Outline
Introduction
- The Jews have returned out of captivity and are back in their own land.
- This book shows the providence of God as He watched over them.
- Some prefer not to come back to their land – they had grown rich in the land of captivity.
- Some scholars think that Mordecai penned the whole book.
- It is good to read the whole book at one sitting for it is a beautiful and complete story.
- The name of God is not in the book, but His power is felt throughout. It is a book that encourages faith in dangerous times.
Discussion
- Ahasuerus, the Persian, and the Noble Vashti (1:1-22; 2:1-4)
- Mordecai the Jew and Esther the Queen (2:5-23)
- The Rise of Haman to Power (3:1-6)
- Haman’s Proposal To Destroy the Jews (3:7-15)
- Esther’s Skill In Interceding for the Jewish People (4:1-17; 5:1-8)
- Haman’s Vain Pride (5:9-14)
- Mordecai Exalted, and Haman Humbled (6:1-14)
- Haman Hanged (7:1-10)
- Mordecai Exalted (8:1-17)
Conclusion
- Chapters 9 and 10 speak of the destruction of: the enemies of the Jews, the slaughter in Shushan, and the killing of Haman’s ten sons.
- Purim was instituted – a feast commemorating the deliverance of Jews from their enemies.
- Mordecai was exalted to power next to King Ahasuerus.
Introduction
The Book of Esther is, as the name Esther signifies, a “Star”. It is a gem of the Old Testament scriptures. This book, which can inspire and encourage us so much, is seldom truly studied and exploited to the fullest. I never go to a new place to preach that I do not teach the Book of Esther as soon as I can after arriving. The Jews had returned from captivity and are back in their own land. This book shows how the providence of God watched over them. Not all of the Jews left the land of captivity for some had grown rich and preferred to remain behind. Some think that Mordecai was the penman of the whole book. One of the most particular and striking points of interest about the book is the fact that the name of God is not once mentioned. The whole book confirms David’s statement in Psalm 37:12-13: “The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him; for He sees that his day is coming”.
It is good to sit down and read the entire book at one time, for it is a beautiful and complete story. It encourages our faith in dangerous times. It shows us God’s wonderful providence. It acquaints us with the workings of wicked men, and we learn that righteousness must not shrink back from wickedness but fight on to the final victory. There are only 10 chapters in the book, and these 10 chapters comprise 183 verses. We are amazed at how much the Bible can tell in so few words. Truly, its brevity as we have always affirmed, is one of its most striking features. We are not to expect such miracles in our lives and dealings today, but we can expect God to protect His people. These things were “written for our learning” (Romans 15:4). So, let us see what we can learn from them.
Discussion
Ahasuerus, the Persian Feasts, and the Noble Vashti
Ahasuerus of the Romans, Artaxerxes of the Greeks, and Ardaheer of the Persians were titles identifying the same person. The king reigned from 485 to 464 BC. His kingdom was bounded on the east by the Red sea; West by Cyprus and Egypt; on the North by the Euxine Sea; and on the south by Ethiopia. Ahasuerus sat securely on his throne, having subdued all his enemies, and having brought peace to his empire. The very first chapter opens with a feast made by the king for all his princes and servants, with a special invitation to the nobles of his various provinces (versus 1-4). This feast was probably arranged to show the king’s greatness, and some think that perhaps it fell on his birthday. Luxury was characteristic of Eastern monarchs, especially the Persians. In this feast the king’s wealth, grander, and power were put on display, so that he might receive praise and flattery from his royal visitors. This must have been what the world now would call a gala affair!
In our next division we learn that when this first feast was over, the king made another one, this time for all the people, not just for his high servants and visiting dignitaries (verses 5-8). This feast was to last for seven days and was to be conducted in the garden since no apartment in the palace would be large enough to accommodate the huge crowd that would attend. The Persian gardens were large and beautiful as we learned from a description of this garden. Elegant curtains of white, green, and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen, pillars of marble, beds of gold and silver upon a pavement of red, blue, white, and black marble were in evidence. How luxuriously beautiful it must have been! But, be not deceived by such physical beauty, for it is soon to become a thriving den of vice and corruption.
