The Great Reversal: Providence in Street Clothes
Introduction: When the Tables Turn
The book of Esther is a masterclass in divine providence, but it is providence in street clothes. God’s name is famously never mentioned, but His fingerprints are all over everything. It is a book of breathtaking reversals, of cosmic irony, where the gallows built for the righteous man becomes the instrument of judgment for the wicked. It is a story that shows us how God governs the world, not with thunderclaps and parting seas on every occasion, but through the seemingly ordinary decisions of kings, the courage of a queen, and the faithfulness of a man who would not bow.
We come now to the great turning point. Haman, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, has been exposed and executed. His plot to annihilate God’s covenant people has been brought into the light, and his own wickedness has returned upon his own head. But the problem is not entirely solved. Haman is dead, but his decree is not. A law of the Medes and Persians, once sealed with the king’s ring, was irrevocable. The machinery of genocide was still in motion, oiled and ready to run. The date was set, and all across the 127 provinces of the Persian empire, enemies of the Jews were sharpening their swords, eagerly anticipating the day of plunder and slaughter.
This is where we often find ourselves. A great victory has been won, a great deliverance has occurred, but the consequences of the old order are still in effect. The tyrant is gone, but his bad laws remain on the books. A sinner is converted, but the destructive habits and patterns of his old life are not instantly erased. The gospel has triumphed at the cross, but we still live in a world groaning under the curse, awaiting the final consummation. What we see in our text is how God, through His appointed instruments, dismantles the old decree not by erasing it, but by overpowering it with a new one. He does not rewind history; He writes the next chapter. And in this, He gives us a picture of the gospel itself. The law of sin and death is not simply ignored; it is answered and overturned by a higher law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
The Text
So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had sent forth his hand against the Jews. Now you write to the Jews, according to what is good in your eyes, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a written decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be turned back.”
So the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third day; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces which extended from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their tongue as well as to the Jews according to their script and their tongue. And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s signet ring and sent letters by the hand of couriers on horses, riding on steeds sired by the royal stud. In them the king gave the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to make a stand for their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish the entire military force of any people or province which would act as their adversaries, including little ones and women, and to plunder their spoil, on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar). A copy of that which was written down to be given as law in each and every province was revealed to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies. The couriers, hurried and hastened by the king’s word, went out, riding on the royal steeds; and the law was given out at the citadel in Susa.
Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and fine white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa cried aloud and was glad. For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor. And in each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s word and his law reached, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.
(Esther 8:7-17 LSB)
The Irreversible Counter-Decree (vv. 7-10)
We begin with the king’s commission to Esther and Mordecai.
"So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, 'Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallows because he had sent forth his hand against the Jews. Now you write to the Jews, according to what is good in your eyes, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a written decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be turned back.'" (Esther 8:7-8)
The king begins by recounting the justice already done. Haman's house, his wealth, has been confiscated and given to Esther. Haman himself has been executed. This is a form of restitution. The plunder Haman intended for the Jews is now in their hands. But Ahasuerus, for all his power, is trapped by his own system. He cannot simply revoke the first decree. The law of the Medes and Persians was designed to project an image of immutable, god-like authority. To reverse a law would be to admit a mistake, to admit that the king was not infallible. So, a direct cancellation is impossible.
Instead, he gives Mordecai his signet ring, the very symbol of royal authority that Haman had used to seal the decree of death. The authority that was used for evil is now handed over to be used for good. The king essentially says, "I cannot undo the first law, but you can write a second one to counteract it." This is a profound principle. God does not deal with our sin by pretending it did not happen. The wages of sin is death, and that law is irrevocable. The sentence must be carried out. But God, in His wisdom, issues a counter-decree. He sends His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and condemns sin in the flesh. The law of death is met and satisfied by the death of Christ, and a new law, the law of life, is promulgated in His resurrection. The authority of the king is now in Mordecai's hands, just as all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to our Lord Jesus.
So the scribes are summoned, and a new edict is written. Notice the scope and efficiency. It goes out to all 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia, in every language, to every people. This is the Persian pony express, a massive logistical undertaking. The message of death had gone out, and now the message of life must go out with the same urgency and reach. This is a picture of the Great Commission. The decree of sin and death has gone out to every tribe and tongue. The gospel, the counter-decree of life and liberty, must also go out to every tribe and tongue.
The Right to Stand and Fight (vv. 11-14)
Now we see the content of this new law.
"In them the king gave the Jews who were in each and every city the right to assemble and to make a stand for their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish the entire military force of any people or province which would act as their adversaries, including little ones and women, and to plunder their spoil..." (Esther 8:11)
The first decree gave the enemies of the Jews the right to attack them. This second decree gives the Jews the right to defend themselves. It is crucial to see that this is a defensive measure. They are authorized to "make a stand for their lives" against those who "would act as their adversaries." This is not a license for indiscriminate slaughter. It is a government-sanctioned right to self-defense against an imminent, genocidal threat.
