Lesson 9
Read Esther Chapters 9 and 10.
In 9:1, "the opposite occurred." Comment on
this theme in Esther, in Scripture generally and in relation to our salvation
through Christ. See, for example, Psalm 37:12-15, Micah 5:2 and 1 Cor. 1:26-31.
The Jews wipe out their enemies, including, finally,
the Amalekites. (Vss.6-10) They leave the plunder (Vss.10, 15 and 16). Describe
how this is a more precise form of obedience than the Jews carried out in the
past. See 1 Samuel 15:17-19 and 22-23. Note which monarch is in office during
the two efforts.
Consider Christ's perfect obedience (Philippians
2:8,9), the credit we get for it (Romans 4:5-8) and how we are to obey now
(John 6:29 and Matthew 5:16).
What about "plunder"? See Matthew 6:19-21.
Haman's sons, already dead, are hanged in v.13. Why?
See Malachi 4:1 and 2 Peter 2:6. Compare Esther's request with David's display
of Goliath's head in 1 Samuel 17:54, 57. See Colossians 2:15.
What do vss. 20 and 29 suggest about the relative
authority of Mordecai and Esther?
Chapter 10 reads like a postscript
and doesn't even mention Esther. Why do you suppose it is there?
On the very
precisely chosen and designated day that the enemies of the Jews expected to
destroy them, "the opposite occurred." From a human vantage point,
this theme can be applied throughout the ages of God's dealing with His people.
Looking at the very beginning, one might think that Adam would surely obey the
good and bounteous God Who placed him in paradise. He didn't. God might well
have blasted ungrateful humans from the now-besmirched earth. Instead, He began
to work out their salvation.
In this world, the wicked often seem
to prosper. ("How long...?" Psalm 94:3) Governments think they can
ignore God's rule and keep their power (Psalm 2). "The wicked plots
against the just... The wicked have drawn their sword... to cast down the poor
and needy" (Psalm 37:12-14). But the Lord laughs at them and promises,
"Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be
broken" (v.15). The opposite occurs.
Human beings might expect God to send
His Deliverer in splendor out of a great city, or perhaps directly from heaven
with trumpets and angels. Yet Micah 5:2 promises, "But you, Bethlehem
Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you
shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel." Ultimately,
"the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but
to us who are being saved, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). Christ
exercised His power to save by humbling Himself. Death on a cross looked like
defeat, but "the foolishness of God is wiser than men" (v.25). In the
end, "many who are first will be last, and the last first" (Matthew
19:30).
A striking oddity appears in the
account of the slaughter the Jews execute on their enemies. They destroy their
enemies by the hundreds, including the ten sons of Haman (vss. 6-10), but they
leave the potential plunder (vss. 10,15,16). Here again is the historical
connection with Saul, Agag and the Amalekites. Saul disobeyed God by sparing
Agag (1 Samuel 15:1-3 and 8) and allowed his people to disobey as well by
plundering the best livestock and
"all that was good" (v.9). Finally, under Esther, the last of
the Agagite line is destroyed. She obeys more perfectly than Saul. Her people
also follow the original mandate by leaving the spoil.
Like Adam, Saul disobeyed God's
instruction and lost his position as king. "Someone better" had to
come along much later and perform the work in which he failed. Saul's
replacement in eliminating the Amalekites is Esther. Adam's replacement is
Christ, whose obedience led Him to the cross (Philippians 2:8,9). Gloriously,
we get credit for that obedience, as God imputes righteousness to those who
count on Christ (Romans 4:5-8). Our first act of obedience then is to believe.
"This is the work of God," said Jesus, "that you believe in Him
whom He sent" (John 6:29). As we follow Him, we "let [our] light so shine
before men, that they may see [our] good works and glorify [our] Father in
heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
As followers of the One Who has
"overcome the world" (John 16:33), we may, as much as Esther's
people, face the temptation to go after the plunder, that is, to grab at all
the material wealth we can get. But our King has told us, "Do not lay up
for yourselves treasures on earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"
(Matthew 6:19-21). Matthew Henry proposes that the Jews hoped to demonstrate
that they "used their interest at court for the saving of their lives, not
for the raising of their estates." Their perspective seems to be the
heavenly one Christ put forth in Matthew 6:33. "But seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you." As redeemed people, we ought to place the working out of our
salvation before the enhancement of our bank balance.
Earthly actions with spiritual
significance continue with the hanging of Haman's sons (v. 13) even though they
are already dead. This grim display certifies the end of a tribe that has long
set itself against the people of God. This happens on a day of deliverance that
prefigures the Great Day of Malachi 4:1. "'And all the proud, yes, all who
do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,'
says the LORD of hosts, 'That will leave them neither root nor branch.'"
