Esther 9:20–10:3 (May 22, 2025)

The Feast of Purim Inaugurated

20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

The Greatness of Mordecai

10 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor 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? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

Wearing masks at Purim is a tradition that symbolizes revelation through disguise and the hidden nature of the Purim story.

Summary

The story of Esther concludes not with a miraculous event or dramatic twist, but with the institution of remembrance. The Jews had experienced reversal, rest, and deliverance (Esther 9:1–19), and now Mordecai ensures that these saving acts will never be forgotten.

Mordecai writes to all the Jews in the provinces, instructing them to observe the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar as an annual feast (vv.20–22). This festival, now called Purim, commemorates how sorrow was turned into gladness, and mourning into a holiday (v.22). The name “Purim” (from “pur,” meaning “lot”) ironically recalls the lot Haman had cast to determine the Jews’ destruction (cf. 3:7), which God overturned.

This section also includes Queen Esther’s official confirmation of the feast (vv.29–32), grounding it with royal and covenantal authority.

Chapter 10 closes the book with a short epilogue: King Ahasuerus imposes tribute (10:1), but the true focus is on Mordecai. He is exalted to a place of great power, described as “great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people” (10:3). The book that began with royal pride and insecurity ends with a righteous servant-leader bringing shalom.

This closing reinforces a key biblical theme: deliverance leads to remembrance, and remembrance sustains worship.

Who Is God?

God is the Covenant Keeper, who turns mourning into remembrance and sustains His people through sacred memory.

Though not named explicitly, God’s character is visible in the establishment of Purim. He is the God who commands His people to remember, not just for tradition’s sake, but to preserve their identity and proclaim His faithfulness.

Purim joins the biblical pattern of redemptive remembrance:

Passover remembers the exodus from Egypt.

The Sabbath remembers creation and rest.

The Lord’s Supper remembers the cross and resurrection.

In this light, Purim is more than a holiday—it is a covenantal response to divine intervention, testifying that God is the one who brings reversal, justice, and peace.

What Is Our Guilt?

Our guilt lies in our tendency to forget God’s past faithfulness and reduce remembrance to routine.

When we fail to remember rightly, we lose perspective. We stop celebrating grace. We begin to trust in the present or fear the future more than we rest in the God who has already delivered us.

Like Israel in the wilderness, we are quick to forget redemption once comfort fades.

Like those who take holidays for granted, we can reduce holy memory to hollow ritual.

We also fail when we elevate the deliverers—like Mordecai—above the true Deliverer. Mordecai was faithful, but he was not flawless. Only God deserves our trust and worship.

When we forget the source of grace, we lose the joy of it. And when we fail to remember, we eventually cease to worship.

How Does the Gospel and Grace Shine?

Grace shines in that God doesn’t just rescue His people—He teaches them to remember.

The gospel is not only about the day of salvation—it is about a life of grateful memory. God commands us to remember the cross, to proclaim His death until He comes (1 Cor. 11:26). Why? Because memory roots identity, and identity shapes worship.

As we finish the reading and meditation of Esther, let us remember that there was a decree of death. There was an unexpected reversal. There was rest from enemies. And now, there is a feast of joy. But the gospel points us to an even greater deliverance. Jesus Christ bore the decree of death written against us (Col. 2:14), and through His resurrection, He inaugurated an eternal reversal.

We remember not merely with feasting, but with the Table of the Lord. And we are called not only to recall the past, but to live in light of it, sharing peace and seeking the good of others, just like Mordecai, but even more like Christ.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

Faithful and gracious Father,

Thank you for being the God who not only delivers but teaches us to remember. Thank you for turning sorrow into joy and judgment into celebration.

We confess that we are quick to forget your goodness. We live as if we rescued ourselves. We reduce worship to routine and memory to mere tradition. Forgive us.

Thank you for Jesus, our greater Mordecai, who sought our welfare and spoke eternal peace through His blood. Thank you for the gospel feast that nourishes us with grace.

Teach us to remember rightly. Teach us to celebrate reverently. Let our lives be living testimonies of your great reversal.

In Jesus’ name we pray.