ESTHER Esther Around the year 483 B C

ESTHER

Esther • Around the year 483 B. C. Xerxes was king 1: 1 -3 • Ahasuerus is Hebraized form of his name • Persian Empire from India to Ethiopia (made up of 127 satrapies) 1: 1 • Princes and nobles invited to banquet 1: 3 • Lasted half a year 1: 4 • To show off his riches 1: 4 • Including his wife Vashti 1: 11 • After everyone was drunk 1: 7 -8, 10

Esther • Vashti refused the king’s summons 1: 12; 1 Tim. 2: 9 • The king became angry (he was a hot-head) • King sought advice from his wise men 1: 13 -15 • They claimed that the whole kingdom was wronged 1: 16 • They advised him to banish Vashti and marry a replacement 1: 19 • Their motive was to keep their own wives in subjection 1: 17, 20

Esther • Esther became the replacement 2: 1 -18 • Young, beautiful, Jewess raised in Persia by cousin Mordecai from the tribe of Benjamin (fifth generation from exile) 2: 5 -7 • Mordecai told her to keep her background secret 2: 10 • Respected by Hegai, in charge of palace women 2: 8 -9, 15 given special treatment • Mordecai stayed near the gate to learn how she was 2: 11 • Esther was chosen by the king, and he gave a feast 2: 18

Esther • Mordecai saved the king’s life 2: 19 -23 • He overheard two doorkeepers plot to kill Xerxes 2: 21 • He told Esther who told the king 2: 22 • It was investigated and confirmed 2: 23 • It was recorded that Mordecai was the informant 2: 23 • Esther’s ethnicity still kept secret 2: 20

Haman • From a zone by Media 3: 1 • Became royal vizier 3: 1 • Mordecai refused to bow to him at the king’s gate 3: 2 -5 • Haman sought to kill all the Jews because of him 3: 6 • Cast lots for the day to kill the Jews 3: 7 • Then he went to Xerxes for authority to kill all the Jews in the empire 3: 8 -9 • Offered to pay the king 10, 000 talents of silver for this law 3: 9

Haman He and the king sat down to drink 3: 15 The city of Shushan was perplexed 3: 15 The Jews, especially Mordecai, lamented 4: 1 -3 Esther hadn’t heard about it 4: 5 She sends a messenger to clothe him and find out why he is mourning 4: 4 -6 • Mordecai explains and asks for Esther to go and ask the king to save them 4: 7 -8 • Esther warns of the risk of approaching Xerxes uninvited 4: 10 -12 • • •

Faith and Providence Mordecai expresses faith 4: 13 -14 He suggests providence 4: 14 We should believe in God’s care 1 Peter 5: 6 Otherwise, prayer is in vain James 1: 5 -8 We may not understand all the details Philemon 15 • Esther shows faith by asking for the prayers of the Jews with fasting 4: 15 -16 • She was determined to do right even if she were to die 4: 16 • • •

Esther’s Wisdom • Esther acts in faith 5: 1 -2 • Esther lays the groundwork in order to give a word “fitly spoken” 5: 3 -8 • Prepared a banquet for Xerxes and Haman 5: 4 • Set up for banquet the following day 5: 8 • She could not use her position to start a Jewish revolution • Remember Moses Acts 7: 23 -26 • Remember Vashti 1: 11 -22

Haman • Haman is a proud man 5: 11 -12 • So he is jubilant that he was the only guest of Esther’s banquet 5: 9, 12 • Just seeing Mordecai refusing to bow at the gate upset him 5: 9 feelings are fleeting • Mordecai refused to show fear 5: 9 • He brags to his family how he feels 5: 10 -12 • He complains to his family how he feels 5: 13 • They suggest he hang Mordecai 5: 14 • Make gallows, get king’s permission, hang Mordecai in the morning, be happy!

“Give a man enough rope…” • Haman went to Xerxes for permission to hang Mordecai 6: 4 -5 • Before he made his request, Xerxes asked him, “What shall be done for the man the king delights to honor? ” 6: 6 • Haman assumes the man had to be him 6: 6 • So he suggests truly royal treatment 6: 7 -9 • Xerxes says for him to do that for Mordecai 6: 10 • Because he realized he hadn’t been rewarded • Now Haman’s family believes in providence 6: 13

“Give a man enough rope…” • • • Now was time for the banquet 6: 14 Esther makes her request 7: 1 -4 For her and her people to be saved The king asks who would dare kill them 7: 5 Esther says, “This wicked Haman!” 7: 6 Xerxes is furious and leaves the room 7: 7 Haman falls down to plead to Esther 7: 7 Xerxes concludes that he wants to assault her 7: 8 One of the eunuchs mentioned the gallows made by Haman for Mordecai, who was a good guy 7: 9

Exaltation of Jews • • Esther asked for salvation of Jews 8: 3 -6 Obstacle of decree in king’s name 8: 8 Put Mordecai in place of Haman 8: 1 -2, 7 -8; 10: 1 -3 His new law gave Jews authority to defend themselves against those who still planned on attacking them with Haman’s law 8: 11 -14 Many respected Jews, became Jews 8: 17 Jews killed their enemies that attacked 9: 1 -17 Including ten sons of Haman 9: 13 Feast of Purim 9: 18 -32