Redemption of a Family Name: The Good Part

Esther 2, 7

Under King Saul, Israel was cowardly. The entire army of Israel would not stand up to one giant. No one made them take the challenge. Every archer or slinger in the army could have aimed at him at the same time. It would have been hard to dodge that many arrows and rocks. Because their leader was scared, so was the army. I know God used this battle to begin to turn the heart of the nation to David, but that simply points out another weakness of Saul. As Christians, we know that God is in the redemption business. Even though there was not much good in the family of Saul, the last we will hear of them is good. Chronologically, it is one of the last things we hear from the Old Testament.

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In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite.  Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.  And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Esther 2:5-7

So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.  The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Esther 2:16–18

As the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.  Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, “Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king’s behalf, is standing at the house of Haman.” Then the king said, “Hang him on it!”  So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath subsided.

Esther 7:8-10

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If you have not read the book of Esther in the Bible, YOU NEED TO! Simply from a literary standpoint it is a great story. Also, there is simply too much for me to unpack in this one devotion. I am going to hit some highlights.

First, notice that Esther is from the family of Kish. Remember when we started this series that I told you Saul was the son of Kish. Just like Haman, Mordecai was in the aristocracy of Persia, just not as high ranked. By God's providence, Esther became the Queen of Persia and was very much liked by the king.

While I did not include the scripture above, we also see that these two (Esther and Mordecai) have genuine faith in God. They fast and pray. Mordecai will not bow to Haman because it is a form of worship. Saul was rebellious against God and one of his last acts in life was the consort with a witch to try and conjure up a conversation with Samuel who had died. The genuine faith of Esther and Mordecai is why God used them to save the Jews from Haman's evil plot.

In Esther 7-9, we also read that Esther and Mordecai finished what Saul failed to complete. Because of the wickedness of Haman's family, Haman and his sons were all killed for their crimes against the Jews. Never again would there be a retaliatory act against the Jews from this family. Also, we see that both God's prophecy and commandment about the Amalekites was fulfilled.

Though it took centuries, the family of Saul obeyed God. The family of Kish had their name redeemed in history. Today, even among secular scholars, the story of Esther is beloved. There have been countless movies made to tell this story. It is a favorite of pastors to preach. Saul is most always spoken of for his failures and lack of faith, and Esther is spoken of because of her faith. What a legacy she has! And God, through the leading of the writer of Esther, made sure to include that Esther was of the family of Kish. This was an act of grace to this family. God is in the redeeming business!

Father, thank You for Your plan to redeem Your creation. You not only save us from our sins, but You extend grace to let us get a foretaste of that redemption in this life as well. We love the story of Esther and thank You for the way it inspires and teaches us. May we be willing to follow her and Mordecai's example in our lives.