Esther Study - Question 9 - by Wen-Wei

9. Some people of faith argue that total trust in God means it is never right to defend oneself against the charges or attacks of the wicked. What do you think about this argument and about Mordecai’s decree?

This is an intriguing question. And it will not do to have a glib answer. For this reason some believers are pacifists. So, does Esther teach self-defense?

Esther simply describes God’s ability to protect His people through providential intervention. Other parts of Scripture describe God’s ability to defend His people supernaturally (eg Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego). Yet others describe submission to the point of death (Stephen the first martyr). Scripture also described Paul's appeal to Caesar and to Rome in his own defense.

The key word in the above examples cited is "describe". These are narratives that describe how God's people have responded and how God has responded in the past. They do not explicitly teach what response to make. They do seem to illustrate the various responses are valid depending on the occasion.

Perhaps the key words in the question is “of faith”. Faith that would seek God before choosing its response – defend ourselves as opportunities arise, let God act on our behalf, submit passively. Each response become right when it is in faith, each response becomes wrong when it is of our own thinking.

Further examples include Joseph in jail (Gen 39) – he submitted to circumstances on the one hand but took the opportunity when it came. So did Nehemiah (Neh 1:4-2:8). These are examples of responses to circumstances after the initial response of faithful prayer.