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CHAPTER 1
A King, a Party, and a Queen
The book of Esther gives us hope that God cares all about our daily lives. Whether it's something personal that we struggle with like being anxious, or problems with other people like being bullied or feeling left out, studying Esther's story will encourage us to remember that God is in control and always on our side. It's a story of hope that reminds us that God is our Protector and He cares about all the things that we care about.
Our investigation into the life of Esther begins in a land called Persia in the year 483 BC. Persia was a place in the Middle East. If you find Iran on a world map, you will see where Persia was located. Persia covered so much land back in the time of Esther that it was known as an empire. To get an idea of how large Persia was, look back at the world map and find Greece. Now look right until you find India. All the land in between was Persia!
Esther's story starts with a king, a party, and a queen. Esther's parents were most likely a part of the people from Jerusalem who were exiled to Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnez zar. Exiled means people are forced to move far away from their homes. As was the case for Esther's parents, they were made to move to a foreign country that had a different culture and different language.
The book of Esther takes place 103 years after the Jewish people were taken captive, and 54 years after a man named Zerubba bel led the first group of exiles back from Persia to their homeland in Jerusalem.
The Persian king, Cyrus, said that the captives could return to Jerusalem; however, many of the Jewish people decided to stay in Persia. Esther's parents were part of the group that did not want to return to their homeland.
Esther's story takes place in a nation called Persia and Media. This was the most powerful nation in the world at the time. A proud king named Xerxes was in charge of this massive kingdom that stretched all the way from Ethiopia to India — 127 provinces in all. While there were palaces all over the land, a very large one was located at a place called Susa. Xerxes wanted to throw a big party for all his officials and leaders so he could show off everything that he had accomplished.
Xerxes was very rich and liked to have fun, so he decided to make the party last for 180 days! This six-month festival would show off how glorious his kingdom was. The Bible tells us that after that huge party was over, the king hosted another party that lasted for seven days. This second party was for all the people who lived in the city. No matter if they were rich or poor, the king invited them in, and they all were served in the gardens. This was a beautiful display of the king's money and power.
The people sat on couches made of gold and silver and drank from golden cups. White and blue linens hung from marble pillars all around the garden. The king made sure everyone received the royal treatment!
The queen at that time was Vashti, and she liked to throw parties too. The Bible says that while all the king's festivities were happening, Vashti was hosting a banquet for the women in the palace. It was customary for women not to appear in public, so the queen had her own gathering for the ladies.
The king sent his men to bring his queen to the party so he could show everyone how beautiful she was. But the queen refused to go! No one knows why she refused, but this was where all the weeks of fun came to an abrupt end. Vashti did not do as the king ordered, so "the king became furious and burned with anger" (1:12). And even though Esther hasn't been mentioned in the story yet, this scene sets up the reason she was called out of her everyday life and into God's kingdom work!
Xerxes summoned all the people who were closest to him, his advisers, and asked what he should do. They all said he should punish Vashti because if she wouldn't obey the king, then all the other noblewomen in the kingdom might act in the same way. That sounds silly, but way back then, things were different. The biggest responsibility the advisers had was to make sure no one disrespected the king! King Xerxes needed to act quickly, and that's exactly what he did.
The first royal decree was sent out: Vashti was not allowed in the king's presence. She was no longer the queen. Her behavior didn't please the king, so a new queen would need to be found. And just like that, Vashti was out. The king made another order. A second decree went out: "Every man should be ruler over his own household" (1:22). At that time, a royal decree could not be undone. Vashti could never be queen again.
God was using this very unfortunate situation to make a way for Esther to enter into the king's palace.
CHAPTER 2
A New Queen
Four long years passed between Vashti's removal as queen and Esther's arrival. The king and his army had battled against Greece. Back in Bible times, there were a lot of battles fought to gain or keep control of land. The Persian Empire covered so much land that Xerxes, as king, had to fight many battles to keep his rule strong. He was not successful, and so the king was back in the palace, defeated and all alone. King Xerxes thought about Vashti, but because of the royal order he had given, she could not come back.
