On the twelfth day of Adar, the Jews were afraid. Sure doom awaited them the next morning. Everything looked bleak and impossible, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Their enemies had removed every legal protection for them, and their destruction was a forgone conclusion. Haman and those who sought to overtake them were licking their lips like cartoon wolves. But “that was the month when their sorrow was turned into rejoicing and their mourning into a holiday” (Esther 9:22). The Lord took a hopeless situation, used ordinary, obedient believers, and rescued His people.
Goodness, there are some things that scare me. I sometimes feel like the wolves are circling around my very house and howling at the door. But perhaps the greatest lesson of Esther is this: even when God seems to be absent in every way, He is still at work. His providence is at work, even if no one speaks His name. On the twelfth day, everything looked black, but on the morning of the thirteenth, the sun rose, and God had changed everything.
A sudden reversal of this sort is not calculable or predictable. This wasn’t the scheme of Esther and Mordecai. The unexpected turn of events was unexpected precisely because it came from outside the realm of human control. Some greater power had acted, and had unraveled the finely crafted plot against the Jews.
How did He act? He moved hearts. First, Mordecai and Esther. Then Ahasuerus. Then the satraps, the governors, and the administrators. Then the people. God changed hearts, affections, and allegiances. He moved some to fear and some to courage. But make no mistake: all the actors in this extraordinary story were His actors. Each played a part in God’s plan of redemption.
Esther, once part of a condemned people, was now offered whatever she wanted. Ahasuerus, her king, gave her unprecedented autonomy. The king who had banished Vashti in a show of might, was now handing over the decisions to his new queen in complete trust. His heart was changed.
God is a God who acts, not according to the whims and wishes of men, but according to His own good purposes, in His own good time. But, like Haman, the enemies of God’s people face their own undoing instead. And in this story detailing oppression turned into redemption, His people saw their mourning turned into holiday rejoicing. He turns sorrow into dancing, and mourning to laughter. Even when we are surrounded by the darkness of the twelfth day of Adar and there is no hope in sight, the redemption of the morning is coming. Take hope!
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50 thoughts on "The Victories of the Jews"
Taking hope even when your circumstances are looking bleak is so hard to do. The light shines brightest right after the darkest night..is easier said then to believe. But, when I remember Esther, I remember she didn’t have all the pieces. She didn’t know the ending of her story. But I do know the end of mine—heaven forever
Amen
God always turns around bad to good but what spoke to me in this passage was the kings reaction to a move of God. It was now him coming to Esther to ask her what she required. Esther went in first with fear as to what the King would do but because of God she now had authority over the King. Vashti wanted that same authority but did it through dishonour rather than honour. Great lesson to learn
Amen
Take hope in what God will do in bad and hard times. He brings us through even when we don’t ask he’s always there ready to assist. Father thank you for going before me!
Amen!
Keeping you in prayer, Lindsey and Heidi. Will put your names in my prayer journal.
Even when I don’t see it, You’re working
Even when I don’t feel it (yeah), You’re working
You never stop, You never stop working
You never stop, You never stop working (You’re the way maker, yeah)
Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are
Yeah, yeah
Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper
Light in the darkness
My God, that is who You are
Sing that is who You are
Our God is active and not passive. He moves hearts for His purposes. He changes oppression to redemption and mourning to rejoicing!
In the commentary of my study bible it says this about the mass killings- The Jews were given the right to fight back, they only killed those who wanted to kill them and they did not take their possessions even though they could have. There were no additional riots after the 2 day slaughter, so obviously selfish gain or revenge were not primary motives of the Jews. They simply wanted to defend themselves and their families from those who hated them.
Thanks for clarifying. I thought it was odd also.
Lifting up Heidi, Lindsey, and Amber in prayer today. I’m so thankful we can share, be encouraged, and receive prayer in this community. SO much truth to glean from today’s passage! I loved the quote “God is a God who acts, no according to the whims and wishes of men, but according to His own good purposes, in His own good time.” May Your will be done in my life Lord!
Today reading does feel heavy with social justice issues (just like others mention), involving taking firm actions and execution. The Bible says, The transgressors will ALL be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off (Psalm 37:38). And Psalm 92:9 says, For surely Your enemies, O LORD, surely Your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered. Notice the word “SURELY”, it means SURELY. And God did exactly just that in Esther. The enemies of the Jews got killed. Our God is a fearsome God. Among all this, our God is righteous in all His ways.
