Faith III - Esther Notes

(Read Ester 1:10-22) Some will say she is ____________________________ refusing, while some will say she is _____________________________ and arrogant.

Courageous Disrespectful

(Read Ester 1:1-9) Much of what we read about Xerxes is supported by the _________________________. He paints Xerxes as vain, impulsive man, which we shall see in the book of Esther.

Greek wisdom Herodotus

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) Esther is her Persian name; _______________________ is her Hebrew name.

Hadassah

(Read Esther 5: 1-8 - Esther prepares a banquet) v. 4 She asks only that ________________ and the __________________ attend a dinner that she had prepared. Note of story line. i. Xerxes commands vashti to appear at the king's banquet ii. Esther asks the King to appear her banquet iii Esther holds the power now

Haman, king

What is the date the book of Esther was written

between 460 - 350 B.C.

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) v. 9 "Favor" - The KJV says "and she obtained kindness from him." The Hebrew word for kindness is ______________________

chesed

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) v. 2 This could be any where from bowing one's head to __________________________________________________

full prostration on the ground

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) Is this God's hand in Esther's life? The favor Hegai (hey-gay) bestowed upon her allowed her to ________________________________________

have an advantage in being selected queen

(Read Esther 4:1-17 - Mordecai's response) v. 16. Closest expression of faith we have from Esther (so far). a. Fasting was almost always accompanied by prayer, so her request for fasting by the people implies that she might be requesting _____________________________________

prayers as well

Through Esther God preserved the tiny remnant in Judah that had rebuilt the temple under the leadership o Zerubbabel and Jeshua. What theme is this?

preserving the remnant

Haman is the prototype of arrogance vs. Mordecai who doesn't seek status for himself, thus elevating the Lord. What theme is this?

pride

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) God's ___________________: most common term for God's grace as found in the Psalms (125 times)

steadfast

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) The world's view of marriage is ________________________________

still different than God's view

(HISTORY) Some of God's people returned to Judah and Jerusalem to rebuild. Many did not. The main characters of the book of Esther are _____________________.

the Jews.

(HISTORY) Cyrus is the Persian king who issued the decree allowing the Judeans in captivity ____________________________________________________________.

to return to their homeland.

(PROBLEMS) The Jews in the later part of the book have a very __________________ spirit.

vengeful

(PROS:) Our situation is similar to Esther; _____________________________________________ such as those performed by Moses or Elijah or Paul.

we don't see God's power on display in miracles

(Read Ester 1:10-22) Just because the Bible describes a person's actions doesn't mean that it prescribes that _____________________________________________

we should follow the example

(Read Esther 4:1-17 - Mordecai's response) This section teaches us that God's _________________________ , with or without us. a. As we pray in the Lord's Prayer, God's Will will be done on earth,, in part, through our efforts. God gives us opportunities to be His co-workers in the work of the Gospel

will be done

(PROS:) It is written in the style of a person living outside the Holy Land in an unholy ________________________________________________________

heathen kingdom

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) v. 15 While the king and Haman celebrate, the people in the region are _____________________________________ by the change of attitude and lethal mans of the decree.

horrified and perplexed

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) We have plenty of examples in the Old Testament in which Israelites bowed to ______________________________________________________________________________

kings or superiors as signs of respect. Abraham to Hittite rulers (Genesis 23:70 Jacobs family to Esau (Genesis 33:6) David to Saul (1 Samuel 24:8)

(PROBLEMS) The early Christian church used a translation that added a number of passages in order to make the book __________________________________

more religious (Roman Catholic edition, Jerusalem Bible)

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) v. 14 Each of the women who had been prepared for the king was given ____________________________________________

one night alone with the king (thus the title of the movie based loosely on Esther, (One Night with the King). This is similar to the Bachelor. They are probably not spending time discussing foreign politics. This idea was common in Middle Eastern culture. The tales of the Arabian nights.

