Esther Chapter 2

These are the notes from the second study from the Book of Esther. Esther chapter 2

2:1 ; *It’s been three years since the war party. King Ahasuerus failed to conquer Greece, and returns to Shushan in humiliation. Adding to his shame, he remembers the stupid law. Vashti still belongs to the King but wherever she’s being kept, her quarters would be more of a prison than a home. She can’t be thrown out for she’s the former Queen, and she can’t be tossed into the harem for the same reason. Xerxes problem, he doesn’t have a Queen beside him while he attempts to reorganize his kingdom and its defeated army. His kingdom is a shambles.

The most amazing thing? God sees all and knows all. There is nothing in the hearts of all mankind that God doesn’t know about. God even sees what is coming. Almighty God is without equal!

The king has concubines galore, but the throne needs a woman of beauty with a sound reputation, whom the court approves joined to the king with a proper setting. An already owned sex-slave cannot fill that position. Just like in chapter 1—two wrongs don’t make a right.

In ch 1, it was the wise men who instructed the king to write the law dethroning Vashti. Ch 2:2, it’s not even the wise men but his servants suggest gathering virgins for the king to choose a queen from.

So the order goes out to herd young women to the palace, like cattle. Conscripted by order, yanked from their homes and parents arms, many never to be seen by family again. They were essentially kidnapped for the king’s pleasure.

Can you imagine the crying? The terror? The sorrow that they will never be loved wives, or mothers? No homes, nor husbands or children to take care of? Only one can be Queen, the rest will be sex-slaves for the rest of their lives.

2:2-4. It’s not his wise men but his servants that advise him now. And this thing pleased the king. The thing being kidnapping beautiful girls. What do you think? (In a moral society, this would, should be, be sickening.)

2:5,6,7. God inserts Himself in between Xerxes idea & his implementing it. By inserting Mordecai into the palace, God has changed the outcome already.

2:5-6. God shows up! God is so amazing. Although never mentioned, Holy God appears regularly in the movement of different events and different lives. Something horrible is about to happen but Almighty God inserts His presence into the story.

It’s like Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. God knew they would need powerful encouragement, as the persecution became very heavy in that city. God sent them a wonderful love letter through Paul’s hand. Thessalonians 2:7-12. You need God—God shows up!

Mordecai lives in the Capital city, and more importantly, he has retained his heritage. This is more proof of God appearance in this book---the choice of Mordecai as a devout Jew, strong in his faith and the pride of his heritage.

What can Christians express pride in? (Psalm 34:2, 44:8, 2 Corinthians 9:2, Galatians 6:14)

God told the Jews to always remember their families names and heritage. It seems Mordecai was born while his family was captives, as it was his great great grandfather who was carried away from Jerusalem when Nebuchadnezzar captured the city. (2 Kings 24:14) Kish must have been a mighty man in Jerusalem, because the best were taken during the first captivity. Kish was taken the same time as Daniel, but he wasn’t placed with Daniel with the eunuchs, as he certainly had children.(1st captivity Jeremiah 29:5-7) (Forbidden Marriage Due 7:1-3, Joshua 23:11-12, Ezra 9:1,2)

It seems Kish and his decedents kept their Jewish linage clean from inter marriage.

For some reason Mortdecai did not return to Jerusalem when Ezra and Nehemiah returned to rebuild. He and his family still reside in the capital Persian city of Shushan.

Esther has the same clean Jewish Lineage as Mordecai. And she is hauled off to the palace with the rest of the young girls. Her prospects of a Jewish family line ends. 

There is another young girl we know in the Bible whose family heritage was kept pure for an awesome reason. Who is that young girl? Mary. (Matthew 1:1-17)2

2:9 Esther’s character was different than any of the other girls in the harem. And her difference was noticed by the major guard of the woman, Hegai. He knew there was something different about her and he treated her with a greater respect than he did all the other women there.

2:8,9. Esther exposed the darkness of the king’s harem by her difference. Her personal holiness in a dark place made her godly character standout among the crowd, thus creating a different atmosphere around her. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

2:10, Esther is an ambassador of her people and of God. Daniel’s account was a historical fact in the Jew’s history of their captivity. There could not have been many that didn’t know how Daniel stood up for his Jewish heritage. But unlike Daniel, Esther kept her Hebrew blood a secret but she retained her learned character.

We may never have an opportunity to speak of our Christian heritage, but our character needs to be the higher standard. It doesn’t matter where we are, who we’re with, we have the mind of Christ, we have the power of God, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit. There needs to be something extraordinary about our holy conduct that even the ungodly will have to take notice.

What is holiness? What are some holy actions? Things Christians do or don’t do publically that sets them apart from the world?

Esther was different from the other women, and her difference gave her an edge in becoming Queen. Hegai was on the look-out for Queen qualities, it was part of his job. And by her more beautiful, composed, lady-like behavior, she expose the hidden things of darkness. She shined brighter in a room full of lesser characters.

