Esther 10

“And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea. Now all the acts of his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.”  Esther 10:1-3 (NKJV)

Today’s chapter, the last in the Book of Esther, is one verse away from being the shortest chapter in the entire Bible.  One might be inclined to wonder how such a short chapter could warrant much attention.  To me, Esther, chapter 10 is like the very end of a TV program.

Near the end of a television drama or sitcom, after the murder has been solved, the marriage has been restored, or the problem has been resolved, there is often a brief commercial break followed by a short segment that brings closure to the show.  If we apply this analogy to the Book of Esther, we observe the central problem of the story being resolved by 9:19.  We then watch the commercial break in 9:20-32 – an infomercial about Purim holiday celebrations.  Finally, we discover the last three verses of the book (today’s chapter), wrapping up the whole story and leaving us with both a sense of completion and a realization that life goes on as before in the Medo-Persian empire.

The Book of Esther could comfortably end with Esther’s command in 9:32, which establishes Purim as a legal holiday for the Jews.  Yet the book is not a simply passionate commercial for a holiday; it is concerned with a much larger issue – the “hidden” work of God on behalf of His people despite their spiritual condition.  Nothing can keep God from accomplishing His purposes, not even the sin of His people!  Therefore, just because God is using you to accomplish His purposes (or just because you are living a seemingly “blessed” life while pursuing a sinful one) does not necessarily mean you are in God’s favor.  It may simply mean that God is working in spite of you!

Thus, to highlight that larger issue, the author adds three seemingly innocuous verses that zero in on a tax, a book, and a person.  In actuality, these three verses are anything but innocuous.  They invite us to re-evaluate the details of the book in light of the broad thematic scope of the book.  If we see them as only a historical postscript, we miss the author’s closing comments that give the final definition to all that he has previously placed before our eyes.

So, how do we bring closure to this chapter AND this email?  How about we answer a question you may have had at the beginning of this email: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?  It also happens to be appropriate to end this chapter.

“Praise the Lord, all nations! Glorify Him, all peoples! For His faithful love to us is great; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.” Psalm 117:1-2 (HCSB)