Esther 9:11-15 — Woah...Too Far?

READ THIS: Esther 9:11-15

11 The number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.” 

13 “If it pleases the king,” Esther answered, “give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.” 14 So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. 15 The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?
 
I'm not going to lie to you here... the first time I read these verses, and even this time reading these verses, I sat there thinking, "wow... Esther, that seems like a bit too much!" After already defeating hundreds of their enemies, the Jewish people continue to destroy the people who were aiming to destroy them. On top of that, they impale the ten sons of Haman, the one who first thought of destroying the Jews. Gross...
 
However, it is important to know more about why Esther made this decision and why God would allow such violent actions to take place. You see, Haman's family line descended from the Amalekites, which God had commanded Saul WAY back in the book of 1 Samuel to destroy completely! They chose not to listen to God and didn't do that, and because of it, their line continued to seek the destruction of the Jewish people. It's important to know that God knows the hearts of His creation, and He knows when hearts are so hardened that they won't turn back to Him. When that happened in the Old Testament, God often commanded the Israelites to wipe out those people completely to preserve His chosen people.

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. How does this chapter make you feel? What kind of questions does it leave you asking?
 
2. Think about Saul's choice way back in 1 Samuel... do you think he had any idea that the consequences of his actions would continue this far? How are we similar to Saul when it comes to this?

TRY THIS:

If you're as curious as I am about understanding why God chooses to wipe people out at times, then take some time to read this really helpful article!

SONG OF THE WEEK:
 
The song of the week, "You've Already Won," is an awesome reminder that God sees the full picture and that our ultimate battle has already been won. Check it out on Spotify or Youtube!

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