Though Not A Common Interest Of The Biblical Writers, the post office is nevertheless mentioned in two books of the Bible, one of them the book of Esther, and the other the book of Job. It was evidently a highly effective and speedy system even in ancient times, for Job complains that ‘his days are swifter than a post.’ Like a courier charging to his destination with an urgent despatch, so Job’s life speeds away. There is no turning back.
But it is the book of Esther that is truly noteworthy for its references to the postal system. In no less than four distinct passages, reference is made to letter writing and the Persian Post Office:
“The king’s decree which he shall make shall be published…for the king sent letters into all the kings provinces… according to the writing thereof ..and that it should be published…” (1:22).
“Let it be written…then were the king’s scribes called…and (it was) written…it was written…and the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces… the copy of the writing was published… the posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment.” (3:9,12-15).
“Let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman which he wrote… Write ye also… the writing which is written… then were the king’s scribes called and it was written… and he wrote in the king’s name… and sent letters by posts on horseback , and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries…the copy of the writing was published…so the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment” (8:4,8-10,13,14).
“And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters… as Mordecai had written…he commanded by letters…this letter…according to their writing” (9:20-27).
Communication throughout the empire
The first point about this extensive repetition is that Persia takes its letter-writing very seriously. It does not make laws and edicts to be collected in a dusty corner of the legal section of the palace library; it makes them so that they may be made known and so that they may be put into practise.
The postal system stands for Ahasuerus’ power to communicate. His couriers serve as an extension to his legislative machinery which was considered last month. Legislation is all very well, but if people do not know what the law says then it is as good as worthless (unless to catch them out). So it must be written down. The king employed an army of scribes who would set to work formulating and copying out decrees as soon as the general thrust had been decided upon. Persia’s huge network of couriers — the vast array of horses, mules, camels and young dromedaries — serves as Ahasuerus’ tool to ensure that his will is known throughout all the land and that there can be no excuse for not carrying it out. It is his propaganda machine, the media of the ancient world. In one seamless process what Ahasuerus wants is made plain to society at large.
The universal and all-pervading nature of the king’s will and edict is emphasised through a series of repetitions no less striking than the references to letters, writing, and the postal system just discussed. The very same group of passages also places a staggering emphasis on the extensive reach of the king’s influence (observe the use of words like ‘all / every;’ these are the groups to whom the letters will come and whose behaviour will consequently be controlled):
All the king’s provinces, into every province, to every people after their language, every man, the language of every people (1:22).
Every province, every people after their language, all Jews, every province, all people (3:12-15).
All the king’s provinces, 127 provinces, every province according to the writing thereof every people after their language, according to their writing and according to their language, all the power of the people, all the provinces, every province, all people (8:4,8-10,13,14).
All the Jews, all the provinces, both nigh and far, all such as joined themselves unto them, every generation, every family, every province, every city (9:20-27).
The king’s will over everyone
The postal system symbolises Ahasuerus’ power to communicate his will. It represents the mechanism by which his edicts are put into practise. This does not take place in a random or haphazard way. On the contrary, there is no place where the exercise of his dominion is not felt. Every person, every province, every language, every writing — all are affected and not one is exempt. The sphere of the king’s power is enormous.
Who can resist such an onslaught? Who can stand firm against such a barrage? It is like being tied down in the road as a huge steamroller comes towards you. Who could possibly withstand?
It is these questions to which the very repetitions of the postal system and the universality of its reach must lead. What is the point of the overbearing repetitions of letters, scribes and couriers if not to present the sheer enormity of Ahasuerus’ communication machine? And if he has such legislative and communicative power, then we can be guaranteed that his power of law enforcement is no less considerable.
So the Persian Post Office presents a huge challenge to faith. Can such a system be halted once it has been set in motion? Can this tide of human power be turned back? The answer of the book of Esther is that it can. The faith and actions of even a few small individuals are, in fact, sufficient.
God is the master of reversal
God is not foiled by a law, no matter how effectively it is communicated or how powerful the one who enforces it. No matter how advanced or how irresistible the power of Persian law-making, there is no human legal system that can restrain the working of His power. In this particular case, God uses that very same legislative machinery of the Persian empire to undermine and revert the evil that had been decreed. There are no obstacles to Him.
The challenge is to really believe it. For us it may not be a law which threatens to overpower us, but the challenge may be no less immense. It may be any force which affects us so massively that we feel utterly unable to resist. Like the person stuck in the road as the steamroller gradually bears down upon him, there may be a feeling of complete helplessness and inevitability. At times, we may feel this way under the forces of materialism, communicated no less effectively in the modern world than King Ahasuerus’ vast media machine. It may be pressures of other kinds, pressure to conform, pressure to capitulate, the constraining patterns and tramlines of godless intellectualism.
The message of the book of Esther is that no matter how great the power and how long the odds may seem, God is the Master of reversal. He can even take the structures and machines of this world and use their inherent power for His own ends. Ultimately there is nothing to fear.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One