Our Old Testament reading, which is also our sermon text for this evening, is Esther chapters 9 and 10. These are the last two chapters of the book of Esther. Chapter 10 is only three verses long, so that's why we are combining these two chapters into one. But I will read Esther chapter 9 through 10. Are you all ready for the last part? The book of Esther, the ultimate final conclusion, climax. What is going to happen on this day? We have been waiting for it, right? The whole book, or at least since they cast the poor and fixed on this day in the 12th month, the 13th day of the month. Been building up to it. Now we get to it in chapters 9 and 10. I will read then starting in verse 1. Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred. The Jews gained mastery over them who hated them. The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm, and no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces. For the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. In Susa the citadel itself, the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men. and also killed Parshandatha, and Dhalfan, and Aspatha, and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vysatha, the ten sons of Haman, the son of Hamadatha, the enemy of the Jews. but they laid no hand on the plunder. That very day, the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. And the king said to Queen Esther, in Susa the citadel, the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the 10 sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.' And Esther said, If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows. So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the 14th day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder. Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. This was on the 13th day of the month of Adar, and on the 14th day they rested, and made that a day of feasting and gladness. But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the 13th day and on the 14th, and rested on the 15th day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. Therefore, the Jews of the villages who live in the rural towns hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another. And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month, Adar, and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies. and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness, and from mourning into a holiday, that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another, and gifts to the poor. So the Jews accepted what they had started to do and what Mordecai had written to them. For Haman, the Agagite, the son of Hamadathah, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast poor, that is, cast lots to crush and to destroy them. But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring, and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written, and at the time appointed every year. that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation and every clan, province, and city, and that these days Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihel, and Mordecai, the Jew, gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, that the days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing. King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea, and all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people. This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray for God's blessing upon his word. Dear Father, we thank you for your word, that we might remember your deeds, that we might give you thanks. We pray that you would help us to learn from this particular passage, that you would guide the preaching in accordance with your word and our understanding as well, that we might benefit, that we might grasp the truth that you have revealed. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. In these final chapters, we have the end of the book, and the account ends with fighting and feasting, and with a resulting peace. That last chapter, the conclusion there is things settle in with a hope of longer-term security with their man there at the king's right hand, the Mordecai, speaks peace to the Jews. Chapter 9, though, is taken up with the climactic events of that day and the 12th month, the fighting, the war that took place, as well as the feasting, which both happened the day after and also from year to year afterwards that these deeds would be remembered. So first, let's look at the fighting. Israel was delivered. God delivered them and gave them victory on the day of battle. Verse 1 summarizes what happened. On the 13th day of Adar, that is the last year of the Jewish calendar, which is I believe something like February to us, On that day, the expectations of the Jews' enemies were reversed. They expected to gain mastery over the Jews, but instead the Jews gained mastery over them. As Proverbs says, the hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. Not only Haman, But there were many other enemies of the Jews throughout the empire, and they too were frustrated. They too had their own plans turn against them. Those who persisted in hostility to the Jews, even after all that had happened, were disappointed. Their expectations failed. Their plans were reversed, and they were defeated. Verses 2 through 5 tell of what happened throughout the empire on that day. Again, this is a big empire. Do you remember how big this empire was? On the one hand, there was India. On the other hand, there was Ethiopia and the coastlands, you know, up near Greece. And so this was a large empire. And throughout