ESTHER
FOR MORE THAN JUST A TIME AS THIS
ESTHER
for more than just a time as this
1.
Contents Introduction
WHAT IS ESTHER
1. Introduction
pg 1 6. Conflicted
Women
pg 17
REALLY ABOUT?
The book of Esther is a
fantastic book of the Bible full
2. Characters
pg 3
7.
Role Models
or Anti Heros
pg 27
of motivational quotes and
inspirational messages. It is
easy to pick the story apart
and present it as just a story.
3. Timeline
pg 8
8. Coincidence
or Providence
pg 34
However, in retellings to children
and in the average sermon most
people miss the true message
of the book and why it is in
4. History
pg 10 9. Finding God
pg 36
the Bible. To understand the
5. Evil Men
pg 14
why behind Esther
you have to know
a bit of context of
after the characters in the story. The story
the book. Esther is
itself is not for entertainment or moral
the only book of the
recommendations. The story does not
Bible where God
establish itself as a moral authority on
is never mentioned
anything, it only recounts events as they
and there is little
happened. The goal is that after reading
if any mention of
this, you will have a better understanding
religion. The way the
of God’s word and will be able to apply
describes the setting
the knowledge gained from this book to
and characters in the
propel you forward to understand the rest
book are fairly unique as well. Such as the
of the Bible at a deeper level.
description of the splendor of Persia is only
paralleled by the description of the temple
in the Old Testament. The characters
are also complex and confusing to fully
understand as they are morally corrupt
and their motives seem questionable at
times. It is hard to truly see one character
as fully “good’ or “bad”. The author never
intended for the reader to model their life
2
King
First mentioned Esther 1:1
also mentioned in Ezra 4:6.
2.
King Xerxes, is the King’s
Characters name in Greek. In Hebrew
his name is Ahasuerus, and
in Persian it would have
WHO ARE THEY
been Khshayarshan. Story
AND WHY DO of Esther begins in the third
WE CARE? year of his reign. He is
shown throughout the story
to have absolute authority
over his empire while also
being immature.
4 5
to outperform every single
other woman in the Persian
empire and win the heart of
Esther
First mentioned Esther 2:7. The name of
the king.
Esther is interesting and a point of significant
debate. The name Esther is Persian for star,
or the Hebrew translation of the Babylonian
Goddess of love and war. Essentially, this
means that this could be more of a nickname
rather than her true name. If it is a nickname
then there requires some explanation of how
she could be seen this way. The reason for
believing people associated her with the
goddess of
love and war
is because she,
despite being a
virgin was able
7
Haman
First mentioned in Esther 3:1.
Mordecai
First mentioned. Mentioned
Son of Hammedatha and as from the tribe of Benjamin
married to Zeresh. His name and a descendent of Kish,
means Magnificent and in his who was taken into exile with
introduction he is introduced the king of Judah, Jehoiachin
as the chief minister of in 597 B.C. His name means
Ahasuerus. “little man”. Throughout the
story of Esther he shows himself
to be observant, faithful, and
humble.
8 9
3. Timeline
Ch 3 Ch 5 Ch 7 Ch 9 & 10
Haman & Esther Esther Feast
The Decree Banquet 1 Banquet 2 of Purim
Ch 1 & 2 Ch 4 Ch 6 Ch 8
War Council & Esther & Main Pivot Mordecai &
Queen Esther Mordecai Plan Mordecai Celebrated Counter Decree
10 11
4.
The book spans 10 years
starting in 483BC during a war
council, which is the banquet
that is mentioned, this banquet
is essentially the king’s effort
History to show how wealthy he his
and to encourage people to
King Xerxes is explained in the book fight alongside him against the
as ruling from India to Cush, which Greeks. Ancient Greek historian
is 127 provinces, however this unit of Herodotus explains that during
measurement is misleading as it takes
war councils the Persians would
the smallest unit in order to make his
empire seem more impressive. The term get drunk in order to make plans
used, essentially means 127 developed and if they agreed with the plans
cities, rather than 127 individual sober, they would continue with
“countries/states”. The first chapter in them and vice versa. In ancient
the book of Esther uses language to times it was believed that being
introduce the glory of the Persians.
