Calvary Road Baptist Church

“A Survey Of Satanic & Demonic Warfare In Esther”

Esther 

Our survey of Satanic and Demonic warfare brings us to the book of Esther.

Because this book of the Bible is so different from any we have thus far encountered, I will change the approach I usually take in this series of surveys. First, I will read you introductions to the book of Esther from three sources. Then, I will review the entire text of Esther, as is my usual practice in this series of messages. In conclusion, I will speculate to a degree I have not done previously. 

First, THREE INTRODUCTIONS TO THE BOOK OF ESTHER 

From The Christian Life Bible, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, I read the Introduction to Esther written by Dr. Charles G. Hutchinson, pastor of the Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia.[1] 

THE BOOK OF Esther 

Esther is one of the most exciting books in the Old Testament, recounting how a Jewish orphan girl, by her beauty and courage, saved her people from extermination. It stands alone among all of the books of the Bible in being the only one which does not use the name of God (although Hebrew scholars have found His name in hidden form at crucial turning points in the narrative). It is fitting that God’s name not be apparent in Esther because the book’s theme is God’s providential working behind the scenes of history. Also, the Jews in Esther were those who had been satisfied to stay in Persia after they could have gone back to the Holy Land. 

AUTHORSHIP. The book of Esther gives no indication as to the identity of its author. Some have assumed from 9:20 that Mordecai wrote the entire book, but this verse simply states that Mordecai wrote letters regarding the observance of the feast of Purim. The book has also been ascribed to Ezra, Nehemiah, Joiakim the son of Jeshua the high priest (Neh. 12:10, 26), and the men of the Great Synagogue. These various theories of authorship are merely guesses.

The date of the book is as difficult to determine as the identity of the author. The book is not mentioned in either the Old or New Testament and is the only book in the Old Testament of which no trace has yet been found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. No mention is made either of Esther or Mordecai in Ben Sirach’s roll of the heroes of Israel (Ecclesiasticus 44-49) about 180 B.C. However, we do know that the book was written in the pre-Christian era. It is found in the earliest manuscripts of the Septuagint. There is a reference to the feast of Purim in 2 Maccabees 15:36 (written about 50 B.C.). Josephus (who died in 95 A.D.) was well acquainted with Esther and considered it to be ancient. 

CONTEXT. Because of centuries of disobedience to God, especially in religious compromise with the Gentiles, the Jews were scattered throughout Mesopotamia. Their sins of rebellion against God eventually resulted in divine judgment through captivity in foreign lands. However, most of the exiled Jews retained their own identity, culture and religion.

After seventy years of exile, God raised up a Gentile king who overthrew Babylon. King Cyrus encouraged the Jews to return to the land of their fathers and rebuild the temple. In 536 B.C., fifty thousand Jews returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel the governor and Jeshua the high priest. Ezra and Nehemiah, the two Old Testament books preceding the book of Esther, tell of these Jews who returned to their homeland. The majority of Jews in Persia and Babylon, however, preferred to continue their easy and lucrative life under the Persians. There is no indication that Mordecai and Esther wished to be a part of the returning remnant to Jerusalem, a city reduced to thorns and briers. 

KEY WORD AND KEY VERSE. The key word in Esther is providence. The book teaches the providence of God. Providence simply means that God will provide. It is the way that God leads the one who will not easily be led, just as Mordecai said to Esther in 4:14: “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 

HOW ESTHER FITS TOGETHER. The book may be outlined according to its twelve major events:

