Becoming the Enemy

Becoming the Enemy
Words of Faith 6-28-2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2008, 2021
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Esther 9
      [1] On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the King was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. [2] The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. [3] And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the King's administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. [4] Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
    [5] The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. [6] In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. [7] They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, [8] Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, [9] Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, [10] the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
    [11] The number of those slain 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 hanged on gallows."
    [14] So the King commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged 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.
    [16] Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the King's provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventEsther 9
      [1] On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the King was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. [2] The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those seeking their destruction. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them. [3] And all the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and the King's administrators helped the Jews, because fear of Mordecai had seized them. [4] Mordecai was prominent in the palace; his reputation spread throughout the provinces, and he became more and more powerful.
    [5] The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. [6] In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. [7] They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, [8] Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, [9] Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, [10] the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
    [11] The number of those slain 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 hanged on gallows."
    [14] So the King commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged 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.
    [16] Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the King's provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies. They killed seventy‑five thousand of them but did not lay their hands on the plunder. [17] This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
    [18] The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
    [19] That is why rural Jews‑‑those living in villages‑‑observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other.

         I love a line in the movie "Hook" starring Robin Williams as the grownup Peter Pan. The grownup "Peter Banning" travels to England to meet a very elderly Wendy with whom he had once shared the adventurous fights against the pirates. As the story opens, it seems that Peter Pan, the boy who vowed never to grow up, did just that.  But later, as a grownup, Peter has forgotten who he was and how to fly.  Now he makes a good living as a corporate raider in California.  
        Of course, grownup Peter remembers none of the adventures.  When the old woman hears how Peter makes a living‑‑ taking over weak companies‑‑ she grows very concerned. She says: "Oh Peter, you've become a pirate..."  Sadly, Peter had become the very enemy he had set out to battle long ago!
         One of the greatest dangers that we face in our world is that after fighting valiantly for what is right, we might somehow become the very enemy we despised.  The story of Esther has something of this tone.  
         Mordecai saw to it that the Jews had the right to defend themselves.  This was very likely the wisest thing to do given the circumstances.  But what happened went far beyond self-defense.   
         Apparently, the hatred of Jews had developed far beyond what was described in the early chapters of the book.  The hatred of Haman toward Mordecai had become contagious.  In response to this hatred, the Jews suddenly became the aggressors against those who hated them.  The Jews attacked anyone even suspected of seeking their destruction.  The bloodbath was horrendous.  Thousands died at the swords of the Jews.  
         We have to wonder, Did the Jews, in a sense, become their own enemy?  Did they become the very murderous mob that they so rightly feared and despised?
         The offense is not just that there was bloodshed.  We must remember that God often ordered the Israelites to "devote" the inhabitants of conquered cities under Joshua.  Bloodshed was sometimes the decree of God Almighty, whether we like it or not.  But in such times, the Lord clearly fought these battles and specifically ordered these actions.  There is no such order from God in the book of Esther.  
          And just in case we are tempted to depersonalize the whole thing as something that just got out of hand, the text is clear to point out Esther's personal involvement.  When the King asked if there was anything else that she would request, Esther asked for the dead bodies of the sons of Haman to be hung on the seventy-five-foot gallows for all to see.  Perhaps this was to serve as a warning to others, but is this really what the Lord wanted?
           We can either defend Esther as justified given the human circumstance or simply realize that Esther and Mordecai were quite human.  Who among us, if our lives and families were so threatened, would not feel some of the passions that drove the vengeful bloodbath we see in chapter nine?   
         We ask from a modern perspective: Is this the best that the people of God have to offer?  While it is not for us to judge‑‑ to endorse or condemn the actions of the Jewish people in the time of Esther‑‑ we surely can reflect upon these choices in light of the life and teaching of Jesus.
           When the Light of Christ came to this dark world, Jesus taught a strange ethic, one that would have seemed foreign to the time of Esther.  "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  Do to others as you would have them do to you.  If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full.  But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:27‑36).
             In a nutshell, When you battle with pirates‑‑ be careful that you do not become a pirate yourself.  

         Lord, sometimes I feel quite justified in my feelings of vengeance.  The world does not seem to understand any other language but its own language of violence and hatred.   Lord, Your way is so difficult. I know it is not in me to find that way.  Increase my faith.  Fill me with Your Spirit.  Give me Your love.  In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2008, 2021
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.      
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