Esther 3: Preamble – A Reprise
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
At Christmas time several years ago, we reflected on Esther 3 as a preamble to the Jesus story. The coming of light. A voice asking for mercy. Justice amidst corruption. The presence of simplicity in a complicated world. Plots and schemes returning to haunt their authors.
As the story unfolds, we see our own modern headlines in the verses. Millennia later, what have we learned?
Bulletins were sent out by couriers to all the king’s provinces with orders to massacre, kill, and eliminate all the Jews—youngsters and old men, women and babies—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar, and to plunder their goods.
We sift into groups that exclude. We gather words and weapons to assault “the other”. Millenia later, where do we invest our resources?
There is an odd set of people scattered through the provinces of your kingdom who don’t fit in. Their customs and ways are different from those of everybody else. Worse, they disregard the king’s laws. They’re an affront; the king shouldn’t put up with them. If it please the king, let orders be given that they be destroyed. I’ll pay for it myself. I’ll deposit 375 tons of silver in the royal bank to finance the operation.
We shrink from corruption. We turn away because we believe we have no power. Millennia later, how many Hamans stalk the innocent?
At the king’s command, the couriers took off; the order was also posted in the palace complex of Susa. The king and Haman sat back and had a drink while the city of Susa reeled from the news.
We gather in solidarity. We welcome and heal. Millennia later, what is our story?
Tomorrow, one small woman.
When we compare varying versions of these verses, we open ourselves to seeing “the other”.
To read three posts on Esther 3, enter the word Preamble into the search bar and explore.
Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_%28Millais%29
The Noontimes 