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) v. 12 Haman issues the decree on the 13th day of the 1st month.a. What Jewish celebration is set for the 14th day of the 1st month? What Jewish celebration is set for the 14th day of the 1st month? _______________________

passover

(Read Esther 5: 1-8 - Esther prepares a banquet) v. 1 After her _______________________________ had ended, she prepared herself to see the king

three day feast

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) When it was Esther turn she won the king over right away. This occurs in 479 BC, one year after his defeat at Salamis in Greece and ____________________________________________________

up to 4 years after Vashti's rejection

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) Does the Torah forbid casting of lots?

-Promised land was divided among the Israelite tribes, clans and families (Joshua 18:8-10) -Determine Jonathan's guilt (1 Samuel 14:41-42) - Choosing Mathias (Acts 1:26)

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) v. 8 Haman is intentionally vague to the king as to whom the people are. What laws do you think made them different from every other people?

-dietary laws -circumcision -keeping the sabbath

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) v. 12 They were given training for __________________! Some of this time would have been aristocratic training while some were for _________________________________________________________

12 months Skin - lightening and skin softening

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) It took ___________________________________ for Haman to get the favorable outcome he wanted.

12 months of casting lots day after day

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) Nearly _____________ have passed between Mordecai's discovery and these events.

5 years

(PROBLEMS) ______________________ God is never directly mentioned or named.

God

(Read Ester 1:1-9) Who said . . . . . "If an important decision is to be made, they (the Persians) discuss the question when they are drunk, and the following day the master of the house where the discussion was held submits their decision for reconsideration when they are sober. If they still approve it, it is adopted; if not, it is abandoned. Conversely,m any decision they make when they are sober, is reconsidered afterwards when they are drunk."

Herodotus

(PROBLEMS) _____________________________ - books accepted by everyone at all times.

Homologumena

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) v. 1 Haman is an Agagite, which might make him a descendant of _____________________________, who was the king of Israel's enemy.

King Agag

(PROS:) The absence of God's name and the lack of piety may reflect the __________________________________________ who had conformed to the Persian way of life

Lifestyle of Esther

(PROS:) It accurately portrays _______________________________________ and uses ______________________________

Persian customs Persian words

(PROBLEMS) Luther wasn't a big fan, but he understood that ___________________________ had accepted some apocryphal books into the OT and maybe Esther was one of them.

Roman Catholicism

(HISTORY) Events in Esther take place between the ________________________ chapters of Ezra, after the return of Zerubbabel but before the return of Ezra.

Sixth and Seventh

(HISTORY) The king of Persia listed in vs. 1 (in the ESV) is Ahasuerus, better known as _________________, son of Darius I, grandson of Cyrus the Great.

Xerxes

(Read Esther 4:1-17 - Mordecai's response) vv. 13-14 Mordecai's reasons why Esther should still do this are 3 fold. a. Esther will not be exempt from the kill all jew decree b. If you remain silent, God will provide someone else to __________________ people. i. Closest thing to an overt reference to God that we have in Ester. c. "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? i. Not a direct statement, but implied that she was put there by God to do this. ii. Mordecai may have known the scriptures, so he would know the story of Joseph ????? Pharaoh 2, to be in the right place at the right time for his family

deliver

(Read Esther 4:1-17 - Mordecai's response) v. 11 Not allowed into the inner court without being called or you will ________________

die. a. Josephus (writing much later than Esther) and Herodotus give support to this custom b. Living in fear of assassination leads to things like this

(Read Ester 1:10-22) The ______________________________________ shouldn't be seen in the light of moral example.

dismissal of vashti

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) Purim

divine providence overruling the fatal lots (Purim is the only biblical festival not mentioned in the Torah)

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) v. 5-6 Mordecai's ancestors had been carried into exile _________________________________________________________

during the Babylonian captivity and exile of 587 BC (These events are occurring around 479 BC)

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) v. 1 "After these things..." For many years Xerxes was ___________________________________ and wasn't conerned about replacing Vashti

engaged in a battle with Greece

(Read Ester 1:1-9) __________________________________________ played a big part in Persian society, and become an importan setting for plot developments in Esther.

feasts and banquets

Hegai gave Esther _______________________________________________

food, cosmetics, seven assistants/advisors and the best apartment

(PROBLEMS) ____________________________ - books that some people have spoken against (James, Jude, Hebrews, Revelation, 2 Peter, Esther, etc)

Antilogomena

Author of Esther is unknown. May been written by

Ezra, Nehemiah, or some other Jew employed by the Persian court.

