Esther

ESTHER

OBSERVATION:

ESTHER, A JEW FROM THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN, GREW UP IN EXILE IN PERSIA. HER JEWISH NAME, HADASSAH, MEANS “MYRTLE” MEANING PEACE AND THANKSGIVING. ESTER MEANS, “STAR” WITH ROOTS TO A PAGAN GODDESS ISHTAR. HER LOVING UNCLE AND GUARDIAN WAS MORDECAI A JEW. OTHER CHARACTERS IN THE BOOK INCLUDE XERXES (ALSO NAMED AHASUERUS); KING OF PERSIA AND HAMAN, AN EVIL PERSIAN OFFICER WHO WANTED TO EXTERMINATE ALL JEWS.

INTERPRETATION:

ESTHER 4:14 (NLT) IF YOU KEEP QUIET AT A TIME LIKE THIS, DELIVERANCE AND RELIEF FOR THE JEWS WILL ARISE FROM SOME OTHER PLACE, BUT YOU AND YOUR RELATIVES WILL DIE. WHO KNOWS IF PERHAPS YOU WERE MADE QUEEN FOR JUST SUCH A TIME AS THIS?

POINTS TO PONDER:

ESTHER WAS MARRIED TO AHASUERUS, A PERSIAN KING. HAMAN AN EVIL MAN IN HIS COURT, PLOTTED TO EXTERMINATE ALL JEWS. HE FIRST TARGETED MORDECAI A JEW WHO WORKED IN THE KING’S COURT. HE ASKED ESTER TO HELP REVEAL HAMAN’S EVIL PLOT BY APPEARING BEFORE THE KING, HER HUSBAND. SHE DIPLOMATICALLY AGREED AND FOUND FAVOR WITH THE KING. THE KING SUMMONED HAMAN AND PRONOUNCED HIM TO BE HUNG. HISTORICALLY, GOD USED VARIOUS MEN AND WOMEN TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL.

YOU CAN SEE A SIMILARITY BETWEEN ESTHER AND CHRIST. HE WAS APPOINTED BY HIS FATHER TO INTERVENE ON BEHALF OF LOST MEN AND WOMEN. GALATIANS 4:4 (NKJV) BUT WHEN THE FULLNESS OF TIME HAD COME, GOD SENT FORTH HIS SON, BORN OF A WOMAN, BORN UNDER THE LAW, TO REDEEM THOSE WHO WERE UNDER THE LAW, THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE THE ADOPTION OF SONS.

APPLICATION:

AS MORDECAI DEVISED A WAY FOR REDEMPTION THROUGH ESTHER, GOD PROVIDED A WAY FOR YOUR REDEMPTION THROUGH CHRIST!