Day 151

God’s People Are Saved

Read: Esther 7-10

The story now reaches its climax. When the king and Haman have come for dinner on the second day, Esther reveals Haman’s wicked plot to the king. The king steps out of the room and comes back finding Haman falling over Esther on the couch pleading with her. It looks as if he is assaulting her. So in a classic illustration of poetic justice, Haman is hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai.

The edict to kill the Jews, however, still stands. So Mordecai receives permission from the king to write to all the provinces giving the Jews permission to defend themselves, which they do with a great slaughter of their enemies. Mordecai is made an influential person in the kingdom of Persia.

The fourteenth and fifteen day of the month Adar are then made to serve as feast days celebrating this great victory, days which are to be celebrated annually. This is the basis of the Jewish feast days called Purim, since pur is the name for the lot, which had been cast by Haman to decide on what day to kill the Jews. At this feast the book of Esther is read.

This book does not mention the name of God yet it is a powerful story illustrating his providential care of his people. The God who protected his people in that day is our God and will surely care for us.

PRAYER
Father, we rejoice that you are not only the God of the individual but are also sovereign over the nations. In Christ. Amen.