The corpses of the sons may, like the ashes of Sodom and Gomorrah, be "an
example to those who afterward would live ungodly" (2 Peter 2:6).
Such gruesome display is not unique.
Another representative of Christ, the young David, not only cut off the head of
Goliath, he carried it to Jerusalem and presented it to Saul (1 Samuel 17:51-57).
Both events may foreshadow the results of Christ's work on the cross.
"Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of
them, triumphing over them in it" (Colossians 2:15).
Esther's people celebrate their
victory over Haman with "a day of feasting and gladness." Mordecai
writes to the Jews in all the provinces to establish the dates for future
commemoration (v.20), but apparently his is not the last word on the subject.
Esther later writes "with full authority" (v.29), demonstrating that
her position as queen is above Mordecai. He can speak for her in the manner of
an ambassador, as we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), but he is
not himself the source of authority.
After this, Chapter 10 seems oddly
tacked on, a sort of postscript that fails to mention Esther. It even calls
Mordecai "second to King Ahasuerus" (v.3). Taken out of context, this
might suggest that Mordecai is actually the powerful redeemer figure, but it
must be remembered that Mordecai would never have attained his honored position
without the bravery and sacrifice of Esther.
The fine attributes of Mordecai,
"great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren,
seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen,"
sound like the ideals that members of the church should attain to. Paul told
the Thessalonians to "esteem [your leaders] very highly in love for their
work's sake" and to "be at peace among yourselves." He urged
them to "comfort each other and edify one another" (1 Thessalonians
5:11-13). Mordecai seems to have led the way in building godly relationships.
Tiny Chapter 10 also serves the vital
function of anchoring the events of the book in history. "Now all the
acts... are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Media and Persia?" (v.2). Such references, like the mention of emperor and
governor in Luke 2:1-2, reassure us that we are not reading fantasy, but
accounts of God's actual working in the world of men. As more scholars and
scoffers claim that the Old Testament is only a series of stories invented to
make a point and even that Jesus is no more than a myth, these touchpoints
encourage the believer.
Lesson 10
Read
Judges 4:1-24 and Judges 5:24-31.
Evaluate
this situation, and especially the actions of Jael, in the light of all the
principles we have applied to Esther. Is this story really about Christ? Is
Jael a "type" of Christ?
A
few hints:
promises
belief
(or not)
failure
in duty
replacement
unexpected
actions
unlikely
agent
surprising
results
changes
for Israel
Jael's story in Judges 4 is so odd and
horrifying, it falls into the same category as the sacrifice of Isaac. Taken
alone, it sounds barbaric. Taken as a precursor of God's work of salvation, it
shows again how God controls all of human history and makes it reflect Christ.
The same comparisons that illuminate Esther illuminate Jael.
Judges 4 begins with the children of
Israel in peril because of their disobedience. This time, they fall "into
the hand of Jabin king of Canaan." Sisera commands his army. Though the
Jews have brought on their own predicament by doing "evil in the sight of
the LORD," the sight of "nine hundred chariots of iron" causes
them to cry out to their God for deliverance.
Because of her position of authority,
Deborah might seem at first a likely candidate as type of Christ. However, she
only predicts deliverance. She does not perform it herself. She gives the
Jewish commander Barak his assignment and God's promise of victory (vss.6,7).
All he must do is obey. Like Adam, though, he shirks his responsibility and
even tries to foist it onto a woman, saying in verse 8 to Deborah, "If you
will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not
go!" Adam blamed "the woman whom You gave to be with me" for his
own disobedience (Genesis 3:12).
The pattern repeats. Once again,
"one who is better" must carry out the neglected task, and Deborah
predicts that it will be a woman. Though Barak is already hiding behind a
woman's skirts, this must have been even more humiliating. He has ten thousand
men under his command and not a single woman. The final defeat of the Canaanite
army will come from the most unexpected source.
In verse 14, Deborah identifies
"the day" on which the seemingly invincible Canaanites will be
destroyed, just as "the day" was fixed for the Persian enemies of the
Jews to meet with the opposite of their expectations. Here the events take
place in a different order from those in Esther. Haman died, and then the Jews
routed the Persians. Here, the Jews rout the Canaanites, and their living
commander flees, but the end is the same.