12
intoxicated made them closer to the Another important note is that the
spiritual realm. author does not reference Vashti and
Xerxes relationship as husband and
Vashti refusing the king’s request wife, rather their relationship and king
was embarrassing as a leader of and queen. The queen embarrassed
an army could not lead his own the king and made him appear to
home. However, his intoxication is
be a weak leader, and the king
an important role in this interaction.
disrespected the queen.
There are several scenes throughout
the book where there are parallel
ironies of how Xerxes reacts to
situations when intoxicated. This
was the first and the last was when
Esther had her banquet and, in that
instance, instead of the woman
being punished it was the man who
encouraged harsh punishments.
The author likely
Haman was an Agagite and
adds this as well not
both him and Mordecai are
as a moral point or
to commentate on introduced as their nationality
relationships, but to as that does seem to be the
show life within the main source of their conflict in
Persian court. King the book. Agagite and Jews
Xerxes had absolute power and had a long history of conflict,
yielded it immaturely and recklessly. and the book of Esther shows
This goes to show how difficult the start of the Feast of Purim
the road for Esther and Mordecai is not just because the Jews
would be, and how their success is were not annihilated it was also
even more unlikely without divine because Esther and Mordecai
intervention. The Persians were cruel effectively accomplished what
and everyone was at the disposal king Saul failed to do many
of the king’s emotional reactions. years before.
This historical context gives a better
understanding of the tension in the
book of Esther and how emotionally
16 intense the conflict scenes are. 17
5. Evil Men
The king in this story is
Xerxes
constantly shown to be
“EVERYONE IN THE STORY
MUST FIND A WAY TO TIP TOE
AROUND HIS EMOTIONS...”
and manipulates the information,
leaving out he wants to destroy the Jews
irrational and easily and presents an anonymous people
manipulated. Everyone in group in the kingdom that it would
the story must find a way to be beneficial for the king to destroy
tip toe around his emotions Later when Esther talks to the king, she
prolongs his suspense for her request
and manipulate the way they
by waiting till the second banquet and
present information to get
she intentionally presents the decree
what they want. that has been made as an anonymous
In one of the story’s threat against her people and only at
ironies this is seen in both the last second accuse Haman. In both
how Haman asks for the scenarios the king truly is seen almost
destruction of the Jews as an unwise child, however this unwise
and how Esther asks for immature child holds absolute power
the reversal of that decree. over a majority of the known world at
that time. 19
Haman goes to the king
6
Haman Conflicted
Haman is the obvious villain in
this story but the root of all his
Women
problems truly stems from his
pride. His desire for the
destruction of the Jews was
purely
motivated from the wound on his
pride caused by Mordecai. In
every step of the story Haman
is fueled by his desire to be
greater and to feed his own
sense of self-importance, and
anything that goes against his
internal narrative must be
destroyed.
20 21
Vashti
The role of Vashti is minor in the
grand scheme of the story, but it sets
up much needed social context
for the rest of the story. Her story her choosing to go before the king.