that empire, there was war for a day. Despite the new decree that had authorized the Jews to defend themselves, to fight against those who fought against them, there were still those who hated the Jews enough that they rose up against the Jews and sought to harm them. In accordance with that first decree, to kill them and to take their stuff, this was their chance. And there were many who sought to take advantage of it. With the help, though, of the royal officials and rulers who feared Mordecai, the Jews were victorious in their battles against those who sought their harm. They killed their enemies with the sword. They put their enemies to flight. The enemies, even those who sought to do them harm and who hated them and went to battle, they still had fear and were not able to stand against the Jews on that day. And so there was a great victory won throughout the empire. Verses 6 through 15 tell of what took place in one particular city, that capital city where so much of this account has taken place in Seuss of the Citadel. There in that city it was reported to the king that the Jews had killed 500 men and the 10 sons of Haman. Now, it would take a while for the news to get there from all the rest of the empire, but they could tell if this is what happened here, imagine what happened throughout the empire. Evidently, Haman's sons had not learned from their father's fate. They had not repented and said, oh, what our father did was evil. We should repent and seek reconciliation with the Jews. Is that what they did? No, no, that's what they should have done. But instead, they experienced the same end as their father. They are killed in the fighting of that day. They are among those who seek harm against the Jews. And all 10 sons, I think we should think here of adult sons, those who could take up arms, they are all killed in the fighting of that day. The king then offered to grant Esther a request. Queen Esther asked that the Jews in Susa be allowed to continue fighting the next day to complete their victory, and that the ten sons of Haman that is their dead bodies, they were already dead, but that their bodies be hung on the gallows to display before all the people, just as Haman had been hung, that these too had encouraged the wrath of the king, that these had justly been killed. And so the king granted this request and the Jews killed 300 more men in Susa on the following day. Esther's request here is much like Joshua's request when they were fighting in the land and he said, you know, let the day be extended. Let me be able to follow up this victory and have more time, right? In that case, the sun stood still or, you know, that the day lasted longer than normal and they were able to complete the victory. Many battles in history been won, but not conclusively, and the enemy gets away. Well, here Esther wanted the victory to be complete. One more day to follow up this day, this victory in Susa, the citadel. And so the king granted her this request. Now, they didn't have time to send this message throughout the empire, so that's why it took place there in Susa, that the fighting went on under the same principles on the 14th day. Now, verse 16 returns to what had happened throughout all the empire where the fighting had only lasted one day. Now, note here it says that they had gathered together and fought to defend their lives. That should tell us about the nature of this fighting. They weren't, you know, going door to door and just taking out people. They were defending their lives. This was the day in which their enemies were able to kill them and take their stuff. But they gathered together in their own militias throughout the empire, their own armies, and they fought to defend their lives. And they were successful, and they killed their enemies. In this fighting, they killed 75,000 of those who hated them. And for the third time in this chapter, it is said that they laid no hands on the plunder. In Susa and throughout the empire, the Jews did not touch the plunder of their enemies. Now that's pretty remarkable because most people like plunder. They like stuff. And there was a lot of people, a lot of Jews throughout the empire. How were they able to coordinate that and get everyone to agree to this? Because the decree had authorized them to take the plunder of their enemies. because that was but just, or it matched the first decree, which had allowed people to plunder the Jews. Now the second decree had allowed the Jews to plunder their enemies, but they didn't. They neutralized the threat, they killed their enemies, but they did not touch the plunder. They also, it seems, were authorized to kill the women and children of their enemies, but only killed the warriors who sought to harm them. In this way, they demonstrated, and by not touching the plunder, they demonstrated to the peoples that they fought to defend their lives, not to plunder their neighbors. Sometimes it was appropriate in situations to indeed take the plunder, and sometimes there was not a good idea. And in this case, it was not a good idea. They refrained from doing so to demonstrate as a witness to all the other peoples who hadn't been fighting that day that the Jews had gathered to defend their lives, not to plunder their neighbors, that they were better than their enemies, and that they fought for a just cause. It also contrasts with the actions of King Saul. When King Saul was told to kill the Amalekites, long before, and he was told to destroy their stuff. Did he do that? No, he not only spared the king, but he also kept their best stuff. And in that, disobeyed God. But