Esther 9:1–19: Thus, the Jews Smote All Their Enemies

[Teacher’s Choice Study Aired November 23, 2020]

Est 9:1  Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) 
Est 9:2  The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people. 
Est 9:3  And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 
Est 9:4  For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater. 
Est 9:5  Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them. 
Est 9:6  And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. 
Est 9:7  And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, 
Est 9:8  And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, 
Est 9:9  And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, 
Est 9:10  The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand. 
Est 9:11  On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king. 
Est 9:12  And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. 
Est 9:13  Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. 
Est 9:14  And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons. 
Est 9:15  For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand. 
Est 9:16  But the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey, 
Est 9:17  On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 
Est 9:18  But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 
Est 9:19  Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another. 

In Esther chapter 8, we observed that Esther pleaded with the King to come out with a decree to nullify the letters which had already gone out to every province that the Jews must be destroyed, killed and cause to perish on the thirteenth day of the month of the twelfth month called Adar. This decree to destroy the Jews signifies the law of sin and death and the King’s new decree to nullify the first decree represents the law of the spirit of life which sets us free from the law of sin and death. Chapter 9, therefore, focuses on the effect of this new decree (the law of the spirit of life) by the King in the lives of the Jews.

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Est 9:1  Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) 

According to the law of sin and death, we were destined to be destroyed as a result of our rebellion, which is symbolized by the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. As the scriptures say, the wages of sin are death.  For as long as the enemies within dominated us, we continued to rebel against God. However, God, who is rich in mercy, came up with a new decree which is the law of the spirit of life which has liberated us from the shackles of the law of sin and death with the birth of the new man in us that has rule over them that hated us inwardly.

Outwardly, there is a day of rebellion at the end of the period when the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. When the whole of the human race compasses the camp of the saints, fire will come down from God of the heavens and devour them. That is when the last enemy, death, will be destroyed.

Neh 9:17  And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 

1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Est 9:2  The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people. 

As indicated in previous reviews of this Book of Esther, the gathering of the Jews (the elect) is very important. It is through fellowshipping that we strengthen one another to face the day of the Lord in our lives. In the verse above, the gathering of the Jews was to help them to overcome those who sought their hurt (the enemy within). It is also to help them overcome any onslaught from any man. No man withstanding them means that fellowshipping creates the necessary condition for the Jews (the elect) to tread on serpents and scorpions and have dominion over all the powers of the enemy. The question is, “How does fellowshipping help us in overcoming those who sought our hurt and being able to tread on serpents and scorpions?” As we fellowship, we get to know the mind of Christ and therefore become of one mind with our husband, Christ. That is what the scripture is talking about when it says that a man leaves his family to get joined to his wife, and the two become one flesh. As we become one mind, nothing can withstand us as shown in the building of the tower of Babel. In Genesis 11:6, the people were of one mind (the people is one) when they were trying to build the tower of Babel (Positive application).  Until God intervened, nothing could stop them.

Mar 10:6  But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
Mar 10:7  For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 
Mar 10:8  And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 
Mar 10:9  What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

Gen 11:6  And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 

Est 9:3  And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
Est 9:4  For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater. 

Verse 3 shows us that the resources of the kingdom of God have been made available to us (the Jews). However, the resources are only in earnest form while we live here on earth, until the redemption of the purchased possession. These resources are available to us through our knowledge of Him through His words. In His words He has given us exceeding great and precious promises that we may overcome the corruption which is in the world through lust.

These resources available to us are exemplified in the story of 2Kings 6:8-11. In this story, the King of Syria sent his men on horses and chariots to surround the town of Dothan in the night in a bid to capture Elisha. When the servant of Elisha woke up in the morning and saw horses and chariots surrounding the city, he was afraid and went to inform Elisha. However, Elisha rather prayed that God should open the servant eyes to see in the spirit. When the Lord opened the servant’s eyes to see, he saw a mountain full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha. This portion of scripture shows God’s provision to protect us from our enemies within and without. These passages of scriptures mean that the kingdom of God which is now within, which is represented by the mountain, is possessed through war (symbolized by horses) in our heavens, and our weapon (our resources) for this war is the fiery words of the Lord signified by chariots of fire.

