Esther
Background • The story of God’s preservation of the Jews throughout the Persian Empire through Mordecai and his niece, Esther. • Time Frame: A single year during the reign of Xerxes (486-465 BC), a generation before the events recorded in Ezra-Nehemiah. • The Jews celebrate this event to this day through the feast of Purim.
Four Main Characters 1. The Persian king Xerxes. 2. Haman: A foreigner who has been elevated to the highest place in the empire next to Xerxes. He tries to destroy the Jews because Mordecai won’t bow to him. 3. Mordecai: A Jewish man and lesser court official who uncovers a plot that saves the king’s life, but also refuses to bow to Haman. 4. Esther: A cousin to Mordecai who wins a beauty contest and becomes Xerxes queen and ends up unraveling Haman’s plot and saving the Jews.
Plot - Chapters 1-2 - King Xerxes orders his queen Vashti to come and display her beauty before his guests, but Vashti refuses. - Xerxes removes Vashti from her position and makes arrangements to choose a new queen from a selection of beautiful young women throughout the empire. - Esther enters the contest, wins, and becomes Xerxes new queen.
Plot - Chapters 3-4 - When Mordecai (Esther’s cousin) refuses to bow down and pay homage to Haman, Haman becomes angry and plots to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom. - Mordecai hears of the plot and reports it to Esther.
Plot - Chapters 5-10 - Esther outwits Haman, risks her life, and tells King Xerxes about Haman’s plans and that she is Jewish (which she has kept a secret up to this time). - The king has Haman hung on the gallows that Haman had built to kill Mordecai. - Esther’s faith and courage save her people.
Theme Verse Mordecai to Esther when he asks her to tell the king of Haman’s plot to kill the Jews: For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this? (4:14).
Discussion • Esther never mentions God. • Esther is not quoted or alluded to in the NT. • Yet the author expects his readers to see God at work at every turn in the story. • What the unschooled reader might regard as “just happening” is to be recognized as God’s providence.
Discussion • How might this book that doesn’t mention God, but who is implied in the background, relate to our lives today? • What are ways God may be orchestrating things that appears to be just ordinary events? Any personal examples? • How might fear stop us from living out our faith? Any personal examples?
Four Main Characters 1. The Persian king Xerxes. 2. Haman: A foreigner who has been elevated to the highest place in the empire next to Xerxes. He tries to destroy the Jews because Mordecai won’t bow to him. 3. Mordecai: A Jewish man and lesser court official who uncovers a plot that saves the king’s life, but also refuses to bow to Haman. 4. Esther: A cousin to Mordecai who wins a beauty contest and becomes Xerxes queen and ends up unraveling Haman’s plot and saving the Jews.
Plot - Chapters 1-2 - King Xerxes orders his queen Vashti to come and display her beauty before his guests, but Vashti refuses. - Xerxes removes Vashti from her position and makes arrangements to choose a new queen from a selection of beautiful young women throughout the empire. - Esther enters the contest, wins, and becomes Xerxes new queen.
Plot - Chapters 3-4 - When Mordecai (Esther’s cousin) refuses to bow down and pay homage to Haman, Haman becomes angry and plots to destroy all the Jews in the kingdom. - Mordecai hears of the plot and reports it to Esther.
Plot - Chapters 5-10 - Esther outwits Haman, risks her life, and tells King Xerxes about Haman’s plans and that she is Jewish (which she has kept a secret up to this time). - The king has Haman hung on the gallows that Haman had built to kill Mordecai. - Esther’s faith and courage save her people.
Theme Verse Mordecai to Esther when he asks her to tell the king of Haman’s plot to kill the Jews: For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this? (4:14).
Discussion • Esther never mentions God. • Esther is not quoted or alluded to in the NT. • Yet the author expects his readers to see God at work at every turn in the story. • What the unschooled reader might regard as “just happening” is to be recognized as God’s providence.
Discussion • How might this book that doesn’t mention God, but who is implied in the background, relate to our lives today? • What are ways God may be orchestrating things that appears to be just ordinary events? Any personal examples? • How might fear stop us from living out our faith? Any personal examples?
