以斯帖記 第八章 Esther 8
- 馬克牧師
- May 19
- 8 min read
各位平安，我們今天繼續來讀《以斯帖記》第八章的故事。
昨天我們看到那位惡人——哈曼，終於領便當了！那這樣危機就解除了嗎？嗯，先別太早鬆一口氣，因為接下來皇帝說的一些話，讓我們發現事情還沒完。我們來看看第八章的細節。
哈曼一死，皇帝便很率性地把哈曼的家產賞賜給了以斯帖。而這時，以斯帖也正式向王說明——末底改其實是她的親人，是她的堂哥（或說是養父）。於是，王又派末底改來接管哈曼的家產和職位。看起來，一切正朝著美好的方向發展對吧？但我們都知道這個皇帝很粗心，覺得允准了皇后的要求，又高升了她的養父，皇后應該一切都滿意了。
但我們還不能忘記一件大事——那道要殺害猶太人的聖旨，還在！而根據波斯的律法，皇帝一旦頒布了命令，就不能收回。所謂君無戲言，更何況是已經明令頒布蓋上玉璽的生殺大令，早就已經傳遍全國去了，皇帝不能夠隨意收回旨意，不然對君權是很大的傷害。這個麻煩該怎麼辦呢？
細心的以斯帖當然沒有忽略這個關鍵問題。於是，她再一次俯伏在皇帝腳前，流淚懇求，為她的百姓求情。她說，哈曼那個惡人，雖然已經死了，但他留下來的詔令卻仍在運作，還會害死我的族人，我的同胞啊！
這一段真的讓人佩服以斯帖的說話藝術。她在第五節用她獨有的魅力，加上女人最強大的武器，用了四個「若」來陳情：
「王若願意、我若在王眼前蒙恩、王若以為美、王若喜悅我……」
女人的眼淚真的是最強大的武器。以斯帖一邊俯伏在地、梨花帶雨，一邊用撒嬌又懇切的語氣對王說：「皇上啊～如果你真的喜歡我、如果你真的愛我，那就請你為臣妾做主吧！」
看過甄嬛傳的可以自己腦補一下這個場景，這場景簡直是聖經中的宮廷劇巔峰場面，既有張力，又充滿策略，也讓我們再次看到——上帝如何使用一位勇敢的女子，在關鍵時刻為百姓爭取轉機。
接下來我們看到皇帝的態度——你會發現，他雖然不收回之前的命令，但他也是個滿「大器」的人。怎麼說呢？他對以斯帖和末底改說：「反正我把哈曼的家產都給你們了，人也掛在木架上了，事情也算差不多了。剩下的……你們看著辦吧！」
他還給了一句聖旨：「你們可以奉我的名，用我的印，寫詔令，來解決這件事。」但也強調一句：「記住啊！凡是以我名義發出的詔令，是不能撤回、不能更改的！」
這句話聽起來是不是很隨性？他完全沒有要認真處理這場政治危機的意思，反而有一種——「這種麻煩事情，朕不想動腦子，我躺平，你們去搞定就好」的任性皇帝態度。果然皇帝就是任性啊。
而且你有注意到嗎？他說的是「你們」，意思是把以斯帖和末底改視為一家人，等於說：「我知道你們是親戚，那你們自己內部開個會，看看該怎麼辦就去辦吧。」
一整個故事下來，我們都覺得這個皇帝一點都不像我們認識的像是唐太宗李世民，清聖祖康熙那種雄才大略的皇帝，反而比較像是晉朝晉惠帝那種問天下百姓沒飯吃怎麼不吃肉粥的昏庸皇帝。在這種老闆手下當臣子也真是辛苦。
接下來，我們看到末底改和以斯帖，得到了皇帝正式授權的聖旨，這可不是「假傳聖旨」喔，是貨真價實、蓋了皇帝印章的詔令。這麼瀟灑連旨意都不自己發，全部放權的皇帝也真是不多了。只能說幸好有末底改這種忠心的外族人，在後來的故事中把波斯帝國的強大維持著，同時間也讓猶太人能夠在波斯國中安居樂業，成為被看重的民族。
於是，他們馬上起草了一封新的諭旨，內容是——猶太人可以聚集起來保護自己的性命，可以擊殺、剷除那些要攻擊他們的仇敵，以及仇敵的妻子、兒女，並奪取他們的財產作為掠物。
說到這裡，有些人可能會覺得：「咦？怎麼以斯帖跟末底改好像有點記仇啊？怎麼突然變成以牙還牙的樣子？」
但我們若仔細看經文的核心精神，其實不是報仇，而是自保。這份諭旨的重點是：
「只有那些主動想要攻擊猶太人、想要殺害他們、搶奪他們財產的人，猶太人才可以起來反擊。」
這並不是一場盲目的復仇，而是對邪惡意圖的正當防衛。神透過這個命令，反轉了原本要滅族的局面，讓猶太人有機會站起來、保護自己的生命與家園。而當這封聖旨一傳出，全國的猶太人都歡喜快樂、歡呼慶賀；而原本那些想要攻擊猶太人的人，反倒開始害怕起來，甚至還想要加入猶太人的行列！
想像一下：一個原本是「過街老鼠」、等著被屠殺的民族，一夜之間翻盤，成了全國最受尊重、沒人敢惹的族群。這轉變，簡直像是神用祂的大手，在歷史中親自動了一下筆，將絕望翻成了榮耀！神的拯救從來不是遲到的，而是在最適合的時機、透過願意順服的人，完成祂奇妙的計劃。
這也讓我感受故事和十字架的故事有些異曲同工之處。首先我們看到，雖然大惡人哈曼死了，但危機還沒解除，猶太人還是得要繼續為自己的安全奮鬥。要抵擋那些想要殺害自己的敵人。
