- [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.