LESSON 13
LESSON 13 ESTHER 1 : 1 – 2 : 23
The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. —Esther 2:17 The book of Esther fits into the same time frame as Ezra and Nehemiah, between the completion of the temple (Ezra) and before the return of the second wave of exiles led by Ezra (Ezra). The books of Ezra and Nehemiah reassured those Jews who returned to Jerusalem that God’s covenant promises were true, but they needed to repent and renew their obedience in keeping with Mosaic law. By contrast, the Jews in the book of Esther did not return to Jerusalem, and their story recounts God’s faithful preservation of their lives during an attempted genocide. Mordecai and Esther, the main characters, lived in a Jewish community in Susa, the capital city of the Persian Empire. God raised them up to powerful positions to intervene providentially, saving the Jews from massacre. This story is the foun- dation for the celebration of Purim, the Jewish holiday that commemorates God’s faithful preservation of His covenant people. Today, Jewish people still celebrate Purim. Interestingly, no reference to God is found anywhere in the narrative of Esther. Despite this, God is the central character of the book, and His divine providence is vividly displayed. In the third year of the rule of King Ahasuerus, the nation of Greece was on the rise. The father of Ahasuerus, Darius I, attempted to invade Athens but was defeated. Now Ahasuerus is preparing to invade Greece himself. This is the historical back- drop for the pomp and intrigue of Esther chapter 1.
READ THE WORD Pray. Take a moment to pray, asking the Lord to prepare your heart and teach you.
Esther 1:1–2:23 1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the
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