- [Narrator] The Book of Esther
is unique for two reasons. It is one of only two books in
the Bible named after women, along with Ruth and it is one of only
two books in the Bible that never mentions God's name directly, together with the Song of Solomon. As a result, many people have
been perplexed by Esther. It's a beautiful and romantic story, but why is it included in the Bible? Why are we required to read it? What would we be able to glean from it? Esther, like Ezekiel and Daniel, was written during the Jewish exile, making it one of the few Bible books situated wholly outside the Promised Land, although Esther was written much later than the other two books. These books describe how Jews
behaved in Gentile society and hence, can serve as an excellent guide for how to act in non-Christian settings. Historical background. A coalition of Medes and
Persians defeated Babylon. The first monarch of the new
empire was Darius the Mede who was followed by Xerxes I, a Persian, otherwise known as Ahasuerus. Daniel rose to the
position of prime minister under the Babylonian name Belteshazzar. Hadassah rose to the position of queen and was given the name Esther, a pagan name short for
Ishtar, a Babylonian goddess. As a result, both Daniel and Esther
were elevated to positions where they could assist
their respective communities. The Jews were not compelled to return to the Promised Land by God. Without a doubt, this book
would not have been written if they had all returned. Thousands opted to return while tens of thousands chose not to. The Book of Esther is
the Old Testament book with the most documentary records. There are a slew of other sources that back up what we read in Esther. Archeologists excavating Persepolis, the Persian Empire's capitol, discovered a stone tablet containing the name Marduka in 1930. Mordecai is the name of the
prime minister in the book. A romantic story. It's a very romantic tale. Esther was a lovely and youthful queen who reigned over a vast empire. Only one man knew her secret and it was a secret that
could cost her her life. Romance novels are full
of stories like this. The following is a synopsis of the plot. Xerxes was the ruler of a kingdom that stretched from India
to Egypt in the East, but there was trouble on the horizon, so he convened a 180 day conference to consider how he would
cope with the Greek threat. They celebrated a seven day
feast in the royal grounds at the conclusion of the session. When they had had too much wine, the king summoned his wife
Vashti to dance for them, as she was young and attractive, and he needed entertainment
for his generals. Esther 1:1. "This is what happened
during the time of Xerxes, "the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces "stretching from India to Kush." However, Queen Vashti declined to come and thus the narrative begins. The king found himself in
an unpleasant situation as a result of his refusal. You can guess what the
wives of the generals were going to do if he
didn't deal with his wife. They were going to be in danger if he couldn't control his household, so something had to be done. Esther 1:10-20. "On the seventh day, "when King Xerxes was in
high spirits from wine, "he commanded the seven
eunuchs who served him: "Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, "Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas, "to bring before him Queen
Vashti, wearing her royal crown, "in order to display her beauty
to the people and nobles, "for she was lovely to look at. "But when the attendants
delivered the king's command, "Queen Vashti refused to come. "Then the king became furious
and burned with anger. "Since it was customary for
the king to consult experts "in matters of law and justice, "he spoke with the wise men
who understood the times "and were closest to the king:
Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, "Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, "the seven nobles of Persia and Media "who had special access to the king "and were highest in the kingdom. "According to law, "what must be done to
Queen Vashti? he asked. "She has not obeyed the
command of King Xerxes "that the eunuchs have taken to her. "Then Memukan replied "in the presence of the
king and the nobles, "Queen Vashti has done wrong,
not only against the king "but also against all the nobles "and the people of the
provinces of King Xerxes. "For the queen's conduct will
become known to all the women, "and so they will despise
their husbands and say, "King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti "to be brought before
him, but she did not come. "This very day the Persian and
Median women of the nobility "who have heard about the queen's conduct "will respond to all the
king's nobles in the same way. "There will be no end of
disrespect and discord. "Therefore, if it pleases the king, "let him issue a royal decree "and let it be written in
the laws of Persia and Media, "which cannot be repealed,
that Vashti is never again "to enter the presence of King Xerxes. "Also let the king give her
royal position to someone else "who is better than she. "Then when the king's edict "is proclaimed throughout
all his vast realm, "all the women will
respect their husbands, "from the least to the greatest." He informed her she could never
come back into his presence. However, he found his
bed to be a little cold and he became increasingly lonely, so someone suggested that
he stage a competition with the winner perhaps becoming his wife. It was a serious matter. Before joining the competition, Esther received a full
year of beauty treatment. She triumphed and was
crowned Xerxes' new queen. Esther 2:17-18. "Now the king was attracted to Esther "more than to 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. "And the king gave a great
banquet, Esther's banquet, "for all his nobles and officials. "He proclaimed a holiday
throughout the provinces "and distributed gifts
with royal liberality." She was from the tribe of Benjamin, which is remarkable given
