Bible: Beginning to End - Esther

Episode Date: September 28, 2025

Read Esther (Berean Standard Bible)⁠Video about the Dead Sea ScrollsDead Sea Scrolls - Encyclopedia BritannicaDead Sea Scrolls⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Important Links for the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here for our YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discuss each episode on Reddit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact Us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit our Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram @biblebeginningtoend⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Twitter: @biblebeginning1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Via email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[e-mail]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Supporting the ShowFinancial contribution is never required, but if you'd like to support the show, here are a couple of ways:Be a listener and share the show with your friends!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to become a monthly supporter via Spotify.⁠⁠⁠⁠*⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to make a one-time contribution via Paypal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.* *Note that the Bible Beginning to End podcast is not a registered 501(c)3 or charitable organization. Therefore, any monetary support provided is not tax deductible.10% of any profits made from this podcast via ad revenues or listener support will be donated to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asha's Refuge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a Christ-centered nonprofit that "exists to assist the most disadvantaged refugees/asylees in achieving a successful resettlement in the Memphis, TN area.". Episode Timestamps0:00 - Intro6:18 - Ad Break6:19 - Esther 113:24 - Esther 222:23 - Esther 330:54 - Esther 437:28 - Esther 542:40  - Esther 648:31 - Esther 752:02 - Esther 858:51 - Esther 91:07:00 - Esther 101:11:45 - Outro

Hello and welcome back to Bible beginning to end where we are reading through the scriptures together from Genesis to Revelation. I'm so glad that you are choosing to listen today as we continue on through the Old Testament. As always, I am reading through the scriptures and I'm stopping along the way to ask questions that get you thinking critically about God's word so that hopefully God will reveal things about His Word to you as you. you read through the scriptures and that you'll really be able to sit and meditate on the Bible. I am using the Berean Standard Bible translation, and the link to the chapters we're reading today will always be in the description of each episode, so you can find that there. So last time, we finished up Nehemiah, which came right after Ezra, which we talked about how they were originally published as one story of Ezra Nehemiah, but in the Bible that we read today,

they're separated into two stories, but they're very connected. In both Ezra and Nehemiah, we are seeing some of God's people who had been in exile, return to Jerusalem, and start rebuilding their community. And we saw how Ezra and Nehemiah both led these people through this time of rebuilding. So looking at the timeline of historical events, the book of Esther takes place somewhere in between Ezra and Nehemiah. So chronologically, you have the events of Ezra, chapters 1 through 6, where a group of people were taken out of exile and allowed to go back to their homeland in Jerusalem. Esther's family was one of the families that stayed behind in Persia,

and her story takes place when King Xerxes of Persia was in reign over Persia. Then you have the events of Ezra chapter 7 through the end of Ezra, and then all the events of Nehemiah. So Esther takes place before the entire book of Nehemiah and before the second half of Ezra. So it's somewhere in between. This is also one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman. So earlier we read Ruth and now we're reading Esther. Those are the two books of the

Bible named after women and focusing on their story. We also don't know the author of Esther. Of course, people have made guesses. Some people think that Mordecai is the author of Esther, who is a character we will meet as we read through this book. Others have thought maybe Ezra or Nehemiah, because the writing style is similar and it takes place around the same time. But ultimately, we do not know the author of the book of Esther. Another interesting piece of information about Esther is that it is the only book of the Old Testament that was not found as part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. So if you don't know what the Dead Sea Scrolls are, they were an archaeological discovery

made over a period of 10 years during the 1940s and 1950s. And what they found were scrolls of ancient texts dating back about 1,800 years. And among these texts were fragments of every book of the Old Testament, except for Esther. These were not the only manuscripts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. There were lots of other manuscripts and fragments of ancient documents, but this is one of the oldest documents that we have, or one of the oldest manuscripts that we have of the Old Testament, that includes ancient Hebrew.

