God’s word applied for today…
1. God will wreak vengeance on all those who dare to oppose Him
(Nahum 1:2).
Studies in Esther
6
the KINGDOMS
OF THE KINGS
a. What fate awaits everyone who rejects God (John 3:36; Rom. 2:5)?
A royal edict saves the Jews
b. Yet for all those who turn to and trust in Christ, God accepts them
as His people – where previously they were His foes. How is this
possible now (Romans 8:1)?
2. God’s enemy is anyone who dares to oppose Him or His people. How
should you respond to God’s enemies as His people (Romans 12:19;
Revelation 6:10)?
3. Everyone everywhere lives under God’s decree of death (Rom. 6:23).
a. How can you avert the “unavoidable” death sentence?
Esther 8:1 - 17
The story so far…
Queen Esther’s presence in the Persian palace gives her access to the king
to expose a monstrous plot to kill the Jews. Years earlier Mordecai, the Jew,
foiled an assassination plot on the Persian king’s life and was belatedly
honoured for saving the king’s life. Haman, thinking he was the one to be
honoured by the king, prescribes the manner in which he eventually
honours Mordecai - to his public shame. Queen Esther then risks her life by
approaching the king uninvited; yet she, against all odds, finds favour with
the king so her life is spared. Haman, the enemy of the Jews, who wanted
to destroy the Jews, discovers that his plan to hang Mordecai backfires
and instead he is executed on his own gallows at the king’s command.
However, in spite of Haman’s death, the Jews still face a date with fate.
The storyline…
b. So how should you face death as God’s people (1 Cor. 15:54-57)?
4. God will ascribe great honour to His people who will be vindicated
against all foes. What is this grand honour (Revelation 5:10).
Write your own concise storyline of this episode of the story:
The plot…
This scene starts with…
5. God has promised His people an inheritance. How is the inheritance
that you will receive from God far beyond everything that Mordecai
inherited from his vanquished foe, Haman (1 Peter 1:3-5)?
And it ends with…
The dominant characters in these scenes are…
The unfolding events…
7. What is the significance of who now issues this new edict (10)?
1. What is the significance of Esther inheriting the spoils of Haman (1)?
8. How is the previous unchangeable edict “over-ruled” (11-13)?
2. For the first time Esther now reveals her family link with Mordecai; this
must have been a great surprise to the king. How does this revelation
benefit Mordecai (1-2)?
9. Mordecai, the Jew, is honoured by the king. How is he received in his
new royal capacity in the capital city (15)? And how does this
compare with what these citizens previously experienced (cf. 3:15)?
3. Why does the king give his ring to Mordecai (2 [cf. 3:10])?
10. The story-teller focuses on the Jewish response to the king’s edict issued
by Mordecai. How do they receive this command (16-17)?
4. What does Queen Esther falling at the king’s feet to plead for Haman’s
evil plan to be ended indicate (3)?
11. What does it mean that many people who weren’t Jewish in identity
now become Jews (17 [cf. 6:13])? Isn’t this so surprising as Esther
concealed her Jewish identity earlier?
The king indicates his favour to Queen Esther for the second time by
extending his sceptre to her once more (4); for he has already indicated
that he would grant her her request but there is a momentous difficulty that
must first be overcome; for without this the Jewish people will perish.
God’s word fulfilled in Jesus…
1. What has God done to avert His wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9)?
5. How does Queen Esther propose to resolve the Jewish crisis (5-6)?
2. Jesus bore the wrath of God to satisfy His just demands to punish sin.
What has this achieved for all who trust in Jesus (Romans 5:5-8)?
6. What does the king’s response to his queen’s request indicate (7-8)?
3. Through the cross of Jesus, God reversed sin and its fatal consequence,
death. How is this possible (John 11:25-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21)?
The same pattern is followed as has been followed throughout the story to
disseminate the king’s edict everywhere (9-10). The new edict is issued well
before the edict Haman issued comes into effect.
“God’s irrevocable decree of death and destruction has been countered by His decree
that all who believe in His Son should not perish but be delivered into eternal life”
Karen Jobes: The NIV Application Commentary – Esther (p.191)