The king's servants came to Xerxes and told him to order a search for a new queen. Xerxes liked this idea, so word was sent throughout the kingdom. This is where Esther came into the picture. She had an older cousin named Mordecai. Mordecai was a man who lived in the Persian city of Susa. He most likely worked for the king because of his position at the city gate. Seeing that Esther had been orphaned, Mordecai adopted and raised Esther "as his own daughter when her mother and father died" (2:7). At some time during the search for a new queen, Esther was brought to the palace.
Esther was part of a group of young women taken from their everyday lives and brought to the king's castle. One day she was doing her normal routine — drawing water from a well, playing games, and buying vegetables at the local market — and the next she was being whisked away by the king's soldiers. Esther must have been anxious and unsure about her future, but she trusted God. This was also hard for Esther, because she was taken from her only relative. Away from Mordecai, the only family she had left, Esther was escorted to the castle and forced to grow up in a hurry. She was surely confused about her new position, but Esther never stopped believing that God was in charge of her life.
At the palace, Esther immediately found favor with a man named Hegai, who was in charge of finding the next queen. Esther even received "beauty treatments and special food" (2:9). While all this was happening, Esther did not tell anyone that she was Jewish. Mordecai had instructed her not to say anything about her background. He had a feeling that things wouldn't go well if the king and his assembly knew Esther was Jewish. Esther respected her cousin's wishes and kept her identity a secret.
While all this beauty work was going on, Mordecai stuck close to the palace courtyard where Esther was so he would know how she was doing. He wanted to make sure no harm came her way. Mordecai showed that he was a loyal man by caring for Esther.
For one whole year, Esther and the other women went through a process of beauty treatments to look nice: "six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics" (2:12). The Bible says that Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her, even the king.
On the surface, Esther's story is very similar to our spiritual life stories because she was taken from a faraway place into the presence of a king, just as Jesus saves us from our sins and brings us into His Father's house!
CHAPTER 3
A Conspiracy and a Very Bad Plan
After many days of training and preparing, the time had come for Esther to go to the king. Standing in the royal palace, she soon learned that the king liked her more than any of the other young ladies he had seen. Xerxes took the royal crown and placed it on Esther's head. This act made her the queen of the whole land of Persia!
Awhile later, Mordecai was again at the king's gate keeping watch and overheard two of the king's officials, Bigthana and Teresh, talking about an evil plan. The men were scheming to take Xerxes' life. Mordecai knew what had to be done. He told Queen Esther, "who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai" (2:22). Because of Mordecai's quick thinking, the king was safe.
Things were going well for Xerxes. He had a new queen, and his empire was still the largest in the land. Sometime later the king promoted a man named Haman to a seat of special honor that put him in a very high position over all the other nobles. The king called for all the royal officials to kneel before Haman at the city gate. Remember, Mordecai held a position in the king's court, but he refused to obey the rule and would not bow to Haman. This was because Mordecai obeyed God. He had the courage not to give in to the king's order.
The royal officials saw that Mordecai refused to bow to Haman and questioned him about it. "Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply" (3:4). The men took the report back to Haman, who became furious when he saw that Mordecai would not honor him. Haman was in a position of authority. When he heard that Mordecai was a Jew, he wanted to find a way to destroy not only Mordecai but all the Jewish people "throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes" (3:6).
Haman found himself in the company of the king and told him all about Mordecai's disrespect and the others who did not do as they were told. "Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them" (3:8). This was exactly what Mordecai was trying to warn Esther about. Esther was about to face a very big problem that would require great courage on her part. Haman wanted to do away with the Jewish people, and Mordecai knew that the king would more than likely sign a decree to help Haman accomplish his evil plan.
Xerxes agreed with Haman and even told him he could attack the Jewish people. The king took off his signet ring and gave it to Haman. Orders would be written up so that Jewish people in every province across the kingdom would be under attack. The king's ring would be used to seal the orders so the people would know the orders were officially from the king. Xerxes gave his chief official full authority to do great harm to Esther's people. All because Mordecai refused to kneel before Haman.
Remember ... Queen Esther was Jewish too!
The plan that Haman tried to carry out was very evil. Haman wanted to take the lives of all the Jews who lived all throughout the king's realm. His plan was publicized everywhere. This terrible moment was one that God wouldn't stand for. Even though the situation looked bleak, God was at work behind the scenes.