基督徒也類似，雖然勝利已經在十字架上由耶穌贏得了，魔鬼已經輸了，但不代表我們可以就此躺平，反而要更積極地去守衛，警醒，用聖靈的寶劍，就是聖經的話語 – 繼續爭戰，並且贏得更多的人進入到神的國度之中。我們打的不是現實裡的仗，而是屬靈世界的仗。
第八章結尾，我們看到了類似創世紀的約瑟和但以理書的但以理一樣，都是在經過生死大難之後被升至高位，成為了國家的二把手，讓原本受苦受難的猶太人成為的帝國裡的重要族群。這一種奇妙的歷史發展方式，似乎也一直在猶太人的歷史中重複著。
第八章的故事結束，但一個完整的宮廷劇好像還是得要補一些動作片場面才算完整，所以我們明天繼續分享第九章的故事，來看看猶太人是如何抵擋這些要殺害他們的人，以及他們重要的節日，普珥節是如何來的。感謝各位的聆聽，願上帝祝福各位。
Peace to you all! Today, we continue reading from chapter 8 of the Book of Esther.
Yesterday, we saw the villain Haman finally "get what he deserved"! So, does that mean the crisis is over? Hmm… don’t relax just yet—because what the king says next reveals the story is far from finished.
Let’s look at the details of chapter 8.
As soon as Haman was executed, the king rather impulsively gave all of Haman’s estate to Esther. Then Esther formally revealed to the king that Mordecai was actually her relative—her cousin, or perhaps better understood as her adoptive father.
So, the king appointed Mordecai to take over Haman’s estate and position. Everything seems to be moving in a good direction, right? And we all know this king is a bit careless—he probably thought, “Well, I granted the queen’s request, promoted her relative... she should be satisfied now!”
But we must not forget the real problem—the royal edict to annihilate the Jews was still in effect!
According to Persian law, once a king issues a decree and seals it with his signet ring, it cannot be revoked. “The word of the king is final,” and to go back on it would damage the image of royal authority. That decree had already been spread throughout the empire. So now what?
Thankfully, Esther—wise and attentive—did not overlook this crucial issue. Once again, she fell at the king’s feet in tears, pleading for her people. She said, “That wicked Haman may be dead, but his decree is still out there, threatening the lives of my people!”