We learn next that the wine flowed freely from vessels as beautiful as the other decor, that the “drinking was according to the law; none did compel; for so the king had appointed . . . that they should do according to every man’s pleasure”. I imagine I can fairly well conclude what every man’s pleasure was! Do you suppose anyone argued, “Oh, I have to drink! Everyone else is doing it!” Human nature has changed very little, and that kind of talk probably was heard. I read the other day about an old mountaineer whose whiskey was so bad he had to get another fellow to hold a shotgun on him while he drank it! These people were not forced which caused Frances to write: “There, every guest may drink and fill/ As much or little as he will;/ Exempted from the bedlam rules/ Of roaring prodigals and fools./ Whether, in merry moor or whim,/ He feels his goblet to the brim;/ Or better pleased to let it pass,/ Is cheerful with a moderate glass”.
We are next introduced to another character who doesn’t last long in the book of Esther, but her nobility will long be remembered. In verse nine we learn of the queen – Vashti. While the king’s feast was going on, she made a feast for the women. Women of the East never mingled with the men in public, so the queen is hostess to a private party just for her sex. Her name in Persian means “beautiful or excellent woman”. How fitting was her name, indeed!
On the seventh day when the king’s heart was merry with wine, he commanded his seven chief chamberlains to bring Vashti in so that he might show off her beauty and fairness to the drunken revelers. Vashti, knowing the purpose of this call, refused to come, and the king became very upset. After a hasty counsel with his wise man, it was decided that Vashti should be dealt with according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, for she had not only insulted the king by her refusal, but she had also set a bad example throughout the various provinces (versus 10-16).
Historians declared that Ahasuerus commanded that she be brought in naked. She refused and should ever be commended for it. What woman, with a common sense for decency, would expose herself to such a group of drunkards or anyone else? Her courage was equal to her modesty – she resisted the royal mandate rather than violate her own chastity. She knew her refusal would cost her the crown she wore, maybe her life, but virtue and honor were at stake. Her humility was evidenced in her refusal for she could have satisfied her vanity had she been like many of today’s women.
Some ambitious mothers now train their daughters with that very thing in mind – to dance in the nude in nightclubs and bar rooms; that in places of shame they might expose themselves to the wicked and adulterous glances of depraved men. Such behavior is sinful, and the church today takes entirely too light an attitude toward it. Abbreviated attire on the streets causes more adultery in the heart than all the other inducements you could parade past. The old preacher commented, “I wish I could find out what kind of fruit it was that Eve ate that made her realize she was naked. I’d feed a batch of it to every naked woman I see on the streets!”
Very serious deliberations took place, and it was decided that Vashti should be robbed of her power and that letters should be sent to all the provinces telling what she had done and advertising the men to rule with a “hardened hand” lest their wives rebel as the queen had done (versus 17-22). Women were expected to obey their husbands regardless of what the demands were. This was tyrannical and is worse than that of today, but we still see some men who make the same demands. God never intended for men to treat women as slaves. She was taken from his side, not from his feet. The man who will not respect his wife and womankind in general is not much of a man. He is just a poor excuse in a pair of “britches”. Wives are to be in submission to their own husbands, and husbands are to love their wives (Ephesians 5:22-33). This world needs more women like Vashti. Women are responsible for the loose attitude men have toward them. They were the ones who let down the moral barriers, and then men began taking advantage every time they could. If the moral condition of America ever improves, it must begin with our women. They must respect themselves, for if they don’t, how can they expect to be respected by the men? Yes, give us more like Vashti – “beautiful, excellent women”!
Chapter two of Esther finds the king sobering up and regretting what he had done. But now it is too late. The law has been passed, and Vashti is doomed. The king’s conscience troubles him, and remorse takes over. I seriously doubt if complete restitution could ever be made in such a case. How could he ever reinstate the woman he so wronged? Vashti’s dethronement calls for a new queen. Very young maidens from the province were sought. They were put in the house for the women, and the days of their purification began. This purification was not as Moses’ law had directed, but it dealt with their “cosmetics” and “beautification”. This included bathing, perfuming, and various adornings. Myrrh was employed for six months, odors for six months, and then they were brought to the king. This time was sufficient to show if they were with child and if each one were chaste. The king had no desire to father a spurious offspring (2:1-4). All the women who came to his harem became his concubines, but only one could become the chief wife, or queen. Think of the vanity of Ahasuerus in taking up all the beautiful young maidens – it is no wonder that the early monarchs were so hated.