here, the people do not touch the plunder. They don't, it seemed, destroy it or take it. Presumably, the women and children of the men who were killed were able to keep it. What can we learn from this fighting, this day of battle? Well, first of all, God gives deliverance and relief to his people from their enemies. Earthly, in this case, and also spiritually. And that God comes to the aid of his people. He is a faithful covenant God and does not abandon his church. This victory was of the Lord. This was an answer to the prayers of his people. They had fasted, they had prayed in the days of their distress. and God had worked through circumstances. He had worked to put them into this place in which they could defend themselves and do so at an advantage and striking fear into the hearts of their enemy so that they won a great victory. This was a victory of the Lord. It was a victory in answer to the promises that Mordecai rested upon, knowing that Relief and deliverance would arise for the Jews one way or the other. There was a God who was their protector. It came about in an unexpected way through his providence by arising up one of their own as queen who could intercede on their behalf. Right? And putting Mordecai there as well. and his fear upon all the officials so that the Persian governors and satraps and officials gave support to the Jews, God had given them a victory. God still works to defend his people even today. He does so differently in different situations. Some of his people It is true, do suffer death for the sake of Christ. There's times of suffering and persecution. But even in that, we are more than conquerors. And the church continues to be preserved. And he maintains his word from generation to generation. He builds his church and the gates of hell will not prevail, whether by spiritual temptations or by the violence of persecution. But whether it's through civil magistrates and armies or whether it's through other means, he protects his people in history, spiritually, physically, historically, and he also delivers us from sin and death, the greatest enemies that strike at our heart, that God comes to our aid against the devil, and against death and condemnation, delivering us through the death of Jesus Christ. And it's because of that salvation, because he has taken us to himself by his grace, that we can call upon him in the midst of our distresses in this life. Jesus reigns over all for the good of his people. He's head over all things for the good of his church of which he is the head. He saves and maintains his church. And this is an example of that preservation. Secondly, learn that God often uses instruments, means to deliver his people. Here he had raised up Esther and Mordecai Not only Esther and Mordecai put into the kingdom for such a time as this, but he had also, through them, given the rest of the Jews an opportunity then to be active in their defense, to give them an opportunity for a lawful defense, that they were not rebelling against the king's authority, who had authorized their slaughter, who had sold them, right? They were not those who were rising up in rebellion against their king. Instead, they were fighting under his orders. God had provided a way for their deliverance that they could do in good conscience. And God then used them. God gave a deliverance, but they still had to fight. They still were active. They did their duty. And God blessed their efforts. This deliverance took activity, preparation, fighting, and the work and politics of Mordecai and Esther. Their actions were blessed by God, far beyond what they could themselves expect, but they were still active. God used means and instruments. And that should have application for you today, to seek to be active, not taking all things into your hands, not doing what is immoral or unlawful, as if the ends justified the means, but embracing your duty, what you are called to do by his word, and seeking his blessing upon it. Thirdly, a third lesson is that there is a place for waging war. As I said, this instance was not merely a matter of personal defense against criminals, the person that breaks into your house and threatens your life, or that sort of situation. That's also right and proper, but that's not what was happening here. These were people acting under orders of the king that were seeking their life, but they were able to wage war against them also under the authority of the king. Usually in war, you have different kings that are fighting against each other. In this case, it was the same king who had authorized both armies. That's not the way it's supposed to work, but that's how it worked in this situation. But this was a war, a lawful war on the side of the Jews against an enemy. There is a place for war. War must be justly declared and justly prosecuted. In other words, it must be declared upon just and necessary occasion. Is this war necessary? Could we resolve this by peaceful means? Those are good questions to ask. It must be declared on just and necessary occasion. and by one with authority, not Joe Schmo, not just any old person, someone with authority to do so, like the king, like Congress, you know, today, that there is some authority who is able to do this. just a necessary occasion by someone with authority for the maintenance of piety, justice, and peace, for good ends in accordance with their calling, as this one was declared by the king for the defense of life against aggressors. It also must then be waged in accordance with those just ends. The way that the war is actually then prosecuted by the soldiers, by the officers, to