decisions made by the characters thus far in the Esther narrative with the following verses:
• Proverbs 13:1 and 3, and 14:29
• 1 Corinthians 1:19
5. How might this scene have looked different if King Ahasuerus and Queen Vashti modeled a godly marriage like Paul speaks of in Ephesians 5:15–33?
King Ahasuerus Seeks a New Queen (Esther 2:1–11)
DAY 4
Note: In the years between the events of chapters 1 and 2, Ahasuerus fought a disastrous war with Greece. His humiliating defeat depleted the Persian treasury and discredited him in the eyes of his subjects. 41
1. Read Esther 2:1–4. Describe the next steps in finding a replacement for Vashti as queen of Persia.
2. What do you learn about Mordecai and Esther in verses 5–7?
3. Read Esther 2:8–9. How does Esther’s approach to life in the king’s palace compare with that of Daniel’s? (See Dan. 1:8–9.)
41 K aren H Jobes, The NIV Application Commentary-Esther , (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), 94.
138 | Lesson 13
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