There are also some Aramaic and some Greek documents, but it's the ancient Hebrew that's really important, because before the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, the oldest manuscript of the Bible that we had was a Greek translation. And translations are always difficult because they're sort of copies of copies and words can become lost and translated incorrectly. So the manuscripts that we can find that are closest to the language that was used at the time are always very helpful. So anyways, it's just an interesting tidbit that among all those documents, they found pieces of the entire Old Testament. except Esther. So why do we include Esther in our Bible today? That's a question that you might want to research or think about on your own. I will include a link in the description to a resource

on the Dead Sea Scrolls, or maybe a couple of, I can find a couple of really good ones on the Dead Sea Scrolls. If you want to look into them anymore and find out any more information about how we kind of got to the Bible, the canon of the Bible that we have, today. And then one other interesting thing about the book of Esther that you might want to think about while we're reading through the story is that it doesn't mention God anywhere in the book of Esther. It doesn't mention God's name or bring him up throughout the whole story. So as we're reading through Esther, I want you to keep that in the back of your mind so that you can consider why Esther doesn't mention God, and see if you can find ways that God shows up throughout the

Book of Esther, even though he isn't mentioned. Okay, so now that we have some good historical context and background information for the Book of Esther and a couple of things to think about as we read through the chapters together, we can go ahead and start the book of Esther right after this quick break. Okay, so now we can start Esther Chapter 1, which begins with a section called Xerxes's Royal Feast. Esther 1 verse 1. This is what happened in the days of Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Kush. In those days, King Xerxes sat on his royal throne in the citadel of Sousa.

In the third year of his reign, Xerxes held a feast for all his officials and the servants. The military leaders of Persia and Medea were there, along with the nobles and princes of the provinces, and for a full 180 days he displayed the glorious riches of his kingdom and the magnificent splendor of his greatness. At the end of this time, in the garden court of the royal palace, the king held a seven-day feast for all the people in the citadel of Susa, from the least to the greatest. Hangings of white and blue linen were fastened with cords of fine white and purple materials to silver rings on the marble pillars. Gold and silver couches were arranged on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother of pearl, and other costly stones. Beaverages were served in an array

of goblets of gold, each with a different design, and the royal wine flowed freely, according to the king's bounty. By order of the king, no limit was placed on the drinking, and every official of his household was to serve each man whatever he desired. Okay, so pause there. Who is Xerxes? Who is he king over? And what is the purpose of this 180-day feast that King Xerxes hosting. And based on the description of the feast, what was being served, what the decorations looked like, what the drinks and food were being served on, what does that tell us about King Xerxes, who he was, and how he wanted others to perceive him. The next section is Queen Vosti's refusal. Verse 9. Queen Vashdi also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Zerxes.

On the seventh day, when the king's heart was married with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs who served him, Mehmon, Beista, Harbana, Bigtha, Abigtha, Zether, and Carcassus, to bring Queen Vastey before him, wearing her royal crown to display her beauty to the people and officials, for she was beautiful to behold. Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the king's command brought by his eunuchs, and the king became furious, and his anger burned within him. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think Queen Vosti refused to come when King Xerxes asked to bring her out

so that everyone could see her beauty? How do you think King Xerxes will react to this? The next section is Queen Vashdi deposed. Verse 13. Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice. His closest advisors were Karshna, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Merez, Marcena, and Mimekin, the seven princes of Persia, and Medea, who had person,

personal access to the king and ranked highest in the kingdom. According to law, he asked, what should be done with Queen Vasti, since she refused to obey the command of King Xerxes delivered by the eunuchs? And in the presence of the king and his princes, Mamikin replied, Queen Vashty has wronged not only the king,

but all the princes and the peoples in all the provinces of King Xerxes. For the conduct of the queen will become known to all women, causing them to despise their husbands and say, King Xerxes ordered Queen Vosti to be brought before him, but she did not come. This very day, the noble women of Persia and Medea, who have heard about the queen's conduct, will say the same thing to all the king's officials, resulting in much contempt and wrath. So, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree, and let it be recorded in the laws of Persia and Medea, so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashdi shall never again enter the presence of King Xerxes,

and that her royal position shall be given to a woman better than she. The edict, the king issues, will be heard throughout his vast kingdom. And so all women, from the least to the greatest, will honor their husbands. the king, and his princes were pleased with this council so the king did as Mammican had advised. He sent letters to all the provinces of the kingdom, to each province in its own script, and to each people in their own language, proclaiming that every man should be master of his household. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter one, and let's kind of summarize the situation. So we have King Xerxes, king of Persia.

Remember, Persia is the group that conquered Babylonia and eventually allowed Israel to return to Jerusalem. But Persians were not a people who followed the God of Israel. So keep that in mind as you're thinking through their thought processes and the things that they're doing and what's going on in this story. So we have King Xerxes, and he's throwing this huge banquet with lots of food. and wine, and all of his advisors and men are there. So what kind of mental state do you think that they are in during this time of feasting? And then you have King Xerxes requesting that Queen Vashdi come and parade in front of all of his men, and she refuses.

