O How the Tables Have Turned ~ Esther chs. 9-10

 

Chapter 9 begins with a statement about a major reversal of fortune for the Jews. It says in vs. 1 “but now the tables were turned.” And that table turning refers to the Jews gaining the upper hand over those who had wished for their destruction and their subsequent response to do the destroying themselves.

9:2 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.

9:5 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.

9:13 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.”

10:1 King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores.

And last week we began to struggle with such a response. We noted that as followers of Jesus there were parts of the story that we must say, “No” to. Well, that will continue this week but from a different perspective for we find in our text both violence and rest, both killing and care. We find, in other words us.

So as we end this amazing book the first thing I want to remind us of is that we sometimes read Scripture to apocalypse us. Apocalypse as word means to peel back, to uncover, to reveal what something or someone is, what is really happening. And so we read Scripture to show us that we have good and evil in us. We read it in order to confess, apart from our nice clothes and washed faces, “We did that. We do that. We want that.”

Alexander Solzhentisyn, the Russian novelist, once captured this perspective: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either -- but right through every human heart -- and through all human hearts.” We are heroes and we are villains. We are helpful and we are hurtful.

One of my favorite bands, Toad the Wet Sprocket, also echoes this idea. “It's hard to rely on my good intentions, when my head’s full of things that I can’t mention.”

“I’m a bad Christian,” she lamented to me over the phone. I responded, “There is no such thing as a bad or good Christian. There are only those who are honest or dishonest. The apocalypse of Scripture is to remind us that all of us, even followers of God, are messed up and marvelous, brutal and beautiful.

The book of Esther and it’s ending drama of violence, vengeance, and pain reminds us that sometimes – sometimes – we read Scripture not to learn how to live or what to do but we read it to learn what kind of people we are. We are the beautifully broken ones.

One of the most oft-mentioned verbs in the Old Testament is “to remember.” The argument from Scripture is often that the quickest path to sin is forgetfulness. So we read Scripture, especially the hard parts, not because we are intended to follow them. You are not to follow Esther and Mordecai in their violence nor or you to judge them. You are to remember honestly, confessionally, seriously, that you are them, capable like them of pettiness, revenge, hatred and harm. The Bible’s talk about sin doesn’t intend to say your horrible. It hopes to remind us that the hatred and violence of the world is rarely utilized by a mass of people who wish to play the villain but often by well-meaning people who think they are the good.

In that spirit one of the things that Esther should remind us is that we must speak to power without becoming power. Power allows you to do whatever you please and let’s be honest – that’s rarely a good thing. Vs. 5 reminds us of that terrible temptation: “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.”

We must be careful with our words. We already discussed how in 7:4 Esther makes a seemingly throw away comment about slavery in order to ingratiate herself to the King. We must be careful of the things we say, the things we imagine don’t matter. 10:1 involves a truly devastating reality, “King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire to its distant shores.” This is a comment most likely about slavery and we see its effects in Neh. 9:36-37. ³⁶ “But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. ³⁷ Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.” Sin is such a tricky thing.

So we read Scripture to raise doubts about the things that we might want, even perhaps the good that we might wish to do. It makes us wary of how it easy it is to turn the tables and move from being oppressed to being oppressors.

But hey, there’s a profound hope in this as well that is worth celebrating. Yes, we are the violent ones. Yes, we are the ones who get scared and want to do to our enemies what they have wished to do to us. We are. But Esther also wants to make a more profound point. That even there. Even with us. God uses us, turns the tables, seeks to orchestrate goodness. Dr. Nail story.

So we also read Scripture to experience the mystery of God in the apocalyptic mix – who works among us, with us, and in spite of us.

Three things stand out from the final two chapters that reflect what God wants for everyone:

1)   Words of goodwill and assurance. “And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom – words of goodwill and assurance -  . . .” (9:30)

We read Esther to remember that God loves us so much that he’ll use you even when you’re not at your best. So thank God for using the less-than-perfect. Thank God for allowing us to question our heroes and having their faults and not simply their triumphs written in our book for all to see. Thank you God that we can without judgment, for we are all broken, nevertheless correct one another in love. The apocalypse of Scripture is to remind us what Joseph discovered: “What you intended for evil, God intended for good.” (Genesis 50:20). Be brave and willing to share goodwill and assurance with others.

2)   Relief and rest. ²⁰ Mordecai recorded these events, . . .  to have them celebrate annually . . . as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, (9:20)

And then on the fifteenth they rested . . . (9:18)

When we read the book of Esther, it’s interesting that the celebrate Purim often in the passive voice – not glorifying military victory but consequences of peace and rest that they are not actively involved in. We become mindful of a God who is at work even when we don’t see, even when we don’t know. This doesn’t mean that we are to be complacent, this doesn’t mean that we don’t have choices or actions that matter. It does mean, though, that we can rest assured that we are not the only ones at work. The Bible never charts out the function of God’s providential love for all creatures. It simply shows it mysteriously, intriguingly, cunningly. And this means that we can lean into relief and rest believing that God isn’t just good but that he wills and wants the good. It means that we can do the best we can and believe that God is not thwarted by us.

3)    Joy and gifts. [Mordecai] wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. (9:22b)

When we read the book of Esther, we must learn to celebrate reversals with one another and recognize a God who wants for us joy and gifts. Think about such a reversal in your own life. When have you experienced a personal Purim? When have you experienced the tables turning in your own life? We need to learn from our brothers and sisters of color to celebrate more. I’ve experienced Purim in my life, have you? My own divorce was a terrible thing but you can look on the front row and see my joy and gift. We must tell these stories and we must listen to stories of Purim in waiting - those who are still in need. We must be a place where both joy and sadness experience the gift of attention and listening.

Who do you know who needs any of these things? Words of goodwill and assurance, relief and rest, joy and a gift?

Be brave and share joy. Be brave and give gifts. Be brave and speak goodwill.