Coming to Life: Esther

Welcome to Coming to Life, a one-year journey through God's Word. My name is Katie Haack. Esther is the final book in the historical section of our Bibles, although it does not really outline the history of the Israelites like the others. The events described take place between 483 BC and 473 BC, although the book was probably written a little later. The Israelites have been released from exile and the first wave has returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. This story tells of a young Israelite woman named Hadessa who did not return to Jerusalem but instead stayed in the city of Susa, the capital of Persia. The king at the time was a man named Xerxes, although in your translation it may say Ahasuerus. They are the same person, but one is his name in Greek and the other is his name in Hebrew. The author is unknown, however most scholars credit Mordecai, Hadessa's cousin, with writing it and it is believed he was writing to share what was happening with the Israelites who had left with Zerubbabel and went to Jerusalem. Foreign powers attempted to eliminate the Jewish race, but God preserved His people. This is the main purpose for the book. It is also to give us a historical account of how the festival Purim came to be. Purim, sometimes called the Feast of Lots, is an annual feast which is celebrated the 14th day of Adar according to the Jewish calendar. For us that would be a date in February or March depending on the year. It is one of only two festivals not commanded by God and His law which is still celebrated in Israel today. They celebrate with a retelling of the story of Esther, giving gifts to the poor, wearing costumes, playing games, and making a whole lot of noise. It is a reminder of God's deliverance. You may wonder why the book is called Esther if it was written about a young woman named Hadessa. Well, King Xerxes got upset with his queen and banned her from ever coming into his presence

again. He then went on a search for a new queen. Four hundred women were brought to a harem for the king to choose from. One of them was Hadessa. She had lost both of her parents and was being taken care of by her cousin Mordecai. She was a beautiful woman and was taken probably against her will to the harem. It is believed her name was changed at this point to hide her Jewish identity. Esther would have been her Persian name. I want you to read this story because it's only ten chapters and really interesting, so I do not want to just detail everything that happens. I do just want to give you a little history on a couple of things. Haman, a really bad guy you will read about, is an Amalekite, sworn enemies of the Israelites for many generations. He was prideful and insecure. He used Mordecai's resistance as an excuse to punish the entire race of Israelites, exposing his hatred. When deciding the best date to kill them all, he cast a lot. This is something you may have heard about before. It is a common tradition to figure out God's will because it was considered impartial, unbiased, and without human intervention. It was done by the high priest Aaron on the Day of Atonement when choosing which goat to make the scapegoat. It was used by Joshua to determine which tribes were given which pieces of land. It was even used by the disciples in the New Testament to determine who should fill Judas's role after his betrayal. Fun fact, casting lots is mentioned a total of 77 times in the Bible. No one knows for sure what instrument was used, possibly sticks or dice, but it's kind of like flipping a coin. In those days, the queen was not allowed to speak to the king whenever she wished. She needed to be requested by him.

For her to come into his presence without permission could be grounds for death. The gallows that Haman set up to kill Mordecai would have been 75 feet high. A stake would be set on the ground and the victim would be set onto it and pulled down the stake going through his entire body. It was one of the most cruel and painful ways to execute someone. Also in those days, a decree could not be undone. Once it was set, it was set. But God can do anything. And we see evidence of that over and over. There are too many instances in this story of the right person being at the right place for anyone to call it coincidence. Esther is one of only two books in the Bible not to mention God's name. However, evidence of faith and God's sovereignty is clear throughout it. This book is filled with incredible stories of bravery, integrity, and boldness. But if you look deeper, you will see that it is really all about God and how he lines things up perfectly. The most famous verse is one where Mordecai says to Esther that everything that had happened in her life may have been setting her up for that very moment. Was there pain? Yes. But was there purpose? Yes. God sent Esther to deliver his people, but later he sent someone even better. This book is such a beautiful illustration that God's plan is not always the same as ours, but it is always so much better. It shows us God's character and how he is faithful, loving, and always keeps our promises. And it reminds us to trust him, even when our circumstances look bleak. I hope that the information shared today helps you grasp how interesting the Bible is so that you develop a passion for reading it. I pray that as you dig into scripture and go through your workbook, God speaks to you in exciting new ways, and your spirit begins coming to life. God bless. you