Intro to Esther
Notes
Transcript
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What is a novel? What does it have to include?
A novel is a long, fictional story in prose that follows characters through a meaningful sequence of events, usually with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It is longer and more complex than a short story and is designed to immerse the reader in another person’s life or world.
Drama, power, romance, intrigue is what the best novels are made of.
As we look into Esther you would almost read it as a novel except for the fact that it is true and God is seen throughout the book.
The book of Esther tells how God preserved His people from destruction through the courage of an ordinary young woman and the quiet, behind‑the‑scenes working of His providence. It shows how God is present and in control even when He seems absent, and it calls believers to courageous, wise obedience “for such a time as this.”
For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
What can you tell me about Esther?
Wait to see if anyone can answer
Lets us start with the basics....
New Testament or Old Testament?
Who wrote Esther?
Unknown
Possibly Mordecai Esther 9:29 “Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.”
Some have suggested Ezra or Nehemiah because of similar writing styles
Only one of two books named for women - the other Ruth
Key People:
Esther
Mordecai
King Xerxes I
Haman
Who is not mentioned at all in this book
God
No name, title or pronoun for God appears in it. This causes some church fathers to question its inclusion in the Bible. But God’s presence is clear throughout the book
Purpose // Even when God appears absent, He is always at work on behalf of His chosen people.
To whom was it written?
The book of Esther was written for Jewish people scattered across the present-day Middle East following the Babylonian exile.
What are the main themes of Esther?
• Theme 1:
God's Hidden Providence Without ever mentioning God explicitly, the author of Esther invites readers to look for God in the shadows on every page.
So much of the story happens by "coincidence" or seemingly by "accident," and this is a not-so-subtle reminder that God is the one truly in control.
The author of Esther "is suggesting that beneath the surface of even seemingly insignificant human decisions and events, an unseen and uncontrollable power is at work that can be neither explained nor thwarted
Everything happens for a reason because God is;
Omnipotent: God is all-powerful; there is no limit to what he can do that is consistent with his character and will.
Omniscient: God is all-knowing; he perfectly knows the past, present, future, every thought, and every possibility.
Omnipresent: God is present everywhere; he is not bound by space and is fully present in every place at once.
The Esther story is an example of how at one crucial moment in history the covenant promises God had made were fulfilled, not by His miraculous intervention, but through completely ordinary events."
• Theme 2:
Feasting in Enemy Territory:
The book of Esther includes more parties than any other book in the Bible!
Whether thrown by Ahasuerus, Vashti, Esther, or Mordecai, feasting plays a central role throughout the book.
Sometimes, these feasts point to the debauchery and excess of the Persians, but the feasting also points to the genuine joy and triumph of God's people.
• Theme 3:
God's Covenant Faithfulness:
When things look bleakest for the people of Israel, God is always at work.
Not always seeing God work or why we are in a situation, God is working.
When we see a building going up, we usually see people working, but we also do not see the people on the inside getting stuff done.
The book of Esther is filled with ironic reversals that dramatically display God's work behind the scenes to deliver on His covenant promises, even when all hope seems lost.
• Theme 4:
Esther as a Type of Christ:
As is often the case in the Old Testament, complicated heroes and heroines point forward to the true hero of the story, Jesus.
Though Esther does not model Christ's moral perfection, she does foreshadow certain aspects of His work.
As she puts her own life on the line
Esther acts as a mediator for her people, risking the life of one for the many.
Christ gave His life for us on the cross to atone for our sins
Why does this matter for our students?
Faithfulness in a pagan land
Esther, like Daniel, addresses what life was like for God's people after they had been kicked out of Israel and Judah.
This God's people to reckon with how to remain faithful in the midst of oppressive and pagan surroundings.
Look at our world today, we life in a post Christian world.
It is all about self and what makes us feel good.
Esther and Mordecai don't prescribe an exact playbook for how all Christians should behave, but they model what faithfulness can look like, particularly in the midst of severe oppression.
As Esther will demonstrate, she must be willing to risk (and lose) everything in order to faithfully follow God.
Can we be faithful in a pagan land?
Or the question should be how can we be faithful in a pagan land.
This is where how we live matters, no matter the circumstance
We might not like the circumstance
We might not even agree with the circumstance
We still need to be faithful to what God wants us to do
God at work in the shadows.
Though God is never mentioned by name in the entire book of Esther, His presence looms behind every page.
