Overview of the Book of Esther

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Esther. This is the last of the

Old Testament historical books written around the 5th century BC. We do not know who the author is, but this book is unique in a couple ways.

Number one, it's one of two books in the Bible that's named after a woman, the other one being

Ruth. The other way it's unique. It's one of two books in the Bible that doesn't mention

God at all, which is really unusual. The other book is

Song of Solomon, but don't let that bother you because there is perhaps no other book in the

Bible that so clearly demonstrates God's providential care for his people other than the book of Esther.

So just a quick summary. Esther grew up in the land of Persia with her older cousin

Mordecai, who basically raised her as if she were his own daughter.

Esther becomes queen of the Persian empire and thwarts a genocide of her people.

So she finds favor in the eyes of King Hasuerus who crowns her as his new queen, but at first she does not reveal to him her

Jewish heritage. So without telling the whole story, the king has an official named

Haman. And Haman is a descendant of the Amalekites who were the bitter enemies of Israel.

So Haman, sort of like Hitler, wanted to exterminate the

Jewish people. So on one occasion, Mordecai, because he was Jewish and he may have known

Haman and how he felt, Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman.

He's, I'm a government official, you need to bow to me, Mordecai wouldn't do it. So because of that,

Haman plots Mordecai's death and gets the king's permission to have all the

Jews in the empire put to death. Of course, the king doesn't realize he's married to a

Jew. So Haman builds a gallows on which to hang

Mordecai. After finding all of this out, Esther reveals her identity to the king and then pleads with him.

Long story short, Esther saves Mordecai and her people from certain death.

And ironically, Haman ends up being killed on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai.

So in conclusion, Mordecai and Esther then send letters throughout the provinces instituting an annual commemoration of the

Jewish people's redemption and a holiday called Purim. And through it all,