Sermon Notes on the Book of Esther

Trevor Peterson c. September 11, 2001

The story seems to originate from a mind conicted over social identity. The central character, as a woman in a male-dominated culture, stands passively in the middle of a struggle between her familial heritage and cultural conformity. The power of her self-interest is by default on the side of external culture, which forces her to take action in favor of heritage. The conict is only resolved when she openly identies herself, thereby shifting self-interest in the other direction. There does not seem to be any way for the two sides of the struggle to coexist, as the only options presented in the story are the annihilation of one or the other. The book presumes an audience that experiences, or at least can identify with, similar conict in a context of cultural subjugation. The connection to the feast of Purim suggests an occasion for the public reading of the story, even if that was not the original intention. While the central character is a woman, the reality of a male-dominated culture is that men would have had the ability to choose their own identity and inuence others. This is not to say that women could not have beneted from the story, but it is not so much about them as it might appear on the surface. As a story, the book can be analyzed according to a four-part development: exposition, complication, resolution, and coda. The exposition is excessively long, which points to the signicance of the Vashti episode and the involved treatment of the selection process for the rest of the story. The length of the resolution is also signicant, weaving together issues of law and violence that need to be addressed. Overridingly, the story deals with power politics. The setting is almost exclusively in the palace and its immediate vicinity. Degrees of power and station are pictured through motifs of banquet and fasting, clothing styles, and relative proximity to the king (although there is a signicant shift on 1

this last motif when power leaves the palace with Mordecai). The women in the story also point to issues of power. Vashtis refusal to appear at the kings banquet shows an exercise of her own willno excuse is given, and the only reaction the king can come up with is anger. He has no recourse to lawhis primary source of powerexcept to make a new one that really ends up condemning her to what she wanted in the rst place. Where Vashti drops out of the story after coming into direct conict with the king, however, Esther does a better job of playing the political game. She uses her position (which she wins on her good looks) in an exercise of power. This exercise of power, however, is not without its price. Although Mordecai and Esther are able to gain control of Persian aairs, they seem to be tainted by the process. Mordecai takes on the very role he refused to acknowledge in Haman, backed by the law of the same king. Instead of the Jews being killed by Hamans decree, they kill others by Mordecais. Although the Jews win in the end, the story deconstructs itself on a few points. Their identity as a race is central to the conict, but it is Mordecais nationalism that causes the problem to begin with, and it is only through Esthers concealment of her identity that the opportunity ever presents itself for them to be saved. Their use of Persian law to achieve their ends is another problem, not only in that they should not need the writing that binds together the culturally diverse empire, but also in that Mordecais solution to the problem is to nd a way around what the writing has bound. Usually the law and the king are more or less the same. The Vashti story sets up the importance of the law in the life of the Persian palace and the pride of the king, against whom Vashti stands in direct opposition. It is Hamans portrayal of the Jews as lawbreakers that moves the king against them. It is, however, the more directly personal aront to the king in the danger posed to his queen that moves him against Haman instead. Again, the Vashti story anticipates this move, since the king is clearly not beyond shaping law to his personal preference. Vashti thus shows what can happen when the king and the law are aligned against a person, whereas Esther shows what can happen when they are with her. The real key to the intractable Persian legal system is the masculinity of the king. His proud display of opulence and indignation at Vashtis refusal (despite the absence of a law governing such circumstances), combined with the fear of a general female uprising, anticipate the signicance. The pageant, too, focuses on the kings masculine desire for a beautiful queenone who will impress him apart from any legal considerations. And in the end, it is 2

this woman who has the ability to reach the king as a man. In the end, the violence of the resolution is problematic. As far as the story is concerned, the Jews have experienced no real persecutiononly the threat in Hamans decree. The extent of their retaliation therefore seems unduly harsh. Further, it seems that Esthers concealed then later revealed identity results in the whole problem of death and destruction. Haman may still have been the evil character that he is in the story, but if he knew from the start that Mordecai was a relative of the queen, he would probably never have dreamed of genocide. And who is to say whether the Jews could not have achieved an inuential position through her eorts, without all the bloodshed? The opening episode ends with the kings written judgment upon Vashti (1:22), prompting in turn an edict to assemble candidates for the next queen (2:8). The incident reported by Mordecai is recorded in the daily chronicles (2:23) and later read to the king when he has trouble sleeping (6:12). Presumably the king issued a command regarding the payment of homage to Haman (3:3), which Mordecai refuses to observe. Hamans proposal to the king results in the writing and dissemination of an edict for the slaughter of the Jews (3:1215), which provokes mourning in the Jewish community, and of which Mordecai gives a copy to Esther (4:8). Likewise, the response to Hamans edict is a new edict authorizing the use of violent force on the part of the Jews (8:514), which is then extended in Susa by an extra day (9:14). Mordecai codies the celebration of Purim (9:20.), which Esther also conrms in public record (9:29-32). Finally, the book closes by referring the reader to the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia for the details of Ahashueruss reign and a statement about Mordecai (10:2). 5:3; 7:2only instances of a woman addressed with deferential language in Scripture

Marginal Lessons from Esther

No one can take a womans right to choose. The most direct strategy is not always the best. Kings are men, too. Sometimes you can get there on your good looks. 3

 Never miss an opportunity to save a life. Dont believe everything you read. Clothes do make the man. You are what you eat.

