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ESTHER

ESTHER. Surviving While in Exile. ESTHER: The Book. One of the “Five Scrolls” of the Hebrew Bible Canonical status has often been questioned by both Jews & Christians, yet a very popular book among Jews Tells the origin of the feast of Purim, a favorite Jewish festival

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ESTHER

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  1. ESTHER Surviving While in Exile

  2. ESTHER: The Book • One of the “Five Scrolls” of the Hebrew Bible • Canonical status has often been questioned by both Jews & Christians, yet a very popular book among Jews • Tells the origin of the feast of Purim, a favorite Jewish festival • Authorship & Date unknown, but probably shortly after the events it describes (486-465 B.C.)

  3. ESTHER: Major Characters • Esther – a young Jewish orphan girl who becomes Queen of Persia& saves her people from destruction • Mordecai – Esther’s cousin & guardian • King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) – King of Persia • Haman – An evil enemy of the Jewish people, 2nd-in-command to the King

  4. ESTHER: Plot • Queen Vashti disobeys the King & is replaced by Esther • Esther conceals her nationality on advice from Mordecai • Haman hates Mordecai b/c he won’t bow to him. Plots to destroy him • Haman ends up having to honor Mordecai instead • Haman devises a plot to destroy all Jews in Persia • Mordecai appeals to Esther to intervene with the King • Esther reveals her identity & exposes Haman’s evil plot, & he is hanged • A new decree allows Jews to take vengeance on their enemies • Feast of Purim (“Lots”) celebrates this great deliverance

  5. ESTHER: Questions & Problems • Why doesn’t Esther ever mention God’s name? • How could a devout Israelite participate in the immoral “try-out” for a new queen? • Why does the book celebrate the vengeance of the Jews & the killing of so many enemies?

  6. ESTHER: Key Verse “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief & deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14

  7. ESTHER: Lessons for Today • God _______ when His people are __________ by enemies. • God often works in ways we could never _______________. • People can be destroyed by their own ____________ & lust for ____________. • We should trust God even in our most _____________ circumstances. • Sometimes we have to take __________ for the sake of others & for the furtherance of God’s kingdom.

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