OT SURVEY, PT 24: ESTHER

Transcription

1 OT SURVEY, PT 24: ESTHER

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3 A COMPARISON OF THE BOOKS OF RUTH AND ESTHER Ruth and Esther are the only two books in the Bible named for women. The providence of God is an important theme in both books. Ruth is read by Jews at the feast of Pentecost; Esther is read at the Feast of Purim. Relatives play an important role in each book. Death is essential to the plot of both stories. There are many contrasts between the two women: Ruth was a Gentile woman from a pagan country who married a Hebrew Esther was a young Jewish girl who married a pagan Gentile King Ruth was a widow; Esther an orphan Ruth came to Israel; Esther was an exile from Israel Ruth was a Gentile living among Jews; Esther a Jew living among Gentiles Ruth was a proselyte; Esther influenced many proselytes Ruth gleaned in a field; Esther ruled in a palace Ruth was poor; Esther was rich Ruth was the grandmother of a king; Esther married a king (and was related to King Saul) Ruth gave life; Esther ordered death Both were foreigners living in a land other than their own Both found favor in the eyes of those who saw them Both were taken into the homes of relatives God redeemed Ruth to perpetuate the line of the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ God saved Esther to protect the nation through whom the Redeemer would be born (From, Esther: A Story of the Providence of God in a Pagan Land, 17).

4 Historical Background Esther occurred during the Persian period of world history, ca. 539 B.C. to ca. 331 B.C. Ahasuerus ruled from ca. 486 to 465 B.C. Esther covers the B.C. portion of his reign Ahasuerus represents the Hebrew transliteration of his Persian name Xerxes is his Greek name.

5 Historical Background Artaxerxes 1043 B.C. 110 Years B.C. B.C.

6 Historical Background Esther and Exodus parallels God was faithful to His covenant to Abraham ca B.C. (Genesis 12:1-3) As a result, Esther 9-10 records the beginning of Purim Still celebrated along with Hanukkah (John 10:22)

7 Title Esther in Hebrew and Septuagint Like Song of Solomon, Obadiah, and Nahum, the NT does not quote or allude to Esther Hadassah (2:7), meaning myrtle, Hebrew Name Esther means star But Mordecai is the main character and the main plot is Mordecai vs. Haman The summary of the book is all about Mordecai

8 Author Unknown Mordecai, Ezra, and Nehemiah have been suggested Possibly a Persian Jew

9 Canonicity All 167 verses of Esther have been recognized as canonical Lack of God s mention cast doubt initially Greek Septuagint (LXX) added an extra 107 apocryphal verses

10 Date of Events From c. 483 BC (1:3) to c. 473 BC Only Ezra 7 10, Nehemiah, and Malachi report later OT history than Esther 5 major Persian kings Cyrus , Cambyses (not mentioned OT) Darius , Xerxes (in Ezra)/Ahasuerus (in Esther) Artaxerxes

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12 Canonical Position Between Lamentations and Daniel

13 Major Themes The Providence of God. In Esther, there is no Mention of God s Name MacArthur says, Esther is the classic illustration of God s providence as He, the unseen power, controls everything for His purpose. There are no miracles in Esther, but the preservation of Israel through providential control of every event and person reveals the omniscience and omnipotence of Jehovah. Whether He is named is not the issue. He is clearly the main character in the drama.

14 Major Themes No mention of Israel, Jerusalem, Temple, Torah (the life of Jews outside the land?)

15 Major Themes Reversal of Human plans Chapter 2, Esther is safe as Queen Chapter 4, Esther is not safe because she s a Jew Chapter 6: Haman s means to get honored is how Mordecai gets honored Chapter 5: Haman is honored to come to a banquet, Chapter 7: a Banquet is Haman s downfall Chapter 3: A decree to kill the Jews, Chapter 8: A decree to kill Jewish enemies Chapter 2: Mordecai is no one, Chapter 8: Mordecai is honored Chapter 9: When Jews were to be put to death destruction of Jewish enemies

16 Major Themes Haman begins the book as the empowered destroyer of the Jews, but ends up as a powerless man killed by the Jews. Mordecai begins as a nameless victim of Haman s attack, but ends up as an honored protector of Israel. The day appointed for Jewish genocide ironically ends up as the day of victory for the Jews and the defeat of Israel s enemies. Esther begins as a selfish, unspiritual woman but ends as a courageously selfless and spiritual Jew

17 Major Themes The Jews Haman represents Gentiles who hate and fear Jews But Esther is just an outworking of Genesis 12:3: And I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse.

18 Major Themes Historical Conflict between Mordecai (a Benjamite descendant of Saul) and Haman (an Agagite) Began when the Jews exited from Egypt (ca B.C.) and were attacked by the Amalekites God pronounced His curse on the Amalekites (Ex. 17) Saul (ca B.C.) received orders to kill all the Amalekites, including their king Agag but he disobeyed (1 Sam 15) Because of his lineage from Agag, Haman carried deep hostility toward the Jews.

19 Major Themes Explains why Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman (3:2, 3) and why Haman so tried to exterminate the Jewish race But God s prophecy to eliminate the Amalekites and preserve the Jews prevailed

20 Major Themes The Feast of Purim Because of God s faithfulness to save His people named after the Akkadian word for lot Celebrated by Jews since this day

21 Purpose Purpose: While the physical seed of Abraham was not faithful to Yahweh, they were still protected by God from Gentile attack, an event commemorated by the Feast of Purim.

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24 The Nature of Esther Five major positions on the spiritual and moral state of Esther. These views include: 1. Esther was a spiritual woman, 2. Esther was an unspiritual woman, 3. Esther was both a spiritual and unspiritual woman, 4. Esther started as an unspiritual woman but became a spiritual woman, 5. Esther s moral state cannot be deciphered.

25 The Nature of Esther Omission of Spirituality Esther s Concealment of Jewishness (2:10,20) 2:10, Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known.

26 The Nature of Esther Winning the Favor and Love of the King (2:15-20) Swindoll: no driving ambition to be queen. Her life did not revolve around her physical appearance or making a king happy. She was there for one reason: because she knew that the hand of God was on her life. But Esther a part of the harem She went into the king for a night Esther becomes a part of the concubines after the night

27 The Nature of Esther Reluctance about Approaching the King The news of the Genocide initially gets no reaction from the Queen She does not want to jeopardize her safety until Mordecai says in 4:13: Do not imagine that you in the king s palace can escape any more than all the Jews and who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?

28 The Nature of Esther The turning point: if I perish, I perish (4:16) 4:16-17: Go assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

29 The Nature of Esther The Second Banquet (7:1-4) Esther finally reveals her Jewish nature, identifies with her people, and identifies with their fate Esther s Vengeance upon Her enemies Esther 9:1: Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day when the king s command and edict were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. Esther 9:16: Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king s provinces assembled, to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. Esther fulfills God s original decree for the blotting out of all the Amalekites

30 The Nature of Esther Esther s Establishment of the Feast of Purim (9:29-32) 9:32: The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book. Esther was never intended to be held up as a paragon of virtue Esther is not a supreme example of virtue, but rather a supreme example of redemption

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