Recap of Timeline of events
Nisan 1 – First Day of the religious Calendar.
Cyrus was crowned “King of Babylonia and King of all lands”. Plot of Bigthan and Teresh to assassinate Xerxes discovered by Mordecai. Apocrypha; Book of Esther.
Nisan 8
The feast of King, Ahasuerus which lasted for 180 days, came to an end. Esther 1:4; Manot haLevi
Nisan 13 – The day before Passover
Haman buys the order for the destruction of the Jews. Esther 3:7-12 Esther has Mordecai and the Jews fast for three days before seeing the king. Esther 4:16
Nisan 14 – Passover Day
Mordecai and Jews fast for the second day. Esther 4:16
Nisan 15 – First Day of Unleaved bread.
Mordecai is honored by Haman and king Esther 5:1 – 6:10. Mordecai and the Jews fast for the third and last day. Esther 4:16. Esther invites the king to feast. Esther 5:1-4
Nisan 16
At Feast – King kills Haman. Esther 5:5-5
Haman was hanged. Esther 7:10. Mordecai now minister in place of Haman. Esther 8:2
Nisan 17- First Fruits Yeshua was Resurrected.
Haman’s plans came to naught. Esther 3:12, 4:16, 7:2-9
Tevet 1
Esther is taken to the kings’ residence. Esther 2:16
Adar 13 – 11 months after the month of Nissan
The Pur chose this day for the destruction of the enemies of the Jews. Esther 3:13
Adar 14 – 11 months after the month of Nissan
Purim. The feast of Lots. Esther 9:14-21
Three hundred men of Susa are killed. Esther 9:15
Note the Dates ……What happened at another Passover in Pharaohs’ time.
The Providence of God.
One marvels at God’s Providence and timing…It just happed that Queen Vashti said NO – opening the throne to Esther. Mordecai just happened to hear the plot against the king. The king just happened to have a sleepless night when Mordecai’s events are read to him. Haman just happens to be in the palace to plot Mordecai’s murder, when he is told to honor Mordecai. Truth is stranger than fiction as God stays anonymous.
Many Reversals and Irony
Irony is primarily created when what the audience expects to happen is turned on its head and right the opposite happens. The book of Esther is filled with irony and reversals. For instance: the king honors Haman and later the king unknowingly dishonors him. Haman has the king’s signet ring but by the end Mordecai has the ring. Haman is happy at the end of the first banquet with Esther but is terrified at the second banquet. Haman desires the destruction of all Jews but at the end has to beg a Jewess for his life. After obtaining the decree to kill the Jews Haman rejoices, but later bemoans his humiliation. The impalement stake meant for Mordecai becomes the exact stake on which Haman is impaled. Mordecai also experiences several ironic reversals. When the story opens Mordecai is sitting at the gate but when the story ends he has Haman’s job. Mordecai initially dresses in sackcloth but later we find him clothed in kingly garments. In fact Mordecai gets everything that once belonged to Haman with the exception of his family. The book of Esther is one big narrative reversal just waiting to happen. Esther is a book about the ability of God to turn everything around and upside down. Just when you have all of life figured out—it changes. Just when you think that God has forgotten—He remembers. Just when you think that God is absent—He shows up.
Even while God that was hiding His face from His disobedient children – His Providence and mercy is evident.
Esther, the wife of King Ahasuerus, used her position of intimacy with the king to plead for the lives of her people. It falls to us – bride of the King of the universe to honor our position as a beloved bride and plead the case of Gods people.
King Ahasuerus had Haman hanged on a gallows he had intended for Mordecai, and he permitted the Jews in every city to gather together and protect themselves against those who tried to assault them.
The use of Doublets
In Esther one finds an incredible amount of duplication. There are three groups of banquets that come in pairs of 2. There are two lists of the kings servants (1:10, 14), two reports that Esther concealed her identity (2:10,20), two gatherings of the women (2:18,19), two houses for the women (2:12-14), two fasts (4:13, 16), two consultations of Haman with his wife and friends (5:14; 6:13), two unscheduled appearances of Esther before the king (5:2; 8:3), two investitures to Mordecai (6:7-11; 8:15, two coverings of Haman’s face (6:12;7:8), two references to Haman’s sons (5:11; 9:6-10, 13-14), two appearances of Harbona (1:10; 7:9), two royal edicts (3:12-14; 8:1-13), two references to the kings anger subsiding (2:1; 7:10), two references to the irrevocability of Persian laws (1:19; 8:8), two day for the Jews to defend themselves (9:5-15), and two letters establishing the festival of Purim (9:20-32).
Next we find the ten sons of Haman “killed” twice. The duplication is for a reason. I am going ask if the events of Esther are to be duplicated at some future time as did everything else in the narrative was?
ESTHER 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, —– 7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
We see that in addition to the 500 men who attacked them in Shushan, the Jews killed the ten sons of Haman on the 13th of Adar. However, Esther had another request of the king after these 10 sons of Haman had already died.
A few verses later
ESTHER 9:11 On that day the number of those who were killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done.” 13 Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
In memory of this great Jewish victory over their enemies, the Jews have celebrated the feast of Purim annually for over 2,000 years. Esther’s request to have the 10 sons of Haman hanged seems rather unusual, seeing that Haman’s sons had already been killed.
. . . The ten sons of Haman had already been killed, why bother to hang them?
In the writings of the Sages and the commentators, we find several ideas that could clarify this: On the word “tomorrow” in Esther’s request, the Sages comment:
“There is a tomorrow that is now, and a tomorrow which is later.”