Esther was beautiful but she went through the beauty treatments to make her gorgeous. Her beauty treatments went on for a year.

God says women are to shine with an inner beauty, which will shine through any mars of our outward frailties. We’re familiar with the woman of 1 Peter 3, and the Proverbs 31, woman)

We’re the Bride of Christ. We need an extraordinary interest in making ourselves beautiful in Christ.

We have a simpler beauty treatment with less stress. We’re already the Bride of the King. You want to be made beautiful? To have the inner beauty of the heart?

The Bible is your beauty treatment. Get into God’s word to be cleansed from the world. John 17: 17, Ephesians 5:22-27, Titus 3:5, Proverbs 31:17,18 & 30,

We have the Shulamite as our example also, of the love of God shining our beauty that no one else can comprehend. Loving God will draw out the beauty that only He can see in a woman.

You want to have a successful beauty treatment? Get into the word of God. Pray, read, fellowship, worship. Determine to make the effort to love the Lord with all your heart, your strength, your mind. You will be beautiful and others will see it. They may not understand it, but they will certainly see it.

2:21-23. When the trouble came, Mordecai and Esther were able to do the right thing, the right way, to have the right decision made to stop the wrong. This was just a foretaste of their work to come. And now God has Mordecai moved into the palace business district. He’s one of the movers’ and shakers in the palace politics. He’s gaining a reputation as a man of integrity. His peers trust his wisdom. They may hate him but they know he’s an honest man.

Christians need knowledge of the world. God says be as wise as serpents and gentle as doves. God says the serpent is crafty. Know the ins and outs of ruthlessness business, yet conduct business with different deliverance & purpose.

Esther and Mordecai from different positions, exposed the hidden darkness.(Ephesians 5:8-13.)

Lesson Points:

1. God knows the innermost secret hearts of all people.

2. Boast of your salvation in Christ

3. As the Bride of Christ, take an extraordinary interest in making yourself beautiful for Christ Jesus.

4. The Bible is your beauty treatment. Let God’s word cleanse you from the world.

*Historical information from Bible Knowledge Commentary & Commentary, study notes of J. Vernon McGee

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Esther Chapter 1

This week, I began a ladies study through the book of Esther

The verse for the definition of this Bible study is: “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD, and who meditate on His name. Malachi 3:16

Notes for Week 1, Chapter 1: Lesson 1

What’s the most amazing factor about the book of Esther? It’s what makes many question its inclusion in the Bible. Esther is the book that never mentions God by name, yet it is where God moves everything for His glory. God shows His mighty power and Sovereignty over all His creation. 

This is a great book that proves the action of faith without sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7. For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Corrie Ten Boom said it this way, “Trust the unknown future to a known God”

We don’t need to see God but we see Him in all that He does. 

In the Book of Acts 2:2, the upper room was filled with the sound of a rushing mighty wind. There was no wind, God supplied only the sound. At that time, the Holy Spirit chose that sound as His entrance, as proof of His appearance. They didn’t see God but they certainly knew He was in the room.

When God came to Mount Sinai, the children of Israel saw only great dark clouds, and lightning, and heard thunders. They didn’t see God but they knew He was present.

God isn’t mentioned in Esther but He certainly is in it. As we see the appearance of God throughout this book, it is because God moves the natural in ways that are unnatural to the world. Miracles are only special from our side of heaven, because nothing is miraculous with God. Miracles are work as usual for God. 

That makes the book of Esther one of the most powerful books of faith we can read. It is a great book of faith, for what is faith but in the belief that God will answer prayer and do all things good for His glory and the salvation of the world. We don’t see God but we pray anyway.

The more we read the Bible, the more we know the Power of God. The more we know the power of God, the more we trust Him. The more we trust Him, the less we fear the chaos of the world. The more we understand our Awesome God, the more set apart from the world we can live. A greater peace will exist in us.

 We read and meditate on the word of Almighty God and our faith is in the One and only God who has proven Himself over and over again. The gospels are great lessons of the realness of our Awesome God, His love for us and His power over everything He created. John 1:1-4

We don’t need to see God but God loves us and will keep us, no matter what happens around us.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary gives the purpose of writing this book of Esther was to encourage the returning Jewish exiles by reminding them of the faithfulness of God.

Esther is a great work of faith for us today, proving God, whom we can’t see, but it proves Him so beautifully.

Historically, there’s a lot of national things going on at this time. The Jews have been freed from their 70 years captivity for disobedience to God and many have returned to Jerusalem. Esther’s story occurs between Chapters 6 & 7 of the book of Ezra. (Ezra 6: 19-22)

The nation of Israel was back in business. They were now sacrificing with what David describes as a broken and contrite heart. All those years they had not obeyed God with all the Sabbath years had placed them in captivity for 70 years. Now, a remnant returned to worship with the correct heart for God and His Holiness.

