For if you remain
completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews
from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether
you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? —Esther 4:14 (NKJV)
Among the 66
books of the Bible, Esther stands alone. Apart from the Song of Solomon, there
is no obvious direct mention of God. Aside from the Book of Ruth, it is the only Bible book that has a woman
as the main character and namesake. No reference is made of religious
observance, prayer, the temple, sacrifices, Biblical holidays, priesthoods or
prophets.
Even the Feast of Purim, which is introduced in ‘Esther,’
is a decidedly secular affair. It begins and ends with a feast and there are 10
feasts mentioned (1 for each chapter) as well as a total fast of 3 days
duration.
Despite these
seeming deficiencies, Esther has an appropriate place in the Canon of
Scripture. Esther is a superbly told story of the Jewish people faced sure and total annihilation and then, at the 11th hour, they were
delivered from destruction. When God is in the picture, the good people triumph
over the evil ones. Vindication, enlargement, favour become their portion. More
importantly, had Haman’s wicked plot to destroy the Jews succeeded (and, in the
natural, it should have), there would have been no Jewish people, no Jewish
Messiah, and no redemption of the world (John 4:22 says salvation is of
the Jews).
Some major
themes you will learn in Esther include:
1.
Anti-semitism: You
will learn how this irrational, satanically-motivated phenomena nearly
succeeded in destroying the Jewish people but, for the hand of God, it failed.
Its modern counterpart is no less virulent yet is equally destined to fail;
2.
Sovereignty of God: Though God is not mentioned directly, His sovereign hand is obvious for
anyone to see. The series of ‘coincidences’ are
no coincidence; it is God who is acting on behalf of His people. He promised
Abraham that his descendants would be numerous as the stars in the sky and sand
of the sea (Genesis 15:5). Through Jeremiah, He declared that His people would
remain as long as there is sun, moon, and stars in the sky (Jeremiah 31:35-37).
3.
Christ in Esther: Like every Bible book, Esther has a portrait of Christ. You will learn
how this story parallels the life and times of the Saviour. He is the
courageous advocate who risks and surrenders His own life for the sake of the
world.
4.
Our victory: You will see how
Esther’s victory over Haman
and the forces of anti-semitism benefited all of us, not just the Jewish
people.
5.
Current events: The Book of Esther will give you a ‘heads up’ about today’s
headlines, especially involving Iran, Israel, and the Middle East;
6.
Redemption: Like the Book of Ruth, when all seems to be lost, bring God into the
picture and redemption comes in like a flood.
The story starts
Vashti, Queen of Persia, being deposed by her husband Xerxes I (Greek), also
known as Ahasuerus (Hebrew) and Khshayarsha (Persian). He reigned from 486
until his assassination in 465 BC. The book itself covers the period from
483-473 BC, between the 6th and 7th chapters of the Book of Ezra. The king goes
on the hunt for a new wife and Esther, the beautiful orphaned Jewish girl,
becomes queen in the place of Vashti. Mordecai, the older cousin and guardian
of Esther, falls out of favour with Haman, who wickedly decides to destroy him
and also his people, the Jews.
Haman convinces
the king to sign the decree of extermination, which is irreversible. How will
the Jewish people survive? Upon Mordechai’s behest and after a 3 day fast,
Esther courageously approaches the king and, after a couple of feasts, exposes
Haman’s wicked design. He is hung on his own gallows which he prepared for
Mordechai.
Yet how could
the irreversible decree of Jewish destruction be thwarted? The answer: Write a
counter-decree. The new decree: Jews can defend themselves on the day of their
appointed destruction. When the Day of Adar comes, the Jew’s counteraction was
so powerful that their enemies were defeated and many others became Jews.
Like Esther, you
are a person of destiny. When you follow the LORD, according to His tempo,
timing, terms, and territory, you too can be His instrument of blessing and
deliverance for those He sends your way, for such a time as this.
OUTLINE
Chapter 01:
Vashti Divorced
Chapter 02:
Esther becomes Queen; Mordecai Reveals Assassination Plot
Chapter 03:
Haman’s Decree to Murder the Jews
Chapter 04:
Esther and the Jews Respond to Haman’s Plan
Chapter 05:
Esther’s First Feast, Haman Plans to Murder Mordechai
Chapter 06:
Haman forced to Honour Mordecai Instead
Chapter 07:
Esther’s Second Feast, Haman Indicted & Hung
Chapter 08:
Mordecai Given Haman’s House, Preparing for Victory
Chapter 09:
Victory Day
Chapter 10 Fame
of Mordecai
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