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 

2Pe 1:3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

2Ki 6:8  Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. 
2Ki 6:9  And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. 
2Ki 6:10  And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. 
2Ki 6:11  Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? 
2Ki 6:12  And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. 
2Ki 6:13  And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. 
2Ki 6:14  Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. 
2Ki 6:15  And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 
2Ki 6:16  And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 
2Ki 6:17  And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 

In verse 3 and 4, the reason the rulers and others were helping the Jews was because of the fear of Mordecai which has fallen on them. Here Mordecai represents the Lord Jesus who is great in the house of the Lord and is waxing greater and greater. The waxing greater and greater of Mordecai represents the brightness of the Lord Jesus coming into our lives and consuming the enemy within with the spirit of his mouth (His words).

Heb 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 
Heb 1:9  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 
Heb 1:10  And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 
Heb 1:11  They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 
Heb 1:12  And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Est 9:5  Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them. 
Est 9:6  And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. 
Est 9:7  And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, 
Est 9:8  And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, 
Est 9:9  And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, 
Est 9:10  The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand. 

Verse 5 begins with the word “Thus”. This word means as a result of or the consequence of what has been said earlier. What has been said earlier is as follows:

1. That the Jews gathered together – Talking about our fellowshipping.
2. The rulers, the lieutenants and the deputies of the kingdom helped the Jews – This is speaking of the resources available to the elect.
3. Mordecai waxing greater and greater and the fear of him causing the Jews to be favored – Here Mordecai represents the brightness of the  Lord Jesus coming into our lives (waxing greater and greater) which will cause the enemy within to be consumed with the spirit of his mouth (His words). 

As a result of these, we are able to smite the enemies within with the stroke of the sword (His words). Remember that the name Shushan means Lily. In the bible, the elect is referred to as a lily (Hosea 14:5). As indicated in Chapter 1 of Esther, Shushan is where the King’s throne is. Thus, the throne of God is in the elect’s heavens (hearts and minds). As indicated in verse 6, it is within (Shushan) that the Jews smote five hundred men of the enemies. Five hundred is equal to 5x10x10. This means that it is by grace through faith that the flesh is put to death. This grace is that which chastens us and brings about the death of the enemies within.

Verses 7 to 9 are the names of the ten sons of Haman. Remember that the number 10 represents the flesh. So, our war is against the flesh. What we need to understand is that the death of Haman did not end the fight against the flesh within. There were the ten sons of Haman to contend with then. It is a war that continues on a daily basis. That is why Paul said that we die daily (1Co 15:31). When the Israelites entered Canaan, they conquered the land one nation at a time. God told the Israelites through Moses that He will drive out the nations before them little by little, and the reason for this is that He does not want Israel to be overwhelmed by the beasts of the field.

Jesus explained to us that the word field means the world. The beasts of the field are therefore the same as the flesh or the old man as they drive us towards worldliness. This worldliness consists of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. This sums up the sins of the flesh.

Tit 2:11  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Tit 2:12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Deu 7:22  And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 
1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 
1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Verse 10 mentions that even though the Jews slew their enemies, they did not take possession of the spoil. The spoil represents worldly possessions. We are in this world but not of this world, and therefore our focus is not on worldly prosperity as our brothers in Babylon consider worldly prosperity as a sign of God’s approval. They will quote Deuteronomy 8:18 –  “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day” as scriptural proof of their belief.

As spiritual Jews, we need to pay heed to Paul’s admonition to Timothy as follows:

1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 
1Ti 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain. 
1Ti 6:7  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 
1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 
1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 
1Ti 6:10  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

Est 9:11  On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king. 
Est 9:12  And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. 
Est 9:13  Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. 
Est 9:14  And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons. 

What these verses teach us is that the slaying of the enemies within is the work of God and not anything we have done. It is the Lord who commands, and it is done. As those seeking the death of the enemies within, we need to continually seek the Lord to command the destruction of the enemies within just as Esther did. Such prayers will surely be answered. However, we need to be patient since the death of the enemies within takes time. Patience is one of the qualities God requires of us as the process of becoming his sons takes time.

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 
Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Est 9:15  For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand. 
Est 9:16  But the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey, 

The gathering of the Jews on the fourteenth day is a sign that they are progressing spiritually as fourteenth means spiritual progression. This spiritual progression is the result of the slaughtering of the enemies within. In this case 300 (300 = 3x10x10) men were slaughtered. This means that the process of spiritual completion entails putting the flesh (the enemies within) to death.

