The book of Esther outline ‘ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͸ ³ESTHER MAKIING THE BEST OF A NO WIN SITUATION IF I PERISH I³ ³PERISH Esther 4:6 ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ÔÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ&fraq34;
Date: 483-473 B.C.
Xerxes I reign (Ahesuerus Khshayarsh) The “Silver Kingdom ” spoken of by Daniel (ch 7) in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Rev 13, 17 Place: Not in Israel, or Judah, or Caanan, but in Persia (Iran) the palace Shushan (Susa). People: The Jews were not the zealots who returned with Nehamiah to rebuild the city and the temple. These people were content in their present position. OUTLINE 1 DANGER TO GOD’S PEOPLE 1:1 — 3:15 divorce of Vashti 1: discovery of Esther 2: 1-20 devotion of Mordecai 2:20-23 decree of Haman 3: 1-15 2 DECISION OF GOD”S SERVANT 4:1- 5:14 Mordecai’s appeal Esther’s response Esther’s audience Haman’s arrogance 3 DELIVERANCE OF GOD’S PEOPLE 6:1 – 10:3 Defeat of Haman Decree of Ahuerus & Mordecai Defeat of Israel’s enemies Days of Purim Description of Mordecai’s fame A UNIQUE FEATURE OF THIS BOOK – It does not once use the name of God — although His providence and care is clearly shown. – It does not once directly mention prayer , which involves the LORD’s hearing and answering. Xerxes I was the great king referred to . The name Ahasuerus is an imperial title like “His majesty” Pharoah, Agag and means “Venerable King”. * Heroditus mentions that he sought consolation in his harem after his defeat at Salamis, which was in the year that esther was made Queen. * Let us allow him to represent in this story the soul of man, misguided in sin, who later is redeemed. * note Historical (Me-am loed page 6,7) There was a Persian king by the name of Astyages whose daughter had an iligitimate son cast out as a dog . The child grew up in the mountains and became a powerful warrior, and leader of a large band of men. He was given the name ‘Dog’ , or (Kurush in ancient Persian). His grandfather discovering that his grandson was alive and leading a band of robbers sent men to kill him. (Kurush) Cyrus easily defeated them and proceeded to the capital where he overthrew the king, his grandfather, and assumed the throne of Persia. At the time , Darius (Dariavesh) was the King of the Medes. when he heard of the feat of Cyrus he desired an alliance, which was sealed with the marriage of his daughter to Cyrus. From this union was born Ahsauerus, the son of Cyrus and grandson of Darius. When Belshazzar was overthrown his daughter Vashti was spared by Darius, brought back to Persia where she was given as wife to his grandson Achashverosh. He inherited the thrones of both Media and Persia. His true name was Artaxerxes (Artakhshacha in Persian; Artaachshast in Hebrew) The Jews however referred to him as Achashverosh, which was a pun on “chash -rosh” a headache. When Achashverosh found out about his nickname , the Jews were ready with a more acceptable explanation . They told him that in Aramaic “achash” meant leader and that in Hebrew “rosh” meant head ,or leader thus they called him achash – verosh. At one time He had ruled 252 nations, and had pushed all the way to Athens ,but after the battle of Salamis many of the nations rebelled ,so that at the time of our story his kingdom extended to only 127 nations. It was Achashverosh that halted the building of the temple due to the false accusation described in the Book of Ezra (4:7 f ) , where Sanballat, Tobiah, and Shimshai (one of Haman’s sons) wrote the letter recorded in EZRA 4:11-16. THE KING’S ADVISERS Carshena Meres Admatha Tarshish Shethar Marsena Memucan Who get drunk and allow their intoxicated influence to bear on the king toward the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (Queen vashti’s sensuousness) may well be represented by the hordes of slewfoot. MORDECAI: His name means little man. The grandson of Shimei of the family of Kish of Benjamin. Saul (I Sam 9:1,2) was from such lineage, also Paul the apostle(Philipians 3:5). He seems to be your wise, mild mannered person who doesn’t get slapped around. He is a very kind hearted person who brought up his cousin, his uncle’s daughter, as if she was his own, and checked on her welfare daily, while in the king’s house. He held a high position. He sat as a magistrate at the city gate. He has the king’s best intrest at heart. Let him represent the office of the HOLY SPIRIT. ESTHER “A STAR” (Amestris) Hadassah (heb. Myrtle- the tree from which myrrh is derived) A Jewess who marries a gentile king . She is related to Mordecai. Hence she is of the same royal seed as Mordecai , a descendant of Saul Israel’s first king. (Josephus Ant vi.1) The King loved her above all women (2:17). He would give her half of his kingdom(5:3) We shall see how she presents herself as a sacrifice to undo the evil