Introduction

In 1798, Dr. George Logan of Philadelphia, a private citizen and a friend of President Jefferson, traveled to Paris for talks with French officials aimed at defusing the conflict of France preying on American shipping. These hostile actions were done because of a new alliance between the United States and Britain. The resulting “Quasi-War” put France on a collision course with President John Adams and the Federalist Party. Thus the Logan Act! It forbids Americans citizens from unauthorized negotiations with foreign governments, especially those that seek to “defeat the measures of the United States” aimed at those same countries. In short, it supposed to protect the ability of the U.S. government to conduct foreign policy without interference from private citizens.

Both parties have tried to sanction this. John Kerry would be guilty of this and most recently General Flint was accused of violating it if the act had any real teeth. Politicians have flaunted the Logan Act, but they never took anyone to trial, much less indicted anyone. It became a political weapon both by Republicans and Democrats who periodically rummage through their political arsenals, rediscover the Logan Act, and brandish it on each other like some kind of magical charm. It was born a political weapon and has remained one ever since. The law never had much to do with crime and punishment nor had it real substance. King Xerxes in the book of Esther made a similar law, one that had no real substance and was null and void. It begins in chapter eight when…

I The King Dispenses Honor and Grace. 8:1, 2

1. The evil Haman has been removed and we unveiled last time that our God working behind the scene orchestrated the victory. Chapter 8 notes “on that day”; what day is that? It is the 18th day of the first month Nisan. Mordecai now receives the recognition that he deserves. Things now turn around for Esther and the rest of the Jews. “Haman, if you recall had hoped to confiscate the Jews’ property (3:13), and to annihilate the Jewish people. It was decree to happen on the 13th day of Adar the last Jewish month. However because of Haman wicked plan the King gives the property to his wife Esther. Esther in turn appointed Mordecai to oversee Haman’s estate. In verse two the king bestow honor upon Mordecai by granted him the ring he took from Haman.

2. Dr. John Walvoord writes in the Bible Knowledge Commentary, “that the property of condemned criminals became the property of the king, but for some reason, Xerxes chose to change that custom and give the property to his wife. What happened here sounds a lot like the promise of God in (Proverbs 13:22) … the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Justice is served in part but the decreed upon the Jews remains and it is eleven months away.

3. With Haman now dead, the Prime Minister position was vacant. Xerxes could think of no one more qualified to fill that position than Mordecai. Everything that Haman had been counting on to give significance to his life was now gone. So not only did Haman lose his wealth to Esther; he lost his power to Mordecai. The removal of Haman is not the end of the problem for the Jews. There’s still an unfinished task. The first edict of the King issued through Haman still stands. The order has to be rescinded, the edict that Haman had written and the King signed cannot be revoked and so a new law must be devise. That brings us to verse three.

II. Esther Approaches the King a Second time. 8: 3-6

1. The king had taken care of the immediate threat to Esther and Mordecai, but he had not as yet done anything about the overall destruction of the Jews. Esther and Mordecai kept waiting for him to do something about the long-term problem, but Xerxes was slow to act. He wanted his wife protected, but he still had little interest in whether the Jews lived or died. It was not high on his priorities list. If he was going to deal with the issue, he was going to do so according to his timetable.

2. If you look back at Chapter 3:12 &13 you find that Haman wrote on the 13th day of the first month his decree sentencing the Jews to death. This termination was to happen in the last month, the month Adar on the 13th day. Now if you look at 8:9, it is clear that the events being recorded are occurring in the 3rd month. So two months have gone by, Xerxes has done nothing. Apparently he did not care about her people and the plight that awaited them but Esther did. The following verses happened on a different day than the one spoken of in vs. 1-2 which seems to be immediately after Haman’s execution.

3. In verse 3, it appears that King Xerxes is back on his throne. Esther grew weary of waiting for the king to take the initiative and acted in behalf of her people. Once again she approached the king in his throne room to petition him on behalf of her people. Esther endangers her life again and approached him; he had to extend his golden scepter to her to signal that he accepted her into his presence just as he had done in 5:2. This would not have been warranted if the time period was the same. From the kings’ perspective, he had 11 months to figure out and implement a solution. However the Jews would suffer 11 months of emotional torment anticipating their destruction.
Application:
It is best to deal with our problems as soon as possible. Never Put off Until Tomorrow What You Can Do Today – President Jefferson. Procrastination comprises intentionally putting off tasks that have to be done. It is also a hard habit to break, and it affects a person’s pattern of work and emotions. Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
— Proverbs 27:1
4. Mordecai was now Prime Minister in the position that Haman had once occupied. He carried the same authority and had the same access to the king. However, Mordecai may have felt this was self-serving and had not earned the king’s full trust. Esther, on the other hand, had proved herself a person of wisdom and courage. With proper deference to the king and an expressed hope that she enjoyed the king’s favor, Esther petitioned him to issue an “overruling” order.
5. She reminded him that Haman’s orders had been sent with the explicit purpose of destroying the Jews in all the king’s provinces. Esther expressed her grief in face of the impending disaster about to fall on her people (Heb., “the evil that will find my people”) and her kinsmen, thus revealing her true character–that she was not merely self-serving, as might have been inferred from her previous statements. Esther was careful to place the blame on Haman for the wicked plot and not on the king. She is requesting that this decree be reversed, and she makes the plea personal. She is not requesting it as a matter of justice; she is doing so because of the deep hurt that it will cause her. ‘how can I endure to see the evil that will come on my people, or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?’

III. King Xerxes Responds to Esther 8:7-13

1. A decree must be written to rescind Haman’s and it will be sealed with the King’s signet ring, which Mordecai has, and the order cannot be revoked. This is a cause for celebration; it is this event that the Feast of Purim is based on, a time of celebration, peace and prosperity for the Jews. Xerxes gave the Queen permission to write the decree and sealed with his ring.

Application:
There is something here for us to observe. Satan, our enemy, wants us dead physically and spiritually. Just as King Xerxes could not simply rescind the first decree of death, God, the Father and Lord of all creation cannot simply rescind the decree of death pronounced in the Garden of Eden against humanity. — Romans 5:12 Instead, God issues a counter-decree of life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God extends that mercy and grace to us through Jesus Christ. While Mordecai might use a sword, shield and spear, God used the Cross.

2. It is now almost 2 months after Haman’s original edict the secretaries arrive on what would be on our calendar June 25th to make a new order. The old one would still be on the books but the loophole is that the Jews are given permission in verse 13 to protect and defend themselves. So in essence the old law was useless. The Jews act differently than their enemies, they are called to protect themselves. They were not to be the aggressors. Mordecai’s order brings joy and celebration. Mordecai seasons his decree with mercy and grace,

3. You have to remember that it was God’s chosen people who were at stake in this – not just those in Persia but in the whole empire including those living in Canaan. They had to be protected to save their people the Messiah Jesus Christ would come through them eventually.
Mordecai wasn’t seeking revenge he was going after the enemies of God’s people.

Application:
“Do you think it isn’t worthwhile to stand against wrong laws? We have them in our nation. God is not happy with them. Do you think God stands in favor of life in the womb and against abortion? We should boldly stand and fight to affirm truth even though it appears existing laws will never change.

Conclusion:
John 8:32 …and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.