Slices
Prepare
Does the end ever justify the means? Have you ever achieved a laudable aim with less than laudable tactics? Or, would you ever consider getting what you want in a way that might be challenging for others?
Bible passage
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. 2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. 3 And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. 4 Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
5 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. 6 In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, ‘The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.’
13 ‘If it pleases the king,’ Esther answered, ‘give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.’
14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
16 Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
Explore
This passage does not sit particularly comfortably in our thinking. The king’s two opposing edicts make any slaughter effectively unnecessary, but rather than leaving things there, the Jews go on the offensive themselves (vs 5–10). This was not what the edict had said they could do (8:11); it said they could attack if they were themselves attacked, but they go beyond that and initiate the slaughter. Moreover, Mordecai’s new prominence causes the king’s officials to join the Jews in their enemies’ destruction (vs 3,4).
However, they don’t use the edict’s permission to plunder their enemies (vs 10,15,16). Why might this have been? Also, Esther’s request for a second, further day of slaughter is difficult, but perhaps understandable in its focus on Haman’s sons (vs 7–10).
These anomalies may be confusing, but the effect of these events is reminiscent of what Rahab told the spies in Jericho (Joshua 2:8–10). Everyone has become afraid of the Jews – and consequently the future safety of God’s chosen people is secured.
Respond
Look up Proverbs 3:5,6. Bring before God any situation where you earnestly desire a particular outcome, but are anxious that it might not happen. Lay before God all the possibilities for action, and ask for his wisdom for the way ahead.
Deeper Bible study
‘The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.’1
So, the day came and Jews carried out a wholesale slaughter against anyone throughout the country whom they thought of as an enemy. The difficulty for modern readers is that we know from 3:15 that the citizens of Susa were ‘bewildered’ by Haman’s edict and there is no evidence that anyone really wanted to destroy the Jews. In today’s world some countries have laws against conversion to minority religions, including Christianity, and against any statements that might be seen as criticising the majority or protected religion. In those countries there are many instances of accusations made against innocent people because of a grudge or family feud, or just to take over property and make economic gains. Is that what was happening here? Haman’s family might have been involved in his crime but was that true of the 500 in Susa who were killed?
The king, seemingly not bothered that his subjects were being killed like this, told Esther he would grant another wish. It seems rather sad that the only thing she could think of was that Jews could carry on their killing spree for another day. Three hundred more in Susa and, in total, 75,000 throughout the land were put to death. The question readers have to ask is, ‘Are we supposed to assume that this wholesale killing was God’s will in order that the Jews in Persia should be protected and prosper, or do we assume that the ongoing lack of mention of any involvement by God means that he didn’t approve?’ The rest of Scripture does picture God protecting and supporting his people in the land they had been given and in the context of the covenant relationship. The lack of editorial comment means that readers must decide for themselves whether or not that applies in this situation.
Try imagining yourself as different characters in the stories of Esther, thinking about how you might have reacted and whether you could or should have done anything differently.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 29–31; Psalm 119:1–24
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for Ian Gooding as he manages our IT operations, and for our planning to migrate applications such as our finance systems and database to make use of the latest technology.