And so how does King Xerxes respond to that? his advisors are giving him the advice to banish, get rid of his wife, Queen Vashti, and send out a decree to all the people and seek a new wife, a new queen. So why do you think this was the advice his advisors gave him? Okay, so now we can start chapter two, which is when Esther enters the story. And it begins with a section called Seeking Vosti's successor. Esther 2, verse 1. Sometime later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashdi and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

Then the king's attendants proposed, Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king, and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Higai, the king's eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments. Then let the young woman who pleases the king

become queen in place of Vashdi. This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section. We have King Xerxes getting rid of his wife and trying to replace her with a younger, more beautiful woman and trying to find a new queen. What is wrong with this situation?

Based on what we know of God and how we should treat people, how does what King Xerxes is doing not align with how God teaches us to treat each other? And remember, King Xerxes is not a follower of the God of Israel, but how do you think God is going to work through this story despite that? The next section is Esther, finds favor. Verse 5. Now there was at the Citadel of Sousa, a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin,

named Mordecai, son of Jeyer, the son of Shemai, the son of Kish. He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, among those taken captive with the Jechaniah, king of Judah. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, the daughter of Hisus, his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and

appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter. When the king's command an edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Sousa under the care of Higai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Higai, the custodian of the women. And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace, and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem. Okay, so pause there. So now we kind of see how this story of King Xerxes is intersecting with God's people, because now we have Mordecai from the tribe of Benjamin sending his sort of adopted

daughter, his niece, Esther, to the king as one of these potential new wives, as one of these potential new queens for King Xerxes. Do you think Mordecai had a choice as to whether or not he could send Esther? Or do you think she was required to be presented to the king? And do you think her Jewish ancestry, her Jewish affiliation, is going to be an issue with King Xerxes. And also, they keep talking about this harem that Esther is going to be transferred to the best place in the harem. What is a harem? And in case you don't know, I will give a little history on that.

During this time, kings would collect riches, jewels, you know, valuable materials to show their wealth and their power. But they would also collect women. They would take them from their homes and brought to live in this separate building, and the only thing they were there for was to please the king, if he ever called on them.

So if Esther does not get chosen as the new queen, then she will just end up in the harem as one of these other women that the king has collected for his own pleasure. And I think that bit of context is important, to kind of understand what's at stake here for Esther. She either becomes the queen or lives this sort of trapped life. Verse 10. Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so. And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of

the court of the harem to learn about Esther's welfare and what was happening to her. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think Mordecai told her to keep her lineage, her Jewish ancestry, a secret? Verse 12. In the 12 months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the Haram Regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. When the young woman would go to the king, She was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.

She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harum under the care of Sha'ashkas, the king's eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name. Now Esther was the daughter of Abihil, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter, And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Higai the king's trusted official in charge of the harem had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month of the month of Tebeth,

in the seventh year of his reign. The next section is Esther becomes queen, verse 17. and the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. Then the king held a banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king's bounty. When the virgins were assembled a second time,

Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai's command as she had done under his care. Okay, so pause there. Esther has now become queen, and she still not revealed her lineage to the king. And we know Esther is Jewish.

we know that she follows the God of Israel. So do we think that God is doing something behind the scenes here? Even though he's not being mentioned, even though it's not saying it, do you think God has made Esther Queen for a reason? The next section is Mordecai uncovers a conspiracy, verse 21. In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthin and Terech, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. When Mordecai learned of the plot,

he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai's behalf. After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows, and all this was recorded in the book of the Chronicles, in the presence of the king. Okay, so pause there at the end of Chapter 2. So Mordecai hears this conspiracy. He tells Esther about it, and she's able to warn the king before his eunuchs try and kill him. How do you think Esther warning King Xerxes will impact their relationship? Okay, so now we can start Esther, Chapter 3, which begins with a section called Haman's plot against the Jews. Chapter 3, verse 1. After these events, King Xerxes honored Hayman, son of Hamadatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.

All the royal servants at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage. Then the royal servants at the king's gate asked Mordecai, Why do you disobey the command of the king? Day after day, they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated since he had told them he was a Jew. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think Mordecai is refusing to bow down to Haman?