seek those same ends for which the war was declared, to prosecute it vigorously enough to win the war, to destroy the threat, to not faint in the day of battle, but to follow through with it. But also not with wanton and indiscriminate destruction. Often war is used as an excuse to do things that would not be just or right. But in the chaos of war, people think they can get away with it, go above and beyond. As with this war, this war was waged for the destruction of those who sought their destruction, and it was prosecuted with effective force and finality, even going an extra day in the capital to win a decisive victory. But it was not pursued against innocent bystanders. It was against those who sought their harm, those who hated them, and only on the days authorized by the king. And so it was justly declared. It was justly prosecuted. And also there's different situations that can call for different actions in war within limits. And in this case, they refrained from taking the plunder. They showed mercy as well as justice. The church is not given the sword as a military force. It's not here that the church had authority on its own to become a military army. Certainly not today. The church is not given the sword. It has superior spiritual weapons for the conquest of evil. The gospel, for example, the word of God. But the civil magistrate has been given the sword. And Christians can participate in the government and its work. Christians should use their duty under the magistrate or as magistrates for the defense of piety, justice, and peace, even using force in battle if necessary. And so there is a place for waging war. It's a calling under God on just a necessary occasion, as exemplified in this passage. The second part of this chapter then is the feasting. There was the fighting. God gave them a victory and delivered his people from the hand of those who hated them. And then there was feasting. Israel celebrated the deliverance. Verses 17 through 19 describe how the Jews celebrated the day after they got their relief from their enemies. What day was that? What day did they do their fighting? Which day of the month? The 13th day of the month, although in Susa extended to the 14th day. So the day they celebrated was the 14th day, and except in the city, it was the 15th day. All right, so in any case, it was the day after they won the victory. Let's have a big party. Let's celebrate. Let's feast and rejoice. These days were holidays, days to feast, to eat good food, to send gifts of food to one another. They would do so together and rejoice that God had given them relief. Verses 20 through 22 then describe how not only was the practice of celebrating the day arising spontaneously, but also it came from letters sent by Mordecai to do this year after year. In these letters, he both recorded what had happened, what we've come across here in the book of Esther, perhaps that even is perhaps even a source for this book. It's hard to know that for sure, but he did write something here recounting all that had taken place Why were they celebrating? He recorded that and then he also told them to celebrate it on both days, the 14th day and the 15th day as an annual holiday. And the way of celebrating is the same as already mentioned, the food, the sending the gifts of food to one another, rejoicing, but also giving gifts to the poor. That way everyone could celebrate, not just those who had lots of stuff. It was to be a communal celebration. Now verses 23 through 28 then describe how the Jews accepted this practice. Not only did they start to do it, and then Mordecai sent the letter, but then they said, this is a great idea, let's obligate ourselves and our descendants to do this year after year so that we might remember what has happened. They obligated themselves and their descendants and those who joined them, you know, because a lot of people had just joined them out of fear that had fallen upon them, that they would observe these two days as the Feast of Purim, Purim, Purim, however you pronounce it, Hebrews would probably say more like Purim, but we probably would say Purim. But that feast comes from the word for pur, which was a Persian word for the lots that were cast. The im part is the plural part, you know, multiple of them. It was named for the casting of pur, for the lots had been in the hand of the Lord. He had cast them to seek a favorable day for him, but God had turned it against him. Haman's schemes against the Jews had returned upon his own head. Verses 29 through 32 then describe how Queen Esther and Mordecai confirmed in a second letter what they had said and what the Jews had determined. There's a lot of layers to this, right? But there's a second letter that goes out then confirming these practices supported by a double authority. They had obligated themselves, obligated by the authority of these royal officials, and so it was. We don't typically celebrate Purim. The church has been reorganized in the days of the New Covenant. But even though we don't celebrate these holidays of Purim, we can learn from the institution of it. First of all, that we should remember what God did. That's why it's in our Bible, that we would read these things and remember them. and that we should rejoice to God, respond to God's goodness with rejoicing, both to these events and other greater events that would take place in Christ and even days in the history since then, in which God has worked through providence to deliver his people, that we remember the works of the Lord and rejoice in his deliverance. It should teach us to secure the remembrance