In the gap between Ezra 6 & 7, King Ahasuerus comes to the throne of the now mixed rule of the Medes and the Persians. When the book of Esther opens he’s ruled for 7 years.

The kingdom of Media and Persia are not a very solid national structure. Their weakness is described in the Daniel prophecy of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the huge statue. King Aharuerus reigns during time represented by the silver torso. Also Daniel prophesizes of the bear devouring the three ribs. And again the Ram with two horns destroyed by the goat. All three symbols means the kingdom is weak in its divided alliance.

Esther 1:1-5

I’m not going into much about the history as I want to focus on God in this book. But some is necessary and it really brings God’s sovereignty to the forefront.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary says this about the king:

Much evidence supports the historicity of the facts in this book. Xerxes was a real king in Persia. His drinking parties were well known. Xerxes did have an irrational temper, occasionally exhibiting fits of rage. He did have a palace in Susa and a large harem there. Various features of the court can also be substantiated from other sources. (BKC pg 700/701)

As for the instability of king’s mind, when attempting the campaign to conquer Greece, the king ordered a stretch of water whipped and had shackles thrown into it because the violent current washed away his bridge.

The king was about to go into a huge battle to try to add Greece to his list of conquered nations. He throws a great party in the capital to prove he’s going to win. This way the lesser rulers of the semi-detached smaller states within his kingdom would support his fight. Daniel’s interpretations of the weakness of the cohesiveness of this kingdom are evident because Xerxes doesn’t appear able to give an executive order and have an army fight for him. Doesn’t say much for his authority.

Our God lives outside of the time He created, can see all the empires of the world before Him at all times. He sees and has seen King Xerxes defeated.

God is so awesome!!! We cannot but worship Him.

While the king is throwing a party for the men, Vashti, the Queen matches his extravagance for the women. We can assume she too is attempting to bolster the moral of the ladies who very well may become widows in the next few years of war. Widows have never had a good success in any nation, including those of nobility.

In his party, the king does a dumb thing. He commands his wife, the Queen, walk the palace runway in her finery and she refuses to parade before him and his drunken cohorts. He should never have made the command. Esther 1:10-18.

There is a sense that Vashti’s refusal to come at the King’s command was right, that is the respect for the men in the room. Respecting her husband’s throne, even if he wasn't showing respect for it.

But she was also wrong refusing to come at his command, for it was open disobedience, shaming her husband and her king.

The King was wrong and Vashti was wrong. In fact—the entire scenario was wrong. And although it was wrong, Vashti should have obeyed anyway. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

But there was something right in it as well. Anyone take a guess? (God’s sovereignty.) Proverbs 21:1

This drunken command brings more proof of Xerxes weakness to rule such a vast kingdom. It probably disgusted some of the men at the feast, because women were not to be included in counsels of war, if in fact that is Xerxes reason for the party.

Humiliated in front of the people he was attempting to impress, the king makes a law while he’s drunk. The worst case scenario just became a disaster of a catastrophic earthquake.

Esther 1: 19-21

Do you feel sad for Vashti? Well, don’t. she’s a pagan idol worshiper. She doesn’t know Jesus as her Savior. She doesn’t worship the One and Holy GOD. She is a drunken woman, who worshiped false gods. She’s the Queen of Persia. She’s a heathen who rules over a nation of slaves conquered in war. She has the right to order anyone whipped or imprisoned, or killed for any reason she wanted. This woman is in all probability just as cruel as her husband, the King is. 

The Bible gives us several women in power who misused their positions.

Jezebel was a queen and a murderess. (1 Kings 21)

Athaliah was a crazy murderous queen of Judah. (2 Kings 11)

 Potiphar’s wife had control over Joseph as a slave. (Genesis 39)

Vashti is described as very beautiful—but Proverbs says this, As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion” Proverbs 11:22. Vashti’s outward beauty was destroyed not only by her husband’s drunkenness, but by her own drunkenness. (Ephesians 5:18.)

Recorded in Luke, is Jesus words to the woman at the well.

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” Luke 4:23,24.

We also have these words from Jesus that encourage our faith in Almighty God, These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” John 14:33. 

The nation of the Medes and Persians was under the ruling hand of a weak, pagan, temperamental king, the children of Israel were still subjects of this kingdom, but they had the One and Living God working on their behalf. Even though we Christians live in troubling times, we have the One and Living God working for us. Let us look up with gladness and joy and anticipation. Our redemption draws near. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18.

We serve an Awesome God!

Lesson Points:

1.     Every book in the Bible has significance.

2.     We walk by faith, not by sight: 2 Corinthians 5:7 (1 Peter 1:8)

3.     God moves the natural in ways that are unnatural to the world.

4.     Esther is one of the most powerful books of faith

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