Esther

Drama, power, romance, intrigue – this is the stuff of which bestselling novels are made. But far from a modern piece of fiction, those words describe true story, lived and written centuries ago. More than entertaining reading, it is a story of the profound interplay of God’s sovereignty and human will. God prepare the place and the opportunity and his people, Mordercai and Esther, chose to act.

The book of Esther begins with Queen Vashti refusing to obey and order from her husband, King Xerxes. She was subsequently banished and the search began for a new queen. The king sent out a decree to gather together all the beautiful young women in the empire and bring them to the royal harem. Esther, a young Jewish woman, was one who was chosen. King Xerxes was so pleased with Esther that he made her his queen.

Meanwhile, Mordecai, Esther’s older cousin. Became a government official and during his tenure foiled and assassination plan. But the ambitious and self-serving Haman was appointed second-in-command in the empire. When Mordecai refused to bow to him, Haman became furious and determined to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews with him.

To accomplish his vengeful deed, Haman deceived the king and persuaded him to issue an edict condemning the Jews to death. Mordecai told Queen Esther about this edict and she decided to risk her life to save her people. Esther asked King Xerxes and Haman to be her guests at her banquet. During the feast, the king asked Esther what she really wanted and he promised to give her anything. Esther simply invited both men to another banquet the next day.

That night, unable to sleep, the king was flipping through some records in the royal archives when he read of an assassination plot that Mordecai thwarted. Surprised to learn that Mordecai had never been rewarded for his deed, the king asked Haman what should be properly done to thank a hero. Haman thought the king must be talking about him, so he described a lavish reward. The king agreed, but to Haman’s shock and utter humiliation, he learned that Mordecai was the person to be honoured.

During the second banquet, the king again asked Esther what she desired. She replied that someone had plotted to destroy her and her people and she named Haman as the culprit. Immediately the king sentenced Haman to die on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai.

In the final act of this true life drama, Mordecai was appointed to Haman’s position and the Jews were guaranteed protection throughout the land. To celebrate this occasion, the Feast of Purim was established.

Because of Queen Esther’s courageous act, a whole nation was saved. Seeing her God-given opportunity, she seized it! Her life made a difference. Read Esther and watch for God at work in your life. Perhaps he has prepared you to act in “such a time as this” (4:14).

VITAL STATISTICS:

Purpose: To demonstrate God’s sovereignty and his loving care for his people.

Author: Unknown. Possibly Mordecai (9:29). Some have suggested Ezra or Nehemiah for the similar writing style.

Original Audience: The people of Israel.

Setting: Although Esther follows Nehemiah in the Bible, its events are about 30 years prior to those recorded in Nehemiah. The story is set in the Persian empire, and most of the action takes place in the king’s palace in Susa, the Persian capital.

Key Verses: “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14)

Key People: Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes 1, Haman

Special Feature: Esther is one of the only two books named for women (Ruth is the other one). The book is unusual in that in the original version no name, title or pronoun for God appears (see note on 4:14). This caused some church fathers to question the book’s inclusion in Scripture. But God’s presence is clear throughout the book.

MEGA THEMES:

Themes	Explanation	Importance
God’s Sovereignty	The book of Esther tells of the circumstances that were essential to the survival of God’s people in Persia. These ‘circumstances’ were not the result of chance but of God’s grand design. God is sovereign over every area of life.	When God is in charge, we can take courage. He can guide us through the circumstances we face in our lives. We should expect God to display his power in carrying out his will. As we unite our life’s purpose to God’s purpose, we benefit from his sovereign care.
Racial Hatred	The Jews in Persia had been a minority since their deportation from Judah 100 years earlier. Haman was the descendant of King Agag, an enemy of the Jews. Lust for power and pride drove Haman to hate Mordecai, Esther’s cousin. Haman convinced the king to kill all the Jews.	Racial hatred is always sinful. We must never condone it in any form. Every person on earth has intrinsic worth because God created people in his own image. Therefore, God’s people must stand against racism whenever and wherever it occurs.
Deliverance	On February 28, the Jews celebrate the Feast of the Purim which symbolizes God’s deliverance. Purim means “lots,” such as those used by Haman to set the date for the extermination of all the Jews from Persia. But God overruled, using Queen Esther to intercede on behalf of the Jews.	Because God is in control of history, he is never frustrated by any turn of events or human action. He is able to save us from the evil of this world and to deliver us from sin and death. Because we trust God, we are not fear what people may do to us; instead, we are to be confident in God’s control.
Action	Faced with death, Esther and Mordecai set aside their face and took action. Esther risked her life by asking King Xerxes to save the Jews.	When outnumbered and powerless, it is natural for us to feel helpless. Esther and Mordecai resisted this temptation and acted with courage. It is not enough to know that God is in control. We must act with self sacrifice and courage to follow God’s guidance.
Wisdom	The Jews were minority in a world hostile to them. It took great wisdom for Mordecai to survive. Serving as a faithful official of the king, Mordecai took steps to understand and work within the Persian law. Yet he did not compromise his intergrity.	It takes great wisdom to survive in a non-believing world. In a setting which is for the most part hostile to Christianity, we can demonstrate wisdom by giving respect to what is good and true and by humbly standing against what is wrong.