This is a book where not a word is mentioned about God. However, we can see God's presence is in it (Otherwise it wouldn't be in the Bible...).
The time frame is between Ezra 6-7. King Xerxes was going after Greece.
At this time, thousands of Israelites have been allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. However, millions of Israelites were still spread across Media Persia.
Esther 1
Xerxes throws a party, and every man there, including Xerxes himself got drunk. He wanted to show off his wife, Queen Vashti, and asked her to strip dance for him and his man. Of course, she refused. Xerxes got mad, and his wisemen convinced him to divorce the queen.
Lessons:
1. Don't get drunk
Getting drunk does no one any good and often leads to regret of foolish action:
- Herod's drunkenness resulted in the beheading of John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29)
- Noah's drunkenness resulted in the curse of the Canaanites (Genesis 9:18-28)
- Lot's got drunkenness resulted in the rise of the Moabites and the Ammonites (Genesis 19:30-38)
2. Husbands and wives are equal partners in a loving and respectful marriage
We were first told to submit to one another in reverence of Christ (Ephesians 5:21). And THEN, husbands are the heads the household, while wives should submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-32). This doesn't mean men are "better" than women. This is the embodiment of all parts of one body working together harmoniously. That is, the head needs the arms and the legs as much as the arms and the legs need the head. There should be no contention, and all parts of the body is required to work together for progress. Hence, for example, abusive husbands who fail to love their wives the way Christ loves His wife, the Church, have no right to demand submission from their wives, for they have not fulfilled their duties as a trustworthy head.
Esther 2
Esther was beautiful on the outside and on the inside. She was a faithful Israelite, orphaned but raised by her cousin, Mordecai, as his own daughter.
Years down the road, Xerxes misses Vashti, and his wisemen suggested that they throw a beauty pageant of virgins to select the next queen. Esther was chosen out of the hundreds of girls (Esther 2:1-18).
Clearly, Esther lived in a land hostile to her people, a land governed by evilness and the lack of moral/ethical standards. However, as the story progresses, we see how God has strategically placed Esther to save her people.
After Esther was made queen, Mordecai uncovered a conspiracy to assassinate Xerxes. Instead of gaining recognition for the feat, the event was merely documented in the King's archives (Esther 2:19-23). This is an important detail that becomes key to a turn of events that saves God's people.
Esther 3-10
In a brief summary of events, because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, Xerxes' right hand man, Haman became so infuriated, he did not wish to destroy only Mordecai. In fact, once Haman found out Mordecai was a Jew, he was determined to destroy every Jew throughout the kingdom. Haman thus manipulated Xerxes to write a decree to kill all Jews on a certain day a year from then (Esther 3).
When Mordecai heard this decree, he went to Esther and asked her to go to the king and plead for the lives of her people (Esther 4). We learn from this passage that it is extremely dangerous to enter the king's chamber. Anyone who enters it dies unless he raises his golden scepter. However, Esther made up her mind to help her people, despite the dangers. "If I perish, I perish," she said (Esther 4:16).
Esther therefore went to Xerxes and put things into motion (Esther 5:1-7). Xerxes received Esther with favor (rare for a tyrant), but Esther did not reveal her request the first two times Xerxes asked her. Why? We discover later that timing is very important. Pastor Gray believes Esther was not moved by the Holy Spirit to respond until the timing was right, and we learn in later chapters when that right timing was.
Meanwhile, Haman built a gallows, ready to make the execution of Mordecai an example to all (Esther 5:8-14).
That night, Xerxes couldn't sleep. Why not? No one knows. Perhaps it was inspired, perhaps it wasn't. But isn't it curious that all the following coincidences happen? 1) Xerxes couldn't sleep on that one night right before Esther was to make her request; 2) the archived event Xerxes chose to read happened to be the archived event of Mordecai's exposure of the two would-be assassins; 3) Xerxes found out about Mordecai's deed and decided to exalt him that night; 4) Haman happened to be in the court when Xerxes wished to consult someone about how to award Mordecai; 5) and why was Haman in the court? Because he was there to discuss the hanging Mordecai on the gallows with Xerxes; 6) and just when Haman thought Xerxes was going to exalt himself, Xerxes ordered Haman to exalt Mordecai!
The next day, while Haman dined with Xerxes and Esther, Esther finally made her request and revealed Haman's evil plots. Haman was then hanged on the very gallows that he made for Mordecai (Esther 7).
There is no better poetic justice!
Though Haman was executed, the decree he passed to kill all the Jews was irrevocable. To rectify the situation, Xerxes allowed Esther and Mordecai to write another decree to counter the first. Esther and Mordecai thus gave all the Jews the right to defend themselves should anyone attack them on that designated day. And when that day came, the Jews prevailed (Esther 8-10).
Though God was not mentioned once in this Book, we see God's hand through it all.
For me, the take home message from this book is 4-fold:
1. God sees all, and His plan always trumps
Period. Don't even bother doubting that. Satan tried. He's still trying. But c'mon, the Book of Revelation already told us how that's going to end. The Book of Esther can be read like a good game of chess. We wee how God strategically positions His people.
2. Be God's children
Though Esther was in grave danger, she was protected. At least twice Esther went into the king's inner chamber, and all those times, the king regarded her with favor. This did not happen often! But as God's people, the Jews were protected, and as God's child, Esther was protected to accomplish the necessary to save her people.
As God's children, we therefore need not fear moving forward to accomplish God's work. We should pray for guidance, and once we have God's guidance, we can then proceed with no fear. For when we are marked by God's glory, we will not fail.
3. The way to go up is down, the way to go down is up
Satan fell because of pride. Adam and Eve fell because of pride. Haman fell because of pride. Jesus humbled Himself, washed the feet of His disciples, and was ultimately exalted by God. God brings down those who exalt themselves and exalt those who humble themselves and serve others. Our goal on Earth isn't to become better than one another. It is to spread the Good News with love for our brothers and sisters. It is about becoming one body with Christ with no contention among ourselves. It is about living in harmony with Christ in our heart.
4. Esther 8-10 paints a great picture of the Gospel
First, an irrevocable decree puts all Jews to death. Then, a second decree counters the first, providing the Jews a way to life. However, life wasn't just granted to the Jews--they had to act upon it. Similarly, all man born today are under one irrevocable decree: sin and death. However, a second decree has come and counters the first decree: Jesus has died on the cross for our sins. And although salvation is offered to all, WE MUST ACT UPON IT. WE MUST ACTIVELY ACCEPT GOD'S GRACE! Esther and Mordecai are great role models and showed us that Good News needs to be spread swiftly and thoroughly, with no time to waste. As Christians, we must therefore spread the Word with the same attitude, for we ought to save as many brothers and sisters as we can.
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