Haman was dead, but there was still the decree that said that all the Jews would be killed. When a decree had been written and signed by the king, it could not be ignored or changed. It appeared that nothing could be done to save the Jews.  

But we see here that God hadn’t finished his work. He continued to use Esther and Mordecai to save his people. Even though the decree couldn’t be changed, God could work a way to save his people, and that’s exactly what he did.

Mordecai went to the king and was given permission to write a new decree. The old one still existed, but this new decree allowed the Jews to gather together and to defend themselves on that day when they were going to be destroyed. They were allowed to use weapons and destroy anybody who tried to kill them. They weren’t allowed to just kill anybody, but they were allowed to kill those who tried to kill them.

This new decree was translated into many languages and handed out throughout the land. Everyone heard about this new decree and knew that if they tried killing the Jews on the appointed day, the Jews were allowed to defend themselves. Many people became scared and even became Jews themselves so that they wouldn’t be killed on that day.

So we see again how God was working to protect the Jews. This pointed ahead to something even greater. God has saved us from something much bigger. God has saved us from eternal punishment. We deserve to be punished eternally in hell, not because of a decree from a wicked Haman, but because of a decree from holy God. But in his great love for us, God has made a way for us to escape this punishment. Instead of punishment, we have eternal life through the work of Jesus Christ. We can live forever with the Lord. We can rejoice and give thanks to God for his grace in saving us and giving us life with him forever.

Reflection with your child:

How does this chapter point to our salvation?

Source: Rev. H. Alkema