reversal. There's another element to this that needs to be appreciated. When you look at verses 9 through 14, you see how all of the king's privileges and people are being used to accomplish God's purposes. We can't help but notice the detail of all the king's possessions and powers here. His scribes, the officials that submit to him, his signet ring, his couriers. There's an emphasis here on all of these items belonging to the king of Persia in one sense. But the reality is that they're being used to carry out the purposes of another king, the one true king, the God who reigns

over all things. Because while he's not mentioned by name, we are in vicarious. it here to read between the lines and see that the one who's really in control is not the king of Persia. It's not Esther or Mordecai. It's Yahweh, the Creator King. This is a reversal that points to his reign. Now, let's notice one final and intentional reversal in this response that God's people have to the new decree in Esther chapter 8. Picking up in verse 15, we read this. When Mordecai left the King's presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. For the Jews, it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness, and honor. In every province and in every city

to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness amongst the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them. Now, the description of God's people in verse 16 is a significant contrast to their state back in chapter 4, verse 3. There, we read that there was mourning, fasting, weeping, and lamenting after Haman's evil purpose was put into action. But here, the morning, fasting, weeping, and lamenting are replaced with happiness, joy, gladness, and honor. The great reversal here has not only created a new reality, but a new response as well. So what about us? What's our response to the theme of reversal here in Esther? Let's get at that by returning to a question we've posed throughout this journey in the

historical books. What kind of posture or what kind of character would this create for the exiled people of God who are hearing or reading this account? There's a lot that we could say here, but one thing to suggest is this, if it's true that God is working in the world to reverse the effects of sin, death, and evil, that he's working even if we don't see him in the moment, then the people of God are able to embrace a persistent, patient presence as they navigate life in exile.

There's no pressure to grab power through questionable means, to give a counterpunch or live with an attitude of aggression toward the people in our communities. Instead, we can be present, faithful in the momentous occasions, and faithful in the mundane moments too. Like Esther and Mordecai, we can live with a boldness and courage

that's beautiful, not belligerent. After all, this is not about our reversal. It's gods. Our response to exile should reveal the truth that our security and our hope are in His reign. When we look around and see the ways our world is not the way it's supposed to be, we also have the eyes of faith to know that this isn't how it will always be. The pattern of reversal here in Esther 8 reminds me of Peter's sermon at Pentecost.

There's a moment in this sermon where he describes the ultimate life-changing reversal in Jesus' death and resurrection. So we read this in Acts 2, verses 23 through 24. Peter says, this man, Jesus, was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge. And you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. So Peter's saying this, it seems like sin, death, and evil have landed the final blow in the death of Jesus. As if exile has won. But the surprise of the cross is that this wound that was meant to destroy is used to heal.

It's impossible for God to lose. This is the reversal that reveals who really reigns. Now, if God's reign is reversing the effects of sin, death, and evil, how does that empower you to have a patient, faithful presence with someone in your life today, maybe especially someone who's difficult in your life today? How does it encourage you to have a kind, boldness, to live faithfully, to make faithful choices and relationships, even when it costs you?

God, we entrust our lives to you, knowing that you are making everything sad come untrue. We look back at the great reversal of the cross and the empty tomb of Jesus. we look ahead to the ultimate restoration of all things when we'll have a kind of happiness, joy, gladness, and honor that points to you and your reign. As we look back and as we look ahead, help us to be present, to be faithful in whatever you have for us today. In Jesus' name, amen.