the clan's tough history. Mordecai was her cousin. When she had been abandoned as an orphan, he had adopted her as his own daughter. She kept their connection a
secret at Mordecai's request because the empire's Jewish
populations were in peril. Despite the fact that
she was new to the harem, she quickly became the
king's favorite wife. We also notice the position of another man who was exalted in the court at the time as we set the scene. He was known as Haman and he
is the story's antagonist. We have a fascinating situation. The Queen of the Persian
Empire is a Jewess who hasn't acknowledged
that she is a Jewess and Haman is a high-ranking
courtier who despises all Jews. When Haman insisted that
everyone worship the emperor, it became a flashpoint. When Mordecai refused,
Haman informed the king. He stressed that the empire's Jews should be completely exterminated. They were distinct with
their own set of laws, traditions, and religion. They were misfits who needed to be let go. He also offered the
treasury a hefty reward if the monarch agreed
to exterminate the Jews. They literally drew lots to determine when all the Jews
would be executed in secret. The extinction of the Jewish
people was decided by a lot cast on the 13th day of the month. One of the reasons why the 13th day has always been associated
with superstition is because of this. When the Jews found out
what was going to happen, they fasted, wore
sackcloth, and wore ashes. Mordecai sent Esther a message
begging the king for mercy. He claimed that God had
brought her to the kingdom for a specific reason. She became queen as a result
of an unusual series of events and was thus in a position
to assist her people, so Esther faced a real battle. Should she reveal that she was Jewish? If she did, her life
would be at stake too, but she decided that if
she perished, she perished. So how was she to make the request known? Esther 5:1-8. "On the third day, Esther
put on her royal robes "and stood in the inner
court of the palace, "in front of the king's hall. "The king was sitting on his
royal throne in the hall, "facing the entrance. "When he saw Queen Esther
standing in the court, "he was pleased with her "and held out to her the gold
scepter that was in his hand. "So Esther approached and
touched the tip of the scepter. "Then the king asked,
"What is it, Queen Esther? "What is your request? "Even up to half the kingdom,
it will be given you. "If it pleases the king," replied Esther, "let the king, together with Haman, "come today to a banquet
I have prepared for him. "Bring Haman at once," the king said, "so that we may do what Esther asks." "So the king and Haman "went to the banquet Esther had prepared. "As they were drinking wine,
the king again asked Esther, "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. "Esther replied, "My petition
and my request is this: "If the king regards me with favor "and if it pleases the
king to grant my petition "and fulfill my request, "let the king and Haman
come tomorrow to the banquet "I will prepare for them. "Then I will answer the king's question." The queen could only see the
king if she was summoned, but she knew she had to see him, so she boldly requested his presence and proposed a banquet with
Haman as the honored guest. The king granted the request and the meal was properly set up. Esther 5:9. "Haman went out that day
happy and in high spirits, "but when he saw Mordecai
at the king's gate "and observed that he neither rose "nor showed fear in his presence, "he was filled with
rage against Mordecai." Nevertheless, Haman restrained
himself and went home. Calling together his
friends and Zeresh his wife, Haman boasted to them about
his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials. And that's not all Haman said. "I'm the only person Queen Esther "invited to accompany the
king to the banquet she gave, "and she has invited me
along with the king tomorrow, "but all this gives me no satisfaction "as long as I see that Jew, Mordecai, "sitting at the king's gate." His wife Zeresh all his
friends said to him, "Have a pole set up reaching
to a height of 50 cubits "and ask the king in the morning "to have Mordecai impaled on it. "Then go with the king to the
banquet and enjoy yourself." This suggestion delighted Haman
and he had the pole set up. The king had insomnia the
night before the banquet, so he got up to read. He stumbled into his old diaries and read about how
Mordecai had saved his life from an assassination plot involving two of his
officers years previously. He was reminded that he had
never given him a prize. Esther 6:1-4. "That night the king could not sleep; "so he ordered the book of the chronicles, "the record of his reign, to
be brought in and read to him. "It was found recorded there "that Mordecai had exposed
Bigthana and Teresh, "two of the king's officers
who guarded the doorway, "who had conspired to
assassinate King Xerxes. "What honor and recognition
has Mordecai received for this? the king asked. "Nothing has been done for
him," his attendants answered. "The king said, "Who is in the court?" "Now Haman had just entered
the outer court of the palace "to speak to the king
about impaling Mordecai "on the pole he had set up for him." So the next morning, as soon as he awoke, he began plans to reward Mordecai. It was an incredible coincidence, certainly the result of God's hand. "I'm trying to think of a
reward to offer to someone "who genuinely pleases me", the king said to Haman at the meal. "What do you think you should do?" Because Haman assumed
it was him, he responded "Have a procession in his honor "and make him prime minister." The king consented to the idea, but it was Mordecai who
was summoned and rewarded, an incredible turn of events. Esther summoned the strength
to speak to the king about her people at the feast. When the king learned
of Haman's heinous plot, he ordered Haman to be
executed on his own gallows and the Jews were saved. Esther 7:1-8. "So the king and Haman went
to Queen Esther's banquet "and as they were drinking
wine on the second day, "the king again asked, "Queen
Esther, what is your petition? "It will be given you.