resulting from her ancestor Saul’s disobedience to God’s commandment regarding the destruction of Amalek (an evil Caananite nation). This redeemer of the nation and saving the King from a horrible crime suggests that she is a picture of Christ in our story. HAMAN He was the son of Hamadatha the Agagite, the Jew’s enemy Agag was the name given to the Kings of Amalek, “the people against whom God hath indignation forever”. Haman is therefore a Royal Amalekite. Although the Lord has sworn to blot out his name forever, (and he and his ten sons perished here). We see the same spirit in the world today that would destroy God’s people everywhere, so we shall let him represent Satan. CHAPTER 1 1,2 Ahasuerus and his Empire The Persian King Xerxes I 484-464 B.C. Fickle, capricious extravegant. His empire extended From Egypt to Ethiopia 3-9 His great feast * nobles and princes 180 days * the people of Susa 7 days 10-22 The intoxicated King’s demands on Vashti Romans 1;22-32 the counsel of the “wise men” CHAPTER 2 1-20 the discovery of Esther Rom 2;28,29 21-23the devotion of mordecai 21,22 the plot against achashverosh’s life Bigthan and Teresh Mordecai overhears ,,called the “linguist” “Balshan Ezra 2:2 ,Nehemiah 7:7 The bible commands us to be patriotic and to pray for the government ,as they have been placed there by God to govern us. Esther had the record inscribed in the presence of the king into the Chronicles (minutes- records) of the king. CHAPTER 3 1-15 the decree of death (Saul & David , Atheliah, Herod v1.Haman the Agagite -ie. a direct descendant of Agag, King of Amalek (I Sam 15:8)who ,in turn was a son of Esau, tried to prevent Israel from going back to Caananthus God had promised “i will obliterate the memory of Amalek from under the heavens”(Ex 17:14 ; Deut 25:19) God raised him up in order that his fall would be all the worse . Haman is thought (according to Jewish oral tradition) to have travelled to Jerusalem to stop the building of the temple (Rashi notes on Ezra 4:17). Shimshai the scribe in Ezra 4 was one of the petitioners to Artaxerxes to stop building the temple that Cyrus, Queen Vashti’s Father, had allowed Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild. Again Darius II , son of Esther was again to cause it to be completed . According to jewish law Esther was a Jewwss , he was also a Jew. v6 At first he began to plot against Mordecai alone, but as his anger mounted, it extended to all his people the Jews. He must have known that Mordecai was from the tribe of benjamin, and a descendant of King Saul, who had killed Haman’s ancestor Agag along with all the other Amalek males (I Sam 15:9) v7 In the first month Abib (Nissan, the same month as passover,and the Exodus), in the 12th year of the king’s reign, Haman began his wicked plot. The lottery fell on the 12th month (Adar) and the 13th day, — anniversary of the day God had broiught the plague of darkness upon Egypt. v8 Notice how Haman carefully does not name the “group spread and scattered” .”they even have a commandment not to folow our decrees (lev18:3) their religion teaches them to be unpatriotic!” In saying this ,of course, he spoke against the law of the King of all Kings – God and His law. v9 He had promised to give about 750 tons of silver into the king’s treasury — Or 100 x as much as the amount to build the Tabernacle in the wilderness. ie. 600,000 males x 1/2 shekel = 300,000 shekels or 100 talents vs. 10,000 talents. v10 The King had given all his own authority to Haman , just as the human soul does to the evil one when he conspires to sin. ROM 3:9-20 What then, are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we have before proved both Jew and Gentiles that they are all under sin . As it is written, There is none righteous ,no not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seek after God, they are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good ,no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchure, and with their tongues they have used deceit. The poison of asps is in their lips , whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. their feet are swift to shed blood. V11 The king did not require a bribe to sin. v12 The decree was written the day before passover (13 Nissan) CHAPTER 4 v1 The loud and bitter cry of of a condemned man– ‘WOE IS ME’ Be not afraid of sudden terror The destruction of the wicked will come. Prov 3:25 Make your plans, they will noot succeed Speak all you want, nothing will come of it, For GOD is with us. Isa 8:10 Isa 46:4 v3 Jews every where fasting and weeping v 15-17 Fast for me neither eat or drink for three days Then I will go into the King, And if I perish – I perish !! Mordecai left and did all thet was instructed During the Joyful season of Pesah, the Jews were instructed to fast
CHAPTER 5 At the end of the fast, Esther prepared herself to present to the King