Esther-Lesson Nine

DAY TWO: A Resounding Victory

Please carefully read Esther 9:4—10 and answer the following questions.

1. What else do we learn about Mordecai’s growth in his new job (v. 4)?

NOTE: The word great emphasized the importance and significance of someone or something, being influential; the end of the verse (became increasingly prominent) is a repetition of the same word, thus Mordecai became greater and greater.[iv]

2. How resounding of a victory did the Jews have (v. 5, 6)?

3. What capped the Jews’ victory, and what did they not do although the King’s edict allowed it (vv. 7—10, see Esther 8:11)?

NOTE: It is important to remember that those the Jews killed were enemies, allies with Haman to destroy them, thus by extension themselves enemies of God; they were not women and children either, for the Hebrew text makes clear these were men.[v]

4. Lessons for our lives sometimes come in strange packages. In this case, it is in the listing of the names of Haman and his sons! Look over the following definitions, what they might imply about Haman’s own motivations, and record what lessons they might have for us to avoid today.[vi]

NAME	MEANINGS	IMPLICATION
Haman Son of Hammedatha	Well Disposed Given by the Moon God; He who Troubles The Law	Being self-sufficient Idolatry; disobedient to God
Parshandatha	Given to Persia; Dung of Impurity	Perhaps Haman’s choice to follow him in ruling the land Perhaps this better reflected him
Dalphon	Dropping	Reflecting his rejection by Haman and by God
Aspatha	Horse Given	Perhaps reflecting Haman’s delusions of prowess
Poratha	Having Many Chariots	Perhaps again reflecting Haman’s hopes of personal gain
Adalia	The Honor of Ized	Again seeking honor of himself as well as false gods
Aridatha	Great Birth	Reflects the high opinion Haman held of himself And his offspring
Parmasha	Superior	Haman’s view of himself again
Arisai	Meaning unknown	Unknown—perhaps that fact itself reflects Haman best!
Aridai	Gift of the Plow, Bow	Again reflecting worldly Success and prosperity
Vajezatha	Strong as the Wind	Haman’s delusional view his superiority

Scripture Memory: Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today.

Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the _________________ came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to ________________________ them, the _______________________ occurred, in that the ______________ themselves overpowered those who hated them (Esther 9:1, NKJV).

Esther-Lesson Nine - Day 2