Mordecai the Jew and Esther the Queen
In verse five of chapter two we become acquainted with another of our characters in this great drama. He was a Jew, and his name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair, a Benjaminite, son of Kish. Esther was his cousin and is to become soon the most prominent character of all in our drama (verse 7). Evidently, Mordecai was much older than Esther for we are told that she looked upon him as her father. Being without parents, she looked to him as her only kindred and means of support. He brings her to the king’s palace, and in verse nine we learn that when the king saw her, the maiden pleased him. She was given her things for her purification and seven maidens to attend. She was also given the best place in the house of the women. Her deportment and unassuming manners pleased Ahasuerus, and this we must remember – Esther’s true identity as a Jewess had not been made known. It was certainly no credit to a person to be a Jew in the Persian provinces. “Esther had not shown her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it” (2:10).
Mordecai walked by the king’s house each day hoping to see Esther. One year passes, and the maidens are called one by one into the king’s house. After spending one night each, they go back into his majesty’s presence only when called. Maybe we can imagine how it must have been when the big day came. Each maiden was adorned in whatever finery it took to make her look her best. When Esther’s time came, she possessed so much natural beauty she required none of the extras the others were given. When the king saw her he “loved her above all the others” (verse 17), and the royal crown was placed upon her head. She becomes mistress of all the other wives, and they must pay her proper respect. To celebrate this election of a new queen, the king made a great feast. Certain taxes were dropped, and one in particular called the “Queen’s Tax”, making Esther very popular from the beginning of her reign. Certain minor law breakers were released, further enhancing the king’s popularity.
Mordecai continued to sit daily at the king’s gate, and one day happened to overhear a plot against the king’s life. He told Esther about the plot, and she notified the king. Some think that Esther was to have been removed too, perhaps poison her in her bed chamber and then slay the king. The conspirators were hanged upon a tree, which probably meant death by being impaled. A sharp stick was set up in the ground, and the one under sentence was pulled over it, letting it follow the canals of the body until it came out on the side of the neck! We will need to remember this incident in our lesson a little further on.
The Rise of Haman to Power
No story is complete without a villain, and this story is no exception. Thus we are now introduced to another character in our play. His name is Haman, a descendant of Agag, whom Saul spared. Maybe this partly accounts for his meanness. Ahasuerus promotes him to the position of prime minister, above all the other princes. On order of the king, all the servants bowed when Haman entered the gate, but the Jew, Mordecai, refused to bow down before him (3:1-2). Had it been merely civil reverence that Haman demanded no doubt Mordecai would have complied. Haman expected divine adoration, the highest reverence that one pays to God and not to man – lying down flat up on the ground with the hands and feet extended and the mouth in the dust. This Mordecai refused to give. He knew it was a form of idolatry, and such God forbade. One of the commandments had said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Paul in Athens beheld a “city wholly given to idolatry” (Acts 17:16). Later to the Ephesians he said, “No idolater has any inheritance . . .” (Ephesians 5:5). It is still wrong to pay mortal man such homage, and these passages are as applicable against such today as they were then.
When the servants asked Mordecai why he refused to prostrate himself before Haman, he told them that he was a Jew and, of course, they ran to tell Haman. This filled Haman with wrath, and from that day on, he and Mordecai were avowed enemies. Haman begins now to plot against Mordecai and all the Jews. The Targum says that Haman erected a statue of himself and demanded reverence before it. In the apocryphal editions of this book, Mordecai is represented as saying, “You know that if I have not adored Haman, it was not through pride, nor contempt, nor secret desire of glory; for I feel disposed to kiss the footsteps of his feet (gladly) for the salvation of Israel; but I feared to give to man that honor which I know belongs only to my God”. This should be our attitude now when men demand homage which we know belongs only to the Almighty. David said, “Holy and reverend is His name” (Psalm 111:9). Man should not attach the title “Reverend” to his name. It, like other sacred titles, belongs only to God. Mordecai has now made his position plain, and no one can misunderstand (versus 3-6).
Haman’s Proposed Destruction of the People
The depths to which hatred can reach are seen in Haman’s next move (versus 7-11). Haman had a design against the Jews, and they now cast lots to see which of the 12 months would be the most favorable for its execution. The month Adar corresponded with our March or April, and these things took place about 510 years before Christ. So great was Haman’s hatred that he agreed to pay 10,000 talents of silver for their destruction. This was to be his own contribution. Believing that the Jews were diverse to his kingdom, the king put the seal of his ring to the decree.
