ESTHER
TOP 10 SIGNS YOU MAY NOT BE
READING YOUR BIBLE ENOUGH
--4 Catching the kids reading the
Song of Solomon, you demand:
"Who gave you this stuff?"
--3 You think the minor prophets
worked in the quarries.
--2 You keep falling for it every time
when pastor tells you to turn to First
Condominiums.
ESTHER
CHALLENGE:
If you were one of
the church fathers
tasked to assess the
canonicity of the
book of Esther, what
are some issues that
might hinder your
canonizing this book?
2. Title
a. One of two books in the Bible named
after a woman.
b. The name Esther is Persian, and means
‘star’; not found elsewhere in the Bible.
c. Her Hebrew name was Hadassah (2:7) Myrtle
5) SETTING
5) SETTING: Susa
SETTING:
Xerxes I
/Ahasueras
SETTING: Jewish Exiles
2) Purpose & Theme
a) General Purpose and Theme
i) God’s sovereignty and faithfulness
(despite His being hidden) in protecting
His people from being annihilated as a
race.
2b) Other Themes
i) Providence: For
such a time as this
(4:14)
Literary Genre: Conflicting
Historical Facts
iii) The Coincidences
(1) Makes the story looks more like a literary invention
than a historical reporting.
• By 'chance' she was born with exceeding beauty
• By 'chance' her parents were killed while she was young
•
leaving her to be taken in by her cousin.
By 'chance' the Queen was disposed by the rash decision
of a King.
By 'chance' the King was left feeling alone.
•
• By 'chance' Esther was carted off to the palace to
become part of the Kingís harem.
• So begins the story of Esther, a story that reveals that
all of life is under God's command.
2b) Other Themes
i) Providence: For such a time as this (4:14)
ii) Feast of Purim (9:28)
(1)Purim derived from Assyrian puru meaning ‘lot’ (9:24)
referring to the lots cast by Haman to determine the day
decreed for the Jewish annihilation.
(2)One possible reason for the book was written to
authenticate the origin of the Feast of Purim (celebrated in
the month of Adar in February/March).
(a)“These days should be remembered and kept
throughout every generation in every family, province,
and city; and these days of Purim should never fall into
disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration
of these days cease among their descendents (Esther
9:28).
Purim Today
The primary commandment related to Purim
is to hear the reading of the book of Esther. It
is customary to boo, hiss, stamp feet and
rattle gragers (noisemakers) whenever the
name of Haman is mentioned in the service.
The purpose of this custom is to "blot out the
name of Haman."
Purim Today
Jews are also commanded to
eat, drink and be merry.
According to the Talmud, a
person is required to drink until
he cannot tell the difference
between "cursed be Haman"
and "blessed be Mordecai,"
though opinions differ as to
exactly how drunk that is.
Purim Today
It is customary to hold
carnival-like celebrations
on Purim, to perform
plays and parodies, and
to hold beauty contests.
People often wear
masks.
Masquerading
Dressing up in masks and costumes is one of the most entertaining customs of
the Purim holiday. Children in particular enjoy dressing up as the
protagonists in the Book of Esther, including Queen Esther and Mordecai.
Costumes and masks are worn to disguise the wearers' identities. Mistaken
identity plays an important role in The Book of Esther, as Esther hid her
cultural origins from the king, Mordecai hid his knowledge of all the world's
languages, and Haman was mistaken for Mordecai when he led Mordecai
through the streets of the capital city.
The one who is truly hidden behind all the events of the Megillah is God. The
Jewish Sages referred to His role as ‫( הסתר פנים‬hester panim, or "hiding of
the Face", which is also hinted at in the Hebrew name for the Book of
Esther, Megillat Esther—literally, "revelation of [that which is] hidden").
Purim Today
In addition, Jews are
commanded to send out gifts of
food or drink, and to make gifts
to charity. A common treat at
this time of year is
hamentaschen (lit. Haman's
pockets or ears). These
triangular fruit-filled cookies are
supposed to represent Haman's
three-cornered hat or his
triangular shaped ears.
8. Points of interest
a. Canonical Location
i. Placed last of 5 scrolls in Hebrew
Canon: Ruth, Song of Songs,
Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther.
8. Points of interest
ii) There are several similarities with the
Joseph story in the book of Genesis
(2:3-4, 9, 21-23; 3:4; 4:14; 6:1, 8, 14; 8:6).
B) Things that are not mentioned in the
book of Esther:
a)
b)
c)
The name of the Lord.
Prayer.
Things that were normally of interest to the
Jews...
9) Structure & Organization
a) 1:1—2:23 The Rise of Esther
b) 3:1—3:15 Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews.
c) 4:1—9:19 Esther’s Intervention
i) 4:1—17 Mordecai Persuaded Esther to Intervene
ii)
5:1—5: 8 Esther Risked Intervention
iii)
5:9—5:14 Haman’s Presumptions of
Honor and Plans to Exterminate
Mordecai
iv)
6:1-14 Mordecai Honored
v)
7:1-10 Haman Exterminated
vi) 8:1—9:19 The Jews Delivered
d) 9:20–32 The Feast of Purim Established
e) 10:1–3 The Resulting Stature of Mordecai
3) OUTLINE
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
1:1—2:23 The Rise of Esther
3:1—3:15 Haman’s Plot to Destroy
the Jews.
4:1—9:19 Esther’s Intervention
9:20–32 The Feast of Purim
Established
10:1–3 The Resulting Stature of
Mordecai
4) LESSONS FROM THE
BOOK OF ESTHER
a)From Mordecai
i) The opportunities we have are more important
than the ones we wish we had.
ii) We can trust God to weave
together the events of life
for our best, even though
we may not be able to see
the overall pattern.
iii) The rewards for doing right
are sometimes delayed, but
they are guaranteed by God
himself.
4) LESSONS FROM THE
BOOK OF ESTHER
b) From Esther
i) Serving God may entail risk to one’s
security.
ii)“For such a time as this…” God has a
purpose for the situations he places us in.
iii)Courage, while often vital, cannot replace
careful planning.
TOP 10 SIGNS YOU MAY NOT BE
READING YOUR BIBLE ENOUGH
And the No. 1 sign you may not be
reading your Bible enough:
1) The kids keep asking too many
questions about your usual bedtime
story: "Jonah the Shepherd Boy and
His Ark of Many Colors."