Ester 8

Ester 8

Esther 5-7 Esther Commentaries Esther 8:1 Commentary Esther 8:2 Commentary Esther 8:3 Commentary Esther 8:4 Commentary Esther 8:5 Commentary Esther 8:6 Commentary Esther 8:7 Commentary Esther 8:8 Commentary Esther 8:9 Commentary Esther 8:10 Commentary Esther 8:11 Commentary Esther 8:12 Commentary Esther 8:13 Commentary Esther 8:14 Commentary Esther 8:15 Commentary Esther 8:16 Commentary Esther 8:17 Commentary Esther 9:1 Commentary Esther 9:2 Commentary Esther 9:3 Commentary Esther 9:4 Commentary Esther 9:5 Commentary Esther 9:6 Commentary Esther 9:7 Commentary Esther 9:8 Commentary Esther 9:9 Commentary Esther 9:10 Commentary Esther 9:11 Commentary Esther 9:12 Commentary Esther 9:13 Commentary Esther 9:14 Commentary Esther 9:15 Commentary Esther 9:16 Commentary Esther 9:17 Commentary Esther 9:18 Commentary Esther 9:19 Commentary Esther 9:20 Commentary Esther 9:21 Commentary Esther 9:22 Commentary Esther 9:23 Commentary Esther 9:24 Commentary Esther 9:25 Commentary Esther 9:26 Commentary Esther 9:27 Commentary Esther 9:28 Commentary Esther 9:29 Commentary Esther 9:30 Commentary Esther 9:31 Commentary Esther 9:32 Commentary Esther 10:1 Commentary Esther 10:2 Commentary Esther 10:3 Commentary Click to Enlarge Timeline Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission Swindoll's Intro and Overview Chart Van Dine's Analysis of Esther MacArthur's Intro to Esther CHRONOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP OF EZRA-NEHEMIAH-ESTHER 538-515 BC 483-473 BC 457 BC 13 Year Gap 444-425 BC Ezra 1-6 Book of Esther Ezra 7-10 Book of Nehemiah First Return of Jews from Babylonian Exile 58 Year Gap Second Return of Jews from Babylonian Exile Third Return of Jews from Babylonian Exile ESTHER: THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD Esther 1 Es 1:1-22 Esther 2 Es 2:1-23 Esther 3 Es 3:1-15 Esther 4 Es 4:1-17 Esther 5 Es 5:1-14 Esther 6 Es 6:1-14 Esther 7 Es 7:1-10 Esther 8 Es 8:1-17 Esther 9 Es 9:1-32 Esther 10 Esther's Exaltation Haman's Cunning Plot Haman's Humiliation Mordecai's Exaltation Feast of Ashasuerus Fast of Mordecai Feast of Esther Feast of Purim Exaltation Persecution Preservations Commenoration Jewish Existence Threatened Jews Spared Gentile Setting Jewess Elevated Threat to Jews Influence of a Jewess Deliverance of Jews A Jew Exalted Feast of Ahasuerus Feast of Esther and Purim Location of Events: Persian 10 Years (483-473BC) Timeline of Ezra-Nehemiah-Esther-See page 38 Timeline of Esther related to Ezra & Nehemiah - Parallel lines for Medo-Persian Kings & Daniel, Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi - see page 15 Key Passages: Esther 4:14, 16, Esther 8:17, Esther 9:26, 31 Key Words: See list under "Precept Ministries Inductive Study on Esther" The Book of Esther is unusual - God's Name is not mentioned once, yet God's "Hand" is clearly present and active throughout the book, to the extent that many see the book of Esther as a veritable "treatise" on the doctrine of Divine Providence (see separate study) Purim Music Video - Purim with a beat. Give it a listen as you ponder "For such a time as this!" Marty Goetz and Misha's song - For Such A Time As This (Esther's Song) "UPS AND DOWNS OF ESTHER'S MAJOR CHARACTERS" Source: Bible Study Magazine - Volume 11, Issue 2, Jan/Feb, 2019 Esther 8:1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had disclosed what he was to her.: the house: Job 27:16,17 Ps 39:6 49:6-13 Pr 13:22 28:8 Eccl 2:18,19 Lk 12:20 came before: Esther 1:14 2:7,15 EXALTATION OF MORDECAI (Es 8:1-2) On that day - Whenever you encounter a time phrase, always stop and ask "What time is it?", "To what is the author referring?", etc. This will usually force you to examine (re-read) and ponder (meditate on) the context. In this case we are forced to re-read Esther 6:1-7:10, a day which began with King Xerxes' inability to sleep. And oh what a day it proved to be, one that would