sign in sign up
<<
Home , Book of Esther

ANOINTING OIL DYNAMICS LTD Training Platform Mobile: 1-868-334-AODL / 345-AOIL H.E. Dr. Isaac Shadrack (CDKA, DCPC) 1-868-683-9883/394-9029 Menorah Castle, Debe e-mail: [email protected] TRINIDAD, West Indies [email protected] Website www.anointingoildynamics.com

By Isaac Shadrack (Dip Theo, BA, MA, DD, PhD.)

(Ps 119:98-100) Book of

Introduction and Title—The story of Esther’s life fits between chapters 6 and 7 of Ezra, between the first return led by Zerubbabel and the second return led by Ezra. It provides the only biblical portrait of the vast majority of who choose to remain in Persia rather than return to Palestine after the Exile. God’s hand of providence and protection on behalf of His people is evident throughout the book, though His name does not appear once. ’s plot brings grave danger to the Jews and is countered by the courage of beautiful Esther and the counsel of her wise cousin , resulting in a great deliverance. The Feast of becomes an annual reminder of God’s faithfulness on behalf of His people. Esther’s Hebrew name was Hadassah, “myrtle” (2:7), but her Persian name Ester was derived from the Persian word for “star” (Stara). The Greek title for this book is Esther and the Latin title is Hester.

Author—While the author’s identity is not indicated in the text, the evident knowledge of Persian etiquette and customs, the palace in , and details of the events in the reign of indicate that the author lived in Persia during this period. The obvious Jewish nationalism and knowledge of Jewish customs further suggest that the author was Jewish. If this Persian Jew was not an eyewitness, he probably knew people who were. The book must have been written soon after the death of King Ahasuerus (464 B.C.), because chapter 10, verses 2–3 speak of his reign in the past tense. Some writers suggest that Mordecai himself wrote the book; this seems unlikely, for although Mordecai did keep records (9:20), the chapter 10 citation implies that his career was already over. Nevertheless, the author certainly made use of Mordecai’s records and may have had access to the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia (see 2:23; 10:2). Ezra and Nehemiah have also been suggested for authorship, but the vocabulary and style of Esther are dissimilar to that found in their books. It seems likely that a younger contemporary of Mordecai composed the book.

Date and Setting- Ahasuerus is the Hebrew name and Xerxes the Greek name of Khshayarsh, king of Persia in 486–464 B.C. According to chapter 1, verse 3, the feast of Xerxes took place in his third year, or 483 B.C. The historian refers to this banquet as the occasion of Xerxes’ planning for a military campaign against Greece. But in 479 B.C. he was defeated by the Greeks at Salamis, and Herodotus tells us that he sought consolation in his harem. This corresponds to the time when he held a “contest” and crowned Esther queen of Persia (2:16–17). Since the events of the rest of the book took place in 473 B.C. (3:7–12), the chronological span is ten years (483–473 B.C.). The probable time of authorship was between 464 B.C. (the end of Xerxes’ reign; see 10:2–3) and about 435 B.C. The palace at Susa was destroyed by fire during that period, and such an event would probably have been mentioned. The historical and linguistic features of Esther do not support a date later than 400 B.C., as there is no trace of Greek influence.

1 Xerxes was a boisterous man of emotional extremes, whose actions were often strange and contradictory. This fact sheds light on his ability to sign a decree for the annihilation of the Jews, and two months later to sign a second decree allowing them to overthrow their enemies. Esther was addressed to the many Jews who did not return to their homeland. Not all the godly people left—some did not return for legitimate reasons. Most were disobedient in staying in Persia. Nevertheless, God continued to care for His people in voluntary exile.

Keys to Esther— Key Word: Providence Key Verses (4:14; 8:17)—“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (4:14). “And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them” (8:17). Key Chapter (8)—According to the , the salvation of the Jews is accomplished through the revised decree of King Ahasuerus, allowing the Jews to defend themselves against their enemies. Chapter 8 records this pivotal event with the accompanying result that “many of the people of the land became Jews.”

