Day 69 – Battle

Esther 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. No one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon them. 3 The officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.

 6 In Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha— 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews—they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

 11 On that day the number of those killed in Shushan the citadel was brought to the king.

 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It will be done.”

 13 Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”

 14 Thus, the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.

 15 The Jews in Shushan gathered again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 16 The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces gathered and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth day of the month, they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

 18 However, the Jews at Shushan assembled on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of the month, they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

 19 Therefore, the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar with gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another.

 20 Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to the Jews, near and far, who were in the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.

 23 Thus, the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, 24 because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them; 25 but when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

 26 They called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of the words of this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and those who would join them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail  to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.

 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.

 30 Mordecai sent letters to the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants’ concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting.

 32 Thus, the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.

God’s names:

Yeshuwa – Jesus

God’s character:

Defender

When you start something, you need to finish it. Sometimes your plans only go so far, even with thinking things through from the beginning, you don’t know how it will end.

Esther only planned for the Jews to defend themselves on the day Haman decided to destroy the Jews. When she succeeded in her plans, King Ahasuerus asked her again what she wanted to do. Without hesitation she asked for another day to complete the destruction of those people who would destroy the Jews. With the decree in place, the Jewish people rose up the second day to destroy everyone who wanted to destroy them. When the two day’s war ended, the Jewish people celebrated with gladness and joy.

Satan doesn’t only attack you once and walk away, he comes at you day after day. You need to defend yourself every day. Yeshuwa, who goes before you into the battle, will ask you what you want to do. When He gives you the choice, don’t hesitate but tell Him you want to see Satan’s utter destruction. You don’t want to see him destroy another member of your family, your friends, neighbors, or loved ones. You want to see him flee from you because the battle belongs to Yeshuwa.

Don’t start the celebration until you see Satan’s destruction. Then celebrate with joy and gladness because Yeshuwa fought for you and defended you against Satan’s schemes and fled in defeat.

What battle are you facing right now? Is it a health concern, the salvation of loved ones? Whatever the battle, give it to Yeshuwa and watch Him destroy your enemy, then give Him praise and glory for the destruction of Satan’s plans for your life.

Let’s pray: Father, when Satan comes against me, let me remember to turn to You and not face him in my strength, but Yours. Remind me that You go ahead of me into every battle because the battle belongs to You. Let me celebrate when You win the battle and give You praise. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 28 March 2025 by Valerie Routhieaux