CHAPTER 4
Mordecai Asks Esther to Help
When Mordecai heard of Haman's plan, he was very sad. "He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly" (4:1). The situation seemed hopeless, and Mordecai couldn't contain his emotions. He must have felt responsible for the threat that was now against the Jews. Things just kept getting worse, and Mordecai couldn't see how the situation would ever change.
People couldn't help but wonder about the grown man who was tearing his clothes in the middle of the street and wailing. They stopped and stared at the man covered in ashes and sackcloth. Some of them knew that Mordecai and Esther were related, and they sent word about Mordecai's actions back to Esther. She had clothes sent to him, but he refused to put them on. Wearing sackcloth was a sign of seeking forgiveness and humbling oneself before God. And Mordecai knew the only way out of this situation would be through the power of God.
Esther sent one of her helpers to find Mordecai to see what was bothering him. Hathak went out and listened as Mordecai retold all the terrible things that Haman planned to do to the Jewish people. Mordecai asked Hathak to have Esther go to the king and "beg for mercy and plead with him for her people" (4:8).
Esther was concerned because Mordecai's request would put her in a very dangerous position. Anyone who approached the king uninvited, including the queen, would be severely punished. She told Hathak to go back to Mordecai and tell him that anyone who went to the king without being summoned would be put to death, unless the king extended the gold scepter to them and spared their life.
Mordecai had a sobering reply for the queen: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape" (4:13). Mordecai wasn't about to give up trying to get Esther to see how serious the situation was. He went on to tell her that if she didn't do anything to help, the Jewish people would receive deliverance from another place. This means that God would protect His people. If Esther didn't act to help the situation, God would still keep His word because He is a promise keeper.
Esther knew that the time had come to make a choice. She didn't waste a moment. The queen instructed Mordecai to gather all the Jews who lived in the region and have them fast — not eat or drink anything — for three days. Esther added that she too would do the same thing. She promised Mordecai that after her fasting period was done, she would go to the king, "even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish" (4:16). Esther was willing to risk her own life for the sake of all her people. She was willing to put others above herself. Esther is a great example of submitting to God even in very difficult times.
CHAPTER 5
Esther's Plan
Esther had the courage to be a woman of her word. Remember, she was queen! In terms of money and comfort, Esther was all set. She didn't need anything. But in her heart, she knew that Mordecai was right. God had brought her to this position of influence for a very important reason. Her people were depending on her. After fasting for three whole days, Esther mustered up the faith it took to stand before the king, knowing that God was on her side.
Esther was ready to go to Xerxes and confront him about Haman's terrible idea. But first she needed to gain the king's trust before she would reveal the evil plot. She went to the king's hall and waited to speak to Xerxes. He asked what she needed and said, "Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you" (5:3). Esther's plan included inviting the king and Haman to a banquet that she personally prepared. She wanted them to let their guards down and be happy. The king quickly accepted her invitation. "Bring Haman at once ... so that we may do what Esther asks" (5:5).
At the banquet, the king and Haman were present, enjoying the meal that Esther had prepared for them. Xerxes, again, asked Esther what she wanted: "Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted" (5:6). Esther thought about it, but she knew the time wasn't right to discuss the situation with the king. She wasn't going to back down, but she was going to wait on God's timing. Another invitation had to come first. Esther replied to the king with another offer. She invited the king to bring Haman to a second banquet the following day. She would prepare another extraordinary dining experience. After she invited them, Esther said, "Then I will answer the king's question" (5:8).
Twice Esther waited to give her specific request that the king protect her people. The whole time they enjoyed the wide variety of food and drink, Esther was preparing to take her request to the king. Don't forget she had fasted to make sure things were right between her and God. Waiting on God's perfect timing was something Esther was trying hard to do.
Meanwhile, Haman was out walking and was "happy and in high spirits" (5:9). He thought it was wonderful to be treated with such respect. He felt proud to be honored with all of these fancy meals. What a feast he enjoyed at the favor of Queen Esther! If she put together such an awesome meal for him, all the officials he would come in contact with should surely bow to him and treat him with the same respect. That's when he came across Mordecai at the king's gate.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Kingdom Files: Who Was Esther?"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Matt Koceich.
Excerpted by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc..
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