Christ in Esther—Esther, like Christ, puts herself in the place of death for her people but receives the approval of the king. She also portrays Christ’s work as Advocate on our behalf. This book reveals another satanic threat to destroy the Jewish people and thus, the messianic line. God continues to preserve His people in spite of opposition and danger, and nothing can prevent the coming of the Messiah.

Contribution to the —Ezra deals primarily with the restoration of the Jewish people after the Exile, Nehemiah deals with their physical and spiritual reconstruction, and Esther deals with their preservation. Esther is more like a drama than any other portion of Scripture with its unexpected and ironic plot twists. Because of its unusual nature, Esther hopped from place to place in the canon of Scripture. The even sandwiched it between two apocryphal books, the Wisdom of and Judith. It was found in the “Writings” section of the as one of the five rolls (Megilloth). The other four are Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, and . These books are read on , and Esther is still read on the Feast of Purim. There has been opposition to acceptance of Esther as divinely inspired, especially because no form of the name of God is used, and yet there are 187 references to the Persian king. Nor is there any mention of the Law, the offerings and sacrifices, prayer, or anything supernatural. Objections also appeared early in the Christian community because it is never quoted in the and because Esther gives the historical background for a nationalistic Jewish festival which has no connection with later Christian truth. It has also been challenged because of the bloodthirsty spirit of chapter 9. The Jews tried to overcome embarrassment by creating an apocryphal book called Additions to Esther which is full of references to God. Here are some reasons that combine to explain the omission of God: (1) The book was written in Persia and would be censored or profaned by substitution of a pagan god’s name. (2) The general disobedience of the Jews in preferring the comfort of Persia to the hardships of rebuilding their homeland may be another factor. (3) The silence was intentional to illustrate the hidden but providential care of God in spite of outward appearances. This is a subtle form of revelation that shows the hand of God behind every event. 2 (4) The name of Yahweh (YHWH) does appear in form four times in the Hebrew text (see 1:20; 5:4,13; 7:7). Incidentally, the word “Jews” appears forty-three times in the plural and eight times in the singular. It was derived from “Judah” because of the predominance of this tribe. The term was applied to all descendants of Jacob.

Theological Contribution. The Book of Esther is a major chapter in the struggle of the people of God to survive in the midst of a hostile world. Beginning with the , God had made it clear that he would bless His Covenant People and bring a curse upon those who tried to do them harm (Gen. 12:1, 3). The Book of Esther shows how God has kept this promise at every stage of history. Just as Haman met his death by execution, we can trust God to protect us from the enemy, Satan, and to work out His ultimate purpose of redemption in our lives.

Special Considerations. One unusual fact about this book is that it never mentions the name of God. For this reason some people believe Esther has no place in the Bible. They see it as nothing but a fiercely patriotic Jewish book that celebrates the victory of the Jews over their enemies. This harsh criticism is unfair to Esther. A careful reading will reveal that the book does have a spiritual base. Queen Esther calls the people to fasting (4:16), and God’s protection of His people speaks of His providence (4:14). The book also teaches a valuable lesson about the sovereignty of God: although the enemies of the Covenant People may triumph for a season, He holds the key to ultimate victory.1

