Esther Bible study

Theme Verse

"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." (2:17)

Goal

God introduces the two people whom will be His agents in effecting His work.

What's Going on Here?

In accord with his decree, Xerxes, upon the advice of personal attendants, begins a search for one better than Vashti. Esther, a Judahite, is captured by Xerxes' decree but she in turn captures the favor of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of this affair. Furthermore, following the advice of Hegai, Esther captures the favor of Xerxes. Sh is declared the queen by the smitten Xerxes.

As those events unfolded, Mordecai, Esther's cousin, discovered an assassination plot against Xerxes. Though Esther informed the king, she credited Mordecai with the rescue. This specific event was recorded

in the book of the annals.

Searching the Scriptures

· Throughout Scripture, but primarily in the Old Testament, genealogies are recorded (e.g., Genesis 5). Besides adding a depth of character to Mordecai, what possible reason is there for tracing his family lineage? Read 1 Samuel 9:1 and 2 Samuel 16:5-14.

· After an initial reading of Esther, one questions why God is not overtly mentioned. One possible conclusion reached is to emphasize His working through the quite ordinary events of life. For what purpose might Esther's identity be concealed? How does this resonate with the hiddenness of God in the narrative?

· Why might the narrator spend so much time on the detail of the beauty treatments? By what means is Xerxes encouraged to decide who will replace Vashti?

· In the isagogical commentary the repetition of certain events within the narrative of Esther was noted. Read the following passages from the story of Esther and the Jacob cycle in Genesis. What is the similarity in each passage? What does the overall pattern of similarity suggests?

Esther

Jacob

2:5-6

37:1-2

________________________________________________

2:7

39:6-7

________________________________________________

2:8-9

39:3-4; 39:21 (43:5) ________________________________________________

2:9

(39:6;43:4)

________________________________________________

2:10

42:8

________________________________________________

2:17-18

39:23; 41:40 (39:5)

________________________________________________

2:21

40:1-3

________________________________________________

2:23

40:22

________________________________________________

4:4-5

45:2

________________________________________________

4:14

45:8-11

________________________________________________

7:3

45:1

________________________________________________

45:18-20

________________________________________________

· What led to the original confrontation between Xerxes and Vashti? By what standard does Xerxes judge Esther as the replacement for Vashti?

· Because the narrative of Esther flows so cleanly, it seems appropriate to ask additional questions about the narrator. Does the narrator supply us with any additional information about himself? Has his perspective

changed? What does the narrator wish us to see?

· What new characters are introduced? What kind of characters are they (round [fully described], type [single trait], or agent [a foil for the plot]?

The Word for us

· "Beauty is altogether in the eyes of the beholder (Lew Wallace, The Prince of India, book 3 chapter 6). What counsel does Scripture provide when considering beauty? Read the following passages.

· Proverbs 7:6-23

· Proverbs 31:30

· Isaiah 53:2

· 1 Peter 3:3-5

· For what purpose was God using Esther's beauty? For what purpose is God employing our temporal positions and accomplishments?

· Although loyalty to an earthly government is not the primary theme in Esther, Mordecai's allegiance to Xerxes' reign has ramifications for us. How do Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17 remind us of those responsibilities? What does God wish to accomplish through temporal governance, even if it is discharged through an autocrat?

Closing

Session 3