Do you think it has something to do with his identity as a Jew and his connection with God? Verse 5. When Haman saw that Mordecai is, would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage. And when he learned the identity of Mordecai's people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai's people, the Jews,

throughout the kingdom of Xerxes. Okay, so pause there. We have Haman saying that he wants to destroy all of Mordecai's people. But remember, Esther is Jewish. She comes from these same people. So what insight are we gaining during this part of the story as to why Esther hid her genealogy, hid her Jewish heritage?

Why did Mordecai warn her and tell her to hide her Jewish heritage? Verse 7. In the 12th year of King Xerxes in the first month, the month of Nissan, the per, that is, the lot, was cast before Haman to determine a day and month, and the lot fell on the 12th month, the month of Eder. Then Haman informed King Xerxes, there is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else's, and they do not obey the king's laws. So it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them.

If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit 10,000 talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out. So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman, son of Hamidatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. Keep your money, said the king to Haman. These people are given to you to do with them as you please. Okay, so pause there. How did Haman convince King Xerxes to let him destroy the Jewish people? What tactics did Haman use to convince Xerxes that he should fear these people?

Did Haman really feel like the Jews were a threat to King Xerxes, or was he allowing his own anger and ego to affect his decision-making and affect his judgment? And why do you think King Xerxes was so quick to agree with Haman and allow him to do whatever he wanted to God's people? What can this story teach us about discernment and being vigilant when people come to us and try to instill fear in our lives by using lies or phrasing things in a certain way with the purpose of instilling fear? How can God help us determine the truth? and how can God instill peace in our lives instead of fear? Verse 12. On the 13th day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned,

and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province, and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signatories. ring. And the letters were sent by countries to each of the royal provinces with the order to

destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, women, and children, and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the 13th day of Otter, the 12th month. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day. The couriers left spurred on by the king's command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Sousa was in confusion. Okay, so pause there at the end of the chapter. So we have Haman, so we have Haman, making this decree to annihilate all the Jews. Why is he doing this?

He's doing this because Mordecai wouldn't bow down to him. Because one person didn't bow down, Haman decided that he wanted to eradicate all the Jews. And King Xerxes is letting him do it. And then once they send this edict out that they are going to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, What do Haman and King Xerxes do in response? What does this action of them sitting down to drink?

Tell us about who they are and tell us about their character. Why isn't anyone in the king's palace trying to stop this? Why are they all allowing this to happen? What does this story teach us about what can happen when people of power leaders in the church, leaders in your city, your country, your state, leaders at work, are given total power, are not being held accountable, are allowed to make decisions out of anger or rage or revenge, but they're not being held accountable or questioned. And what does it look like to hold leaders accountable so that they're not making harm

decisions like Haman and Xerxes are in this story. And remember that Esther has just been named Queen, and she is a Jew. She follows the God of Israel. So do you think she was put there by accident or on purpose? And how do you think God is going to protect his people in this story? Okay, so now we can start Esther chapter 4, which begins with a section called Mordecai appeals to Esther. Chapter 4, verse 1. When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes,

and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. But he went only as far as the king's gate because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate. In every province to which the king's command an edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fast.

wept and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. Okay, so pause there. Remember, it said that when the edict went out, the people of Sousa were confused. So the leaders of this city made a decision and sent this edict out. And what do you think the state of the people were after this edict went out? And what do you think the emotional state of the Jews were? It says that they fasted and wept and lamented and lay in sackcloth and ashes.

So what can we learn about how they're feeling from their actions? Verse 4. When Esther's maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Then Esther summoned Hathic, one of the king's eunuchs appointed to her, and she dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what was troubling him and why. So Hathic went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of

the king's gate, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury in order to destroy the Jews. Mordecai also gave Hathic a copy of the written decree issued in Sousa for the destruction of the Jews to show and explain to Esther, urging her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead before him for her people. So Hathic went back and relayed Mordecai's response to Esther. Okay, so pause there. What do you think it means that Esther didn't even know about this edict? She had to learn about it by sending her eunuch to Mordecai to get the information. So even the queen didn't know that Xerxes had made this decree.

