Introduction to

The has all of the required elements of a tremendous novel. There is the controversy that surrounds a king in decline and a civilization that is searching for its last vestiges of former power and glory. There is the conflict that takes place between a high-profile husband and wife plus the advice given by advisers and taken to heart that a king ultimately wishes that could be taken back. There is a diabolical plot to assassinate the king and a deliverance that comes from an unlikely source. There is the rising of an orphan girl that ascends to a throne and an enemy that hates her family and her people. There is pride, intrigue and the revealing of a people called with an eternal purpose. It’s a biography, a romance story, a thriller and a startling expose`. For me personally, it is one of the most amusing Books in the Bible. But ultimately, it is the perfect picture of a Sovereign God who directs all things in accordance to His ultimate and perfect plan.

We do not know exactly who wrote this book. But with his (or her) knowledge of the dual cultures of Judaism and Persia, we can safely assume that this writer was Jewish. The final establishment and recording of the festival of is a strong indicator of Jewish influence. The writer most likely also lived as a Jewish captive in Persia. Their knowledge of the palatial complex and traditions that are from the Medo-Persian era are also undeniable. Many Jewish rabbis believe that Esther’s cousin is the author. Frankly, so do I.

The time of this Book also is interesting. In chapter 10, the writer writes of the activity of Ahasuerus the King and Mordecai as being ‘past tense’, so the Book is written after 465 BC after Ahasuerus (Xerxes 1) reign had ended. But also with the absence of Greek words (this is important) it means that it was written before 300 BC when the Greek language became more prominent worldwide and in Jewish culture. There are numerous Persian words in its original text and the fact that the Jewish name of Ahasuerus is used instead of the Greek name of Xerxes.

Now for an introduction to one of our main characters. The events of this book span a ten year period during the reign of this Mede and Persian king named Ahasuerus. He succeeded his father Darius to the throne in 486 BC and ruled until 465. During his reign, Ahasuerus attempted to sustain his father’s campaign against Greece but he was defeated by the Greeks (belly and thighs of bronze; 2) who would continue to strengthen as the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s image in a dream would be realized. After suffering defeat, Xerxes would return to Shushan the Palace a defeated, demoralized and deteriorating king of a deteriorating dynasty. So around 483 BC, he decides to throw a feast in Shushan to ‘celebrate’ his achievements. It is during this feast that the events of this Book begin to take shape and prove again how that it is not an earthly king and his achievements that need celebrating, but the knowledge that our God controls all things.

The Book of Esther, like several books within our scriptures called the Bible, has some problems. First, we have a problem with the feast. The Bible tells us that this feast lasted for 180 days (1:4), but there are no records of a feast lasting for such an extended period of time. After all, 180 days is 6 months! Is it an exaggeration? Is it a scribal error? Is it a true record of an actual event that never was recorded in the chronicles of the Persian Kings? Second, neither or Esther are mentioned by name outside of the Bible. In other words, their names are not recorded as queens like other women in that civilization who sat on thrones and ruled within a monarchy. Now historians do agree that after Ahasuerus got whooped by the Greeks, that he returned home and ‘sought refuge’ in his harem of women. This agrees with the author’s account of the rise of Esther as Ahasuerus searched for a new queen after he deposed Vashti, but some believe that neither of these women were queens but were preferred wives in his harem. Third, how could Esther have hidden her ethnicity or identity unless she was completely anonymous before her ascent? How did no one recognize her, especially since her cousin Mordecai, who raised her as his own child, ‘sat in the king’s gate’ (2:19, 21)? How did a woman so beautiful go unnoticed? But again, this is not the only Book in the Bible that had questions surrounding it. Daniel, Song of and others were questioned but ultimately added to our canon of scriptures that we call the Bible.

Lastly, historians may have challenged its authenticity but the Jewish people never have. This Book is an important piece of scripture that narrates the validity of their existence and claims even though they were a backslidden people. The name of God or Yahweh is not mentioned. The act of prayer is not mentioned. The scriptures concerning Moses’ Law are not mentioned. The city of God, Jerusalem, is not mentioned. Not one name of one prophet is mentioned. There is a complete and total absence of anything spiritual in this Book and speaks of a foreign people living in a foreign land who have alienated themselves from the God of Heaven. But thankfully, as we will find, God has not alienated Himself from them! Every event, every character and every aspect of this Book points its hand upward to a God that looks downward and watches over His children no matter what circumstance they might find themselves in. We can all relate to this in some way or another. God has guided each of us by His hands to the place where we find ourselves at right now. We may not have recognized His direction like we should or we may not understand or appreciate the manner in which His will has been revealed, but we can appreciate and praise the Lord that even in our worst moments He never stops being His best! God never forgot the covenant that he made with Abraham where He took unto Himself a people who did not exist when He made the promise.