Esther

Esther

The story of a Jewish girl-turned Queen.

Esther Intervenes

Esther: a book all of its own

• Utterly distraught at the supposed destiny for her own people, Esther, with the prompting of Mordecai, decided to do the unthinkable.
• She was to go before the king unsummoned-the consequence being death.

Esther is Chosen

• Not only is this text absent of the mention of God, but it also bears a woman's name.
• Esther also has a unique God-ordained emphasis on human responsibility.

• Xerxes quickly decides that the queen must be replaced with a "beautiful young virgin."
• After months of beauty treatments, Esther gets her one night with the king.

Esther Saves the Day!

Author

• Esther's author is unknown yet was clearly a Jew, as he or she emphasized the origin of the Jewish festival of Purim and from the "Jewish nationalism which permeates the story."
• The author also had significant knowledge of Persian customs and, coupled with his failure to mention the land of Judah, he was most likely a resident of a Persian city (Susa).

Esther 2:17

"Now the king was attracted to Esther more than any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti."

Introduction to Esther and Her Rise to the Crown

According to the Word Biblical Commentary, the inspired author of Esther "lays all the stress on the human contribution to the divine-human synergism" [combined or shared energy].

Esther: A Bold Queen

The Basics

• Esther was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, orphaned as a child and taken in by her cousin Mordecai.
• She was originally named Hadassah which means star in Hebrew but later changed it to the Persian name for star, or Esther.
• She was very beautiful and had a good rapport with those she encountered.

• After Esther went before the King, had two banquets for him and Haman, she was bold enough to accuse Haman of planning to murder her people.
• The King's eyes were opened to Haman's evil and he was impaled on a pole and the Jewish people saved.
• Because Persian tradition did not allow him to change any of his decrees, Xerxes simply made a new one which stated that Jews could defend themselves without consequence.
• When the day issued for the annihalation to be carried out arrived, no Jews perished and that day is now celebrated with the festival of Purim.

• The King's right hand man, Haman the Agagite devised a clever way to destroy his nemesis, the Jews.
• Haman convinced the king that, because they "keep themselves and their customs separate and do not obey the king's laws," they should be killed.
• It was decided that the following year, "on the thirteenth day of the first month," they would all be destroyed.

• Esther is located in the Ketuvim (the writings) of the Tanakh or Jewish Bible.
• There are "Five Scrolls" in the writings (Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther) which are known in Hebrew terminology as the Megillot.
• Esther is commonly called the Megillah or "the scroll, par excellence," which is read alloud during Purim.
• With only 10 chapters, Esther is a fascinating book which, uniquely, never mentions God.

Xerxes' Banquet

Vashti Refuses

• The ruler of the Persian Empire, Xerxes, hosts a 180 day party to celebrate "the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty."
• At a drunken, 7 day banquet to conclude his great party, he decides that he wants his queen, Vashti, to parade in front of all of the military leaders and nobles wearing nothing but her crown.

• Much to the King's surprise, Vashti refuses to do as he's asked and is banished from the land and her position opened up.

Shout Out to the Following References

• Beth Moore: Esther-It's Tough Being a Woman
• The NIV study Bible
• Youtube
• Google Images