Again, in verse 16, more enemies were slaughtered by the other Jews. This was possible because the Jews stood for their lives. What does it mean to stand for your life? To stand for your life is to come to a place where you put your life on the line as Esther did when she appeared uninvited in the King’s presence not knowing whether the King would extend the sceptre or she would be put to death. This is the same as losing our lives, which will result in the eventual gain of our lives. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said that the kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. The violent are those who stand for their lives (lose their lives) in a bid to defeat the enemies within.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 
Mat 16:25  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

Est 4:15  Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 
Est 4:16  Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 

Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 

In both verses 15 and 16, it is mentioned that the Jews did not lay hands on the prey. The fact that it is mentioned three times in this chapter means that we have to pay attention to it. I will therefore elaborate more on it. The prey is the same as the spoil, and it represents wealth (Mammon). This prey or spoil encapsulates all that is in the world which men and women go after – what we will eat or drink, what we will wear and the provision of shelter. That is what the cares of this world are all about. These have derailed the course of many aspiring men and women of God.

For example, there was this gentleman that Paul, in the early part of his ministry, trusted so much, and his name was Demas. Later on in his ministry, Paul said that Demas has forsaken him because he loved the present world. It is important to also note that the excuses that those invited to the marriage dinner gave were legitimate, but resulted in their exclusion from the marriage dinner. The scripture says that they made light of the king’s invitation and went their way, one to his farm and another to his merchandise. Yes, it is true that we have to work to provide food and shelter for our families, but the enemy can use these legitimate concerns to derail our course. It takes those who have progress spiritually to let go of the spoil. May the Lord help us so that we don’t touch the spoil just as the Jews did when they smote their enemies.

Col 4:14  Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

Phm 1:24  Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

2Ti 4:10  For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

Mat 22:2  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
Mat 22:3  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Mat 22:4  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 
Mat 22:5  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 

Est 9:17  On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 
Est 9:18  But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 
Est 9:19  Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another. 

Verses 17 to 19 focus on what happened after the defeat of the enemies of the Jews. The defeat of the enemies resulted in the Jews having rest; feasting, having a day of gladness and sending portions one to another. Let’s take them one at a time and elaborate on them.

The Jews had Rest

From the verses above, the Jews had rested after defeating the enemies within. As God’s spiritual Jews, our rest only comes from the death of the beast within. As long as the beast within sits in the throne of our hearts, we will always fall short of this rest. Death to the beast/flesh is what grants us the rest from our labors. Now, the question is what does it mean to have rest? The answer is in Hebrews 4:10-12, which says that having rest is ceasing from our own works. Now those who did not believe in His words (Heb 4:11) did not enter into his rest. This means that entering into His rest, or ceasing from our own works, is believing in His words. That is why in Hebrews 4:12, the writer was telling us about the potency of the word of God so that we believe and obtain that rest. When we come to that place where we depend on His words and know that what He has said He is able to accomplish, then we’ve started our rest in Him!! That is when we do not depend on what we do but what He does through His words.

Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven telling me to write, “Blessed are the dead–those who die in the Lord from this moment on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds will follow them.” (Berean Study Bible)

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. 
Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

A day of gladness for the Jews

The day of the defeat of the enemies was the day of gladness for the Jews. In Psalm 126, the Jews were glad because God had done great things for them by delivering them from their captivity. The captivity here is our bondage to the flesh or the old man (represented by the enemies of the Jews). For whosoever sins is a slave to sin. So it is only when the Lord delivers us from our enemies within that we experience gladness or joy, and that is when we come to appreciate the great things that God has done for us.

Psa 126:1  A Song of degrees. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Psa 126:2  Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 
Psa 126:3  The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 
Psa 126:4  Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. 
Psa 126:5  They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 
Psa 126:6  He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Joh 8:34  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 

The Feasting of the Jews

Feasting is about eating and drinking, and it represents how God is enlightening the understanding of the word of God for His elect to know Him. Remember that eternal life is all about getting to know God and Jesus (John 17:3). So feasting is equivalent to being given eternal life. As our heavens are being cleansed through the death of our enemies (the old man), a door is being opened in heaven which is deepening our understanding of the word of God exponentially.

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 

The Jews sent portions to each other

The portions being talked about here refer to properly weighed out food. As we are aware, food represents the word of God based on Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4, which say that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of the Lord. So the Jews sending portions to each other is about His elect sharing the word of God with each other, resulting in the building up of the body through love. That is what Paul was alluding to when he said that the body of the elect is fitted and compacted together by what every joint supplies.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Luk 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Next time, we will conclude the Book of Esther by looking at the remaining verses of Chapter 9 and also Chapter 10.