Verse 10. Then Esther spoke to Hathic and instructed him to tell Mordecai. All the royal officials in the people of the king's provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned. That he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter, may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past 30 days. When Esther's words were relayed to Mordecai, he sent back to her this reply. Do not imagine that because you are in the king's palace,

you alone will escape the fate of all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows, if perhaps you have come to this kingdom for such a time as this. Okay, so pause there. What is Mordecai saying here? What type of warning is he giving her? Esther sent a message saying,

I can't go before the king. He hasn't summoned me. and if I go and he hasn't summoned me, he may kill me. And Mordecai is saying, if you don't speak up now, God will still protect us, but you will not be protected. So Esther is in a position of power,

and she has the opportunity to use her power to try and save her people. So should she try? Should she risk her life to try and save her people. And what can this teach us about when and how to speak up when we are in positions of power and when we have the ability to listen to God and bring about positive change? Verse 15. Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai, Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day,

and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish. So Mordecai went and did all that Esther had instructed him. Okay, so pause there at the end of the chapter. Why did Esther request that all the Jews fast for three days and that she would fast as well? what does fasting do for their spiritual lives?

How does it keep them connected to God? And even though God is not mentioned in these chapters, how are we seeing Esther and Mordecai and the Jews follow God's laws throughout these chapters? Because when Mordecai chose not to bow down before Haman, what law of God did he not want to break? What law was he trying to uphold by refusing to bow down? And why is Esther willing to risk her life for this cause?

And how do you think Xerxes will react when she approaches him? Okay, so now we can start Esther chapter 5, which begins with a section called Esther approaches the king. Chapter 5 verse 1. On the third day, Esther put on her royal attire and stood in the inner court of the palace across from the king's quarters. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom, facing the entrance. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she found favor in his sight.

The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Okay, so pause there. What does it mean that the king extended his gold scepter to Esther? What would have happened if he did not extend his gold scepter? Is this a good sign for Esther? Verse 3. What is it, Queen Esther?

The king inquired. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you. If it pleases the king, Esther replied, May the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for the king. Hurry, commanded the king, and bring Haman so we can do as Esther has requested. Okay, so pause there. Why do you think Esther is inviting him to a banquet?

Why didn't she just ask him to save the Jews? What do you think she's planning? The next part of verse 5. So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared. and as they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, What is your petition? It will be given to you. What is your request, even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled?

Esther replied, this is my petition and my request. If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, may the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king's question. Okay, so pause there. Again, she doesn't answer his question. She invites him to another feast.

What do you think Esther is planning? The next section is Haman's plot against Mordecai. Verse nine, That day, Haman went out full of joy and glad of heart. At the king's gate, however, he saw Mordecai, who did not rise or tremble in fear at his presence. and Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home,

in calling for his friends and his wife Zeresh. Haman recounted to them his glorious wealth, his many sons in all the ways the king had honored and promoted him over the other officials and servants. What is more, Haman added, Queen Esther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she prepared, and I am invited back tomorrow along with the king. Yet, none of this satisfies me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

Okay, so pause there. Again, we see Mordecai refuse to bow down before Haman. Why is Mordecai standing firm in his conviction? And then what do we learn about Haman, about his character? He tells us, and he tells the people around him all that he has, but this one thing is what is causing him so much anger and strife. This one person, Mordecai. And we see Haman talking about and taking pride in the fact that he was invited to Esther's banquet.

So does this tell us anything about Esther's plan and whether it's working or not? Verse 14. His wife Zeresh, and all of the first of, his friends told him, have them build a gallows, 50 cubits high, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.

The advice pleased Haman, and he had the gallows constructed. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter five, so Haman is planning to kill Mordecai before the banquet. How is this a problem, for Esther and the plan that she has. Do you think Mordecai will be saved? Do you think he will be protected?

Okay, so now we can start Esther chapter 6, which begins with a section called Mordecai is honored. Verse 1. That night's sleep escaped the king. So he ordered the Book of Records, the Chronicles, to be brought in and read to him. And there it was, found recorded, that Mordecai had exposed Bithana and Turesh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the king's entrance,

when they had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. The king inquired, What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this act? Nothing has been done for him, replied the king's attendance. Who is in the court? The king asked. Now, Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to act, ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him. So the king's attendance answered him.

Haman is there standing in the court. Bring him in, ordered the king. Haman entered, and the king asked him, what should be done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor? Now, Haman thought to himself, whom would the king be delighted to honor more than me? Okay, so pause there. We have King Haman deciding to read the history of his reign,

and in that he discovers that Mordecai is the man who saved the king from being assassinated. Mordecai, the very man that Haman hates, the very man that Haman himself is trying to kill. So then Haman comes in, and the king says, what should we do for a man I really want to honor? And then, of course, what does Haman think? he thinks, well, the king wants to honor me.

