Week 1 DAYS 5 and 6
Today AND Tomorrow
We will:
- LOOK at Esther Chapter 8:8-14, a small bite at a time.
- LEARN ‘how‘ to incorporate GODcha’s tools along the way.
- LISTEN to God speak to us as we focus on GODcha’s LEARN/LIVE question –
And Continue With an Attitude of Prayer
O LORD, You are the center of our being. In You, we live and move. Forgive our indifference, our sin this week, our wandering. We come today to see You in a fresh new way, and to see ourselves. May we have ears to hear what You are saying to us in Your Word of Truth. Oh, give us the understanding we need in order to live in obedience to You. May we know the fullness of blessing and bring You honor in Your Son’s name. Thank you.
If you get STUCK at any point in your discovery, stop, and pray!
GOD, your Creator, loves you and desires to reveal much to you.
Context
Context Tutorial >
In Esther Chapter 8:1-7
Yes, Haman was dead. One giant leap for the Jews, but it wasn’t over. It was still a hopeless situation.
We left off seeing Esther weeping and interceding for her people, respectfully but persistently, asking the king to revoke the written edict.
Now, let’s unpack these verses.
Today: A New Decree
LOOK 
At Verses 8-14
Always Begin By READING
READ Esther 8:8-14 and ask the who, what, where, when, why, and how questions.
Remember:
Reflect on the events that demonstrate God’s hidden hand.
What’s Key?
1. What about the new edict that Mordecai and Esther are allowed to write?
2. 
The time phrases are key.
– the 3rd month, Sivan, the 23rd day, v9
– on one day, the 13th day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), v12
3. We have seen
– ‘revoke’
– ‘edict’
– ‘couriers‘
– ‘destroy‘
– ‘kill‘
These are key and repeated throughout this book. If you have forgotten what you learned about these key points, go back and review.
Let’s Zoom In.
We’re going to take small bites, going verse by verse, dig a bit deeper, and see what we can discover, as we focus on this new decree that the king allowed Mordecai to write.
As we do, you will want to check out:
Word Meanings
Cross References (aka CR) on These Key Points.
Note: Remember to check the context of these passages.
READ Verses 8-10. 1. How was this decree written, v8?
Why is this so important?
We have seen this before, what do you know about a decree written in the king’s name and sealed with his signet ring, v8?
Est 3:12-15; 4:3
Dan 6:8-10, 15
2. When was Mordecai’s new edict written?
Who was it written to?
How was it written and sent out and delivered, v9-10?
READ Verses 11-12.
1. What was Mordecai and Esther’s new decree? What did this new edict allow the Jews to do, v11?
2. When would this edict take place, v12? How much time did this give the Jews to prepare?
3. How did the new decree compare to Haman’s decree?
Est 3:12-15
What Did You LEARN
Check Out GODcha’s #3 LEARN Question(s).
#3. The king could not cancel the old edict that would destroy the Jews, so a new one was written to supersede the old. Consider Mordecai’s edict:
a. When was it written? How did it intentionally and deliberately parallel and counter Haman’s in Ch 3?
Sum It Up!
We LEARN:
The king gave Esther and Mordecai the freedom to write in the king’s name whatever they wanted or thought best, and seal it with the king’s signet ring which could not be revoked, v8.
We Discover:
Haman’s edict was issued as law, written in the king’s name, and sealed with his signet ring, Est 3:12-15.
According to the law of the Medes and Persians, Haman’s edict that was written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring, could not be revoked, Dan 6:8-10, 15.
We See: Esther and Mordecai could not reverse Haman’s edict, but they could put out another law, one that would allow God’s people, the Jews, to defend themselves if again written in the name of the king and sealed with his signet ring.
We LEARN:
The king’s scribes were called at that time. It was the 3rd month, Sivan, on the 23rd day, v9.
We Discover:
The month of Sivan is around May or June according to the Jewish calendar.
Haman’s decree was written on the 13th day of the 1st month, Nisan, March or April.
This new decree was written 2 mths and 10 days after Haman’s decree, Est 3:12.
We LEARN:
Mordecai’s Edict was:
– written according to all that Mordecai commanded, v9
– written to the Jews; the leaders (the satraps, the governors, and the princes); every province; every people, v9
– written according to the Jews script and language, and everyone else’s script and language, v9
– to grant the Jews the right to assemble and defend their lives, to destroy, kill, and annihilate the entire army of any people (including women/children) or province who attacked them, v11
– issued as law, so the Jews would be ready to avenge themselves on their enemies. They could kill those who tried to fulfill Haman’s decree, v13
Haman’s Edict was:
– to the leaders; every province; every people, Est 3:12
– written according to everyone’s script and language, Est 3:12
– to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, Est 3:13
Both Edicts:
– were sealed with the king’s ring, Est 8:10; 3:12
– were sent by couriers riding steeds/swift horses (here is the postal system we saw back in Chapter 3, Est 8:14; 3:13
– allowed plundering, all on 1 day, Est 8:11-12; 3:13
We See: Mordecai and Esther’s edict is an exact reversal of Haman’s edict.