  1. Ahasuerus deposes Queen Vashti for refusing to appear at his banquet (ch. 1).
  2. Esther, cousin of Mordecai the Jew, is chosen queen (2:1-18).
  3. Mordecai tells Esther about a plot to kill the king (2:19-23).
  4. Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman, the king’s favorite, who then plans to massacre the Jews on a fixed date (ch. 3).
  5. Mordecai persuades Esther to intercede for the Jews with the king (ch. 4).
  6. Esther invites the king and Haman to her banquet (ch. 5).
  7. The king orders Haman to honor Mordecai publicly as a reward for revealing the plot against him (ch. 6).
  8. At a second banquet Esther reveals Haman’s plot to massacre the Jews, and Haman is hanged on a gallows that he made for Mordecai (ch. 7).
  9. Since the edict for the massacre cannot be revoked, the king orders a second edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves (ch. 8).
  10. The Jews destroy their enemies (9:1-19).
  11. The Jews’ deliverance is commemorated at the feast of Purim (9:20-32).
  12. Mordecai is promoted to a position of authority (ch. 10). 

Esther needs to be read because it supplies us with our only account of the origin of the feast of Purim. From it we also learn of the error of absolutism and dogmatism in the case of Ahasuerus; and in the case of Haman, the danger of pride and jealousy against God’s providential design to fulfill His purpose in history.

-C.G.H. 

From The New Defender’s Study Bible by Dr. Henry M. Morris.[2] 

Introduction to Esther 

The Book of Esther is unique in at least two respects. It is one of only two biblical books centered around a woman (the other is Ruth). It is the only book with no mention of God anywhere in its 10 chapters, although the providential hand of God is marvelously evident throughout the book.

The setting is in the court of the great Persian emperor Xerxes (same as the biblical Ahasuerus), where Esther had been made queen, despite her Jewish background. The events described apparently took place partially before and partially after the time of Xerxes’ ill-fated attempted invasion of Greece.

The authorship of Esther is uncertain. A number of scholars think Ezra may have written it, since the time corresponds to that of Ezra, and both were associated with the Persian court. Many others ascribe it to Mordecai, Esther’s older cousin and mentor. For some unclear reason, the author made considerable effort to keep his account free of any mention of God, prayer, or other religious matters. Presumably, this was because there was considerable anti-Semitic feeling in Persia at the time, very likely because of the attempted Haman genocide and the Jews’ bloody vengeance in return. Nevertheless, one senses the strong faith of both Esther and Mordecai, as well as the remarkable sequence of providential ways in which God, behind the scenes, was preserving His chosen people.

Although no direct confirmation has been found of Haman’s attempted genocide and the other events described in the Book of Esther, all that is known about the times, places and people in the book is consistent with all known data from ancient history and archaeology. There is no valid reason to doubt the historical accuracy of the Book of Esther. 

From the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible.[3] 

ESTHER 

Overview

Author: Unknown

Purpose:  To establish the feast of Purim as a remembrance of God’s deliverance of his people and as a reminder to remain faithful to him even when living under oppression.

Date: c. 460-350 B.C.

Key Truths:

Author

Although the author of the book of Esther is unknown, his interest in the origin and observance of the festival of Purim, his intense nationalism and his intimate knowledge of the Persian court, customs and geography suggest that he was a Persian Jew living in Susa. 

Time and Place of Writing

The earliest possible date for the book’s composition is sometime after the events described in the book, during the fifth century B.C. (cf. the writer’s perspective in 09:19), and the latest possible date is the first century B.C. A late-fifth-century or early-fourth-century date is generally preferred by scholars, who point to linguistic evidence as well as to such factors as the author’s favorable attitude toward the Persian king and to Gentiles in general as evidence for an early date. Some scholars believe that the lack of influence from the Greek language strongly suggests a date before 331 B.C., when the Persian Empire fell to Alexander the Great. 

Purpose and Distinctives

The writer of Esther clearly intended the book to explain the origin of the celebration of Purim, to institutionalize it as a commemoration of the great deliverance of the Jews during the Persian period.

The book of Esther is renowned for its literary artistry, which functions as the principal vehicle for the book’s religious meaning. It is a tightly woven and detailed narrative that focuses on the actions and roles of its characters. The author created narrative tensions by recording reversals or sharp contrasts in fortunes, as well as frequently ironic expectations and roles. Notice particularly:

The descriptions of the banquets of Xerxes and of Vashti, the first in such detail and the second so terse (cf. 1:1-8 with 1:9).

