Good morning and welcome to the next book in the Bible – Esther. Today, we will read the first five chapters.
In the first half of this story, we will see how hatred can manifest itself against a nation. We will also learn some personal attributes which made Esther the hero she is.
We can all show these noble traits if we seek God as she did.
Influential
According to the BibleHub.org, a website I use for commentaries, Esther is the ninth most influential woman in the Bible.(1) This may not sound very significant, but it is one place ahead of the Virgin Mary. The mother of our Lord Jesus.
What makes Esther so influential? We will look at several of these attributes and actions between today and tomorrow.
Preservation
The first is her pivotal role in preserving the Jewish people.
In history, there have been several attempts to annihilate the Jewish people.
The most obvious and famous, or infamous, would be Adolf Hitler.
History does not record any direct mention that the book of Esther influenced Hilter. However, there are some strong links.
He was familiar with some antisemitic tracts like the Protocols and Elders of Zion, which were popular in Germany. His vehemence toward the Jewish race parallels that of Haman. His actions are also very similar.
Both men exploit their power to remove God’s people. It is their hatred that fuels their actions and brings their demise.
The second most notorious person who wanted to destroy the Jewish race was Haman.
His personal animosity toward Mordecai caused him to issue and edict through the Persian empire to kill every Jewish person.
He did this without being aware that Esther belonged to this group.
A Supreme Job Opening
Meanwhile, King Xerxes had a falling out with his wife, Queen Vashti (v1:19). His solution was to replace her. Esther was the lucky girl who won the king’s affections.
He issued an edict, what today would be an executive order, to prevent all the wives throughout his kingdom from disrespecting their husbands. This document made every man the ruler of his household.
God had already assigned this authority in Gen 3:16. To the woman, he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain, you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” (NIV)
The king became quite fond of Esther. She was beautiful (v2:9). He will give her anything she asked for (v5:3).
Meanwhile, Mordecai upset Haman because he would not kneel before him. This was a sign of worship. We are not to worship anyone other than God (Deut. 6:13).
Therefore, Haman devises a plan to have a gallows made to hang Mordecai on. In the NIV, it describes it as a pole on which to impale him.
Finding Her Purpose
Though much of the action in these verses was between Mordecai and Haman, Esther takes center stage.
She has access to the king. No one guaranteed this. If she approached king Xerxes uninvited, he could have her killed.
Her bravery and courage to even risk her life were notable in verse 4:16. With the famous words, “If I perish, I perish”, she gains his audience.
If she had just asked the king, it would have created a conflict. His word was everything, and his officials had convinced him to issue the edict from Haman. To go back on it would damage his credibility.
Her Wisdom
She needed to create a way for King Xerxes to understand she would be at risk, because she was a Jew.
Her strategic thinking enabled her to expose Haman. I prefer thinking of the apparatus as gallows, not a pole, because she gave Haman enough rope to hang himself.
Obedience and Faith
This required her unwavering faith that God would save her people. She trusted Him for their deliverance.
Her obedience to her uncle Mordecai provides a great example to people across centuries.
We can also learn from her humility. Even though she was queen and chosen from all the concubines, she knew this would not protect her or her people.
Because of these actions, she has left a legacy. Jewish people still celebrate the story of Purim, which recalls her heroics.
Hate Continues
Today there are counties throughout the middle east which want Israel and the Jewish people annihilated again. Satan knows that God’s salvation and deliverance comes through the nation of Israel.
Therefore, he continues to attack her. If he could eliminate the people, he feels the ending may change.
It will not. God will complete His plan, which we will learn more about in coming books.
Tomorrow we will see how this story of Esther concludes when we read chapters 5-10.
https://biblehub.com/top10/most_influential_women_in_the_bible.htm