(Read Ester 1:10-22) The writer is simply telling how _________________________________________________

God prepared the way for Esther to become queen

While both Mordecai and Esther performed admirable, self- sacrificing acts of courage, the book of Esther demonstrates that God is indeed in control of history; He is the hero who saves and protects His own, often using ordinary people and events. What theme is this?

God's sovereignty

(Read Esther 4:1-17 - Mordecai's response) v. 7 Why do you think Mordecai mentions the money aspect of the proclamation too? In order for the Jews to be saved, they must overcome _______________________________________

Haman's hatred and Xerxes' greed

(PROS:) Knowledge of Esther is in the Apocrypha and the writings of ______________________

Josephus

(Read Esther 4:1-17 - Mordecai's response) v. 4 Note the order. Her deep distress wasn't over the kings command (she finds out later in v. 7 and following) but over __________________________________

Mordecai's action. a. Deeply distressed - ESV b. Hebrew word means "writhing in agony" c. Great fear - Amplified Bible d. Exceedingly grieved - KJV e. Great distress - NIV f. Stunned - Message

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) Esther is __________________________________________

Mordecai's cousin

(Read Esther 2:19-23 Mordecai Discovers a Plot) Mordecai's discovery of the plot means the king owes him a favor. At a crucial time in the future, when fate of many Judeans will hand in the balance, _______________________________________________

Mordecai;s good deed. will have saving consequences.

(HISTORY) ___________________________________________________ some of whom came to positions of power and authority in the Persian government.

The Jews who remained in Persia

(Read Esther 2:1-18 Ester Becomes Queen) v. 4 "Pleases the king" This would have been visually as well as in other ways which would lead to a compromising spot for ____________________________________________________

a Judean women like Ester. See v. 14

The Jews went from:

a. Babylonian Captivity b. Persian enslavement c. Haman-legalized genocide

(Read Esther 5: 1-8 - Esther prepares a banquet) v. 6 For some reason she postpones her request and only asks for _____________________________________ a. Whether she lost her nerve or thought another occasion would offer a better chance of success, we don't know.

another banquet

Haman is

anti-Jew

(PROBLEMS) Some theologians believe that Esther should be in the ________ - books written by the Jews in the Intertestamental Period.

apocrypha

(Read Esther 2:19-23 Mordecai Discovers a Plot) Assassination attempts against rulers were common in Persian history. Xerxes was eventually _____________________________________________

assassinated by men who guarded his royal in 465 BC.

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) v. 10 Haman attempts to ____________________________________________

bribe or grease the wheels of politics. a. 1 talent = 75 lbs so 10,000 talents of silver was 750,000 lbs of silver b. This would gave probably come from the plunder of the Jews. c. It appears to work, as the king tells Haman that he can use the effects of his bribe however he wants. v. 11

(Read Esther 5: 1-8 - Esther prepares a banquet) v. 3. Does the promise of King Xerxes sound familiar? a. Mark 6:23 - King Herod antipas to a young _________________________

dancing girl

(PROBLEMS) Not in the _________________________________

dead sea scrolls

(Read Esther 4:1-17 - Mordecai's response) We don't know enough about Mordecai to know if his actions were about __________________________________________

deep faith or traditional customs of mourning

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) When Mordecai's ethnicity was revealed, Haman went ________________________________________

overboard and wanted to get rid of all Jews.

(PROS:) Mordecai and Esther may not have been __________________________________ (unlike Daniel and friends who didn't hide their faith)

particularly religious

(Read Esther 3: 1-15 - Haman plots against the Jews) v. 9 The Hebrew word for destroy here is different than in v 6 and 13. Here the word abad means to work or enslave. Haman may have been _________________________________________________

misleading the king as to his intentions.

(Read Esther 4:1-17 - Mordecai's response) v. 1 Sackcloth and ashes are traditional signs of _________________________

mourning

(PROBLEMS) Not quoted in the

new testament