The striking contrast between the initial portrait of the king as a pompous and mighty potentate (1:1-8) and the subsequent revelation of his incompetence and lack of power.

The contrast between the king’s response to Vashti’s failure to appear and to Esther’s unbidden appearance (1:11-21; 5:1-3).

The intensely ironic reversal in the anticipated and actual fortunes of Haman (6:4-12).

The pathetic scene in which Haman pleads for Esther’s mercy-only to be accused of attempted rape (7:7-9).

The specific reversals that take place between Haman’s (3:12-4:3) and Mordecai’s decrees (8:9-17).

The poetic justice in Haman hanging on the very gallows he had gleefully prepared for Mordecai (7:9-10; 8:1-2; 9:25).

Such reversals are clearly beyond coincidence and reveal that this story is about God’s hand in the salvation history of his people (see 1Sa 2:1-10).

The writer also used the compositional technique of repetition or duplication to weave together the various parts of the story. Notice:

The symmetrical positioning of the three references in the book to annals (2:23; 6:1; 10:2).

The three sets of paired banquets marking the beginning (by Xerxes; 1:3-4; 5-8), middle (by Esther; 5:4-8; 7:1-10) and end (the two celebrations of Purim 9:18-32) of the book. See more of the banquet motif in 1:9, 2:18, 3:15, 8:17 and 09:17.

The threefold mention of the size of Xerxes’ empire (1:1; 8:9; 9:30).

The repeated promise to Esther of “even up to half the kingdom” (5:3,6; 7:2; cf. 9:12).

The repeated insistence that the Hebrews did not plunder their enemies (9:10,15,16).

The two accounts of Esther’s hidden identity (2:10,20).

The two times the virgins were assembled (2:8,19)

Haman’s two interchanges with his wife and friend (5:10-14; 6:13-14).

The two coverings of Haman’s head (6:12; 7:8).

The conflicting edicts regarding the0 fate of the Jews (3:12-14; 8:9-14; cf. 1:22).

The two references to the subsiding of Xerxes’ anger (2:1; 7:10).

The double reminder of the permanency of the laws of the Medes and Persians (1:19; 8:8).

The recurrence of the number seven (1:5,10,14; 2:9,16).

Esther’s repeated desire for and receiving of favor (2:9,15,17; 5:2, 8; 7:3; 8:9).

The rehearsal of the entire story in 9:24-25.

The literary technique of foreshadowing is also employed in the book of Esther. Most striking is the prediction by Haman’s wife that he would “surely come to ruin” because Mordecai was a Jew (6:13). The author was a master of suspense and paced the narrative well (e.g., Esther’s postponement of her request [5:4ff.], which heightened the tension). The continual references to time not only present the events as history (1:1-2) and underscore the theme of God’s providential working in history, but also keep the story moving (e.g., “later” [2:1]; “when” [2:15]; “now” [2:17]; “when” [2:19]; “during” [2:21]; and “after” [3:1]).

The writer of Esther creatively connected the names of two of the main characters, Haman and Mordecai, to emphasize the conflict between them and those they represented, specifically the Amalekites and the Jews, respectively. Similarities in phraseology, setting, plot and emphases also suggest that the Joseph story provided an important model for the author as he structured this account (note, e.g., the similarities between 2:2-4 and Ge 41:34-37; 3:10 and Ge 41:42; and 8:6 and Ge 44:34).

A number of important themes are interlaced throughout the book:

Feasting or banqueting sets the scene for each primary action in the narrative, leading up to the ultimate celebration of Purim and contrasting with the theme of fasting (4:3,16; 9:31).

Conflicting loyalties and the themes of obedience versus disobedience run through the book. The initial disobedience of Vashti in chapter 1 sets the stage for the challenges set before Esther with regard to obeying Mordecai (2:10,20; 4:8-16) and standing up against the law (4:11,16; 5:1-2); for Mordecai’s noncompliance with Haman’s command, which was construed as disobedience on the part of all Jews (3:2-8); and for Mordecai’s willingness to carry out Esther’s instructions (4:17) to serve both the Persian king and the best interests of the Jews.

