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.
The king's reply starts with what is already done: Haman's house given to Esther, Haman himself hanged. Only then does he turn to Esther's request, and his answer is to hand her the pen, not to say, "I cancel the decree."
What the king had already given
Before Esther asks for anything, her enemy's property is already hers. Mordecai holds the king's ring.
Leslie M. GrantKing Ahasuerus at once gave Esther all of Haman's possessions. The enemy was plundered, and his plunder became great wealth for God's chosen one. Esther also told the king how Mordecai was related to her. The king then gave Mordecai the signet ring he had earlier given to Haman, which in effect made Mordecai a prime minister of Persia. Esther then put Mordecai in charge of Haman's house. So when the authorities of this world honour the Jewish remnant, they will gladly pass that honour on to the Lord Jesus.
The stated reason for Haman's death
The king gives one reason for Haman's death: he attacked the Jews. One writer links this to God's own way of dealing with those who touch His people.
H. L. RossierSpeaking of this glory, Zechariah 2:8 says: "After the glory, He sent me to the nations that plundered you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye." So after the glory of Mordecai, Esther is acknowledged as the Jewish wife. The enemies of Israel become the prey of the people they had enslaved. At this very moment Haman is judged.
Why the story could not stop at the gallows
Haman is dead, yet the danger is not.
William KellyGod did more than catch the cruel adversary of His people in his own trap. He would also care for the Jews across the king's whole territory, where they were still under sentence of death. The deliverance was not yet complete. The chief enemy was destroyed, but they were still in danger.
A decree that no one can undo
Esther had asked the king to reverse the letters. Persian law would not allow it, so he offered her something else.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinBut no one can cancel the earlier decree; it must stand. No one could alter or change the laws that Persian kings made. (See Daniel 6:15.)
So the people under threat write the next law themselves. Their way out lies inside the law, not around it.
Leslie M. GrantSo he spoke to both Esther and Mordecai. He reminded them that he had given Haman's house to Esther. He told them to write a decree as they saw fit, one that would protect the Jews from harm. They could not cancel the earlier decree, but they found a way to keep the Jews safe despite it.
Everything hangs on the king's favour
Esther comes with no claim except his goodwill, and one writer reads her posture as the model for a coming day.
H. L. RossierShe humbles herself before the sovereign and begs for his grace. He alone, her lawful husband, can turn the disaster aside in grace... she makes her request, sensing that she depends entirely on his grace to have it granted... The Jewish wife will take the same attitude in the day to come. That is the day when evil, plotted by men against the people, is about to overtake them. Only grace will be able to put an end to judgment.
The man now trusted with the ring
The king speaks to Mordecai as well as the queen. Mordecai's public honour has now become real authority.
H. L. RossierFrom this point on, he is no longer at the gate; he comes before the king. His high position now becomes real and official... and he receives the royal ring that gives him authority to govern the peoples of the kingdom. All this is no doubt a hidden picture, like all the pictures in this book. But in it faith discovers the Man Christ Jesus. The Sovereign who holds supreme power has clothed Him with its attributes, its privileges and its responsibilities.
Summary
- Cause. Haman hangs for one named crime: he intended to lay hands on the Jews. To touch them is to touch the apple of God's eye.
- Gift. The king gives the enemy's house to Esther and his ring to Mordecai before granting a single request. The enemy's spoil becomes wealth for God's chosen one.
- Limit. Haman's death did not cancel his letters. The people are still under sentence, and no one can reverse a Persian law.
- Grace. Esther can plead nothing but favour — and only grace can bring judgment to an end.
- Result. So a second letter goes out under the same unbreakable seal, and a law that saves answers the law no one could undo.