I love how the writer points out the king’s heart was changed from Vashti to Esther, small subtle detail. It gives me such hope! It brings to my mind this verse in Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it whichever way He wishes.”
@ Lindsey: please don’t give up. I will tell you a small testimony. I was once asked to pray for a friend, who had repeated miscarriages. At that point, she was in the 1st trimester when there was another complication, again. We prayed and prayed, then the miscarriage happened. Gone. Bummer. She was so devastated; she gave away the baby’s stuff she had prepared. I asked the Lord, you are the author of life, please give life. Months later, all of a sudden, she said she is having a baby girl. And now her baby girl is 1 year old, the cutest chubby baby with laughs that melt anyone’s heart. All I want to say is, please don’t give up your hope in God. It might not work out right now, BUT GOD! (as Tina always says). Delight in the Lord Lindsey, and He will give you your heart’s desires. Blessings and cheers to you!
@Heidi: praying for your family. May God give you rest and deliver you all from your struggles. The Lord gives sleep to his beloved. You are His beloved.
Rebecca, reminded me of so much in this devotional today. But what will stick with me the most is, “God is a God who acts, not according to the whims and wishes of men, but according to His own good purposes, in His own good time. and He turns sorrow into dancing, and mourning to laughter.” I need to remember God is in control and all is good and great in His hands. He is my father and I am His daughter. My faith will carry me through all things if I let it and turn to God and Christ with all things.
Have a blessed day sisters.
@Corrine Smith I read this the same way you did. I think it might be a bit embellished on that side.
@Adrienne, thank you for filling in the gaps. Very well written ♥️ so powerful. God is sovereign.
I also had a hard time with all the killing. But when I took a step back and looked at the whole story I can see how God will always deliver his children who he loves. There is a spiritual battle out there even today to destroy gods children, God’s word, and the work Jesus did on the cross. But I wanna be a brave Esther and allow God to work through me to bring people into God‘s kingdom. Because God is patient and wants all to be saved. But he will destroy those whose goal is to destroy his kingdom and his children. He is our deliverer. Jesus told us to pray “deliver us from evil”. So I am rejoicing because He surrounds us with shouts of deliverance!! Thank you Father❤️
Heidi- hang in here, your cup is full! Praying for sleep and healing for your son.
Lindsay- sorry for your news of miscarriage. Such a loss.
Adrienne-thanks for all the information and filling in the gaps, those are good details and good perspective. I hate to think of evil being so rampant and our country has been spared of dealing with these things for awhile. I pray it stays that way but will trust the mercy and judgement of the Lord no matter what comes. He is faithful
Wow never correlated the old Saul with the New Testament Saul aka Paul before! Both from the tribe of Benjamin! So powerful thank you @Ginny
God moves hearts. And then actions follow!! I ❤️this!!!! What a great reminder of God’s faithfulness! I’m so glad I get to play apart in God’s redemptive story!
Today’s journal post said that on the 12th of Adar the Jews were afraid and on the morning of the 13th they were delivered. Isn’t that a little misleading based on the timeline in Esther? Haman’s edict was written on the 13th day of the first month (Esther 3:12). The day set for the Jews annihilation was the 13th day of Adar the 12th month. There was a whole year leading up to the day of plunder. Certainly the Jews were afraid for parts of that year but Esther 8:9 tells us that on the 23rd day of the 3rd month the new edict was given that gave the Jews the right to fight back in 9 months when the 13th day of Adar in the 12th month was upon them. Seems they had 9 months to prepare so why would they have gone to bed on the 12th afraid. They already knew what was going to happen on the 13th, they’d been preparing for it for months. They were miraculously saved for sure by the hand of the Lord but it didn’t happen overnight as the journal passage for today suggests.