The inviolability of the Jews, most explicitly stated in 4:14, is both foundational to the narrative and a reason for the book’s continuing significance among the community of faith. Related to this theme is that of the rest and relief from enemies that the feast of Purim commemorates (9:16,22, cf. Dt 25:19). 

Christ in Esther

The subtle theological style of Esther does not diminish the importance for Christians of seeing the events narrated in this book in the light of Christ and salvation in him. The people of God were in exile, separated from the seat of their faith, Jerusalem, with its temple and king. Even so, the Lord cared for them, bringing safety and deliverance that have been commemorated through the feast of Purim from that time forward.

These features of the narrative point in the first place to the life of Christ himself. In his state of humiliation, he too suffered under the rule of God’s enemies. His faithful service, even to the point of death, brought salvation for all who follow him (Ac 2:36).

Beyond this, the narrative reminds Christian readers that during the present 0time, when they are separated from their King and temple, Jesus (Jn 16:7; Ac 1:7-9), they should expect to suffer for their identification with Christ (Ac 14:22; Ro 8:35; 1Pe 4:16 ). Even so, while followers of Christ endure pain innocently as they wait for the new Jerusalem to descend from heaven, they are not alone. Jesus promised his presence, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to be with the church until the end of the church age (Mt 28:20; Eph 1:13-14). Christians today should not wage spiritual or religious conflict with political might or with instruments of physical death. They are to rely instead on spiritual armor for protection as they take the gospel into a hostile world (Eph 6:10-20). The courage and faith of Esther, Mordecai and the Jews reveal for believers today how they are to follow Christ until he returns in glory. 

Next, AN OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK OF ESTHER 

I will present you with J. Vernon Magee’s outline of the book of Esther, since he was a master of brevity and simplicity, and then suggest the key verse in each chapter you might consider underlining:

The Wife Who Refused To Obey Her Husband, Chapter 1. For whatever reason, stubbornness or modesty, Vashti refused her husband’s demand to parade her beauty, setting the stage for the selection of Esther to become the queen of Persia. The final verse of the chapter is memorable: 

“For he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.” 

The Beauty Contest To Choose A Real Queen, Chapter 2. Two plotlines are developed in this chapter, the first being the introduction of Esther and her favor with the king, and the second being Mordecai’s discovery of a plot against the king that would later stand him in the king’s favor. Verse 17 is memorable: 

“And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.” 

Haman And Anti-Semitism, Chapter 3. In this chapter, we see a long-term consequence of disobedience, with Haman, a descendant of the Amalekite king of King Saul’s day, still trying to extinguish the Jewish people. Verse 2 is memorable as the record of Mordecai’s refusal to honor the enemy of his people: 

“And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.” 

For Such A Time As This, Chapter 4. In this chapter, Mordecai learns of Haman’s plot to annihilate his people and persuades the fearful Esther to do what only she, because of her position, can do. The message Mordecai sent to Esther is found in verses 13-14. Note especially the final phrase of verse 14. 

“Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 

The Sceptre Of Grace And The Nobility Of Esther, Chapter 5. In this chapter, Esther sets into motion at significant personal risk what may be the most sophisticated appeal found in God’s Word, unfolding and creating suspense over two days. Verse 8 records Esther initiating her appeal to her husband, the king of Persia: 

“If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do to morrow as the king hath said.” 

When A King Could Not Sleep At Night, Chapter 6. In this chapter, Mordecai’s previous revelation of the plot against the king came to the attention of Ahasuerus as he read the court records one sleepless night. In verse 13, we read something true then, had been true since God’s covenant promise was made to Abraham, and is true to this day. This is what was said to Haman the day following Esther’s appeal to her husband was initiated: 

“Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.” 

