Sermon: Holy War (Esther 9-10)

Holy War
Sunday, March 16th, 2025
Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA
Esther 9:1–10:3

Prayer

Father, we thank you that through Christ Jesus, your Word to us is peace. For as the angels sang to the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.” Please show to us again, as we conclude this book of Esther, your perfect peace and good will which you desire for all men. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction

This morning, we come to the happy conclusion of the story of Esther. This is the 17th and final sermon on this book, which has been a great joy and a great challenge to interpret.

• Recall that Esther is the book where the name of God is never mentioned on the letters of the page. And so, one of the major themes of this book has been: How do you live and act when God seems to be absent? What do you do when you feel alone in a vast empire that either ignores you or seems to be hostile to your very existence?
• It is here in these final chapters of Esther that God gives to the Church Militant, to his Royal Bride, a pattern and a plan to become the Church Triumphant.
  • For it is here that God gives us a pattern, not only for survival and self-defense, but for victory and even conquest.
• Of this martial spirit we read Exodus 15:3, “The Lord is a man of war: Jehovah is his name.”
  • And in Song of Solomon 6:4 God likens the church to a great army. He says, “Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an army with banners…Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, And terrible as an army with banners?”
  • Who is she? She is you and me. She is the Christian Church. When we sing in Psalm 84:1, “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!” What we are saying is, “How beautiful is your war camp, O Lord of armies.” And so in keeping with this martial spirit, we find in the New Testament that the Apostles give many commands to the church to wage holy war.
  • Paul says to Timothy, “Endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3).
  • He says in 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, “Keep watch, stand fast in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”
  • He says in Ephesians 6:10-13, “My brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
• The Church is a battleship, not a cruise ship. Christianity is warfare not a tropical vacation. And you would do well to remember that. As long you are in the body, you must heed the words of 1 Peter 2:11, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.”
  • If you are a citizen of heaven, then you are a stranger to the world.
  • And as long as you are in the body, on this side of glory, every day is warfare. Every day is a battle between your flesh and your spirit, between sin and righteousness, between the light and the darkness.
  • And so if you would become like Timothy, a good soldier of Jesus Christ (and not a deserter), then you must learn to endure hardness. You must learn how to act like a man, and be strong, and do everything from love.
  • This means learning both defense and offense. You must learn to defend yourself from lies and deceit (1 Peter 3:15). And we must also learn how to storm the gates of hell and set the captives free (Matt. 12:28-30).
• And so this morning I want consider our text from this perspective of holy war.
  • Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that, “All scripture [referring to the Old Testament] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: [so] That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
• So I want to gather up for us from Esther 9-10 some doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction so that you may be a complete man or woman of God. So I’ll give you the outline of our text which I have divided into four stages or phases for spiritual warfare.

Division of the Text

• In verses 1-4 we have Phase 1: Assemble & Stand
• In verses 5-16 we have Phase 2: Fight & Conquer
• In verses 17-32 we have Phase 3: Feast & Remember
• In verses 1-3 of chapter 10 we have Phase 4 – Seek Peace & Prosperity for Your People.