The casting of lots was frequently used in olden days and was still being used in the days of the apostles. Lots were cast to replace Judas (Acts 1:23-26). The casting of lots was not equivalent to “voting into the church” as some want us to believe. The apostles had nothing to do with the selection of one to take Judas’s place. They prayed, “You Lord . . . show which of these two You have chosen”. The casting of lots was to let them know who the Lord’s choice was. In voting into the church, the people are the determining factor, not the Lord. They might vote a drunkard in, but this the Lord would never do. Haman was very careful to get just the right month. Most characters of like caliber are superstitious. Superstition is a form of idolatry and is one of America’s greatest sins. Are you afraid of a graveyard at night? Just remember, it won’t hurt you. It might make you hurt yourself, but there is no power out there to do you any harm. Do you go around a ladder to keep from walking under it? Are you careful that no black cat crosses your path? Yes, if we weren’t careful, we would all be too superstitious.
The remainder of the chapter tells about the signing of the decree and how the spoils of the slain Jews could be claimed by the slayer. The decree went into all the provinces, and “all Shushan was perplexed”. To conclude the business, the king and Haman sat down and had a drink together. Persian families would suffer because of this wicked decree because of intermarriage with the Jews. Despotism in one government can upset and ruin the whole world.
A number of significant facts begin to unfold in chapter four. Mordecai hears the news about the proposed destruction of the Jews and rends his clothes. He stations himself in a likely spot and cries aloud against the decree. The Greek version declares that he said, “A people are going to be destroyed who have done no evil”. His demonstration was to catch Esther’s attention as well as that of the people. We need more like Mordecai today. Men who will cry out against sin. The spirit of compromise is worse than the spirit of anti-this and that. A fellow asked me once, “Are all preachers sissies?” I knew what he meant. Are all preachers politicians? Do they know which side of the bread is buttered? Will they padlock their mouths to be popular? I fear that many will. Dr. Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, came out against Kennedy for President. He made a noble statement, then when pressure became more and more severe, he backtracked, backpedaled, and said he had been “stupid”. This is an example of today’s philosophy: “Get along with everybody regardless!” I predict the famous “positive thinker” is in for embarrassment the rest of his days, and it will serve him right! Mordecai could not backpedal – he could only ride straight ahead.
We are told that in every province the wailing was great. The people cried, as one put it, “Save us, O God, the ocean is so large, and our little boats [are] so small”. The news is relayed on to Esther, and she sends to inquire of Mordecai the meaning of it all and learns of wicked Haman’s plot. Mordecai sends a copy of the decree back to Esther by Hatach, the eunuch who waited upon Esther. As Haman’s influence was used for harm, now Esther’s is to be used for good. She will become the people’s advocate. Jesus is our great Advocate and ever makes intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). When Esther reminds Mordecai of the law that one must never go before the king unless called, he reminds her that she, too, will perish if this decree is carried out. Mordecai was a believer that truth would triumph if not through her then through some other source. But he reminded Esther that perhaps God had willed that deliverance come through her (4:14). It is believed that by this time Haman knew something of the relationship between these Jews, Mordecai and Esther. He and the king had sat down to drink, and we learn from the previous chapter that Esther had not been sent for by the king for 30 days. Doubtless Haman is trying to keep her away from the king lest the news of the relationship between her and Mordecai be made known.
Esther sent back word to Mordecai saying that she would fast, then go in unto the king to plead for the people, and closed by saying, “If I perish, I perish” (verse 16). Someone has said, “We know not of what we are capable until the trial comes; till it comes, perhaps, in a form which makes the strong men quail, and turns the gentler woman into a heroine.”
Esther’s Skill In Interceding for the People
When the fasting was over, Esther took off her garb peculiar of mourning and dressed to go into the palace to the king. He sees her, is touched by her loveliness, and extends to her the scepter. The hand of God is upon her for she could have by law been put to death for such brazenness. She became a bold petitioner. The Roman law was somewhat like the laws of the Medes and Persians. It is said that no one could approach the emperor’s tent at night, even upon pain of death. A soldier was found in that situation and was sentenced to death. But the emperor cried out, “If the petition is for himself, let him die; if for another, spare his life”. It was found that he prayed for the lives of two comrades who had been taken asleep at the post of duty, whereupon the emperor freely forgave them all. Esther now pleads, not for herself, but for her people. But notice how shrewdly she does it.