| TWO PERSIAN EDICTS THAT IMPACTED THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD NOTE: Major Differences in Red |
||
| AUTHOR | Haman (Est 3:12) |
Mordecai (Est 8:9) |
| DATE EDICT SENT |
1-13 (13th of Nisan) (Est 3:12) |
3-23 (23rd of Sivan) (Est 8:9) |
| GEOGRAPHY | Each Province (Est 3:12) |
Every Province Est 8:9) |
| RECIPIENTS | Each People (Est 3:12) |
Every People The Jews (Est 8:9) |
| LANGUAGE | According to its Script According to its Language (Est 3:12) |
According to its Script According to its Language Jews according to their script & language (Est 8:9) |
| AUTHORITY | Name of King Sealed w/ Signet Ring (Est 3:12) |
Name of King Sealed w/ Signet Ring (Est 8:10) |
| DISTRIBUTION | By couriers (Est 3:13) |
By couriers Royal steeds (Est 8:10, 14) Hastened & impelled (Est 8:14) |
| SPECIFIC LAW |
Destroy, kill, annihilate All the Jews Plundering allowed (Est 3:13) |
Destroy, kill, annihilate Assemble, Defend Any who attack them Plundering allowed (Est 8:11) |
| DATE EDICT TAKES EFFECT |
One day 12-13 (13th of Adar) (Est 3:13) |
One day 12-13 (13th of Adar) (Est 8:12) |
| WHY COPY OF EDICT ISSUED AS LAW? |
So that they Should be ready for this day (Est 3:14) |
So that the Jews would be ready to avenge themselves (Est 8:13) |
| EFFECT ON SUSA |
In confusion (Est 3:15) |
Shouted & Rejoiced (Est 8:15) |
| EFFECT ON JEWS |
Great Mourning Fasting, weeping, wailing (Est 4:3) |
Gladness and joy A feast, A holiday (Est 8:16, 17) |
https://www.preceptaustin.org/esther_8-10_commentary
We compared these 2 edicts with God’s 2 Edicts.
We Discover:
God replaced His Old Edict with a New.
The Old Covenant
– Is the Ten Commandments, the Law, Exo 34:27-28.
– The LORD did not give a heart to know, eyes to see, or ears to hear, Deut 29:4.
– The Law was a tutor to lead one to Christ, Gal 3:24.
– The Law was to make one conscious of sin, Rom 3:30.
– The Law was never meant to justify, to save anyone, Gal 3:11.
– The sentence was death because it did not take care of sin, Rom 6:23.
Jesus Inaugurated the New Covenant
– Because the sentence was death, Christ, the Passover Lamb, died on the Cross in His enemies’ place bringing them life, 1Co 5:7.
– Jesus condemned sin in the flesh by coming in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin, Rom 8:3.
– The cup poured out for us was His blood, the cup of the New Covenant, Luk 22:20.
– The New is a better covenant, with better promises, Heb 7:22, 8:6.
– God gives New Hearts. Our hearts of stone are removed, replaced with new hearts, hearts of flesh.
– God puts the Holy Spirit within.
– That New Heart and New Spirit cause us to walk in obedience to the LORD’s statutes and ordinances. We no longer ‘have’ to obey, but we now ‘want‘ to obey, Eze 36:26-27.
– God put the law (the old) within. It is no longer on the outside, but it is on the inside, on our hearts, Jer 31:31-33.
– God dwells in us, Christ is now in us, the Spirit dwells in us, and the requirement of the Law is fulfilled in us, Rom 8:9-10, 4.
– Thus, we walk according to the Spirit, Rom 8:5
– Our minds are set on the Spirit and the result is life and peace, Rom 8:6.
– It is a free gift of God, the result is no longer death but eternal life in Christ Jesus, Rom 6:23.
Aren’t you amazed at what all God has shown us?
Stop and Take a Breath!
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord,” (Col 3:16).
Reflect on what you have LEARNED about this incredible reversal.
Meditate and chew on how this reversal applies to us as we compare it to the reversal of God’s 2 Edicts.
Talk to God about how you are to live in the light of these Truths.
Save Your Discovery
In Your Notes
Today:
Did you have questions?
Put them in your Notes.
Ask God to answer them.
He will!
Record your discovery in your Notes and in your hardbound Bibles.
Let’s Close in Prayer
OUR GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER IN HEAVEN, Thank you for our lives, for our breath, for Your Holy Word to us today! Thank you that Your Word is a sure Word. Oh, Father God, we thank you for this wonderful picture You are giving us in this drama. As death would come to many in Persia, today death will come to many who will not turn to You. Oh, Father as a new decree was written to save the Jews, we thank you for Your New Edict that You wrote that can never be revoked to replace the Old, saving any and all from their enemies of sin and death if they would but repent and believe in You Lord Jesus!
We are so grateful for what You have done for us, and that sin and death have been conquered for us forever.
Oh, we do so love You Father God and ask these things in Your precious Son’s name, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thank you for hanging in there, and being disciplined to discover and learn Truth!
Please know that God established a pattern for mankind, and that pattern is that we work six days, and then we have one day when we set it aside to rest, and replenish our body, and focus on worshiping God. Rest and worship God!
See you in a few days to LOOK some more @ Esther Chapter 8:8-14.
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