Overview of the Book of Esther

The Book of Esther as an Unusual Old Testament History

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.

God’s Providential Care in a Book That Never Mentions God

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 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.

Esther, Mordecai, and Haman in the Persian Court

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 says, 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.

Esther’s Courage and the Deliverance of Her People

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 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, God was in.

Control.