The Man Who Came To Dinner But Died On The Gallows, Chapter 7. In this chapter, Esther’s plan comes to fruition, with her curious husband, the king, in attendance and with the conspirator Haman trapped. Her husband wondering what her petition is, Esther accused Haman to her husband and identified herself as a Jewess. The king was enraged and confused, left the room for a moment, and returned just in time to see Haman a moment after he had stood up and stumbled toward Esther. Verse 8 shows the end rapidly approaching Haman, who was hung from the gallows he had built to hang Mordecai: 

“Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.” 

The Message Of Hope That Went Out From The King, Chapter 8. This chapter records the elevation of Mordecai to Haman’s position as what was effectively Persia’s prime minister. Beginning with Joseph in Egypt,[4] to Daniel in Babylon,[5] to Mordecai in Persia,[6] to Benjamin Disraeli in Great Britain,[7] how is it be explained that Jewish men have been elevated to such lofty positions in Gentile lands but for God? Though Persian law forbade the overturning of any law, Ahasuerus could and did grant the Jews the right to defend themselves, giving them verse 16: 

“The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.” 

The Institution Of The Feast Of Purim, Chapters 9, 10. The Jewish people in Persia were preserved and many thousands of their foes were slain. Chapter nine of Esther ends with the words, 

“And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.” 

Search high and low for direct evidence of Satanic and demonic activity, and you will find none if my opinion counts for anything. There are, however, intimations.

The first that comes to mind is Esther’s mentor and relative, Mordecai. Specifically, I call attention to his name, which is not a Jewish name. It is derived from Marduk, the name of a Babylonian god.[8] Do you find it as astonishing as I do that a prominent character in an Old Testament book of the Bible who happens to be Jewish is named after a Babylonian god?[9] If it suggests nothing else, it is suggestive of the spiritual state of his parents who gave him such a name.

The second thing that comes to my mind is the prominence in the Persian court of this man named Haman. That he is described as the son of an Agagite means that he has descended from the royal line of the Amalekite kings, Agag, who was condemned by God, spared by King Saul, but slain by the prophet Samuel around 1050 B.C.[10] But we find a descendant of Agag alive and well in the Persian court around 474 B.C., or six centuries later.[11] Do you believe in coincidences? I do not. Furthermore, not only is Haman virulently anti-Semitic, but Mordecai the Jew recognizes that Haman’s opposition to him is for no other reason than his Jewish heritage.

Mordecai seems to recognize the existence of centuries-old animosities. Haman is determined to act on centuries-old resentments. But God providentially thwarts Haman’s plan to destroy God’s people and ends up being hung by the neck on the gallows he had ordered to hang Mordecai.

Do we see evidence of Satanic and Demonic warfare in the book of Esther? No. But we see echoes of spiritual conflict in Esther. How else is the hatred of the Jewish people by Haman six centuries after the record of First Samuel 15 to be explained?

Where we find evidence of Satanic and Demonic activity is not so much in the book of Esther but in contemporary books of the Bible penned at the same time by men of that era. We will look for that in future considerations of Satanic and Demonic activity in Old Testament books of that period.

__________

[1] The Christian Life Bible with Old and New Testaments, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1985), pages 469-470.

[2] Henry M. Morris, The New Defender’s Study Bible, (Nashville: World Publishing, Inc., 2006), page 768.

[3] Spirit Of The Reformation Study Bible, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2003), pages 733-734.

[4] Genesis 41.41-44

[5] Daniel 2.48

[6] Esther 10.3

[7] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benjamin-Disraeli

[8] Francis Brown, S. R. Driver & Charles A. Briggs, The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew And English Lexicon, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1979), page 598 and John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck, General Editors, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1985), page 703.

[9] Marduk, see Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, Pieter W. Van der Horst, editors, Dictionary Of Deities And Demons In The Bible, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Second Extensively Revised Edition, 1999), pages 543-549.

[10] Edward Reese, The Reese Chronological Bible, (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1977), page 442.

[11] Ibid., page 1202.

 

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