Bible Study Guide for Esther Chapter 8 Esther For Such a Time as This: Part VIII Revoking the Irrevocable
Haman paid the price for his pride, bigotry, arrogance and hatred, impaled on his own pole or hanged on his own gallows. Whatever translation of the Bible you use, the fact remains, Haman was dead. Esther sought the Lord and bravely did His will, risking her life, she intervened on behalf of her people. She concocted the plan that revealed Haman for what he was. King Xerxes found himself without a chief advisor, but that was the least of his worries. Haman was gone, but the problem remained. An edict had been made for the annihilation of the Jews. Haman made the edict and deceived the king into “signing off” on it by giving Haman his signet ring. The king knew he had a disaster on his hands, but his action in the last chapter seem to reveal that Xerxes had grown through the experience. That brings us to Esther chapter eight. Look at verses 1 and 2.
Esther 8:1 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.
Talk about a change in fortune! Esther was already the queen, and when the King promised her up to half his Kingdom, she had no interest in property. All she wanted was to save her people from genocide. Now, in an ironic twist of “fate,” everything that Haman had gained in his deceptive, antisemitic, hateful life, ended up in the hands of the Jewish Queen Esther. Now that their secret was out, Mordecai, who already had favor in the eyes of King because of the assassination plot he previously foiled, had also been revealed to be the adoptive father of the Queen, and as such was invited into the presence of the King. As if that wasn’t enough of an honor, the king took off his signet ring and gave it to Mordecai. Remember the immense power this ring gave its bearer. He could now sign off on things in the name of the king. The king reclaimed the ring from it’s previous owner, Haman. Now the Bible never tells us why the king thought Haman deserved such power. What it does show us was that Haman was ultimately undeserving of it. Now that power rests in the hands of someone who clearly had proven his trustworthiness. Further, Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman’s estate.
Think of all that means. First of all there is poetic justice in the sense that Mordecai, the person who Haman hated the most, was now in charge of all he had. Secondly, for the first time we see recorded in the book of Esther, the king is taking advice from someone who clearly had his best interests at heart. The king was clearly growing which is good because he still had a large problem before him. Remember God’s promise to Abraham all the way back in Genesis 12 stated that God would bless anyone who blessed Israel and curse anyone who cursed them. Well Haman had put Xerxes on the wrong side of that promise, but now he has help to get out from under it. The only question is,”How?”
Esther 8:3 Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. 4 Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.
Esther was still humble before her husband, but it appears there was more boldness in her approach.