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| ESTHER - THE DELIVERANCE ESTHER IS CALLED THE BOOK OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. HER HEBREW NAME WAS "HADASSAH" DERIVED FROM THE MYRTLE TREE, WHICH MEANS BEAUTY. HER PERSIAN NAME WAS "ISHTAR" OR "VENUS," MEANING BEAUTIFUL. HER NAME IN THE GREEK IS "STAR," MEANING BRIGHT. ESTHER IS AN ACCOUNT OF THE JEWS WHO CHOSE TO REMAIN IN PERSIA AFTER CYRUS GAVE THEM THEIR FREEDOM TO RETURN TO JERUSALEM (EZRA 1:1-14). IT SHOULD BE READ BETWEEN CHAPTERS SIX AND SEVEN OF EZRA, LINKING THE EVENTS IN ESTHER NOT ONLY WITH THE BOOK OF EZRA, BUT ALSO THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. THIS BOOK DEMONSTRATES GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY AND HIS LOVING CARE FOR HIS PEOPLE. THE AUTHOR IS UNKNOWN, BUT IS BELIEVED TO POSSIBLY BE MORDECAI, ALTHOUGH SOME HAVE SUGGESTED EZRA OR NEHEMIAH BECAUSE OF THE SIMILIARITY OF THE WRITING STYLE. IT WAS WRITTEN APPROXIMATELY AROUND 470 BC (ESTHER BECAME QUEEN IN 479BC). ALTHOUGH ESTHER FOLLOWS NEHEMAIH IN THE BIBLE, ITS EVENTS ARE ABOUT 30 YEARS PRIOR TO THOSE RECORDED IN NEHEMIAH. THE STORY IS SET IN THE PERSIAN EMPIRE, AND MOST OF THE ACTION TAKES PLACE IN THE KING'S PALACE IN SUSA, THE PERSIAN CAPITAL. THE KEY PEOPLE INVOLVED ARE ESTHER, MORDECAI, KING XERXES I, AND HAMAN. ESTHER IS ONE OF ONLY TWO BOOKS NAMED FOR WOMEN(RUTH IS THE OTHER). THE BOOK IS UNUSUAL IN THAT IN THE ORIGINAL VERSION NO NAME, TITLE, OR PRONOUN FOR GOD APPEARS IN IT. THIS CAUSED SOME CHURCH FATHERS TO QUESTION ITS INCLUSION IN THE CANON. BUT GOD'S PRESENCE IS CLEAR THROUGHOUT THE BOOK. KEY VERSE: "FOR IF THOU ALTOGETHER HOLDEST THY PEACE AT THIS TIME, THEN SHALL THERE ENLARGEMENT AND DELIVERANCE ARISE TO THE JEWS FROM ANOTHER PLACE, BUT THOU AND THY FATHER'S HOUSE SHALL BE DESTROYED; AND WHO KNOWETH WHETHER THOU ART COME TO THE KINGDOM FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS?" ESTHER 4:14 THIS IS A DRAMA OF POWER, ROMANCE AND INTRIQUE, BUT FAR FROM A MODERN PIECE OF FICTION, THOSE WORDS DESCRIBE A TRUE STORY, LIVED AND WRITTEN CENTURIES AGO. IT BEGINS WITH QUEEN VASHTI REFUSING TO OBEY AND ORDER FROM HER HUSBAND, KING XERXES. SHE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY BANISHED, AND THE SEARCH BEGAN FOR A NEW QUEEN. THE KING SENT OUT A DECREE TO GATHER TOGETHER ALL THE BEAUTIFUL JEWISH WOMEN IN THE EMPIRE AND BRING THEM INTO THE ROYAL HAREM. ESTHER, A YOUNG JEWISH WOMAN, WAS ONE OF THOSE CHOSEN TO BE IN THE ROYAL HAREM. KING XERXES WAS SO PLEASED WITH ESTHER THAT HE MADE HER HIS QUEEN. MEANWHILE, MORDECAI, ESTHER'S OLDER COUSIN, BECAME A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL AND DURING HIS TENURE PREVENTED AN ASSASSINATION PLOT. BUT THE AMBITIOUS AND SELF-SERVING HAMAN WAS APPOINTED SECOND IN COMMAND IN THE EMPIRE. WHEN MORDECAI REFUSED TO BOW IN REVERENCE TO HIM, HAMAN BECAME FURIOUS AND DETERMINED TO DESTROY MORDECAI AND ALL THE JEWS ALONG WITH HIM. TO ACCOMPLISH HIS VENGEFUL DEED, HAMAN DECEIVED THE KING AND PERSUADED HIM TO ISSUE AN PROCLAMATION CONDEMNING THE JEWS TO DEATH. MORDECAI TOLD QUEEN ESTHER ABOUT THIS, AND SHE DECIDED TO RISK HER LIFE TO SAVE HER