So what does this tell us again about who Haman is? We've got some really good dramatic irony going on in this story where we know what's going on because we've seen all sides of what's going on. But the king doesn't know that Haman is trying to kill Mordecai. And Mordecai doesn't know that the king is trying to honor. Mordecai. So we have some really good tension building in this story. It makes it such an interesting and exciting book of the Bible to read through. Verse 7. And Haman told the king, For the man whom the king is delighted to honor, have them bring a royal robe that the king

himself has worn, and a horse on which the king himself has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Let the robe and the horse be entrusted to one of the king's most noble princes. Let them array the man the king wants to honor and parade him on the horse through the city square, proclaiming before him. This is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor. Okay, so pause there. Do you see the irony here again?

in Haman's mind, he is coming up with the greatest, most elaborate, most lavish ways that he can think of to honor someone. Because who does he think is going to be honored? But in reality, we, as the audience, know that the king is not planning to honor Haman, he's planning to honor whom. Verse 10, Hurry, said the king to Haman, and do just as you proposed, take the robe, and the horse, to Mordecai, the Jew who is sitting at the king's gate, do not neglect anything that you have suggested. So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai, and paraded him through the city square, crying out before him,

this is what is done for the man whom the king is delighted to honor. Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate, but Haman rushed home with his head covered in grief. Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened. His advisors and his wife Zuresh said to him, since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has begun, is Jewish. You will not prevail against him, for surely you will fall before him.

While they were still speaking with Haman, the king's eunuchs arrived and rushed him to the banquet that Esther had prepared. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 6. Are you surprised that when the king told Haman, go honor Mordecai, that he did it? Did you think that he was going to betray the king and kill Mordecai instead? How are we seeing God protect Mordecai in this story and protect his people? and then Haman's wife and all of his friends who at once told them, yes, go kill Mordecai, have now flipped their thinking.

And now they're saying, leave Mordecai alone, because he's Jewish, you will not prevail against him. You will fall before him. What do they see now about Mordecai that they didn't understand before? Okay, so now we can start Esther Chapter 7, which begins with a section called Esther, pleads for her people. Chapter 7 verse 1. So the king and Haman went to dine with Esther, the queen, and as they drank their wine on that second day, the king asked once more, Queen Esther, what is your petition?

It will be given to you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be fulfilled. Queen Esther replied, if I have found favor in your sight, O King, and if it pleases the King, grant me my life as my petition and the lives of my people as my request.

For my people and I have been sold out to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we have merely been sold as men-servants and maiden servants, I would have remained silent, because no such distress would justify burdening the king. Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, Who is this? And where is the one who would devise such a scheme? Esther replied,

The adversary and enemy is this wicked man, Haman. And Haman stood in terror before the king and queen. Okay, so pause there. What do you think is going through King Xerxes? mind. His right-hand man, the man in whom he confided, the man he thought he could trust, is the very man who is trying to kill all the people of God. What do you think is going through King Xerxes's mind? The next section is the hanging of Haman. In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther

for his life, for he realized that the king was planning a terrible fate for him. 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, Would he actually assault the queen? While I am in the palace. As soon as the words had left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs,

attending the king said, There is a gallows, 50 cubits high at Haman's house. He had it built from Mordecai who gave the report that saved the king. Hang him on it, declared the king. So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.

Then the fury of the king subsided. Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 7. Do you see the irony in this story? the very gallows that Haman had built to kill Mordecai became his very punishment. And how did Queen Esther's plan turn out? How did she use her power and influence to expose Haman and bring about justice for Mordecai? Okay, so now we can start Esther Chapter 8, which begins with a section called Esther Appeals for the Jews. Chapter 8, verse 1.

That same day, King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, and Mordecai entered the king's presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her. The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai, and Esther appointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman, and once again, Esther addressed the king. She fell at his feet, weeping, and begged him to revoke the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. The king extended the gold scepter toward Esther, and she arose and stood before the king. If it pleases the king, she said,

And if I have found favor in his sight and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letter. that the scheming Haman, son of Hamadatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces. For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred? Okay, so pause there at the end of that section. Not only was Mordecai brought to justice, but now he is the very one who is over the estate of Haman.

His enemy has been destroyed, and now he has gained what his enemy had. What do you think about that? What does that teach us about how God can work in our lives? We may not see justice like that here on earth, but how does God provide for us? How does God show us justice? And then eternally, how will we see justice? how will we see the gifts of God in eternity?