Survey of Esther—The clearly emerging message of Esther is that God uses ordinary men and women to overcome impossible circumstances to accomplish His gracious purposes. Chapters 1–4 describe the threat to the Jews, and chapters 5–10 describe the triumph of the Jews. The Threat to the Jews (1–4): The story begins in Ahasuerus’ winter palace at Susa. The king provides a lavish banquet and display of royal glory for the people of Susa, and proudly seeks to make Queen ’s beauty a part of the program. When she refuses to appear, the king is counseled to depose her and seek another queen, because it is feared that the other women will become insolent if Vashti goes unpunished. Esther later finds favor in the eyes of Ahasuerus and wins the royal “beauty pageant.” At her uncle Mordecai’s instruction, she does not reveal that she is Jewish. With her help, Mordecai is able to warn the king of an assassination plot, and his deed is recorded in the palace records. Meanwhile, Haman becomes captain of the princes, but Mordecai refuses to bow to him. When he learns that Mordecai is Jewish, Haman plots for a year to eliminate all Jews, as his rage and hatred grow. He casts lots (purim) daily during this period until he determines the best day to have them massacred. Through bribery and lies he convinces Ahasuerus to issue an edict that all Jews in the empire will be slain eleven months hence in a single day. Haman conceives his plot in envy and a vengeful spirit, and he executes it with malicious craft. The decree creates a state of confusion, and Mordecai asks Esther to appeal to the king to spare the Jews. At the peril of her life, Esther decides to see the king and reveal her nationality in a desperate attempt to dissuade Ahasuerus. Mordecai convinces her that she has been called to her high position for this purpose. The Triumph of the Jews (5–10): After fasting, Esther appears before the king and wisely invites him to a banquet along with Haman. At the banquet she requests that they attend a second banquet, as she seeks the right moment to divulge her request. Haman is flattered but later enraged when he sees Mordecai. He takes his wife’s suggestion to build a large gallows for Mordecai (he cannot wait the eleven months for Mordecai to be slain). That night Ahasuerus decides to treat his insomnia by reading the palace records. Reading about Mordecai’s deed, he wants him to be honored. Haman, mistakenly thinking the king wants to honor him, tells the king how the honor should be bestowed, only to find out

1Ronald F. Youngblood, general editor; F.F. Bruce and R.K. Harrison, consulting editors, Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary: An authoritative one-volume reference work on the Bible with full color illustrations [computer file], electronic edition of the revised edition of Nelson’s illustrated Bible dictionary, Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995. 3 that the reward is for Mordecai. He is humbled and infuriated by being forced to honor the man he loathes. At Esther’s second banquet Ahasuerus offers her as much as half of his kingdom for the third time. She then makes her plea for her people and accuses Haman of his treachery. The infuriated king has Haman hanged on the gallows that Haman intended for Mordecai. The gallows, seventy-five feet high, was designed to make Mordecai’s downfall a city-wide spectacle, but it ironically provides Haman with unexpected public attention—posthumously.

Persian law sealed with the king’s ring (3:12) cannot be revoked, but at Esther’s request the king issues a new decree to all the provinces that the Jews may assemble and defend themselves on the day when they are attacked by their enemies. This decree changes the outcome intended by the first order and produces great joy. Mordecai is also elevated and set over the house of Haman. When the fateful day of the two decrees arrives, the Jews defeat their enemies in their cities throughout the Persian provinces, but do not take the plunder. The next day becomes a day of celebration and an annual Jewish holiday called the Feast of Purim. The word is derived from the Assyrian puru, meaning “lot,” referring to the lots cast by Haman to determine the day decreed for the Jewish annihilation. The narrative closes with the advancement of Mordecai to a position second only to the king.2 OUTLINE I. The Wife Who Refused to Obey Her Husband, Chapter 1

II. The Beauty Contest to Choose a Real Queen, Chapter 2

III. Haman and Anti-Semitism, Chapter 3

IV. For Such a Time as This, Chapter 4

V. The Scepter of Grace and the Nobility of Esther, Chapter 5

VI. When a King Could Not Sleep at Night, Chapter 6

VII. The Man Who Came to Dinner but Died on the Gallows, Chapter 7

VIII. The Message of Hope That Went out from the King, Chapter 8

IX. The Institution of the Feast of Purim, Chapters 9–10. 3

2Bruce Wilkinson and Kenneth Boa, Talk thru the Bible [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1983. 3J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1981 by J. Vernon McGee. 4