PEOPLE. ESTHER ASKED KING XERXES AND HAMAN TO BE HER GUESTS AT A BANQUET. DURING THE FEAST, THE KING ASKED ESTHER WHAT SHE REALLY WANTED, AND HE PROMISED TO GIVE HER ANYTHING. ESTHER SIMPLY INVITED BOTH MEN TO ANOTHER BANQUET THE NEXT DAY. THAT NIGHT UNABLE TO SLEEP, THE KING WAS FLIPPING THROUGH SOME RECORDS IN THE ROYAL ARCHIVES WHEN HE READ OF THE ASSASSINATION PLOT THAT MORDECAI HAD PREVENTED. SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT MORDECAI HAD NEVER BEEN REWARDED FOR THIS DEED, THE KING ASKED HAMAN WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO PROPERLY THANK A HERO. HAMAN THOUGHT THE KING MUST BE TALKING ABOUT HIM, AND SO HE DESCRIBED A LAVISH REWARD. THE KING AGREED, BUT TO HAMAN'S SHOCK AND UTTER HUMILIATION, HE LEARNED THAT MORDECAI WAS THE PERSON TO BE SO HONORED. DURING THE SECOND BANQUET, THE KING AGAIN ASKED ESTHER WHAT SHE DESIRED. SHE REPLIED THAT SOMEONE HAD PLOTTED TO DESTROY HER AND HER PEOPLE, AND SHE NAMED HAMAN AS THE CULPRIT. IMMEDIATELY THE KING SENTENCED HAMAN TO DIE ON THE GALLOWS THAT HE HAD BUILT FOR MORDECAI. IN THE FINAL ACT OF THIS TRUE-LIFE DRAMA, MORDECAI WAS APPOINTED TO HAMAN'S POSITION, AND JEWS WERE GUARANTEED PROTECTION THROUGHOUT THE LAND. TO CELEBRATE THIS HISTORIC OCCASION, THE FESTIVAL OF PURIM WAS ESTABLISHED. BECAUSE OF QUEEN ESTHER'S COURAGEOUS ACT, A WHOLE NATION WAS SAVED. SEEING HER GOD-GIVEN OPPORTUNITY, SHE SEIZED IT! HER LIFE MADE A DIFFERENCE. |
| SONG: ' OPEN MY EYES' Sequenced and permission given |
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| (THIS BOOK CAN BE CALLED THE "ROMANS 8:28 OF THE OLD TESTAMENT".........AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.....) THE DELIVERANCE In the Bible we are told Of a woman oh so bold. She trusted in the one she knew Who would lead her in what to do. An injustice was close at hand, And she was cousin to the man. The one who had intervened, To stop this act and save the scene. There also was an evil man Who had his own plot at hand To fool the King, and be rewarded For an act someone else had thwarted. Haman sought to destroy the Jews And use any method he chose to use, But there was one that made a gesture She was chosen, and her name was Esther. The Queen to Xerxes had been dethroned And the King chose Esther for his own. She was advised by Mordecai That Haman wanted all the Jews to die. So Esther invited Haman and Xerxes to dine All the while having an alternative in mind. The king then asked what did she wish So she invited Him and Haman for another dish. Knowing full well that the King would explore, And find out all about the plans to destroy. That Haman had named the guilty as Mordecai, Expecting a huge reward for this act to apply. But instead as they met again to dine Esther advised the King that Haman should die That it was he who had plotted against him, So Haman's reward was death, not some great gem. Esther's wisdom and willingness to obey Saved her nation and Mordecai that day. Be like Esther and stay in God's sway And your great reward will come on judgement day. Poem by Shirley Barr Story of Esther: References used; Halley's Bible Handbook and KJV Bible April 5, 2005 |