Comparing America
Threatened by a foreign entity Enemy in terms of individuals/civilians, not nation vs. nation Use of politics Use of covert operations Use of deadly force Need to enlist help of potentially dangerous allies Unclearly religious in time of crisis National identity bolstered by conict Threat centralized in one person (but involving others) Protagonists stand to gain political standing Allies stand to lose power by helping protagonists Legal issues involved Only options are destruction of one side or the other Locations are signicant in terms of power Danger of becoming like the enemy Deconstructive relationship between the source of and solution to the problem 4

Similar:

 Peripherally, cf. Ahasueruss strong reaction to Vashti? Enemy action based on response to individuals, extended to nation by attitude Past role of protagonist with enemys associates makes things worse Enemy needs backing of powerful associates Realization that no one is safe is central to the campaign Many side with the protagonists out of fear Dissimilar: Powerful govt, not powerless minority Religiously motivated enemy Enemy not quite clear Attack has already happened (and possibly ongoing?) Less stress on writing/law No specically man-based strategy to gain allies (but who knows?) I want to begin by telling you a story this morning. I hope youll bear with me, because Im by no means a great story-teller. But I think its a story we all need to hear. Its about a girl named Ester and her people, the Yhudim. Through a series of events that we dont have time to discuss, Ester became the queen of Paras. It was not because of her education or experience or familyfrom all we can tell, it was mostly because the King liked the way she looked. (Now, we like to say that looks dont matter, but all too often in the real world they do.) But what the King didnt know, what none of the Parsim knew, was that Ester was Yhudi. Really, as far as we can tell, no one knew except her cousin, Mordoxay, who had raised her and told her to keep her identity secret. We dont know why he told her to do this, but she was obedient without knowing the reason, so perhaps we can live without one as well. We dont know either how long Ester had a chance to enjoy her role as queen, but there eventually came into the story a man named Haman. Haman 5

was not Parsi either, but for some reason the King harbored him and gave him a high position. You would think hed have appreciated that fact and been happy enough to overlook a disturbance here and there, but he wasnt. You see, Haman had a problem; or rather, he developed a problem. Esters cousin, Mordoxay, did some things that Haman thought were disrespectful. Mordoxay did not hide his identity like he had instructed Ester, but he made quite clear that his disrespect was because of his national identity. Mordoxay was Yhudian arrogant people who felt that their own interests and concerns took priority over the laws and customs of other nations, who thought nothing of trampling the dignity of others for the sake of their own advancementor so it appeared to Haman by looking at Mordoxay. Haman was furious and knew that something must be done. Not only must Mordoxay pay, but his (presumably) insolent people must pay. No distinction would be made. Thousands would die, including men, women, and children. They must be hurt economically and physically, and if not altogether wiped out, so terrorized that they would think twice before ever being so arrogant. So Haman devised a plan. Being just a man, not a nation, he knew that he would need the backing of powerful forces. He would need the protection and nancial resources that could only come through successful alliance. And he would need others to do the dirty work for him. So he went to the King, who had been so helpful already, and he secured the means to enact his plan. He would not pit nation against nation, for the situation was too complex for that. Instead, he would make this a battle of individuals and civilians. Neighbors who had never given one another a second thought would become enemies. It would be harder to see the sides involved, and harder to wage a response. When Haman began to put his plan into action, it had immediate eects. Mordoxay and the other Yhudim knew that this was a very serious matter. The move was totally unexpected and left them stunned. At rst, they could do little more than mourn. Their response was deeply religious, as they fasted and prayed (although were not told to what godindeed, no god is mentioned throughout the story). They came together in solidarity as a nation, as a people. We dont know how many up to this point had been like Ester, hiding their identity, or perhaps taking it for granted, and how many had been like Mordoxay, more vocal and deant. But now, in the face of this new threata threat to their very existencethere was nothing to do but stand together, for they were Yhudim, their freedom had been attacked, and their enemy was evil. 6

Ester did not nd out as quickly as the others what was going on. When she heard that Mordoxay was mourning, she tried to cheer him up until he informed her of the attack. This was a time for all Yhudim to actto do their part in defense of their people, their freedom, their lives. Ester was afraid, but Mordoxay made it clear to her that she could not remain neutral. She may have thought she was safe in the palacethat no one could harm her therethat the walls would deter any invasionbut clearly the stakes had been raised. Hamans campaign of terror left no one safe or secure. The only answer was swift retaliation. They would have to use all of the political means at their disposal, and hers was the greatest. Why else had she been made queen except to ght for her people in their hour of need? Ester realized what she had to do. It would mean risking death, but she had no choice. Clearly, they would need to respond with force. To do that, there was no way but to form strategic alliances. The King himself would need to be won to their side. He would have to see the seriousness of Hamans campaign. It would have to be brought home to him that, if he did nothing, he would be harming himself. There could be no neutrality for anyone. Either he was for Haman or he was for the Yhudim. One or the other would be destroyed. Ester drove the point home. A threat to the Yhudim was a threat to her, and a threat to her was a threat to the King; and if the threat could be eliminated by ridding the world of Haman, then clearly he would have to go. The King wholeheartedly saw Haman executed. But the death of Haman did not solve the problem. Yes, one murderous fanatic had been eliminatedand an important one at thatbut what he had set in motion still remained to be dealt with. Hamans campaign of terror was by now a movement bigger than one man, and the response would have to be just as big. Reluctantly, the King gave Ester and Mordoxay the authority and freedom to retaliate as they saw t. They rallied the Yhudim to take up arms against all possible enemies. Just as Haman had sought to kill the Yhudim indiscriminately, they would stop at nothing to wipe out the threat of another such attack. Many of the people of Paras were afraid of the Yhudim and came to their side to avoid annihilation. Clearly, the King was no longer the one in chargeMordoxay was the new center of power, and the Yhudim were in control. On the day that Hamans planned attack was to have been unleashed, the Yhudim instead won over their enemies. Mordoxay went down in history as a great leader, and his people memorialized the campaign through succeeding generations.

1. The book of Ester is about power and politics. 2. The book of Ester is a story. 3. The book of Ester is Gods Word.