Phase 1: Assemble & Stand

• We are told in verse 1 that the day of the king’s decree has come. It is the now the 13th day of the 12th month (Adar), and we saw back in chapter 7 that Haman was hung on 16th day of the first month (Nisan).
  • So it has been almost a whole year since Haman was executed, and Mordecai took his place. And during those months, Mordecai has been busy, writing a new decree, gathering support for the Jews, and as it says of him verse 4, “Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.”
• The author is suggesting by the wording here that Mordecai is like a new Moses, and this day is a new Exodus.
  • We read in Exodus 11:3 God says, “Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.”
  • So just as Moses was great in Egypt, so also Mordecai is great in Persia. And just as Israel had favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so also the Jews have favor with “all the rulers of the provinces, the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.”
• So with the power of the law on their side, we read in verse 2, “The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.”
  • Here we see the Jews Assemble and Stand. And so while the Jews are a minority scattered throughout those 127 provinces, by coming together as one people in each of those provinces, “no man could withstand them.”
  • This is the power of unity, and unity is a prerequisite to victory. And if unity in Christ is the source of the church’s strength, where do you think the devil will try to attack us? From within. He will try to create schisms, factions, infighting, and division in the body.
  • And so if we would have victory seeing God’s kingdom and justice manifest on earth, then we must be jealous to guard and pursue the unity of the church.
• And indeed, this is exactly what the Apostle Paul commands in Ephesians 4:3, “Endeavour/strive/make every possible effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
• It is for the unity of the church that Jesus prays in John 17:20-23, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”
  • When the church is united in love, the world is moved to believe that God sent Christ to love them. They visit the church and say, “look at these people, they actually love each other. They are all different, and kinda weird, but it is undeniable that there is love here. They sing these Psalms with strange rhythms and yet it is loud and with one voice. They kneel and confess their sins which means they must have sins to confess, just like me.”
  • When we love God and we love one another, it is the most powerful testimony to God’s love for sinners. That God loved us first, and made us lovely. And then we love one another with the very love with which we have been loved with. That is what a Spirit-filled church looks like: the fruit of the spirit, love.
  • And so when we assemble together and stand, we should think of ourselves not as passive observers watching a show, but as soldiers who are waging holy war by prayer, by song, by confession, by putting to death the evil the remains within us.
  • “He that is not with me is against me” Jesus says (Matt. 12:30). The Church is God’s War Camp, and only holy people can wage holy war.
• Of the purpose of our assembly, Paul says in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
  • So just as the Jews assembled in their cities and stood firm, so must we, assemble and stand, and stir one another up to love and good works.
  • This is where holy war begins, in love for God, and love for one another. Which brings us to phase 2…

Phase 2: Fight & Conquer

• We read in verse 5, “Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.”
• We are then given a detailed casualty report.
  • The ten sons of Haman, killed and then hung at Esther’ request.
  • 500 men in Shushan the palace.
  • 75,000 in the rest of the empire.
  • And then 300 more in Shushan the next day.
• And the text emphasizes for us, three times, that while the law permitted them to take the spoils of their enemies, the Jews did not lay a hand on the plunder. Why is this?
  • The reason for this is at least twofold.
  • First, it was to demonstrate that unlike Haman who used the king’s authority for his own personal agenda, the Jews were using the king’s authority for mercy and justice.
    • These enemies had ample notice and warning. They had plenty of time to convert (as many people did), or to lay down their arms. And yet despite the authorities being on the side of the Jews, these people so hated them, that they chose to observe Haman’s decree instead of Mordecai’s decree. And what was their reward? They suffered Haman’s end.
    • “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” If you play evil games, you will win evil prizes.
  • A second likely reason for the Jews not taking the spoils was in acknowledgement of Saul’s failure on this point with the original King Agag. God said to Saul, “obedience is better than sacrifice,” and here now the Jews are as making restitution to God for that transgression long ago.
  • So this refusal to take the spoils is a testimony to the king and to all the empire, that this war was waged not from greed, or the desire for any material gain, but only from necessity and self-defense.
  • In the civil realm, this was a just war with a just end. And like Joshua’s conquest of Canaan, God signifies by these historical events, the future conquest of Christ and His Church over the world and the forces of darkness.
• And so while the Jews lawfully and righteously wage this war against flesh and blood, what it signifies for the church militant, for you, is the war between truth and falsehood.
  • For as Paul says 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
• So for the Christian, who is the enemy you most need to fight and conquer? Yourself. Your flesh. Your passions and desires which the world and the devil try to play upon.
  • Paul says in Colossians 3:4, “Put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
  • Where does Jesus say evil comes from? He says in Mark 7:21-23, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
• There can be no conquest of the world outside until your inner man, your interior world, your mind has been conquered with truth.
  • It says in Proverbs 25:28, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit Is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.”
• So this second phase of holy war, after you have assembled together with God’s people, is to then fight and conquer yourself.
  • You must rule your own spirit. You must kick out sinful fantasies, wandering eyes, lustful desires. And how do you do this?
  • David, a true warrior asks the same question. He says in Psalm 119:9-11, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”
  • The Word of God, the Sword of the Spirit concealed within your heart, is where the power to rule yourself lies.
  • Without that rule, you are a city without walls. But with that rule, what can you become? A castle fortress. A city on a hill. A royal house and temple where God is worshipped and nothing unclean enters.
• Now after a great battle, in which God gives you the victory, it is most appropriate to then celebrate and remember that it is God who gave you that victory by His saving grace. Which brings us to phase 3 of holy war.