of God's deeds of deliverance. Here it was done by writing it down and also, you know, recounting the history. History is important, especially the history of what God has done and which is really everything and you just have to keep that perspective in what you are writing and reading. Secure the remembrance of his deeds by writing and then also by celebrating it. This also gives us direction for how to celebrate. How do we give thanks? Rejoice with God's good gifts, like food. It's appropriate to have these material aids to rejoicing, right? God made them. We should use them rightly, not to stupefy ourselves, but yes, to feast, to rejoice together, to include one another in this celebration. to do so with generosity toward those who have less that they too might rejoice, and to recount the historical basis for the celebration. Why are we celebrating? Let's remember, let's read, let's recount what has happened, the account of God's providence. Rejoice also to the Lord, giving thanks. Just as the fasting had implicitly been connected with prayer to God, so this feasting, even if it doesn't explicitly say so, is accompanied by thanksgiving to God, forgiving them deliverance. Use also particular days to rejoice. It's hard to feast all the time, even if we should be joyful all the time and in the Lord, but use particular days. Every week we have the Lord's Day, a sacred holy day, in celebration of one of the greatest deeds, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and to rejoice in him and to meet together to worship our God and to give thanks for his salvation. We have special days of thanksgiving, sometimes called upon special occasions where we have reason to give thanks to God for what He has done. That these can be called, just as days of fasting can be called to be, in this case, days of thanksgiving, days of joy and gladness. And this is also an appropriate way to use customary annual days and holidays that we might have in our own culture and society, to remember what God has done, to feast, to share, to rejoice together, and to give thanks to God. Now there is three more verses, this final chapter in conclusion. They conclude the book. They show the kingdom resumed its operation. When Esther had been crowned queen, the taxes had been remitted for a time. Now the taxes come back. It's an interesting thing to note here. The king imposed taxes on all the land, even the coastlands. Perhaps that signals the conclusion of the story, because back in chapter 2 they had been remitted. The idea also might be that since the king wasn't getting money from Haman for slaughtering the Jews, he had to get money a different way. He would get money the old boring way of raising taxes. And really that's a much preferable way to raise up money for your kingdom rather than slaughtering a bunch of your people and getting paid for it to get tribute from these lands. The last verse of the book reflects on the high honor of Mordecai. Not only were the Jews saved from the plot of Haman, but they had the king's second-in-command looking out for their welfare as a long-term provision for their safety. Mordecai's faithfulness to the king had been well rewarded. He had been a servant to the king, had saved his life from death, God had blessed him and all the Jews also by raising Mordecai to this position, not only would serve the good of the king, but also looking out for his people. Mordecai fulfilled his position well. He was recounted in the chronicles of the Medes and Persians as one who did well for the empire, but also he was prominent among his people. And that's what the book ends on. He looked out for their welfare and spoke peace to his people. He was remembered not only in the chronicles of the kings of Persia, where else is he remembered? In the sacred oracles of scripture. And he has an enduring glory with the Lord. It is good when God raises up godly people to serve in government, but let us also remember the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, who has received all authority and who reigns from the right hand of the Father over heaven and earth. He seeks the welfare of his people. He speaks peace to you and me, to his people. He speaks peace to those who are near and to those who are far off in the gospel, granting deliverance to all who receive him. He intercedes for his people on the basis of his atoning death, and he has secured for us an inheritance in his everlasting kingdom. So let us entrust ourselves to him and persevere, each of you, in your callings with wisdom, with courage, like Esther and Mordecai, whether you serve God in lowly and obscure callings or as kings and queens. To God be the glory forever. Amen. Let us pray. Dear God, we give thanks to you for your kindness and mercy toward us, for your promises that you will maintain this kingdom, our place in it, and your church on earth. We ask that you would indeed rise up and protect us to maintain your truth against all corruption, that you would grant us security in you, that we might stand fast in the days of danger and temptation, that we might do our duty in life with courage and wisdom. We pray, Father, that you would deliver us especially from the evil one, from sin, which would seek to corrupt and even to destroy our souls. We pray, Father, that you would cause this whole account of Esther to fill us with joy and confidence in you. We give you thanks. for delivering them at that day that we might have a Savior from that promised line, and for maintaining your people and truth to this present day. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.