For Such A Time As This – The Story of Esther & Mordecai

Part V – A Tale of Two Edicts

As we wrap up our study of the Book of Esther – let’s review what we have learned so far:

1. Esther and Mordecai lived somewhere in the heart of the Persian Empire – in close proximity to Shushan (Susa) which was the winter palace of King Xerxes.
2. Esther and Mordecai’s grandparents were part of the Jewish nobility that were originally taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon.
3. Once the Babylonian captivity ended (70 years) the Jews had been instructed (by Jeremiah the prophet – see Jeremiah 25 & 29) to return to Jerusalem. Many of them did when Cyrus the Great issued the decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem to re-build their Temple. (Ezra 1:1-4)
4. The families of Esther and Mordecai chose not to return to Jerusalem as instructed and found themselves in a foreign land outside of the blessings God had planned for them in Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 29:10-14)
5. Through a series of events (Esther 1-2), Esther will find herself in the position of the Queen of Persia. Mordecai, initially having access to the Kings court because of Esther will overhear an assassination plot to kill King Xerxes. Although this helps the King and spares his life, Mordecai “initially” receives no credit for helping the King.
6. At some point during the reign of Xerxes, a person by the name of Haman will rise to a significant rank within the Persian Empire and become an advisor to the King – much like a Prime Minister.
7. Haman (because of his position) will require submission by all within the Empire but Mordecai refuses to bow down to him. Haman will discover that Mordecai is a Jew and as a result, Haman will hatch a diabolical plan to kill not just Mordecai, but all Jews within the Persian Empire.
8. Mordecai will appeal to Esther to use her influence with the King to put a stop to this evil plan and will instruct her that she may well have been placed in the position of Queen “for such a time as this”!
9. Esther will prepare a banquet and invites Haman and the King where she intends to let the King know she would be included in this destruction of her people as she too was a Jew.
10. The King will have a restless night and the Lord will stir his heart to remember the assassination attempt on his life which took place some five years earlier. This will cause the King to recognize Mordecai for what he did and honor him with high honors and asks Haman to bestow those honors on Mordecai.
11. While that is all going on, Esther will reveal to the King that Haman’s plan to kill the Jews also involved her as they were her people given, she was also a Jew.
12. This infuriates the King and results in the King declaring Haman an “enemy of the Jews”. Haman will subsequently be impaled on the very gallows (pole) that he intended to place Mordecai on. This will result in Mordecai receiving special honor and an opportunity to save the Jews from annihilation and our final lesson explains how that takes place.

The King was bound by the original edict (Esther 3:13) to destroy, kill, and annihilate all Jews in the Persian Empire even though his Queen and New Prime Minister were Jews. That original law/edict could not be altered or revoked (because of Medo-Persian Law) or the King risked possible removal or even death.

The King will instead empower Mordecai and Esther to draft their own law and put it on the books. No doubt this was all a part of God’s plan to save the Jews from extinction. The plan that Mordecai and Esther drew up was a just law and much different from the murderous plan that Haman had put together. The new law will allow the Jews to formally defend themselves on the day that was originally planned to have all the Jews in the Empire killed. This will turn tragedy into triumph for the Jews and allow them to continue as God had planned for he was not finished with them yet.

At the conclusion of the Book of Esther we are introduced to a new feast that the Jews were to celebrate, and the name given was the Feast of Purim. Although it is not one of the required feasts of the Mosaic Law, it remains a celebrated feast within the Jewish culture even to this very day. This feast (a two-day celebration) serves as a reminder to the Jews that they were saved from annihilation (though not directly mentioned in the Book of Esther) because God protected them. This book is not just about the Lord’s protection for His people (The Jews), but it also makes it possible for the Lord to provide full redemption through the promised Messiah, Jesus a descendant of King David. “But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law so that He might redeem those who are under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5)

For Such A Time As This – The Story of Esther & Mordecai

Part II – A Tale of Two Queens

In this lesson we find the King of the Persian Empire who is called by Ahasuerus (a transliteration of his Persian name Khshayarsha) or by his Greek name Xerxes and he is reigning over the 127 provinces of Persia which includes the land of Judah/Palestine. Xerxes was a very powerful King and the empire that he ruled over was equally powerful, so much so, it rivalled that of the Greek Empire of his time.

The first chapter of the Book of Esther introduces us to a lavish party that Xerxes put together for his military leaders and nobility to celebrate their accomplishments as an empire. The timing of this party fits into the historical record in which Xerxes was “poking the bear” and preparing to take on the Greek Empire in battle. It was common for Kings to throw lavish parties both to celebrate past victories and to prepare the military leaders for upcoming battles. Although we are not specifically told this was the purpose of the party mentioned in Esther 1 – it is certainly a strong possibility.

At this banquet we are introduced to Queen Vashti who was the reigning Queen over the Persian Empire along with Xerxes. Unfortunately for her she refuses to comply with the Kings request, and this results in her being deposed/removed as queen. This creates an interesting opportunity for the other women of the Persian Empire and as the chapter unfolds, we will see this opens the door for Esther (a young Jewish woman) to become Queen and thus replaces Vashti.

 This was no coincidence and clearly is the providential hand of The Lord God who places Esther in the right place at the right time or better defined as “Such a Time as This”. Esther will win the favor of King Xerxes and her beauty (both inside and outside) captivated Xerxes so much she was given “most favored status” even though she was a Jew. Esther’s heritage will play a roll in the events that unfold through the Book of Esther but for this moment she was the talk of the town.

In each of these opportunities we can see the providence of God at work. The way in which He orchestrates His will to be accomplished despite what may seem (to some) as unimportant at the time or a mere coincidence but, is divine intervention for His purposes and our good. The Apostle Paul writes it this way; “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)

For Such A Time As This – The Story of Esther & Mordecai

Part I – Introduction/Overview

By way of introduction, there are a few interesting items to consider about the Old Testament Book of Esther. First and foremost, the book appears in the Old Testament as the 17^th book of the Bible, but the historic/chronological context would place the events of Esther as one of the last 4 Books of the Old Testament.

The events of the Book of Esther take place over a period of 10 years (483 – 473 BC) during the reign of the Persian King Ahasuerus (aka Xerxes) who ruled over the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire from 485-465 BC. Prior to this time, the Jews (of the Southern Kingdom of Judah) were taken from their lands of Judah and relocated to the land of Babylon. This was known as the “Exile” and something that was prophesied to happen by Jeremiah the prophet. Eventually the Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Persians in 539 BC, and they ruled over the people of Judah until a later date when the Greeks conquer the Persian Empire.  It was Cyrus the Great (great grandfather to King Ahasuerus) who will decree that the Jews would be permitted to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple. Many Jews will return to Jerusalem as they were instructed to do, and you can read about that in the books of Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah.

The story of Esther is about those Jews who remained behind in Persia and did not return to Jerusalem as thy were commanded to do. Esther and Mordecai’s grandparents were part of the group that remained behind in Persia and set the stage for the events recorded in the book of Esther. The story that unfolds in the Book of Esther is a powerful testimony to the sovereign protection of God as He purposes to fulfill the promises made to Abraham and his descendants. We will be introduced to two wonderful people, Esther, and Mordecai, who God will use to spare the people of promise (the Jews) from complete annihilation by an evil man named Haman. It will be Esther and Mordecai, who stand in the gap and assists their people in protecting themselves and ultimately securing the lineage of King David that would one day bring about the Messiah, Jesus Christ.