And if God had not placed Esther in the position of Queen, what would have happened to the Jews? If any other woman had been chosen by Xerxes, if a woman who was not of Jewish descent had been chosen by Xerxes, what would have happened to God's people? So how do we see God at work in this story, even if his name isn't mentioned? The next section is the decree of Xerxes, verse 7.

So King Xerxes said to Esther the queen and Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Haman's estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews. Now you may write in the king's name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring, cannot be revoked. At once, the royal scribes were summoned, and on the 23rd day of the third month,

the month of Savon, they recorded all of Mordecai's orders to the Jews and to the Satrap's governors and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Kush, writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mayors. By these letters, the king permitted the Jews in each and every city, the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province hostile to them, including women and children, and to plunder their possessions.

The single day appointed throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was the 13th day of the 12th month, the month of Adder. Copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. The couriers rode out in haste on their royal horses pressed on by the command of the king, and the edict was also issued in the citadel of Sousa.

Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in the royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Sousa shouted and rejoiced. For the Jews, it was a time of light and gladness of joy and honor. In every province and every city, wherever the king's edict and decree reached, There was joy and gladness among the Jews with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

Okay, so pause there at the end of chapter 8. Why did Xerxes send out this edict that the Jews should not be harmed and that they are allowed to protect themselves against their enemies? Xerxes himself is not a Jew. He is not a follower of the God of Israel, but he was in power over the Jews. But even though he did not follow the same God as them, even though he did not believe the same things as them, why was it important for him to protect them? Why did he still want to give them this power to protect themselves? And then it says at the end of this chapter that many people of the land, people who were not followers of the God of Israel, converted to Judaism during this time. And it says they did that because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

What do you think that means? And why do you think people converted to the ways of Judaism while this was going on? And why is it important to hear verses like that where we see other people convert to Judaism and other people. convert to following God. Why is it important to know that people had the ability to do that? Okay, so now we can start Esther, Chapter 9, which begins with a section called the Jews destroy their enemies. Chapter 9, verse 1. On the 13th day of the 12th month, the month of Adder, the king's command and edict were to be executed. On this day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but their plan was overturned, and the Jews overpowered those who hated them.

In each of the provinces of King Xerxes, the Jews assembled in their cities to attack those who sought to harm them. No man could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen upon all peoples. In all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king's administrators helped the Jews because the fear of more people's. Mordecai had fallen upon them. For Mordecai exercised great power in the palace, and his fame spread. Throughout the provinces as he became more and more powerful. The Jews put all their enemies to the sword killing and destroying them,

and they did as they pleased to those who hated them. In the citadel of Soussa, the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, including Parshandatha, dolphin, osphabas, Paratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmahtha, Arasai, Aradai, and Visitha. They killed these ten sons of Haman, son of Hamadatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. The next section is Hamon's sons hanged. Verse 11. On that day, the number of those killed killed in the citadel of Sousa was reported to the king, who said to Queen Esther, In the citadel of Sousa, the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men, including Haman's 10 sons.

What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what further do you request it will be fulfilled? Esther replied, If it pleases the king, May the Jews in Sousa also have tomorrow to carry out today's edict

and may the bodies of Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows. So the king commanded that this be done an edict was issued in Sousa and they hanged the ten sons of Haman. On the 14th day of the month of Otter, the Jews in Sousa came together again and put to death 300 men there,

but they did not lay a hand. on the plunder. The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces also assembled to defend themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. This was done on the 13th day of the month of Adder, and on the 14th day they rested, making it a day of feasting and joy. Okay, so pause there at the end of that section. Why were there all of these people, these enemies, trying to kill the Jews? If Queen Esther interfered on behalf of the Jews and got King Xerxes to sign this edict,

why were there still a bunch of enemies that they needed to fight? Remember that Haman had decreed that on this day, this specific day, anyone could come and kill the Jewish people. and King Xerxes had signed that edict. So King Xerxes could not take that edict away because he had already signed it. So to give the Jews a fighting chance, Queen Esther went on their behalf and interceded, and Xerxes signed a new edict

that gave the Jews permission to fight back. And so when everybody showed up thinking that they were going to kill the Jewish people, they showed up, and instead, they were met with people ready to fight back and defend themselves. So what do you think about how they're handling this situation and everything that's going on? And why do you think that it keeps saying that the Jews defeated these people trying to kill them, but they did not touch the plunder? Why do you think they left all those belongings and didn't touch the plunder. The next section is the Feast of Purim instituted.

