11/7/2023 0 Comments Esther bible study pdf![]() When events seemed out of control to Esther and Mordecai, when the king dictated ruin for their people, when evil was poised to triumph. God’s sovereignty is best summarized in Mordecai’s exhortation to Esther: “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Nothing is truly coincidental, the book of Esther says to us. The sovereignty and faithfulness of God permeate each scene. While the primary purpose of the book of Esther was to relate the dramatic origins of the feast of Purim, a greater theme shines through the story. ![]() The feast of Purim, still celebrated by Jews today, commemorates the Jews’ deliverance from Haman’s plot (9:24–32). He cast the lot, called “pur,” in order to determine the day that the Jews would be exterminated (Esther 3:7–9). Haman, the king’s evil second-in-command, was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites, who were ancient enemies of God’s people (Numbers 24:7 1 Samuel 15:8). Early listeners to the story would have recognized significant events and followed the rising tension with understanding. Using eight feasts to systematically build and resolve suspense, the author constructed the story chiastically-using a Hebrew literary device in which events mirror each other inversely. Much like the book of Ruth, this book stands as one of the most skillfully written biblical books. His presence permeates much of the story, as though He were behind the scenes coordinating “coincidences” and circumstances to make His will happen. ![]() But that is not to say that God was absent. Why is Esther so important?Įsther is the only book in the Bible not to mention the name of God. The book was written no earlier than 470 BC and probably no later than 424 BC, during the reign of Xerxes’ son Artaxerxes. They seemedĬontent to stay in Susa, the capital city of Persia, in which the story is set. But Esther and Mordecai, along with many other Jews, had chosen not to make the trek back to Judah. During this time period, the first remnant of Jews who had returned to Judah were struggling to reestablish temple worship according to the Law of Moses. The events in the book of Esther occurred from 483 BC to 473 BC, during the first half of the reign of King Xerxes, who chose Esther as his queen. This unlikely contestant for a beauty pageant was crowned queen of Persia and renamed Esther, meaning “star.” Where are we? The book is named for the “star” of the story, a young Jewish girl named Hadassah who was taken from her guardian, Mordecai, and forced to compete for the affection of the king. Some have suggested Mordecai himself was the author, though the accolades for him found in the text suggest that another person, perhaps one of his younger contemporaries, was the author. Because his perspective was pro-Jewish, scholars believe he was a Jew writing for the remnant that had returned ![]() The detailed descriptions of court life and traditions, as well as the events that occurred in the book, point to an eyewitness author. The unknown author of the book of Esther was most likely a Jew very familiar with the royal Persian court.
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