Haman flings himself into Esther's lap
like the demons begging Jesus for mercy. Barak stumbles into Jael's tent,
thinking he has found a protector. Jael shows remarkable cunning and
forethought. She seems to know that the military man will never suspect a
little "tentwife" of being his nemesis. The wicked ignored and
scorned the Christ, but He became the chief cornerstone and destroyed them
(Matthew 21:42-44). Isaiah 8:14 indicates that the Messiah will be like a
sanctuary to some, but to unbelievers, "a stone of stumbling... a trap and
a snare."
Jael's tent, sitting in a sort of
demilitarized zone, where there is "peace between Jabin king of Hazor and
the house of Heber the Kenite" (4:17), looks like a sanctuary, but for an
enemy of God's people, it is a snare. Sisera has been knocked down like
Goliath, and only the coup de grace remains. The final blow comes after
another opposite, the milk offered instead of water (4:19). He expected
refreshment, but received something that made him sleepy.
Pounding a tent peg through Sisera's
head is so gruesome and so unexpected at the hand of a woman, we must look to
its symbolism to justify it. The first hint lies in the fatal injury to the
head. Sisera's demise is similar to that predicted for the seed of the serpent
in Genesis 3:15. A wooden stake being driven all the way into the ground to
destroy the power of the enemy may also suggest the cross of Christ. Bearing
His weight, it pierced the earth, defeated sin and death, and guaranteed
victory for the people of God.
Jael lived among a tribe that was, at
least for the time being, at peace with the king whose general she killed. She
may seem at first to have been treacherous and to have violated all rules of
hospitality. Matthew Henry explains that Jael "preferred her peace with
the God of Israel before her peace with the king of Canaan." Instead of
criticism, she earns praise in the triumphal Song of Deborah in chapter 5.
Verses 24-30 repeat in detail Jael's scheme and even gloat over Sisera's
failure to return home. Verse 31 justifies it all. "Thus let all Your
enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it
comes out in full strength." Such celebration resembles that in Malachi
4:1-3.
As the wife of Heber the Kenite, Jael
inhabits the opposite end of the spectrum from Esther. She seems to have no
power, no political influence, no wealth. She lives in a tent, not a palace.
Nevertheless, she bears the image of Christ and serves His people in a similar
way. Matthew Henry comments: "Those whose lot is cast in the tent, in a
very low and narrow sphere of activity, if they serve God in that according to
their capacity, shall in no wise lose their reward."
I would not call the sphere of the housewife “low and
narrow,” especially in our era of easy communication and transportation. A
woman can manage a household and have quite a lot of effect on her community
through the church, children’s activities, volunteering, political awareness
and public forums like letters to newspaper editors. There is no real reason to
sneer at the traditional roles of women, even though much of our culture does
just that.
Nevertheless, the same Scriptures
that require us to see the image of God in women also say plainly that a woman
shall not have authority over a man (1 Timothy 2:12.) If we accept that all
Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), we don't have the post-modernist
luxury of believing only the bits we like.
A friend who
calls herself a feminist cited with approval a professor who said that the
authority a woman ought to have on her head, as stated in 1 Corinthians 11:10,
may actually mean the sort of authority that pastors and elders have. She
thought this supported the argument that women ought to hold the same offices
as men. I came away perplexed and dismayed at this classic example of taking a
verse out of context and applying imaginative interpretation. This chapter says
a woman must keep her head covered. A few verses earlier, it says that men must
not cover their heads. If this feminist interpretation is correct, then, to be
consistent, they must say that the men cannot be pastors or elders. Whatever
that word "authority" means, men and women still have different
assignments, but in feminist thought, desire trumps clarity.
When I
studied journalism and English literature at Boston University, I learned how
tempting it is to take words out of context when you want to make a point. But
if you do it when looking for guidance, it's foolish. If you do it when pushing
a political position, it's dishonest. If you do it when teaching in the church,
it's evil and will incur a stricter judgment (James 3:1).
My pastor has
said from the pulpit, "Men, you don't hold the offices because you're
superior. I know you, and I know your wives. The women are better."
However, some men do seem to think that if women are not supposed to hold
church offices, they must be inferior in intellect or value. When women insist
that they must be given the offices to show their equality, they fall into the
same fallacy. "If I can't have the office, that says I'm inferior.
Therefore, the only way to show I'm not inferior is to give me the
office."
Both sides might take another look
at 1Cor. 12:15-25. Women who insist that their talents are being wasted unless
they are made pastors or elders may be making the mistake of the foot that
says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” or the ear that says,
“Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body.” Verse 18 reminds us, “But now
God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.”
Every assignment has its own importance, and the differences are vital. “If the
whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing?”
Esther did not have to become king
to save her people. Jael remained a “tentwife” when she vanquished the enemy
commander. We can be equal and effective in different offices. As we follow
Christ, we will be.
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