Esther 10, Second in Rank

Esther and Mordecai have saved their nation.  The Feast of Purim is now part of the Jewish calendar. All the intrigues of Haman against the people of God have bounced off of them and returned to Haman and his family.  The man, Mordecai, that Haman most hated, has been promoted far above Haman's previous stature.

The book of Esther now ends quickly.

Esther 10: 1-3, Advocate

King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia?

Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

This short chapter summarizes the episode and reports it as written in the annals of the kings of Media and Persia.  Mordecai, who was supposed to be hung on gallows, ends up being the king's second in command and is able to then be an advocate for his people.

Next: now that we have finished the historical books, we will return to the Psalms, looking at Book III, Psalms 73-106.