When the king asked what her request was, she simply asked that he and Haman come to a banquet that she would prepare. The king agreed and told Haman to make haste. She must invite Haman to prevent any suspicion on her part. This first banquet was a preliminary to the main one which would occur the next day, and then she would reveal all. The king was as curious as anyone could be. Putting the king off until tomorrow would gain more affection from him. Oh that we knew when and how to pray! The philosopher has said that “he who would be little in temptation, let him be much in prayer”. And, “a family without prayer is like a house without a roof”.
Haman’s Vain Pride
Haman, not suspecting that all is not going in his favor, brags to his friends. He is in a merry mood until he sees Mordecai, his thorn in the flesh. He brags to his wife and his friends of his riches, his promotion, and his popularity. His pride cannot be restrained. Men in pride and arrogance today make fools of themselves. He said, “Esther invited no one else but me!” (verse 12). Then his wife, Zeresh, suggested that a gallows be built for Mordecai’s demise, and the thing pleased Haman. Thus, Haman’s wife becomes a contributor to this perpetration of evil. A man’s wife can make or ruin him. Thus closes chapter five. We should learn from Haman’s pride to be careful lest our pride become our weapon of destruction, and we commit suicide. “Pride goes before destruction”, and “when pride comes, then shame comes”. Some are about as inflated with themselves as the fellow who bragged, “In all humility, I proudly say . . . !”
Mordecai Exalted and Haman Humbled
Chapter six begins by informing us that the king had a restless night. Some suggest that the king dreamed about Haman and in his dream began to see him as he really was, and that in the dream he heard Haman saying the very things he would say the next day when he came before the king. When the king could not sleep, the Chronicles were read to him, and he learned about a man who had saved him from death at the hands of the two conspirators. The Chronicles were composed among the Persians and were interesting and instructive reading.
The king asked his servants what had been done to honor the man who saved his life and learned that nothing had been done. When Haman came in the next day to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai, the king asked him, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Haman reasoned, “Who beside me would the king want to honor?” and proceeded to tell the king what should be done. Haman suggested that royal apparel be put upon such a one and that he be put on the king’s horse and paraded through the street, preceded by a prince proclaiming the king’s pleasure with such an one. Then the blow came! The king said, “Make haste . . . and do so to Mordecai the Jew!” (verse 10). Imagine Haman’s humiliation as he went before Mordecai crying out, “This is the man whom the king delighted to honor!” What a blow to his conceit! He finishes and goes home – all bragging is gone, and his wife who has been so suggestive about Mordecai realizes now that Haman has begun to fall before this Jew. Friends, you will fall before the one you allow yourself to hate! Hitler fell before the Jews he oppressed, and history is replete with example after example bearing this truth out over and over.
While this state of oppression is upon Haman, the queen’s banquet is ready, and Haman must attend. This is now one meeting he does not want to attend, but he must. He is the special guest. He wanted that position, and now he gets it. The trouble we try to heap upon others, we usually heap upon ourselves.
In chapter seven the cruel oppressor pays for his crimes with his life. The king cannot wait to ask Esther what her petition is. She at the right moment says, “If I have found favor . . . let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request” (verse 3). She went on to explain how she and her people were about to be slain, and the king asked who the evil one behind this dastardly act was – the one who dared presume in his heart to do so? Then the blow fell! “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!” (verse 6). Esther knew just when and how to speak and how far to go. More of our requests would be granted if we just had as much judgment. We can say things at the most inopportune times! We go into a sick room and upon learning what ails the afflicted, sigh: “I knew a fellow who had that, and he didn’t last 10 days!” How comforting! The little boy went to see granny who was ill, and when she fainted, he came running out of the room. When asked what he said, he innocently replied, “All I asked granny was if she would like to have a brass band play at her funeral!” Despite all caution, he had said the wrong thing. Esther said just the right thing, and we should pray for wisdom to do likewise in our dealings with our friends and brethren.
Now the king rises, and so does Haman, to beg the queen for his life. The king goes out into the garden to deliberate what to do to Haman, and when he returns finds Haman prostrated upon the queen’s bed, and thinking that he was trying to force the queen had Haman’s head covered. About that time one of the chamberlains comes in and reminds the king of the gallows being built, and the king says of Haman, “Hang him thereon!” They hang him, and the king’s wrath is pacified. Thus came to pass the words of the poet: “Nor can there be a juster law than that the artificers of death should perish by their own invention”. It is impossible to hide long from justice. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked” (Galatians 6:7)!
