Esther Study Guide – Esther 8:1-12

Christ Is Exalted​

• “On that day”? What day was that? (Esther 8:1) It was the day when Esther received authority over the house of Haman.

When did the saints receive authority to rob the house of Satan? It began on Pentecost in AD 33. It was then that they received authority to become fishers of men (Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8). Actually the Lord Jesus commissioned His disciples three times: The first time in John 20:21-23. The second time in Matthew 28:19-20 and Mark 16:15-18. The third time in Luke 24:47-49 and Acts 1:8.

When did Mordecai come before the King? Christ appeared before God in heaven two times. The first time when He died on the cross: “Father into Thy hands I commend My Spirit” (Luke 23:46). The second time, 40 days later, when He with body and soul entered into heaven. (Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9)

Esther told king Ahasuerus what Mordecai was unto her. What was that? No, He was not her uncle. There are no uncles in the Hebrew text of Esther. He was her nearest Kinsman. And now we have to look in the dictionary, where we find that the nearest Kinsman is also called her Redeemer.

• What does the ring represent? What was the ring for? (Esther 8:2) The king’s ring was a symbol of authority. (Genesis 41:40-44). The bearer of the ring was authorized to dictate the law in the name of the King.

What does it mean that the ring is transferred from Haman to Mordecai? The authority of the law was replaced by the authority of grace (Romans 8:1-4, 2nd Corinthians 3:6-11).

How did Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman? By giving Christ all the honour and the glory (Romans 11:33-36, 1st Corinthians 8:6, Revelation 1:6, John 1:3, Philippians 2:13, Colossians 1:12-23).
The saints have no real power over people who are in the clutches of Satan; only God has that power.

• What did Esther plead for? She pleaded for the life of her fellow Jews (Esther 8:3).

Who do the Jews represent? They represent all those who are circumcised in their heart, which only God can do (Romans 2:25-29).

What was the mischief of Haman? It was his hatred of Mordecai and his suggestion to the king to kill all the Jews, and Haman would pay 10,000 talents of silver to the king’s treasuries.

And what was his device? (The word “and” is really there.) His device was the letter, sealed with the king’s ring, to all the governors of the 127 provinces, that all the Jews should be killed on the 13th day of the 12th month, the month of Adar.

• “The king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther” (Esther 8:4).

What does the golden sceptre represent? It represents a shepherd’s staff. It represents royal authority. It represents the king’s favour, the king’s grace indicating the promise of life, rather than death.

• Esther pleaded: “Let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman” (Esther 8:5).

But where were those letters written by Haman? They were written in the law of the Medes and the Persians which cannot be changed. (Daniel 6:8; Daniel 6:15) They were written in the Bible.

What was in the letters devised by Haman? That all the “Jews” should be killed on the 13th day of the 12th month. This refers to judgment on the last day to be executed without grace or mercy (Esther 8:6).
But if this reaches in time all the way to judgment day, then the meaning of the word “Jews” should be harmonious with the meaning of the word “Jews” as defined in the New Testament (Romans 2:28-29).

• What did the King say to Esther and to Mordecai? (Esther 8:7)
“Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman.” All of Haman’s people are in Esther’s hand. The called out (Ekklesia) assembly is now reigning with Christ as prophets, priests and kings (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Who has the power now? The kings! (Philippians 2:13) We are ambassadors for Christ, and as such we are reigning with Him (Matthew 28:18, 2nd Corint 5:20)

• Write to the Jews in the king’s name (Esther 8:8) “And seal it”. How is it sealed? With the king’s ring. It has become law. No man may reverse it.

Where is that writing? (Matthew 5:18) It was written in the law of the Medes and the Persians which cannot be changed. It was written in the Bible.

• Who do the king’s scribes represent? (Esther 8:9) Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2nd Peter 1:21).

When were the King’s scribes called? On the 23rd day of the 3rd month.

Why this one specific day? It was made known to all 127 provinces, which means to the whole world, to every people after their language.

And sent the letters by couriers on horses, on stallions, on royal steeds, on sons of mares? (Esther 8:10) Hurry, for Judgment Day is near. Why are they all male horses? Horses are used for war. We are in a spiritual warfare against Satan. John Gill observes:

“and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries”; which were all different creatures, and swift ones, according to our version, especially the latter; (see Jeremiah 2:23) which were a kind of camels, but swifter, and would go more than one hundred miles a day; and, as Diodorus Siculus says, not less than 1500 furlongs or about two hundred miles: though it may be only one sort are meant, namely, “mules”, for the next word, “ahashteranim”, in the Persian language signifies mules, and so Aben Ezra interprets it, and likewise Kimchi and Ben Melech; and the last words may be rendered “sons of mares”, so David de Pomis; that is, such mules as are gendered by he asses and mares: and so the same writer observes, that the word in the Arabic language signifies “mares”; and such mules that come from them he says are stronger than those that come from she asses; so that the whole may be rendered to this sense, “riders on mules”, (which in the Persian language are called “ahashteranim”,) namely, such as are “sons of mares”; and which according to Aelianus and Pliny are the swiftest; though the Persians had camels swifter than are common elsewhere, called “revatrie”, the “goer”, which trot as fast as an horse can gallop.

• What did the King grant to the Jews? (Esther 8:11) He granted them the grace to stand fast. Do not let your enemies rule over you (Ephesians 6:10-20, Revelation 11:5-6).

“To destroy, to slay, and to perish”; this means it is Judgment Day; all the unsaved will be killed.

On which side are the little ones and the women? Be as trusting as little children and be as confident as the Bride of Christ (Matthew 18:1-7), for He will not leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).

• “Upon one day”. Which day is that spiritually? (Esther 8:12) Judgment Day.

Literally how many months is that from the beginning of Haman’s letters? Eleven months.

Adar = Glorious