Phase 3: Feast & Remember

• We read in verse 17, “On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.” And in verse 19, “the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.”
  • So for Esther and the Jews the feast of Purim was established. A feast to remind themselves of how God worked evil for good. A feast to remind themselves that the king’s heart is a stream in the hands of the Lord, who turns it whithersoever He will (Pr. 21:1). A feast to remind themselves that while Haman’s lot was cast into the lap, its every decision is from the Lord.
• The purpose of Christian holidays, of special feast days, and Lord’s Day Worship, is to memorialize God’s faithfulness to us, because we are quick to forget.
  • We all suffer from short term memory loss when God is the subject. We forget the many sins God saved us from. We forget the purpose for which God gave us new life. We forget the future hope that He promised us. And so we need daily, weekly, constant reminders that Christ died for the ungodly.
  • We need reminders to rejoice, to be glad, for our reward is great in heaven.
  • Jesus says to his forgetful disciples in John 14:25-27, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
• Without the Holy Spirit we forget who we are, we forget who God is, and we lose our peace (we lose our way). But when we remember and eat the body and the blood, the bread and the wine, the gospel is proclaimed to our very senses. The gospel is set upon your tongue like a coal from heaven’s altar.
• And when you receive God’s peace, the Holy Spirit into your bosom, then you like Mordecai, can speak peace to all your brethren. Which brings us to the fourth and final phase of holy war.

Phase 4 – Seek Peace & Prosperity for Your People

• The book of Esther ends with the king imposing tribute upon the land and upon the isles of the sea.
• And this is the same language that is used elsewhere in Scripture to describe the global extent of the Messiah’s kingdom.
  • It says in Psalm 72:8-11, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth…The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.”
  • Likewise in Psalm 97:1 we read, “The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad!”
  • And in Isaiah 60:9, “Surely the isles shall wait for me, And the ships of Tarshish first, To bring thy sons from far, Their silver and their gold with them, Unto the name of the Lord thy God, And to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.”
• And so signified by this tribute to Ahasuerus, is the tribute that the whole world shall bring to Christ.
  • And in the book of Acts we see the beginning of this fulfillment. Paul is an ambassador of the kingdom sailing from Island to Island, gathering souls as tribute for Christ.
  • The Apostle John sees the Revelation while he is exiled on the island of Patmos.
  • In the Old Testament, God’s people were usually shepherds, wandering about on the land, in the wilderness, around mountains, setting up altars to God. But when King Jesus arrives, who are his first disciples? Fishermen. Men who dare to exercise dominion over the waters. Jesus himself gets into a boat and teaches upon the waters. One of his miracles is that he literally walks upon the waters.
  • And so all of this sailing, and fishing, and treading upon the waters, even calming the storms of the sea, is signifying that the king of the waters, the king of Psalm 72 has come.
  • We sing in Psalm 29:3, “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters.”
  • Well how does the voice of the Lord go over the waters? By messengers. By apostles. By missionaries and evangelists. That is how Christ’s dominion extends from sea to sea, with every island bringing tribute to him.
• And so our job, like Mordecai, like the Apostles, like fishers of men, is to gather tribute for Christ. We do this by preaching to our neighbors, near and far, that Jesus is Lord. Jesus is king. You don’t have to live under the bondage of sin.
• For those under the devil’s sway, what reward does the devil pay out? The wages of sin is death. But for those who offer their lives as tribute to God, who surrender all to the Cosmic King, to them God gives a gift in return, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
• May God grant you to wage and win such holy war. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.