Yes, that many people were evil. Look at recent history. Look at all the recent genocides (the Nazi party had 2 MILLION members in 1933 and over 5 Million in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland – and that was just in tiny Germany, think of the size of the Persian Empire which is estimated to have had 50 million people in 500 BC!). There really are that many evil people. Many follow for the sake of following and not rocking the boat. That is still evil. Entire people groups were wiped out when the Israelites first claimed the land of Israel back with Joshua. Jericho is estimated to have had a population of 2000-3000. What happened to them? A show of force against the enemies of God and His people is never missing from the Old Testament. He is a God of Mercy, but also a God of Justice. He promised that He was (and always will be). While it may not be a purely Christian symbol, it is the personification of justice that you can look at to see the idea that is being held here: lady justice holds a scale and a sword – The scale is to find mercy, and the sword is to enact judgment. Genesis 12:3 is the basis for Mordecai’s earlier statement about deliverance coming from somewhere, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Those who would pick up arms against the Jewish people were the ones punished. They did not just choose people at random. All of those in Haman‘s household, including his wife, participated in the planning of the annihilation of the Jews. Yes, that many people were evil. And that was not mass murder. That was self-defense. The order from Mordecai gave the Jews permission to defend themselves, that is all (note how they repeat the process of not laying hands on any of the plunder). The order from Haman gave everyone permission to destroy and annihilate an entire people group and take all of their things (and the number of people that would’ve died would’ve been over 75,000). Is the fact that so many people died nice and pretty? No. But the God we have is not nice and pretty: he is just, sovereign, merciful, full of grace, and all powerful.
@Heidi and @Lindsey, lifting you both up in prayer.❤️
Have been praying for you, Lindsey, and will continue to do so. Grateful alongside you for the peace you feel and I’m praying that it continues to wrap you up like the softest, warmest, most comforting blanket as you grieve. Rejoicing at the fact that God placed this study in your lap during this time and praying for the 10,000 things He’s doing behind the scenes for you even when you may only be able to see this one. Sending you a hug from Los Angeles.
God – He is the only One who can turn our sorrow into joy. Esther 9:22❤️
AMEN!
I woke up at 5:30 this morning thinking about my mother-in-law who passed away in August after a long battle with cancer. I really miss her today for some reason. This devotion and word could not have come at a more perfect time for me, especially the verse from Nehemiah: “Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Today, I will focus on things that bring joy to God while walking through this grief. I will focus on His strength to carry me through.
“The unexpected turn of events was unexpected precisely because it came from outside the realm of human control.”
Seeing this in my own life lately and praising Him for it!
The edict could not be erased or removed, but the new edict gave the Jews the earthly permission to defend themselves, but it was only with Gods moving in all parts of the situation, changing hearts all along the way. I ask sometimes, but why did they have to fight, so many people have to be killed? Why not reverse the whole thing and turn it into a kingdom wide celebration? Well, sin in the world I know. There seems there was already hatred for the Jews from other people groups, ready to pounce as Satan always is in this world. But it seems it always takes so much for us to REALLY focus on His Word, His ways, His joy, His love. And then live it and share it. Such a noble calling for believers, such an honor to know Him. I want everyone to know. I feel that God has a really deep, profound message here in Esther for us❤️
Praying for you this morning.
@Nads,
“For me, if feels like they were no better than the peoples around them, except that God was their god…but, that’s my 21st century mind perhaps.”
I think that may be the point. For example, we Believers are no better (or different) than society around us, EXCEPT that God is our God. We are all sinners. The only difference is that we have asked Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. In His mercy He has given us the Holy Spirit to live within our hearts, which we hopefully will listen to and therefore be obedient servants to God.
Hope that helps.
Lindsey praying for you having also walked that road. Prayers for your peace and trust to continue.
Angie I too always feel sadness at the immense loss of life in the OT but trust God who knows all things. I can’t imagine living in those times either as a Jewish person or an enemy. Such a different culture.
I pray for a fresh outpouring of the Spirit today. Oh how I need it.
But God! ❤ What a great and loving Father we have. It’s overwhelming to think, if an earthly king did all that for his queen, what must God be willing to do for us….
Lindsey So sorry! I have been there there are no words! I’m glad you have peace and just know God is in control. Like Esther we have to believe his hand is working behind the scenes and will turn our troubles into Good! Blessings on you today! Enjoy the little things I’ll pray for you!
