They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not lay their hands on the plunder. – Esther 9:7-10

 Today's Scripture Reading (September 24, 2020): Esther 9 & 10

Life was filled with guns and war
And everyone got trampled on the floor
I wish we'd all been ready
Children died, the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we'd all been ready

The words, written in 1969, belong to Jesus People singer Larry Norman. The song was one of the first to cross over from the emerging Christian Culture into the established church. "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" was widely used in movies that described the coming rapture of the church, scaring many teens into heaven. Ironically, that was not a use that Norman had intended for the song. "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" is a song about priorities and recognizing that sometimes there are more important things than the things we often think are critical. And when you are fighting for survival, money is one thing that becomes very unimportant.

The author of Esther repeats three times that the Jews "did not lay their hands on the plunder" (Esther 9:10, 15,16). The first mention accompanies a note that involves the fight against the sons of Haman. Haman was the instigator of the plan to exterminate the Jews. But Haman, himself, was no longer a problem; the King had executed him. The sons of Haman, however, had decided to carry on the campaign against the Jews, likely blaming them for the death of their father.

And they were not alone. Other residents in Susa and around the empire had taken up the cause of Haman, for whatever the reason, which meant that the lives of the Jews, living in exile in the middle of the Achaemenid Empire, were in danger.

The response of the Jews to the clear and present danger around them was to band together and fight for their lives, taking on anyone who decided to move against them. Sometimes, there is something more important than money, and this was one of those times. As a result, the Jews did not take the riches of their defeated enemies, even though the proclamation of the King allowed them to profit off of their successful battles. The reality was that the fight for their lives was much more important. It was a day that reflected the post-apocalyptic lyrics of Larry Norman. Life was filled with war, and because of their current fight for survival, bread was much more valuable than gold. The plunder of the enemies of the Jews was unimportant because wealth would not help them to survive. In fact, it would probably only increase their danger. And so, the Jews fought to live, leaving the riches of those that they defeated behind them so that others might profit.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezra 7