Now, the language here is jarring to our modern, sentimental ears. The decree includes the right to destroy "little ones and women." We must understand this in its context. First, this language directly mirrors the language of Haman's original decree (Esther 3:13). The counter-decree grants the Jews the right to inflict upon their enemies precisely what their enemies intended to inflict upon them. It is a perfect application of the lex talionis, the eye for an eye principle. Second, in ancient warfare, households and clans were seen as a unit. An attack on a people group was an attack on the entire social fabric, including the women who produced future warriors and the children who would grow up to seek revenge. This was a total war, initiated by Haman. The counter-decree recognizes this reality. It is a hard word, but it is the word of justice in a hard world. It is also worth noting that when the Jews do defend themselves in the next chapter, there is no mention of them actually killing women and children, and it explicitly states three times that they did not take the plunder (Esther 9:10, 15, 16). They had the right, but they exercised restraint, demonstrating that their motive was self-preservation, not greed or bloodlust.
The couriers are sent out, "hurried and hastened by the king's word." There is an urgency here that befits the situation. The day of slaughter is approaching, and the news of deliverance must get there first. This is the urgency of the gospel. The day of judgment is coming. The couriers of the Great King must ride with haste, carrying the good news of the counter-decree that provides a way of escape.
From Sackcloth to Royal Robes (vv. 15-17)
The final verses of our text describe the immediate result of this great reversal, first in the capital and then throughout the empire.
"Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and fine white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Susa cried aloud and was glad." (Esther 8:15)
What a contrast this is. The last time we saw Mordecai as a public figure, he was in the king's gate, dressed in sackcloth and ashes, weeping loudly and bitterly (Esther 4:1-2). Now, he emerges from the king's presence clothed in the colors of royalty and purity, wearing a great crown of gold. This is a picture of our Savior. He who was clothed in humility, who took the form of a servant, has now been highly exalted and given the name that is above every name. Mordecai's exaltation is a foretaste of the exaltation of Christ, and by extension, our own. We who were clothed in the filthy rags of our sin are now clothed in the royal robes of Christ's righteousness.
And the result is public joy. The entire city of Susa, not just the Jews, rejoices. Why? Because the wicked Haman, the grasping, paranoid tyrant, is gone, and a just man has been raised to his place. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice (Proverbs 29:2). This is a fundamental principle of godly government. Righteousness exalts a nation, and the fruit of righteousness is peace and gladness.
Light, Gladness, Joy, and Honor (vv. 16-17)
The joy in Susa becomes a pattern for the whole empire.
"For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor. And in each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s word and his law reached, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them." (Esther 8:16-17)
Where there had been darkness and mourning, now there is light. Where there had been fear, now there is gladness and joy. Where there had been shame and the threat of annihilation, now there is honor. This is the fruit of salvation. This is what happens when the gospel comes to a people. It brings light into darkness, joy into sorrow, and honor to those who were shamed.
But look at the final, astonishing result. "And many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them." This is a remarkable revival. Pagans, seeing the mighty hand of God protecting and delivering His people, convert. They proselytize. They see that the God of the Jews is the true and living God, and they want to be on His side. The "dread" that falls on them is not a cowering fear of Jewish military might, but rather a holy awe. It is the fear of the Lord. They see that God is with this people, and to fight against them is to fight against God.
This is a postmillennial text, tucked away in the book of Esther. This is what happens when God’s people are faithful and courageous, and when God vindicates them publicly. Their enemies are thrown into confusion, and many are converted. This is the pattern of the Great Commission. As the church goes forth in the power of the Spirit, preaching the gospel and living in obedience, the dread of God falls upon the nations. Not a terror that drives them away, but an awe that draws them in. They see the goodness, truth, and beauty of the Christian faith, they see the blessing of God upon His people, and they say, "Surely God is among you. We will go with you." The victory of the church is the salvation of the world.
Conclusion: The Edict of the Great King
The story of Esther is our story. We live under a sentence of death, a decree that has gone out to all the world because of our sin. That law is irrevocable. The soul that sins shall die. But the Great King, in His love for His bride, has not left us to perish. He has issued a counter-decree, signed and sealed with the blood of His own Son.
This new edict does not deny the first one. It fulfills it. Christ died the death we deserved, satisfying the justice of the old law. And having done so, He rose again and promulgated a new law, the law of life. This new law gives us the right to stand. It gives us the authority to fight against our true adversaries: sin, the flesh, and the devil. It clothes us in royal robes of righteousness and gives us a crown of life. It turns our mourning into dancing and our sorrow into joy.
And as the world sees this great reversal in us, as they see the power of God to save and transform, a holy dread will fall upon them. They will see that our God is the King, and they will cast aside their idols and become citizens of His kingdom. The joy that began in Susa spread to 127 provinces. The joy that began in Jerusalem with a handful of disciples on the day of Pentecost will spread until it fills the whole earth, as the waters cover the sea. This is the promise of the gospel, and it is as irreversible as a law of the Medes and Persians.