The Study of Esther

Today, we continue our journey through the Bible with today’s study of Esther. May God show us what He wants us to learn? Psalm 19:14; “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.”

As we study the Bible alone or in a group setting, there are several questions we can ask ourselves to help us dig deeper. The five questions are as follows:

1. What does the scripture say about God?
2. Then what does the scripture say about me?
3. Does something in this passage challenge me?
4. What gives me hope in this passage?
5. Is anything unclear to me?

I hope these questions help you as much as they help me.

Esther

• Author: Unknown. Possibly Mordecai (9:29). Some have suggested Ezra or Nehemiah because of the similarity of the writing style.
• Audience: The people of Israel.
• Date Written: Approximately 470 B.C. (Esther became queen in 479).
• Length: 10 Chapters
• Key Words: Banquet and victory
• Key Verses: “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 family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14)
• Key People:  Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes I, Haman

Summary of Esther:

The most obvious question raised by Esther comes from the fact that God is not mentioned, as in Song of Songs. Nor does the writer or any player in the story refer to the law of God, the Jewish sacrifices, worship, or prayer. So why would God never be mentioned when Xerxes receives over 175 references? Since God’s sovereignty succeeded in saving the Jews, why does He then not receive appropriate recognition?

Some of the following suggestions provide possible answers to these questions.

• Matthew Henry says, “If the name of God is not here, His finger is.”
• The Talmud Study Book suggests that God had hidden His face from Israel because of their sins, so He is not mentioned.
• It has also been implied that Esther is an extract from official court documents of the Persian courts.

Sections of the Book:

The book of Esther has three sections which are:

1. The Feast of Ahasuerus (Chap 1-2:18)
2. Esther’s Feast (Chap 2:19-7)
3. The Feast of Purim (Chap 8-10)

Messages in Esther:

Although Esther does not mention God specifically, His sovereign protection over His people remains apparent throughout the book. God placed Esther in a vital position to impede Haman’s plan to destroy the Jews. Esther typifies Christ in her willingness to lay down her life to save her people. Esther also represents the position of Christ as Israel’s advocate. In all these events, God declares His love for Israel in His constant watch over the Jews: “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber hot sleep” (Ps 121:4). 

We also see God’s characteristics displayed in the following ways in the book:

1. Provident – 8:5-17

Final thoughts:

We can learn many lessons from Esther that we can apply to our lives today. Here are several of them:

• God uses ordinary people to complete His works
• He places people in our lives to guide us spiritually
• God can turn trials into blessings
• Our prayers matter
• He gives us the courage to do anything/everything
• God remains faithful 
• Pride will bring our downfall

All Lessons from the Bible

Each book of the Bible contains lessons for us to learn and historical information. We must study God’s Word to see what to do and what not to do in life. Paul reminds us of the importance of the words within the text in 2 Timothy 3.

2 Timothy 3:14-17; “14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Prayer