@HEIDI…Lord, we lift Heidi, her children and her husband way up!! Lord be with them. Humbly we ask You to heal and mend and strengthen. We pray for answers and peace until they come. We pray that every hour of sleep brings the rejuvenation of 3 hours of sleep! We pray for anyone around them who could be helpful in any way to rise up, to step up… perhaps as unexpectedly as having your enemy clothe you in royal garments on a fine horse, parading you in the streets!!
The Lord took a hopeless situation, used ordinary obedient believers and rescued his people —-
He moved hearts ♥️
(correction: …”is UNusual for ANY king…”)
@LINDSEY ERWIN, I am so happy to hear about the peace you feel but, please know I am feeling you and praying for you to remain peaceful and trusting❣️
@EVERYONE I’ve read Esther many times and yes, realized that the king’s handing over the reigns is usual for ANY king but,…I never really compared the king from the beginning to the end of the book, how God changed something in the king himself, moving his heart.
@EVERYONE & ANGIE I always struggle with the mass killing when done by God’s people in the Bible…I KNOW it was a different time but, still can’t wrap my head around it. For me, if feels like they were no better than the peoples around them, except that God was their god…but, that’s my 21st century mind perhaps.
Lindsey, my heart goes out to you. I have walked that path before. And I have felt that same peace. It’s a peace that passes all understanding. Praying that God continues to supply you with His perfect for peace and turns your mourning into joy.
Lindsey, praying for your heart to remain peaceful in the midst of your situation.. I know all of that too well and I can testify that He is able, no question…
Asking for prayers for my family today. It has been a couple of months of one thing after another… You all prayed when my husband lost his dad and this past month we finally went together and had everything finalized and done with his estate/things/inheritance etc… We’ve been through the ringer on a healthy standpoint. Us, our 3 young ones, and the youngest is still having issues that we can’t seem to do figure out, and neither can the Dr. we are losing hours sleep about every other night. Which then impacts our day/schedules/health… it’s an ongoing cycle and it has to stop.
I know God is good and able and present. Praying specifically for restored health and peace and rest into every member of our family.
Amen. This brings to mind “It is always darkest before the dawn”!
This could not be any more perfect for me today! My bloodwork came back yesterday and I am indeed miscarrying. Although sad, I am at peace with it and I do think it’s from all prayer so thank y’all so much. ❤️
After reading today’s Scriptures and the devotion, the song “Waymaker” will be playing here on repeat this morning.
❤️
Reading about people killing other people is hard for me. I recognize that this was a battle between evil and good. I recognize that this was a battle against God’s people. As I was talking to God about it, wondering what to write, He brought the words to Phil Wickham’s song, the Battle Belongs, to my mind. Here they are (without the repeats, although the repeated parts are powerful). Pretty awesome, thank you, God.
When all I see is the battle, You see my victory. When all I see is the mountain, You see a mountain moved.
And as I walk through the shadow, Your love surrounds me. There’s nothing to fear now for I am safe with You.
So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees, With my hands lifted high,Oh God, the battle belongs to You. And every fear I lay at Your feet. I’ll sing through the night,Oh God, the battle belongs to You.
And if You are for me, who can be against me? For Jesus, there’s nothing impossible for You. When all I see are the ashes, You see the beauty, Thank You God,
When all I see is a cross, God, You see the empty tomb
Almighty fortress, You go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God.
You shine in the shadow, You win every battle. Nothing can stand against the power of our God
An almighty fortress, You go before us. Nothing can stand against the power of our God.
You shine in the shadow, You win every battle.Nothing can stand against the power of our God. Oh God, the battle belongs to You.
The book of Esther is an example of this song. Once again, thank you God.
❤️
Loved this and needed this. Wolves surrounding my house is an apt term for what I’m dealing with at work but this reminds me that God is still on the throne. He still has the plan. He is still good. His will must prevail. Sometimes the dark is scary and oppressive and it feels like everything is lost.
As I read today’s passages and was meditating and praying about my personal situation, a little whisper came to me and reminded me that I had prayed for this situation last year and asked god to intervene. Perhaps this is his own way of intervening. God is faithful.
What a wonderful way to start the morning thinking about how God works, changing hearts oh what a joyful thought all things are possible through Him who Him who me and you!
God bless you and remember, God is in co trol.
Loved this so much today. Feeling that oppression in general life on a daily basis in this lockdown 3, and a real hope of redemption of the morning is bliss. Come Lord Jesus!