Verse 18. The Jews in Sousa, however, had assembled on the 13th and the 14th days of the month. So they rested on the 15th day, making it a day of feasting and joy. This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the 14th day of the month of Adder as a day of joy and feasting. It is a holiday for sending gifts to one another. Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews and all the provinces of King Xerxes, both near and far, to establish among them an annual celebration on the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adder,

as the days on which the Jews gained rest from their enemies in the month, in which their sorrow turned to joy and their mourning into a holiday. He wrote that these were to be days of feasting and joy of sending gifts to one another and to the poor. So the Jews agreed to continue the custom they had started as Mordecai had written to them. For Haman, son of Hamadatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the purr, that is the lot, to crush and destroy them. But when it came before the king, he commanded, by letter, that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head,

and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Therefore, these days are called Purim, from the word pure, because of all the instructions in this letter, and because of all they had seen and experienced, the Jews bound themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them, should not fail to celebrate these two days at the appointed time each and every year according to their regulation. These days should be remembered and celebrated by every generation, family, province, and city,

so that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, nor should the memory of them fade from their descendants. So, Queen Esther, daughter of Abihile, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm the second letter concerning Purim, and Mordecai sent letters with words of peace and truth to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the Kingdom of Xerxes in order to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, just as Mordecai, the Jew and Queen Esther had established them, and had committed themselves and their descendants to the times of fasting and lamentation.

So Esther's decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, which were written into the record. Okay, so pause there at the end of Chapter 9. What do you think about this festival? Why is it so important to the Jews that they remember this event and celebrate it? Okay, so now we can start Esther chapter 10, which is a very short, just a few verses to finish up the book of Esther. So Esther chapter 10, which begins with a section called tribute to Xerxes and Mordecai, Chapter 10, verse 1. Now King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the land, even to its farthest shores.

And all of the accounts of Mordecai's powerful and magnificent accomplishments together with the full account of the greatness to which the king had raised him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Medea and Persia? for Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen. Okay, so pause there at the end of Esther. I really want you to reflect on this story. So much happens in the book of Esther, and it really is a complete, vivid story with

distinct characters, a distinct plot, heroes and villains and kings and queens, and people being brought to justice. There's so much in this short little book of Esther. So I want you to think first about the characters. Think about Queen Esther, who she was at the beginning of the book, what happened to her throughout the book, and where she ended up. And then think about King Zerkerker. who he was at the beginning of the book, what we saw happened to him throughout the story and where he ended up. And then think about Mordecai, this faithful man who stayed true to God. Think about what was going on with him at the beginning of the book when he gave Esther

away to be possibly chosen as queen, what happened to him throughout the story with Haman, and then where he ended up at the end of the story, being really, raised to greatness by King Xerxes and being preeminent among the Jews. And then think about our villain, Haman, what he did, what sins did he commit, and what happened to him throughout the story. And how did his story end? How did you see Esther and Mordecai stay true to God throughout this story? Why did King Xerxes agree to save?

the people of a God he didn't even believe in himself? Why did he have compassion for these people who were different from him? And then I want to go back to a question I asked at the beginning of this book. This is a book of the Bible that does not mention the name of God. We don't see any of the people throughout this book seek godly counsel or speak with God or spend time in prayer. Whereas in other books of the Bible we read, we see God speak directly to Moses or Abraham. We see God speak through the prophets.

We see God speak through prayer. We see God speak through wise counsel. But here we have a book of the Bible that doesn't mention any of those things. So where did you see God show up, even though the name of God was not mentioned throughout this book? Was this story part of God's plan? Did God put Esther in the position of Queen, knowing that she would have the ability to save the Jewish people? How do we see God, see the evidence of God,

see the evidence of how he's working in our lives, even when we forget to pray? Or maybe when we don't feel his presence as much, How do we still know that he's there? How do we know that he is with us? How do we know that he's protecting us? Even when we don't hear his name sometimes or even when we may not feel his presence as strongly

as we do other times in our lives. That's a lot to think about in one small book of the Bible, but I think the story of Esther really gives us a lot to sit with. And so I hope that you enjoy listening today I hope that you are able to learn something new. I hope that you are able to feel closer with God through His Word. Thank you so much for listening and for taking time to meditate on God's Word. I look forward to next time and we're going to start the book of Job,

which is another very interesting book in the Old Testament. And so I look forward to seeing what God is going to teach us through Job. So thank you for listening and I will talk to you in the next. next one.