Esther (Greek) 9:12-17: a reflection

12Then the king said to Esther, “The Jews have slain five hundred men in the city Susa. What do you think they have done in the rest of the country? What more do you ask, that it may be done for you?” 13Esther said to the king, “Let it be granted to the Jews to do the same to them tomorrow. Also, hang the bodies of the ten sons of Haman.” 14He permitted it to be done; and he gave up to the Jews of the city the bodies of the sons of Haman to hang. 15The Jews assembled in Susa on the fourteenth day of Adar and killed three hundred men, but plundered no property. 16The rest of the Jews who were in the kingdom assembled, and helped one another, and obtained rest from their enemies; for they destroyed fifteen thousand of them on the thirteenth day of Adar, but took no spoil. 17They rested on the fourteenth of the same month, and kept it as a day of rest with joy and gladness.

After the Jews are delivered from those who had plotted their destruction, the passage records the aftermath: they gained rest from their enemies, and they kept the day as a day of rest, with joy and gladness. Delivered from mortal danger, they rested and rejoiced. And a detail is worth noting: though they defended themselves, they took no plunder; they did not use the deliverance to enrich themselves. The day of danger gave way to a day of rest, joy, and gladness at God's deliverance.

Notice what followed the deliverance: rest, joy, and gladness. The Jews had faced destruction; and when the danger was past and they had been delivered, they did not simply move on, but marked the deliverance with rest and rejoicing, celebrating what God had done. And they took no plunder, not using the deliverance as an occasion to enrich themselves, but simply resting and rejoicing in the deliverance itself. The rest and joy flowed from gratitude for having been delivered.

That response, of rest and joyful gratitude after deliverance, is worth imitating. When God delivers us from danger or trouble, we can simply move on, taking the deliverance for granted; or we can, like the Jews here, mark it with rest, joy, and gladness, celebrating and giving thanks for what God has done. When you are delivered from a trouble or danger, do not simply move on, forgetting; pause to rest, rejoice, and give thanks for the deliverance, as the Jews kept their day of rest with joy and gladness. And do not turn even your deliverances into occasions for self-seeking; let them be occasions for gratitude and joy in what God has done. Mark God's deliverances with rest and thankful gladness, celebrating them and giving thanks, rather than taking them for granted or turning them to your own advantage; let the joy of deliverance flow into grateful rest and rejoicing in the God who delivered you.

Lord, after the Jews were delivered from those who plotted their destruction, they gained rest from their enemies and kept the day with joy and gladness; and though they defended themselves, they took no plunder, not using the deliverance to enrich themselves, but simply resting and rejoicing in it. Let that response, of rest and joyful gratitude after deliverance, be one I imitate. When you deliver me from danger or trouble, I can simply move on, taking the deliverance for granted; or I can, like the Jews here, mark it with rest, joy, and gladness, celebrating and giving thanks for what you have done. When I am delivered from a trouble or danger, keep me from simply moving on, forgetting; help me pause to rest, rejoice, and give thanks for the deliverance. And keep me from turning even my deliverances into occasions for self-seeking; let them be occasions for gratitude and joy in what you have done. Help me mark your deliverances with rest and thankful gladness, celebrating them and giving thanks, Lord, rather than taking them for granted or turning them to my own advantage. Let the joy of deliverance flow into grateful rest and rejoicing in you, who delivered me.