Esther 9:5 (KJV)
Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.
The events of the book of Esther are historic and real. The Jews really were captives in Babylon. Haman truly hated the Jews and attempted to have them annihilated. Mordecai really did discover a conspiracy to overthrow the king and reported it. Esther truly did become queen in the place of Vashti.
And God really did overthrow Haman's attempt to destroy the Jews throughout the kingdom.
These events are true history.
Whether I fully understand it or not, the law of the Medes and Persians was that a king's decree could not be reversed. Therefore, the command to destroy the Jews remained in effect. What the king could do, he did. He authorized the Jews to defend themselves by destroying those who intended to carry out that decree against them.
Could we argue that there might have been another way to show mercy? Perhaps.
Could we contend that an almighty God could have decreed a different resolution? Many have made that argument.
What I know for certain is that these events are historical facts and that God recorded them for our learning—not so we would know to wipe out everyone who hates us, but so we would learn to show no mercy to our true spiritual enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Argue all you want with my application, but I believe the lesson is that our primary battle is not against the men and women around us. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
These are the enemies to which we grant no quarter. These are the enemies we ask God for one more day to defeat.
Sin—especially the sin within me.
That is the enemy that hates me and must be eradicated.
#FightTheRealEnemy #BookOfEsther #DailyVisitWithGod #VictoryOverSin #KJVBibleStudy
Fighting the Wrong Enemy? This “Bloody” Chapter Points to Personal Holiness
What do you think? Is Esther 9 primarily about judgment, or does it teach us how relentlessly we should battle sin in our own lives?
Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d enjoy hearing your perspective. For more daily Bible studies and biblical encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org.
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