This moment really showcases Esther’s brilliance. In verse 5, she appeals with grace and feminine persuasion, using four conditional phrases:
“If it pleases the king…If I have found favor in your eyes…If the matter seems right to the king…If he delights in me…”
They say a woman’s tears are her most powerful weapon—and here Esther uses them masterfully, with heartfelt speech and strategic charm:
“Your Majesty… if you truly care for me, if you truly love me… then please, do this for me!”
(Those who’ve seen Chinese palace dramas like Empresses in the Palace can imagine this dramatic scene!)
It’s a perfect blend of royal tension and divine timing—like a sacred version of a political drama. And once again, we see how God uses a courageous woman to bring hope and deliverance at just the right moment.
Then comes the king’s reaction. You’ll notice—he doesn’t revoke the previous edict, but he’s surprisingly... generous. He says something along the lines of:
“Look, I already gave you Haman’s estate. He’s hanging on the gallows. That’s settled. As for the rest… you two figure it out.”
He gives them official permission:
“You may write another decree in my name, using my seal.”
But he also reminds them:
“Remember—anything issued in my name and sealed with my ring cannot be revoked.”
Sounds pretty nonchalant, doesn’t it? The king clearly doesn’t want to personally deal with this political mess. He’s basically saying:
“This is annoying. I’m tired. You fix it.”
You might also notice he says “you two”—acknowledging that Esther and Mordecai are family. It’s like he’s telling them,
“You’re relatives. Just hold a family meeting and sort it out yourselves.”
Let’s be honest—this king doesn’t exactly remind us of heroic emperors like Tang Taizong of China or the great Kangxi Emperor. No, he’s more like Jin Hui Di, the king who famously asked, “If the people don’t have rice to eat, why don’t they eat meat porridge?”
It must have been exhausting to serve under a boss like this.
Now let’s turn to Mordecai and Esther. They receive official royal authorization—this is no forgery, but a fully legal edict with the king’s seal. You don’t often see a monarch this casual about handing off power, but thankfully, Mordecai—though an outsider—was faithful and wise, and played a key role in strengthening the Persian empire while securing peace for the Jewish people.
So, they quickly draft a new royal decree:
The Jews may assemble to defend themselves, to destroy those who rise up to attack them—including their enemies’ wives and children—and to take their possessions as plunder.
Now at this point, some might ask:
“Wait… isn’t that a bit harsh? Is Esther out for revenge?”
But if we carefully examine the core message—it’s not about revenge, it’s about self-defense.
The Jews were only permitted to retaliate against those who actively sought to harm them.
This is not blind vengeance. This is righteous resistance against evil intent. Through this decree, God flipped the entire situation: what was meant to destroy them became their opportunity to stand up and protect their homes and families.
And once the decree went out?The Jewish people rejoiced—and those who had previously planned to attack them suddenly became afraid! Some even wanted to join the Jews!
Imagine that: A people who had been treated like rats in the street, one step away from genocide… overnight became one of the most respected, protected groups in the empire.
It’s as if God personally dipped His pen into the pages of history—and with one stroke, turned despair into glory.
God’s deliverance is never late. He acts at the perfect moment, through those who are willing to obey, to carry out His beautiful plan.
This part of the story also reminds me of the story of the Cross.
Haman may be dead, but the danger remains—the Jews still had to fight for their safety. Likewise, Jesus has already won the victory on the cross, and Satan is defeated—but that doesn’t mean we can relax.
No—we are called to stay alert, defend our faith, and keep fighting the spiritual battle with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.We’re not battling flesh and blood, but the forces of darkness in the spiritual realm.
The end of chapter 8 also echoes the stories of Joseph in Genesis and Daniel in Babylon—both outsiders who, after enduring life-threatening trials, were lifted to high positions and became protectors of their people. This pattern of God lifting the humble to bring redemption appears again and again in Jewish history.
Chapter 8 ends here, but like every good palace drama, you know there’s one more battle scene needed to finish the story!
So tomorrow, we’ll move into chapter 9 and see how the Jews defended themselves—and how the festival of Purim came to be.
Thanks for listening, and may God bless you all.
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