Esther and the Unseen God III

This is the 3rd and final part of a verse by verse commentary on the book of Esther

Esther 6


We will see:

  • A reason for the second banquet

  • Why Mordecai was not rewarded initially

  • God’s hand in all of this


This was five years ago, so we have to ask ourselves why something like this was overlooked in the first place when he saved the kings life?

Esther 2:23 written … in the presence of the king.

It should have merited something right away!  So then we have to ask why now? The obvious answer is God was working things out for this time. What we will see then is the confluence of events in a way that everything works out for the best.


So not only will God’s plan move forward, but the best laid plans of mice and men will not.


In this time before his fall, Haman remains prideful and blind to what is going on. If he would have possibly thought that for a second this could have been for any one else then he would have never said it – it could have been seen as a challenge to his position to bestow this honor on anyone else.

So the timing of him walking in to the court at the same moment the king is reading this section of the chronicles is both impeccable and providential.

Esther 6:7 And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor,

This is the pivot point of the whole story, this is when it turns on a dime.  Up to this point everything was seemingly going for Haman and against the Jews.  Now the momentum shifts and we see God’s plan beginning to manifest itself — the fruit of the labor of His unseen hand!


The king knew Mordecai’s lineage, which makes us doubt that the king was fully aware of the actual plan to kill Mordecai and the rest of the Jews.


OUCH!!! What an ignominy!

Esther 6:12 Afterward Mordecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered.

She already knew that Mordecai was a Jew (Esther 5:13). So she is saying something else here when she says, “ If Mordecai…is of Jewish descent”

surely fall before him… Zeresh was able to see not just an unfortunate incident, but it appears that she sees the hand of God in it or at the very least something more is going on than meets the eye.


So now we some of the reasons why there was a second banquet, there were quite a few things still to be worked out before Esther could drop the bomb.

Esther 7

Esther 7:1 So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther.

So now she does not mince words or delay any longer – the timing is right to say what she has been building up to.


For we have been sold… a reference to the money that Haman paid.

Had we been sold as male and female slaves… a punishment for disobedience


Not only would the king lose the people, but would lose their taxes, and their industry and possibly their possessions and he would also lose Mordecai and Esther.  So perhaps the 10000 talents of silver was not such a good deal after all?


This king does not know or put 2 and 2 together what is going on. He does not draw the parallel between what Haman has been up to and what Esther is now asking of him.


It is important to understand Haman a type of Satan and no doubt a tool of the great deceiver





It was a lot to take in, Esther is a Jew, the Jews along with Mordecai whom he recently raised in status were going to be killed, and Haman was the one that talked him into doing all of this.


In his begging for his life, the king makes it out to be something improper even though there were other people in the room that would have intervened (Esther 7:9). 

Nonetheless, this was a cue that it was all over for Haman.

they covered Haman’s face… He was not longer allowed the privilege to be in the presence of the king.– (KJV Esther 1:14)… which saw the king’s face… so they covered his face and removed him


The word translated gallows comes from a word that is most often translated “tree/trees” or “wood”; it is also translated as “timber” or “stick(s).” It was not this elaborate gallows that we see in the westerns, but rather it was some type of stake or pole that was erected. The idea that it was translated gallows probably comes from the English thought of what it meant to “hang him on it.”



Word for tree is the same as the word for gallows in this verse and he is being hanged on it without a head.

So these things would explain how Haman was able to erect something so tall so quickly.

As to why it was so tall, we are perhaps given a clue here by the fact that they are in the palace and they can see the stake at Haman’s place. Perhaps Haman was looking forward to being able to view his handiwork while spending time with the king.


Esther 8


Still the same day (:1) that Haman was brought down, justice continues to be served and Mordecai is raised up to be #2 in the kingdom only subject to the king AND also he is given everything that Haman once had.

What are the odds?

But this is just the beginning of the deliverance of God’s people by His unseen hand. We still have the rest of the matter at hand. 

We need to remember now that whatever was written by the king was law and irrevocable — not even the king could change it


This throws a wrench in the works — how were they going to be able to save the Jews.


They have to figure out a plan, there has to be a way.

Esther 8:4 And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king,

She is still following the rules of protocol.


Revoke… reverse in KJV; shûb Hebrew; Repentance is the connotation, so we get a good idea of what it means to repent — also we see the need for a type of repentance in this wrongful action of Haman.

