Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
10And he wrote in the name of the king Xerxes and he sealed [it] in the ring of the king and he sent writings in the hand of the ones running in the horses of the ones riding the steeds of the royals, the sons of mares. 11which the king gave to the Jews who [were] in all of a city and a city to be assembled and to stand upon their life, to exterminate and to kill and to destroy all power of people and province, ones opposing them, little children and women and their plunder to plunder, 12in a day of one in the all of the provinces of the king Xerxes, in the thirteenth of the month of the twelfth, it [being] the month of Adar. 13A copy of the writing [was] to be given [as] a law in all of a province and a province, one revealed to the all of the peoples to being the Jews ready ones to the day of the this to be avenged from ones [being] their enemies. 14Ones running ones riding the steeds of the royals went out, ones being hurried and driven in the matter of the king and the law was given in Shushan the citadel.
This is definitely a passage that calls for some serious pondering. I believe this is another one of those places in the Bible where we’d all better “put it in our pipes and smoke it.” What it is saying will challenge what I would maintain is a very immature, unstudied understanding of what Christianity is even all about.
What do I mean? Look at Mordecai’s edict in a modern translation: “By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives—to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions,…” Practically every commentator I read took offense at this. How unchristian! Believers should not be “taking vengeance!” Jesus would never sanction such an edict! “To destroy, kill and annihilate…!” Aren’t we supposed to “turn the other cheek?” Aren’t we supposed to love our enemies?
A close attention to the edict only makes it even more offensive. It includes the words, “little children and women,” but in Hebrew, it is unclear whether the words refer to the “little children and women” as being those being protected, or if it is authorizing the Jews to kill not only men, but their “little children and women” too! The NIV goes so far as to translate it as “any armed force…that might attack them and their women and children.” They make it appear to definitely refer to the Jewish women and children and those protected. I would suggest they choose this translation precisely because it is so offensive to our modern ears to think it could ever be right to sanction the killing of women and children. However, the fact remains, as I said above, the Hebrew isn’t clear which is referred to. For now, I’ll just say I think it specifically does mean they could kill their enemies’ women and children. I’ll explain below, but for now I’ll leave that hanging in all its offensiveness.
Further, the edict allows the Jews to “plunder their possessions.” So, we should understand the edict as allowing the Jews to not only murder their enemies, but that includes their women and children, and then goes so far as to allow them to plunder those enemies’ possessions. Once again, everyone cries, “How unchristian!” “What a vindictive decree!” “No godly person could ever participate in such evil!”
I will say again, I believe such objections arise from what is a sadly immature, unstudied understanding of faith. Ours is a godless, Bible-ignorant generation where even the supposed spiritual leaders play at faith but never enter into an intimate knowledge of the heart of God. Let me point out first of all, how similar Mordecai’s decree is to Haman’s. He uses nearly identical words throughout. The “to exterminate and to kill and to destroy” are exactly Haman’s words. Also the sanction to include the “little children and women” comes directly from Haman’s decree, along with the license to “plunder their possessions.” What is Mordecai doing? I would suggest he’s fighting fire with fire.
I would suggest, rather than being “unchristian,” he’s being very wise. Jesus Himself observed that oftentimes “the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). Mordecai cherishes no fantasies about the “inherent goodness of man.” He instead is keenly aware the Jewish people live in a world of vicious, hateful, greedy people, who, given the slightest opportunity will happily kill anyone anywhere if only it can make them richer. It was bad enough that Haman gave people the freedom to kill the Jews. However, when he added “and to plunder their possessions,” he not only appealed to their hatefulness, but now he’s tapped into their greed! Kings and leaders all down through history have used this exact ploy to motivate people to evil. During the Spanish Inquisition, one of the incentives for people to “rat each other out” was that, if you were the one to accuse someone and they were found guilty, they got executed and you received their estate! All of a sudden you’d have people looking for any excuse to accuse anyone!
So what does Mordecai do? He throws it right back in their faces. Haman has evil men salivating over the prospect of plundering the Jewish homes, then suddenly those same Jews are given the right to plunder their possessions! “Woah now, that wasn’t supposed to be part of the bargain!” Even the license to kill their women and children – Mordecai is throwing it right back in their faces. “You want to kill Jewish women and children? Now they have the official license to kill yours!” I will say unhesitatingly that what Mordecai is doing is being very wise. He’s not dealing with “nice” people. He’s dealing with murderous, greedy people and he has the good sense to know the only language they understand is power.
Unlike Haman, note that Mordecai is not just nursing some personal grudge. Mordecai has been placed in a position of leadership. He is now responsible to protect the people under his care. Now, suddenly it is true of him that “he does not bear the sword in vain” (Romans 13:4). Unfortunately today we live in a world of leadership so wimpy and weak-willed that it’s almost impossible to see even the most vicious murderers executed. Rather than protecting their citizens, this world’s leaders end up protecting the criminals! Is that good leadership? Is that “Christian?” I think not. I would suggest we could use a few Mordecai’s in our world today and those very men ought to receive the support of “Christian” men and women, not their criticism! Personally, my hat is off to Mordecai. He’s doing his job. He is a strong man who isn’t afraid to show that strength. Would to God that’s the kind of men today’s church turned out.
Can I say the fundamental error here is the failure to distinguish what applies to us as Christian individuals and what applies to those in leadership? Yes, it is true, in my personal relationships, I have no business nursing grudges, taking vengeance, or in any way hurting others. Jesus’ rule of thumb was “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” However, the minute you move into leadership, it's time to “put your big boy pants on.” Read again Romans 13:1-8. Speaking there of government, Paul makes it very clear, it is the responsibility of government to punish evil and reward good. It is the primary responsibility of government (which I believe includes all leadership) to protect those under their care. If my neighbor thinks it’s okay to walk in my garage and steal my lawn mower, it’s not my place to go beat him up. I call the police. It is their job to make my neighbor “be nice.”
I would suggest it is the pits of folly and Bible-ignorance to think governments should be subject to the same rules as us individuals. It is ludicrous to think governments should “be nice,” should “turn the other cheek,” should never actually take up arms. In an evil, murderous, greedy world, they’d better! Someone must protect the law-abiding citizens. Someone had better create a world where evil-intentioned people are actually afraid to be evil! The unrighteous ought to live in fear of what the righteous will do to them if they’re ever caught. And, again, it is the responsibility of government (and from there, all leadership) to provide exactly that protection.
I could go on and on elaborating on this subject. I’d like to discuss how right it is for a soldier to aim his gun at an enemy’s head and pull the trigger. I’d love to discuss how right it is for a father to shoot the brazen criminal who thought he could enter their house and harm his family. This thing heads in a thousand different directions. However, suffice it to say simply that I not only will not criticize Mordecai, I applaud him. Rather than being “unchristian,” he is being the very kind of strong man that God would have him to be.
Would to God we had more Mordecai’s in our world. When and if necessary, God help me to be that kind of man.
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