In her late twenties, she saved her nation...Part 1

The Book

The book of Esther, found in the Jewish writing dates between 486 to 331 B.C.E.

Some scholars argue against this book being included in Jewish writing or the Christian Old

Testament. Their argument is that the Book of Esther does not mention God. It does not have a

direct God intervention reference, nor a reference to Jerusalem and the temple. She is not a

warrior, a prophet, or a priest.

However, I think these scholars miss the point that God is faithful to those who believe and trust

in him, no matter their social or economic position in this life. And that God will always protect

the people who believe and trust him, both Jews and Christians.

Back Story

The Babylonian kingdom held the Jewish people captive between 609 and 539 B.C.E. Some

sixty-six to seventy years. Survivors of the Babylonian attacks were exiled (taken) from their

homes in Israel and scattered throughout the Babylonian kingdom. The Babylonian kingdom

stretched from the Persian Gulf west to the eastern border of Egypt.

In 539 B.C.E., the Persian King Cyrus conquered the Babylonian kingdom. The Persian kingdom

extended from India to Ethiopia, which is on the eastern border of Egypt. Four cities controlled

the Persian kingdom. One of these cities is Shushan (or Susa), where Esther was born and raised.

We will talk more about her later.

What is amazing is that many of the Jewish people in Persia did not intermarry with other

cultures during these years of exile. They stayed true to their worship of the God of Israel and

kept their family lineage pure.

After the defeat of the Babylonian kingdom. King Cyrus issued a decree allowing the Jewish

people to return to Jerusalem in Judea to rebuild the temple if they chose to. (Read Nehemiah

and Ezra.) We also understand that not all the Jews returned to Israel. Many stayed in Persia

(today’s Iran and Iraq) and there is a Jewish presence in Persia today.

The Judeans who confronted Jesus were descendants of the people who returned to Jerusalem

from Persia. And the Judeans of Jesus’ time sought to preserve Jewish traditions taught since the

exile.

Back to Esther.

And what does all this history have to do with Esther? How did she save the nation of Israel?

You will understand as we explore this book.

Esther’s Early Years (age ~10 to ~18) prior to 486 B.C.E.:

In Esther chapter 2, verse 7, we learn:

 Esther’s father was Mordekhai’s uncle.

 Her parents had died when she was young, may before she was 12.

 Mordekhai adopted and raised Esther (Hadassah) as his own daughter after her parents’

death.

 Esther was shapely and good-looking after her father’s and mother’s death.

 Based on the information provided in the Bible and other resources, Mordekhai may have

been a hundred years old when the book of Esther begins.

 We can assume that Mordekhai was a person of some wealth and a cultured person based

on how he and Esther conduct themselves later in the book.

Summary of Chapter 1.

In 486 B.C.E. at the age of 32, Achashverosh (the Greeks called him Xerxes) became king and

lived in Shushan (Susa). In 483 B.C.E. during the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet that

lasted 180 days. The armies of Persia and Media, nobles, and provincial officials attended.

Queen Vashti held a banquet for the wives and women in the King’s royal house during these

180 days (six months or half a year).

This is where things become interesting.

Following the 180-day banquet, Achashverosh gave a seven-day banquet in the royal palace

garden for all the people in Shushan, his capital city. On the seventh day of this banquet, when

he was in high spirits, he sent seven of his officers (bodyguards) to invite Queen Vashti to the

banquet. He wanted her to come and show off her beauty.

Queen Vashti refused to come at the order of the King. This was not a good idea.

Upon hearing of her refusal to attend. Achashverosh became angry and called his council

together. They advised him to remove Vashti’s title as queen and to forbid Vashti from being in

the King’s presence ever again. (Esther 1:16-19, If anyone found her in the King’s presence, the

guards would kill her.)

A short time later, Achashverosh wanted another queen. His counsel suggested he send out a

decree to the 127 provinces of his kingdom (from India to Ethiopia). This decree ordered local

leaders to gather attractive young virgin girls and bring them to the capital city, Shushan. (Esther

2:1-4)

We’ll continue our study of the book of Esther in the next article.

What are your thoughts about the time in which Esther lived?

What do we know about Xerxes and the Greeks?

Use the contact form on my website, www.jamesbooher.com to let me know what you think.