Mordecai Exalted
Events move at a rapid pace now, and in chapter nine Mordecai is exalted and placed over Haman’s house, which upon his death was given to Esther. Thus, the humble is exalted. Esther now goes in and begs the king to reverse the decree that had gone out for the destruction of her people, only to be reminded that once a law receives the king’s signature, it is unchangeable. However, the king does write another law which says that the Jews can get ready to defend themselves against any aggressor. These letters were carried to all the provinces reading that the Jews could “destroy, slay, cause to perish”, the same words as in Haman’s decree, all who would oppress them. Then it was said that the Jews “had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor” (verse 16). Thus, man’s extremity again proves to be God’s opportunity.
Chapter nine tells us about the slaughter the Jews heaped upon their enemies, but it does not appear that they slew any who did not rise against them. “True liberty consists in the privilege of enjoying our own rights, not in the destruction of the rights of others” (Pinckard). In Shushan 500 men were slain, including Haman’s ten sons who were hanged upon the gallows on which their father had died. Esther’s diligence in routing and destroying her enemies would serve to encourage us to destroy our enemies which hinder us spiritually – passions, lust, envy, and so forth. These are our “Hamans”, and with them we must not make a truce. The day that was to have meant the destruction of the Jews became a day of gladness and celebration (verse 17). They kept that day yearly as a memorial (verse 21). The two days Haman had devised, one to proclaim the destruction of the Jews – the other the day to carry it out, would become special days to be kept throughout their generations. Such was confirmed and written in the book (verse 32).
Chapter ten brings our lesson to a close, and thus this great book likewise ends. Ahasuerus bestows great power upon Mordecai to a position next to the king, and Mordecai rules well, “speaking peace to all his countrymen” (verse 3).
Though, as affirmed in the beginning, the name of God is not mentioned in this book, there is no book in the Bible in which God is felt more keenly. How wonderful indeed is His providence!
Conclusion
“The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 21:1). “And lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the age!” (Matthew 28:20). “I will never leave you nor forsake you!” (Hebrews 13:5). What more assurance do we as God’s children need?
When the dark clouds gather around you, And your hopes begin to fade;
Can’t you hear a voice surround you, “It is I, be not afraid.”Did it seem no one could hear you
When you bowed your head and prayed – Christ our Lord is always near you;
He is there; be not afraid.Is your journey long and dreary,
And it seems your feet have strayed? He’ll be there to rest the weary;
Yes, He’s there, be not afraid.Then when sickness, pain, and sorrow, On your body have been laid;
Think of what will be tomorrow! Christ is there – be not afraid.
Questions for Class Discussion
- Name five prominent characters that play the dominant role in this drama.
- Who was the king of the Persians, and how would you describe him?
- What then, as now, characterized all feasts? Could ancient men engage in this vice and maintain their balance and sanity?
- What demand did the king make that the queen would not meet? What does the name Vashti mean? Describe her and discuss her courage.
- How did the king feel when he sobered up and learned what he had done? If this were the only evil of intoxicants, would it be enough to discourage one’s ever indulging?
- What can you say about the laws of the Medes and Persians?
- Do you know any modern Medes and Persians who will not alter what they say regardless of whether it contains truth or not?
- What does the name Esther signify? Discuss her noble qualities.
- Was it fair for the kings in those days to put all the eligible young maidens in their harems? Give reasons for what you believe.
- Discuss the purifications through which these young maidens went. How long did they last? And why were they given?
- What part does Mordecai play in this story? Was he a man of valor? Do we need more such characters now?
- Why did Esther keep her own nationality a secret? On whose advice?
- What demand did Haman make that Mordecai would not meet? How did Haman take this Jew’s refusal?
- What decree did Haman get into force and why? Did the king know what he was doing?
- How did Esther go about offsetting this decree?
- Was Haman a braggart? Of what did he boast? What was his humiliation?
- Will wickedness in our day finally be found out? Do you believe that truth will eventually triumph over error?
- How are the Jews to prevent their own slaughter?
- Did they forget these days later on or remember them? Why?
- What lesson do you get from the fact that in the last chapter Mordecai is exalted?