Esther 8:3-8 — No takesies backsies

READ THIS: Esther 8:3-8

3 Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. 4 Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him. 

5 “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?” 

7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. 8 Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?
 
This chapter makes you wonder if Xerxes might have forgotten about the problem at hand in his outrage over Haman. Esther has to plead with Xerxes again to take action against the old decree allowing the Jews to be annihilated. But, Xerxes says something in granting Esther's wish that is important. He says that no document sealed with his name and ring can be revoked or taken back. It's the ultimate no takesies backsies. 

This shows us two things. First, it shows that Xerxes knows he has a lot of power, but he doesn't seem to know how to wield it responsibly. What his name and ring sign cannot be changed, and yet in this chapter we see him do the exact same thing he originally did with Haman. He hands off the power of his name and ring to someone else. This time, it makes a bit more sense as it's going to the queen. But, it seems like he might be a bit more hesitant to hand that unchangeable power over without knowing what exactly is going to be sent out to his people. Second, it shows that there might have to be some serious thinking to figure out how to address Haman's past decree. If what Haman wrote in the king's name can't just be taken back...then what can be done to save the Jews?!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. People often say that good leadership means being able to help others lead. What's the difference between helping someone else lead and avoiding your own responsibility to lead? Where does Xerxes fall in this?
 
2. What are things that don't get takesies backsies? Or, in more normal-people talk, what are things that can never be undone?

TRY THIS:

Imagine if everything you did today could never be changed or undone. Live your life as if everything were locked in forever. Reflect at the end of the day over what would be good about things being locked in stone forever and what would be bad about that. 

SONG OF THE WEEK:
 
As you listen to this song one last time, reflect over what you've learned this week! Feel free to comment below! We've had some awesome comments here and there from y'all, and we love it!

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