The Great Reversal: From Gallows to Government Text: Esther 8:1-6
Introduction: The Sweet Irony of God
The book of Esther is a masterclass in divine providence, but it is a particular kind of providence. It is the providence of the hidden hand, the providence of the great reversal. Throughout this story, God is not mentioned once, and yet His fingerprints are all over every single detail. He is the silent chess master, moving His pieces across the board of the Persian empire, and His opponents do not even realize they are in a game until it is far too late. The central theme is one of glorious, ironic reversal. A gallows built fifty cubits high for the righteous man becomes the instrument of judgment for the wicked architect. A plot to annihilate the people of God becomes the very mechanism for their exaltation and deliverance.
We live in an age that has no stomach for this kind of God. Our generation wants a tame God, a manageable God, a God who fits neatly into our sentimental categories. But the God of Esther is a sovereign warrior, a king who laughs at the plots of evil men. He delights in turning the tables. He loves to take the enemy's most clever schemes, their most diabolical weapons, and use them to bring about their own destruction and the salvation of His people. The cross is the ultimate expression of this. The devil thought he had won when he crucified the Lord of Glory. He thought the grave was his final victory. But God took that instrument of shame and death and made it the throne of the universe and the fountain of eternal life.
This chapter, Esther 8, is the hinge point where the reversal becomes public policy. The enemy has been dealt with personally, Haman is dead, but his evil decree, his wicked law, is still on the books. Personal victory over a villain is one thing; dismantling his legacy of systemic evil is quite another. This is where we find Esther and Mordecai. They are not content with their own safety. They understand that the entire covenant community is still under a sentence of death, and they will not rest until that sentence is overturned. This is a lesson for the modern church, which is often content with personal piety while the laws of the land enshrine wickedness. God's deliverance is never just about private salvation; it is about public righteousness.
The Text
On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the adversary of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. And the king removed his signet ring, which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept, and implored him to repeal the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king. Then she said, "If it seems good to the king, and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am good in his eyes, let it be written to turn back the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to cause the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces to perish. For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the perishing of my kinsmen?"
(Esther 8:1-6 LSB)
The Plunder of the Wicked (v. 1-2)
The chapter opens with the swift and decisive consequences of Haman's fall.
"On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the adversary of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. And the king removed his signet ring, which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman." (Esther 8:1-2 LSB)
Notice the immediacy: "On that day." God's justice does not dawdle. The very day Haman is executed is the day his entire power structure is dismantled and handed over to the people he sought to destroy. This is not just about a house and some furniture. The "house of Haman" represents his entire estate, his wealth, his political influence, his network. Haman had planned to plunder the Jews; instead, his own house is plundered, and the spoils are given to the righteous. This is a direct fulfillment of Proverbs 13:22, "the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous." God is in the business of wealth transfer, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son.
Mordecai, who was once an outsider in sackcloth at the king's gate, is now brought into the inner sanctum. He "came before the king." This is a picture of justification. The accused is vindicated and brought into the presence of the sovereign. And what is the key that unlocks this door? Truth. Esther simply "had told what he was to her." The revelation of their true relationship changes everything. In the same way, when our relationship to the true King, Jesus Christ, is revealed, our status is forever changed. We are no longer strangers and aliens, but members of the household of God.
The transfer of power is symbolized by the signet ring. This ring was the instrument of Haman's authority. With it, he sealed the decree of death for the Jews. Now, that same ring, that same authority, is taken from the hand of the enemy and placed on the hand of Mordecai. This is a breathtaking picture of the gospel. God does not just neutralize the enemy's power; He seizes it and gives it to His people. The authority that was used for death is now to be used for life. And notice the proper order of stewardship. Esther, having received the house of Haman, immediately delegates authority over it to the wise and faithful Mordecai. This is a model of godly administration. When God grants us authority and resources, we are to place them under righteous management for the good of the kingdom.
The Persistent Intercessor (v. 3-4)
With Haman dead and Mordecai in power, it would be tempting to think the work is done. But Esther knows better.
