Plan of Redemption (Esther 8:1-8 Devotional)

On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. 5 And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.”

Esther 8:1-8 ESV

“But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring cannot be revoked.” (Esther 8:8) 

Esther 8:8

The king could not reverse his previous edict, so he gave permission to Mordecai and Esther to write another decree giving support to the Jews to against their attackers. (We will read more about that new decree tomorrow.)  It was a clever idea from the king to solve the problem – saving the Jews from genocide without revoking his previous decree.  Our God in Heaven also has a law for eternal justice which He cannot revoke or compromise.  His judgment is real, and it will certainly come.  Psalm 36 says – 

Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.

Psalm 36:6

God’s judgment is solid as a rock, but His love is also fervent and everlasting.  I love how the psalmist says “You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.!”  How does he preserve us when we were living in darkness and hopelessness?  How does He preserve us from destruction when we have to face death as the wage of sin?   God also had a counter-decree, a redemption plan!  He fulfilled justice by taking the punishment we deserved.  He paid the price of sin by giving up His life on the cross for us!  He redeemed us!  How righteous, wise, and love is our Lord!  

The king loved Esther, but he could only offer her to write another decree for her people. But when our King loves us, He stepped down from His throne and gave up everything including His life for us.  John 3:16 sums it up the best!  

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” 

John 3:16

There is no other way and no other gospel that I will believe because none of them can compare to the one we have in Jesus.  There is no other king like Him! 

I love you, Lord! ❤️

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