impact not only time but eternity! In fact, the events of Esther 3-7 all occurred within a few days Note the incredible reversal - Esther received the wealth of Haman. Mordecai received the position of Haman. And both "rewards" were from King Xerxes! This is the same king who had not that long ago promoted Haman the enemy of the Jews (Esther 3:1) and who willingly (albeit probably in ignorance regarding the identity of the intended victims) agreed to his plot to annihilate an entire race of people (Esther 3:10-11)! The king who had given Haman's a "thumbs up" to kill the Jews, ends up giving Haman a "thumbs down" condemning him to hang on his own gallows (Talk about reaping corruption after sowing to the flesh! Gal 6:8-note). And NOW (on that day) this same powerful, capricious king changes his mind! Why? Read Pr 21:1 (J Vernon McGee's Comments; F B Meyer's Comments) What would have happened if Mordecai had bowed to Haman in Esther 3 and Esther 4? Undoubtedly he would still be in power. Mordecai's courage and commitment to not bow set in motion the series of divine "coincidences" in Esther 5-7 which resulted in the death of Haman and ultimately the exaltation of Mordecai to the number two position in Persia! Wait for the LORD, and keep His way, And He will exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you will see it. I have seen a violent, wicked man Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more; I sought for him, but he could not be found. (Ps 37:34-36) Omanson comments that "This chapter continues to develop the theme of reversal. The situation is changing for Mordecai and for the Jews...A number of translations place the first two verses of chapter 8 with the preceding section as part of the triumph of Esther and Mordecai over Haman." (A handbook on the book of Esther: UBS Handbook Series) Haman the enemy of the Jews (Esther 3:10) - One might as well write on his epitaph "Haman the enemy of God!" Anyone who is an enemy of the Jews is by divine default an enemy of the covenant keeping God of the Jews! God's oath in Genesis 12:3 should be inscribed on the door of everyone who seeks God's favor... "I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse." THOUGHT - Beloved, if you are reading these notes and find yourself bristling or chaffing at God's favor to the Jews (irrespective of whether they believed in Him or obeyed Him), then perhaps you might be guilty of latent (or even overt) Anti-Semitism. And if you find yourself in this unenviable position, I would beg you to implore God to change your heart attitude toward those who He calls the "apple of His eye" (Zech 2:8, cp Dt 32:10) for your good and His glory. Amen Jews or Jews is a key word in Esther (53x out of a total of 99 OT uses) - Esther 2:5; 3:4, 6, 10, 13; 4:3, 7, 13, 14, 16; 5:13; 6:10, 13; 8:1, 3, 5, 7,8,9, 11, 13, 16,17; 9:1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 10:3 PROVIDENTIAL IRONY Gave the house of Haman ("all the property" = TEV, "the estate" = NET, CSB) - What does this signify? The idea is that Haman's estate was given to Queen Esther, a Jew! All that Haman had collected by "hook or crook" was now forfeited! Indeed, this must have been a great largess, for Haman had himself talked about the "glory of his riches" in Esther 5:11. The riches of a Jew hater to a Jew! Is this not an incredible (providentially inspired and enabled) irony? Haman who had "the world by the tail," ended up on his own gallows with nothing, not even a decent legacy to pass on. In fact the only legacy he left his ten sons was a "death sentence!" (Esther 9:12-14) Alexander Raleigh notes that "When a traitor or a great culprit like Haman dies, he forfeits all his estates and possessions to the crown. This has been the law in nearly every country and was likely to be so in its most rigorous form in Persian." (Esther 8:1-7 Esther Going in to the King to Make Request) David