Even though the king bares a certain amount of responsibility in this, Esther places the blame mostly on Haman.


He acknowledges what Haman was trying to do to the Jews.

Esther 8:8 You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring [which Mordecai now has 8:2]; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.”

Once again we see that the law can not be reversed, but other plans can be made. In other words Haman’s evil plan will continue to move forward, but now they must see what we can do to make sure that the Jews are not destroyed.  They have to figure out a way to counteract the initial decree against the Jews.


Trivia: longest verse in the bible

A little over two months later and there is still just under 9 months until the initial decree was to go in effect.


In a similar manner as before, the decree goes out in the king’s name, but now here is what it allowed the Jews to do (Esther 3:12-13).


protect their lives… defend themselves from those that would come against them.

both little children and women … This is not to say that the Jews were going to do to them, but this is a reiterating of :


assault them… Jews, little children and women, and plunder their possesions (the Jews possessions)

As we will see in chapter 9 only men killed and no possessions plundered (Esther 9:6, 10, 12, 15-16)


Esther 3:13  in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar,


Similar to the way it was done initially.

Esther 8:16 The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor.

Burden lifted for the Jewish people, so naturally they were happy.


because fear of the Jews fell upon them... A choosing of sides begins to take place knowing what is coming.

In Exodus 12 provisions were made if the stranger wanted to become a Jew


This reminds us of a future event:

Zechariah 8:22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the LORD.’

Eventually all will become spiritual Jews/Israelites


The people here in Esther’s time are seeing a change of tide or a swinging of the pendulum: Haman is demoted; Mordecai is promoted (by the king); the Jews numbers increase; a bigger “army” is forming.

They see the handwriting on the wall, from the hand of God and they see Him working and saving His people…even though there is not mention of Him in this book.

Esther 9


Almost 9 months have passed at this point from Esther 8:9 (Sivan 23).

This delay that occurred by the casting of lots gave plenty of time for many things to happen in particular for the Jews to prepare and to figure out who was for them and who was against them.


If you were someone considering going against the Jews you would have to think twice knowing that the Queen who found favor with the king was a Jew and the king’s number 2 was a Jew. What kind of fallout would there be if they went against the Jews? There could be reprisals at the very least.


Something else that happened in the intervening 9 months, that no doubt played a part in all of this.


So not only did God keep them safe, he got rid of their enemies! There was no way for the Jews living under the Persian reign to rid themselves of their enemies and live in peace and safety.

This sequence of events happened because of what Haman did — but really GOD DID THIS!

Esther 9:6 And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
Esther 9:7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
Esther 9:8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
Esther 9:9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha—

Now there would be no one to take revenge either and this perhaps finished off the Amalekites, the mortal enemy of Israel.

Esther 9:12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done.”

The king is more than willing to help out and expedite Esther and the Jews


Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows … Who were already dead. So we see more of the purpose of the gallows was for display

Esther 9:14 So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
Esther 9:15 And the Jews who were in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

This finishes off the enemies of God’s people.

Esther 9:17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth of the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

the remainder of the Jews... These were the people in the outlying area (:19). Remember they did not fight on the second day, only those in Shushan fought a second day.

Esther 9:18 But the Jews who were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth [to fight]; and on the fifteenth of the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

assembled together on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth… Those at the citadel fought one more day


celebrated the fourteenth… The first day after they quit fighting


Mordecai wrote these things… Why authorship of Esther is sometimes ascribed to Mordecai; or he is at least a prominent source of information.


This is where the feast of Purim comes from and also why it is not on par with the commanded feast days of Leviticus 23.

The reason for the feast and its name:


Purim is celebrated today with a lot noisemaking and partying. They typically read Esther and act it out with a lot of hissing for Haman and cheering for Mordecai.

Esther 9:29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.

Queen Esther… She gave it her stamp of approval as well


This is called the fast of Esther and it is typically celebrated the day before Purim since no date here is specified.

Esther 9:32 So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.

Esther 10

Esther 10:1 And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea.

Often this was done on the neighboring lands to the empire in exchange for not conquering them. Money to keep the king at bay – and it even extended to some islands.

Obviously God sets up kings and grants favor, but a lot of it was attributable through Mordecai.


This may have been the context in which this story was written which may account for the style that the whole book of Esther was written in.
