Abide Together: Reflections on Esther 8

In Esther 8, King Ahasuerus promotes Mordecai to the place Haman once held and gives him Haman’s possessions. Esther asked the King to stop the decree which called for the extermination of the Jews on the 13th day of Adar.  King Ahasuerus allowed Mordecai to write an edict of his own to counteract the previous one drafted by Haman.  Mordecai wrote an edict that allowed the Jews to fight against those who would try to destroy them on the 13th of Adar and it was sealed by the King’s signet ring.  This caused the Jewish people to rejoice.  The LORD had brought deliverance to his people and preserved the line of the Messiah.  Once day the Messiah, Jesus, would come and deliver them from an even greater enemy, sin.  LORD, thank You for sending Jesus to fight and win a battle I was unable to win, the battle against the penalty, power and presence of sin.  Empower me to live as one who is forgiven.

– Bryan McKenzie