What is your request? "Even up to half the
kingdom, it will be granted. "Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor
with you, Your Majesty, "and if it pleases you, grant me my life, "this is my petition. "And spare my people - this is my request. "For I and my people have
been sold to be destroyed, "killed and annihilated. "If we had merely been sold
as male and female slaves, "I would have kept quiet, "because no such distress would
justify disturbing the king. "King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is he? "Where is he, the man who
has dared to do such a thing? "Esther said, "An adversary
and enemy! This vile Haman! "Then Haman was terrified
before the king and queen. "The king got up in a rage, left his wine "and went out into the palace garden. "But Haman, realizing that the king had
already decided his fate, "stayed behind to beg
Queen Esther for his life. "Just as the king returned
from the palace garden to the banquet hall, "Haman was falling on the couch
where Esther was reclining. "The king exclaimed, "Will he even molest the queen "while she is with me in the house?" "As soon as the word
left the king's mouth, "they covered Haman's face." A fresh decree was issued
overriding Haman's orders and granting the Jews the
right to defend themselves as well as the ability
to gather and annihilate any armed force that could attack them. It was a stunning intervention because assassins were
waiting to slaughter all the Jews across the empire. As a result, when the time came for Haman's
edict to eliminate the Jews, the Jews were prepared and proceeded to overpower their opponents and execute Haman's family. Esther 9:1-14. "On the 13th day of the 12th
month, the month of Adar, "the edict commanded by the
king was to be carried out. "On this day the enemies of the Jews "had hoped to overpower them,
but now the tables were turned "and the Jews got the upper
hand over those who hated them. "The Jews assembled in their cities "in all the provinces of King Xerxes "to attack those
determined to destroy them. "No one could stand against them, "because the people of all
the other nationalities "were afraid of them. "And all the nobles of the
provinces, the satraps, "the governors and the
king's administrators "helped the Jews because fear
of Mordecai had seized them. "Mordecai was prominent in the palace; "his reputation spread
throughout the provinces, "and he became more and more powerful. "The Jews struck down all
their enemies with the sword, "killing and destroying them, "and they did what they pleased
to those who hated them. "In the citadel of Susa, "the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men. "They also killed
Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha "Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha "Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, "the 10 sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, "the enemy of the Jews. "But they did not lay
their hands on the plunder. "The number of those killed
in the citadel of Susa "was reported to the king that same day. "The king said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have killed
and destroyed 500 men "and the 10 sons of Haman
in the citadel of Susa. "What have they done in the
rest of the king's provinces? "Now what is your petition?
It will be given you. "What is your request?
It will also be granted. "If it pleases the king," Esther answered, "give the Jews in Susa "permission to carry out this
day's edict tomorrow also, "and let Haman's 10 sons
be impaled on poles." "So the king commanded that this be done. "An edict was issued in Susa, "and they impaled the 10 sons of Haman." Because the Persian Empire
stretched from India to Egypt, there would have been no Jews
left if this had not happened. Jesus could not have been born if the original edict had maintained, so Esther came to the rescue. It's no surprise that the
Jews commemorate these events every year with the Purim feast. Everyone loves a story like
this and it is superbly told. As a literary structure, it is superb. Why is this book in the Bible? However, there must be more
than just a good story. What is the significance
of this book in the Bible? Is it just to set a good example for us when we find ourselves
in a public position? What can we learn from Daniel
and Esther as Christians? She was far from home and placed in a position of
power in pagan culture by God without surrendering her beliefs. As a result, she was able to
achieve significant progress for God's kingdom. The stories inspire us
to go as far as we can in order to achieve a
decent place in the world as long as we maintain our faith. God can use us in high
places for the kingdom. Therefore, we should let him put us where we can make progress. Individuals are used by God. It only takes one individual to make a significant difference. God employs both men and women. Christians have no place in this world. We are outcasts since our
true citizenship is in heaven. We are gradually being weaned away from connection to the world and towards a sense of
belonging in heaven. Individuals who preserve their principles and remember who they are, can be used by God in the
kingdoms of this world. People who are willing to be promoted, but not be absorbed, can be used by God. Allowing oneself to be absorbed in order to avoid persecution is a constant temptation for
Jews and Christians alike. Christians are tempted
to act like everyone else in order to avoid being labeled as strange and singled out and regarded as odd. Individuals who are
willing to be different on the other hand, are used by God. Dare to stand alone. Esther was willing to die rather than compromise her faith in God. Men have fallen from God. An example of such is Saul. To watch the fall of Saul, watch this.
