Bible Soap

Scripture

Esther 8:7-9

King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows. 

Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring —for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”

At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.

Observation

What really jumped out at me when read this was how far Xerxes’ empire stretched,  which I really hadn’t appreciated before – from India to Cush (today’s Ethiopia). That’s huge! And when you look at a map (like this one)you notice how far north it went as well. And the text tells us that they used every language represented in that whole space, which must have been loads and loads, to tell the Jews that they were free from persecution. No wonder the feast of Purim dates from these events – the freedom that the actions of a couple of brave Jews brought, namely Esther and Mordecai, led to a massive change in circumstances for their people all over the known world.

Application

In my job as a teacher and position as a parent, thoughts like these are quite pertinent. The bravery of Mordecai and Esther led to the freedom of millions of Jews across the world at their time, and a feast that has been celebrated ever since in all Jewish communities around the world. It has been said that the influence a teacher can have can never be measured – if I impart something good to one of my pupils or my own children (a bit of advice, a story, a worldview, who knows), and they impart it to someone they know, or their children, and their children pass it on to others, who knows where it could go. Equally, the responsibility that teachers, youth workers, parents etc. have should not be underestimated – if we can pass on good stuff, we can also pass on the bad, whether we realise it or not. 

Prayer

Help me Lord not to underestimate either my potential influence or my responsibility to future generations represented by the pupils I teach. And be with all those who teach children, work with children and young people or are parents, so that good values, and actions that bring freedom not oppression, are passed on.