INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER
Why
Read Esther: Apart
from the fact that it is part of the canon of scripture, the book
of Esther records events that occur in the Persian kingdom involving
the Jews who still lived there. As noted in the historical background
below, when many returned to the Promised land after the exile,
many others stayed on in Babylon, which became the Persian empire
after Babylon fell.
The
events are largely around the king, Xerxes, who is clearly powerful,
proud and highly egotistical and hasty in decision making. The
king banishes his queen and a Jewish girl, Esther becomes queen.
Sounding rather like a Shakespeare play, there is a ‘goodie' in
the background – Mordecai, guardian of Esther, and a ‘badie',
Haman, who plots to kill Mordecai and all the other Jews in the
land. This potential genocide is stopped by Esther's intervention
in difficult circumstances as the unfolding plot reveals. The
salvation of the Jews is subsequently celebrated annually by the
feast of Purim. Although God is not mentioned throughout there
are strong indications that His hidden hand was at work in the
background helping bring about the salvation of the Jews.
Historical
Background :
Xerxes
(otherwise known as Ahasuerus) reigned 486-465/64 over the powerful
kingdom of the Medes & Persians. We are told this story starts
in the third year of his reign, i.e. 483BC (103 years after Nebuchadnezzar
had taken the Jews into captivity and 54 years after Zerubbabel
had returned but 25 years before Ezra returned.) We must assume
that Esther's family and the other Jews mentioned in this book,
must have chosen to stay in Babylon, which had now fallen in 539.
CONTENTS:
1:
Queen Vashti Deposed
2:
Esther Made Queen & a Plot is
Revealed
3:
Haman's Plot to Destroy the Jews
4:
Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help
5:
Esther's Requests to the King
6:
Mordecai is Honored
7:
Esther Pleads & Haman Dies
8:
Edicts on Behalf
of the Jews
9:
Jewish Triumph & instigating Purim
10:
The Greatness
of Mordecai