ESTHER: The Beauty and The Beast
TLC/SM Spring Study 1999
Session 7
The Institution of Purim (9) & Mordecai's Greatness (10)
Theme Verses
"These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Judahites, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants." Esther 9:28
"Mordecai the Judahite was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Judahites, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Judahites, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Judahites." Esther 10:3
Goal
Out of apparent catastrophe the LORD rescues His people and makes them victors.
What's Going on Here?
On the day appointed by both edicts, the Judahites assembled in the towns and provinces of the kingdom to slay all who sought their destruction and, being supported by the royal officials, inflicted a great defeat upon their enemies. At the queen's desire, the king granted permission to the Judahites to fight against their enemies on the following day also, while in the other towns and districts of the kingdom they fought for their lives only on the 13th of Adar; so that in these places they rested on the 14th, but in Susa not until the 15th. Consequently the feasting was for the former on the 14th but for the latter on the 15th. The observance of this day of resting as a festival, under the name of Purim, by all the Judahites in the Persian monarchy, was then instituted by Esther and Mordecai.
Searching the Scriptures
· There seems to be very few allusions to the rest of Scripture in Esther; the study has explored the practice of fasting in Esther and Scripture, and has sought to develop the apparent connection between Agag (1 Samuel 15) and Haman (see next question also). Besides those historical links, what threads from the rest of Scripture appear in Esther, and how does chapter 9 depict God's faithfulness to His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3?
· To note the link between Agag and Haman is to state more than a historical allusion or connection; it is assumed a theological thread binds Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite and Agag king of the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15). Compare the characters, events, and themes of the 1 Samuel 15 and Esther.
1 Samuel 15EstherAuthority
Who is given it?__________________________________________
__________________________________________How is it to be used? __________________________________________
__________________________________________Was it employedproperly? __________________________________________
__________________________________________What was the consequence of its use?__________________________________________
__________________________________________Plunder
What is theplunder?__________________________________________
__________________________________________Why was it not destroyed /taken?__________________________________________
__________________________________________The Enemy
Who was the enemy?__________________________________________
__________________________________________What happened to the enemy?__________________________________________
__________________________________________· What conclusions might we draw because of these parallels?
· What rest did the Judahites enjoy on the 14th / 15th day? How might this rest be related to the rest of 1 Kings 5:4? For what reason did the Judahites remember Purim? Why might the author have supplied the great detail as to how Purim was instituted?
· What significance would the record of Esther have for the believer before the Messiah appeared? In what way, then, is the elevation of Mordecai a fitting conclusion to the book?
The Word for us
· The primary question for us is "How do we fit into the flow of Esther?" If we participate in the events at all, the narrative must be seen as anticipating the work of Christ Jesus. How can this be seen in Esther 9? To do so, consider the following questions.
· Who are the Hamans of today and what battles do we face? Read Ephesians 6:10-18.
· How, or in whom, do we overcome? Read Romans 8:28-39 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-57.
· What feast do we anticipate (Matthew 8:11)? How do we participate in that now (John 6)?
· What determines if the Church / a congregation should celebrate a certain day? What in the church calendar corresponds to Purim? Read Colossians 2:16-17 and Hebrews 10:1.
· How are we given rest as Christians? At what time will we enjoy this rest? Read Matthew 11:28 and Hebrews 4:1-11.
· Read Revelation 2:26-28. How might it be said that Christians are elevated as Mordecai was?
Closing