Vashti is complicated because her
shows how women in Persian
relationship with the king is only
court were viewed and the social
presented as her being a queen
status of a Queen of Persia. Her
and not a wife. Her story is further
story shows the immaturity and the
complicated as his request for her
pride of the men around her, and could easily be seen as blatant
how fickle they can be. The story disrespect and immodest. It begs
also provides irony later in the story the question if Vashti maintained
as her demise was refusing to go in
the presence of the king and Esther’s
potential demise would come from
22 23
her honor or was improper
for refusing her husband. The
author makes it a point to not
Esther
reference anything in a moral Esther starts the story being
sense, rather it exclusively presented as weak and passive
focuses on what happened in in the events of her life. She is
the story. a weak and passive Jewish girl
who is an orphan the niece of
Mordecai. She is taken into a
harem to be used and is forced
to live in a way that goes
directly against her
upbringing. The story
does not go into details
of her experience
or how she thought
24 25
and felt about it, but even passively it is
inferred there was an obvious struggle to
manage her identity. She starts the story
7. Role
Models
or Anti Heros
presented as Jewish, it progresses with
her coming into her identity as a Persian
Queen, and by the end she is a strong
confident woman who is shown as being The story of Esther brings up
both Jewish and a Persian Queen. This is several moral dilemmas for
significant character development that is Christian audiences. In reading
not seen in any of the other characters of through the texts there is
the story. manipulation, drinking, murder,
and sexual immorality. All of these
are quite significant issues. Even
the setting of the story is Jews
still living in Persian despite not
choosing to go back with the rest
26
Jewish virgin who is taken to a
of the Jews
harem to have inappropriate
who were
relations with a man she is
rebuilding the
not married to. She is shown
temple. The
to be weak and apathetic to
start of the
her situation and not resisting
story already
to these changes. Later in
calls into
the story she does become
question the
character of stronger willed and exerts
more authority over events
Mordecai and Esther. King Xerxes and
that are occurring, but in this
Haman as Gentiles it is expected that
she encourages the murder of
their character would be compromised,
many people. Mordecai seem
and they would not be moral heroes
of the story. However even the title
character of the story, is a young
28 29
to be intentionally disrespectful
because of someone’s race,
and even at one point seems
to threaten Esther’s life. These
characts are both wrapped
up in the manipulation and
sexual immorality of the Persian
court they live and work in.
“
The author of the book never HER ROLE AS THE JEWISH
seems to have commentary on QUEEN OF PERSIA IN
their behavior in the story and THAT SPECIFIC STAGE OF
REDEMPTIVE HISTORY AND
if it is moral. The best way to
BIBLICAL THEOLOGY MEANS
understand the lessons taught THAT NO OTHER WOMAN
by their behavior is worded CAN OR SHOULD TRY TO
best by author Karen H Jobes EMULATE DIRECTLY HER
30
(pg 169),
CHARACTER OR BEHAVIOR
“ 31
“ EVEN IF WE MAKE THE
“WRONG DECISION”, WHETHER
THROUGH INNOCENT BLUNDER
OR DELIBERATE DISOBEDIENCE,
OUR GOD IS SO GRACIOUS
AND OMNIPOTENT THAT HE IS
ABLE TO USE THAT WEAK LINK
IN A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT
WILL PERFECT HIS PURPOSES
US AND THROUGH US.
“
Another quote by
the same author
does a wonderful
job at explaining
despite her status as a
“Christian Anti-hero” what
can be gleaned from her
experience to be applied to
daily life as a Christian.
33
Coincidence
or Providence
8. interpretation
of the Bible.
Esther is
considered to
be historical
The name of God is never used
narrative
throughout the book of Esther. Which
and if the
begs the question as to why it is in
Bible is true
the Bible in the first place. Despite no
everywhere
mention of God, there are several
else then the
instances throughout the story that are
events of this story are not for literary
ironic and comedic coincidences. That
purposes, they are true coincidences.
could be interpreted as the author using
This further breaks down into your own
those for literary purposes to make
personal opinion, do you believe that
a more interesting story. However,
God has a hand in these events, or it is
this perspective depends on your
all purely coincidence?
34 35
9. Finding
God
When looking at the facts it is easy to
see how God works through the entire
story of Esther from before any of the
characters of the story were born. The
entire story is one whole turning of
tables on the gentiles and shows God
hand through every single action and
reaction the people in the story have.
36 37
EXPLORING THE TRUTHS
TO BE FOUND IN THE
BOOK OF ESTHER,
WHILE CHALLENGING
PREVIOUS OPINIONS
ON THIS SECTION OF
GOD’S WORD. THIS
BOOK IS JUST THE
BEGINNING OF A
JOURNEY TO BETTER
KNOWING HOW TO
STUDY SCRIPTURE FOR
YOURSELF.
