![]() The Book of Esther gives no real hint as to who wrote the book. It follows Nehemiah The governor of Jerusalem who rebuilt the city walls after the exile More and precedes Job. WHERE DO I FIND IT?Įsther is the 17th book of the Bible. (4) All of this is taught through irony and humor, which provides the book’s final lesson: laughter gives life. (3) Even when God remains hidden, unnamed, and seemingly absent, as in the Book of Esther, one can detect the presence of God in favorable coincidences and in the bravery of leaders who step up when needed. Along with other biblical passages, it teaches, “The fear of the… More, wit, and courage, people can live productively in a foreign land, even when subject to the whims of a foreign power. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, which sometimes invokes a Woman as the personification of Wisdom, is a collection of aphorisms and moral teachings. (2) Through wisdom Wisdom encompasses the qualities of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The Book of Esther teaches indirectly, rather than directly, four lessons: (1) Maintaining community and religious identity in foreign territory is a tricky but terribly important task. They celebrate their victory by initiating the festival of Purim. The king’s edict to kill the Jews is reversed, and the Jews instead get revenge on their would-be persecutors. She invites King Ahasuerus and Haman to two banquets where she persuades the king both to save her people and also to hang Haman on the very gallows he had constructed for Mordecai. Esther heroically risks the king’s wrath by appearing unbidden before him. Mordecai calls on Queen Esther to save her people. Because Mordecai fails to bow before him, Haman plots not only Mordecai’s death but also the extermination of all the Jews in the Persian empire. Mordecai’s bitter enemy at court is the wicked Haman, the king’s right-hand man. The new chosen queen is Esther Queen in Persia who prevented an anti-Jewish pogrom More, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, the Jew. More, banishes his queen Vashti for failing to appear before him when bidden. Rulers of the Persian empire mentioned in the Bible are Cyrus and Darius. ![]() The Persian empire was a series of empires that occupied what is currently Afghanistan and Iran from 600 B.C.E. Key Lesson: There is a Purpose in God’s Plan.Ahasuerus Persian king and husband of Queen Esther More, the all-powerful king of Persia Persia was a southwestern Asian country. Haman is found out and hanged on his own gallows 7:6-10.The feast with Ahasuerus, Esther, and Haman 7:1-5.Haman honors Mordecai (grudingly) 6:10-14.Haman gives the king an excellent plan for “the man the king delights to honor” (thinking it’s himself) 6:6-9.Ahasuerus wants to honor Mordecai 6:3-5.Ahasuerus can’t sleep and reads how Mordecai saved his life 6:1-2.Esther plans a feast with Haman and the king 5:8.Haman hatches an evil plot to annihilate all Jews 3:4-15.Ahasuerus searches for a new queen 2:1-4. ![]() The book gives us the beginning of Purim, a feast celebrated in the last month of the Jewish religious year, corresponding with our March.Īhasuerus is generally linked to Xerxes I (486-464 B.C.) The events of the book then correspond to 483 to 473 B.C.ĭivisions: The book of Esther may be divided as follows: ![]() Yet, it is an ancient account of how God saved the Jews from destruction. The story has all of the drama and suspense of a modern novel. It is the story of a wicked man whose schemes backfired. It is the story of a good man who was hated without cause. It is the story of a Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia. Though it never mentions God by name, the book deals exclusively with God’s working through the lives of people. May you discover His character as you investigate the pages of His letter to you.Įsther is an interesting book. This short overview and outline of Esther will hopefully enhance your study of God’s Word.
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