"Then Esther spoke again to the king, fell at his feet, wept, and implored him to repeal the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king." (Esther 8:3-4 LSB)
Esther's personal danger is past. Her cousin is now the prime minister. She could have retired to a life of comfort. But she is not merely concerned with her own well being. She is a true mother in Israel, and her people are still under a legal death sentence. The law Haman wrote is still the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked. The machinery of death is still churning.
So she goes before the king again. This is her second uninvited approach, a capital offense. And her posture is one of desperate, humble, passionate intercession. She "fell at his feet, wept, and implored him." These are not the crocodile tears of manipulation. This is the genuine anguish of a leader who identifies with the suffering of her people. She feels the weight of the decree. This is the heart of a true intercessor. It is the heart of Moses, who was willing to be blotted out of God's book for the sake of Israel. It is the heart of Paul, who had great sorrow and unceasing anguish for his kinsmen. And ultimately, it is the heart of Christ, the great Intercessor, who wept over Jerusalem.
And once again, the king's favor is extended. The golden scepter, the symbol of grace and access, is held out to her. This is a beautiful picture of our standing before the throne of grace. Because of Christ, the golden scepter is always extended to us. We have constant access to the Father, not because of our merit, but because of our union with the beloved Queen, the Church, and her Head, Jesus Christ.
The Wise Petition (v. 5-6)
Having been granted an audience, Esther makes her appeal. Her words are a masterclass in diplomacy and wisdom.
"Then she said, 'If it seems good to the king, and if I have found favor before him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am good in his eyes, let it be written to turn back the letters devised by Haman... For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people, and how can I endure to see the perishing of my kinsmen?'" (Esther 8:5-6 LSB)
Look at the structure of her request. Four times she defers to the king's judgment: "If it seems good," "if I have found favor," "if the matter seems proper," "if I am good in his eyes." This is not the language of a modern feminist demanding her rights. This is the language of a truly powerful woman who understands that true strength is found in wisdom, humility, and respect for authority. She is not groveling; she is persuading. She makes it easy for the king to grant her request by framing it as an affirmation of his own wisdom and his affection for her.
Her goal is specific: "let it be written to turn back the letters." She understands that a bad law must be countered by a good law. A written decree of death must be nullified by a written decree of life. This is a battle of documents, a war of words. Ideas have consequences, and bad laws have lethal consequences. The work of reformation requires us to engage at the level of law and public policy. We cannot be content to simply weep about the darkness; we must, like Esther, petition the king to have new laws written.
And her motivation is pure, covenantal love. "For how can I endure to see the calamity which will befall my people... the perishing of my kinsmen?" She identifies with them completely. Their fate is her fate. Her royal status is meaningless if her people are destroyed. This is the opposite of the selfish individualism that plagues our age. Esther's identity is bound up with her people. This is the spirit of a true Christian. We are members of one another. We cannot be content with our own spiritual prosperity while our brothers and sisters are facing calamity. Her plea is an echo of the heart of God for His people.
Conclusion: The Law of Life
This passage sets the stage for the glorious counter-decree that will be issued through Mordecai. The authority of the enemy has been seized, and the intercession for the people has been heard. This is the pattern of our salvation in Christ.
The devil, our Haman, is the great accuser, the adversary of God's people. Through the law, he held a decree of death over all of us, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That decree was legally binding. But on that day, on the cross, God disarmed the principalities and powers. He stripped the enemy of his authority. He took the signet ring of the kingdom and gave it to our Mordecai, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been set over the entire house of God.
And yet, the work of intercession continues. Christ, our great high priest, ever lives to make intercession for us at the right hand of the Father. And we, His church, His bride, are called to be like Esther. We are called to approach the throne of grace with boldness, weeping for the lost, and imploring the King to act. We are not to be content with our own salvation while the world around us is still bound by the letters of death written by the enemy.
Our task is to use the authority we have been given, the signet ring of the gospel, to see a new law written. This is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which has set us free from the law of sin and death. We are to go into all the provinces of the king's domain and proclaim this new decree: that the sentence of death has been overturned, and the people of God have been granted the right to stand, to defend themselves, and to plunder the kingdom of darkness. The great reversal that began in Susa continues through us, until every enemy has been made a footstool for the feet of our King.