Throughout the story, God uses both small, insignificant moments and daring, life-threatening events to work His purposes and protect His people.
Our own lives we can see ways on how God protects us.
How He sees us through tough times.
Though we cannot see God, He is always at work protecting His people, often in the most unlikely of circumstances.
Even in the heart of a godless and indulgent pagan empire, God chooses to send and use Esther for the good of His people.
How does God use you in the world that you life to be sent for others to see Jesus in us?
What is God's will for my life?
As teenagers mature into young adults, this question will dominate many of their thoughts and conversations.
Even with good intentions, we can foolishly try to discern or interpret exactly what God has planned for us or even try to control the outcome ourselves.
So often, however, God has placed us in specific situations so that He can teach us to trust Him exactly where we are.
God is sovereign over all things, but we are not helpless bystanders who stand on the sidelines.
Esther does not model what faithfulness will always look like by any means, but she helps us better understand how we are invited to participate in God's providence.
As we study Esther, the question should be how can God use me?
We can always ask the question what is God’s will without ever really wanting to know, God tells us throughout His Word wants His will is....
That we may have a relationship with Jesus - just like we have been talking about the past 4 weeks in Elevate Evangelism
That we give an answer of the hope that is in us. 1 Peter 3:15
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
Anyone want to share their testimony, we have been working on them the past few weeks
That we meditate on God’s word day and night Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Reading God’s word daily
Thinking on God’s word from what you read that day
That we go and tell others Matthew 28:19-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Being willing to tell others
We have to do the basics, and as we do He give us the desires of our heart - Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
God will give us the desires of our heart, but it may not be what you think it should be
(teaching for 10 years)
Applications for life and ministry
Esther is not just an ancient court drama; it speaks directly to believers who live in cultures that often ignore or oppose God. Here are several ways its message can shape how we think and live.
Trust God when He seems silent.
In Esther there are no burning bushes, no parted seas, no prophets delivering direct messages—yet God is clearly at work.
When you walk through seasons where God feels distant or unseen, Esther reminds you that God’s providence is not less real just because it is less visible.
Encourage students or adults who feel like God is absent in their school, workplace, or family: point out how often God works through ordinary timing, conversations, and decisions, just as He did through Esther’s position and the king’s insomnia.
Be faithful in the place God has put you.
Esther did not choose to be born Jewish in exile or to be taken into the Persian king’s harem, but she chose to be faithful with the influence and relationships she had.
Mordecai served faithfully at the king’s gate and reported a plot against the king long before it brought him any reward.
Faithfulness makes a difference
Help people see that their school, job, neighborhood, or family situation is not an accident; it is part of where God has placed them “for such a time as this.”
Ask: Who has God placed around you that you can quietly serve, protect, or influence for Him?
Practice courage that counts the cost.
Esther moves from fear (“I might die if I go to the king”) to resolve (“If I perish, I perish”), showing that courage is not the absence of fear but obedience that acts in spite of fear. She prays, fasts, seeks support from others, and then steps forward at real personal risk.
How does this play out for you?
Challenge believers to identify one concrete step of obedience that feels risky
Speaking about Christ to a friend - sharing your testimony - I think we just finish working on that.
Refusing to join in gossip or cheating
Refusing to watch inappropriate Youtube videos with your friends
Standing with someone who is being mistreated.
Encourage them to seek prayer support from others as Esther did before taking that step.
Own your identity as God’s people.
Esther’s turning point comes when she is willing to be publicly known as a Jew and to join her fate to God’s people. In a world that often pressures believers to keep quiet about their faith, Esther encourages open, humble identification with Christ and His people.
You can ask: Where am I tempted to hide my faith to stay safe or popular? How might God be calling me, like Esther, to step out of hiding and align myself openly with Him and His people, even when it is costly?
Celebrate and remember God’s deliverance.
The Jews did not just survive; they celebrated and created rhythms of remembrance through Purim. Remembering God’s past faithfulness fuels present trust and future courage.
Practically, this may look like keeping a journal of answered prayers, sharing testimonies in small groups, or creating annual family or church traditions that rehearse how God has provided and delivered in specific ways, much like Purim preserved the memory of Esther’s story.
Keeping a journal is a great way to record things in your life and to see how God has answered prayer in your life.
I want to encourage you to read the book of Esther, read a chapter a week to be ready to ask questions about what you read.
