Esther

The Book of Esther is the story of a beautiful young Jewess who risked her life to serve God and to save her people. This book tells the story of the Jewish queen of Persia who exposed a plot to destroy her people and thus saved all the Jews in that country from destruction.

When people in the family came to know about my commissioning as the Eucharistic Minister, somebody called me Esther and compared me with her saying that like Esther was chosen by God to save the Jewish people, I have been chosen by God to save the family people. So I am trying to understand more about God’s plan in Esther so that I can understand God’s plan in me.

According to raystedman.org, “This little gem (the Book of Esther), tucked away in an obscure corner of the Old Testament is a very rich book. The thing that makes the Book of Esther so fascinating is — this is our story. We can see how accurately it illustrates what is happening to us when God is at work in the human heart.”

It further states that God moved in a wonderful way to deliver his people through Esther, who became the queen of this foreign kingdom. The website states that in this book you have one of the most exciting stories of all time. It is more than simply a story of God's power in delivering the Jews.

Esther pictures the renewed Spirit that is given to man when he becomes a Christian, when he is regenerated, when his spirit is made alive in Jesus Christ. She is under the influence and control of her cousin, Mordecai, who throughout this book is a picture for us of the Holy Spirit and his activity in our lives. This man's name means "little man" -- man in his humility -- and he is thus a picture of Christ.

In chapter 2 the Spirit is received when Esther, under the control of her cousin, Mordecai, is brought before the king and he falls in love with her. Because of her beauty he immediately chooses her to be his queen and exalts her to the second place in the kingdom. In that scene you have a picture of what might be called the conversion of this king. He receives a new spirit, without understanding that the Holy Spirit, also, is involved -- many of us today may have failed to understand this at the moment of our becoming Christians. But Mordecai is there in the background and we shall see how he becomes one of the prominent characters in this story of the wonderful deliverance of the kingdom.

Themes in the Book of Esther:

There are many themes in the book of Esther. We clearly see God's interaction with man's will, his hatred of racial prejudice, his power to give wisdom and help in times of danger. But there are two overriding themes:

God's Sovereignty - The hand of God is at work in the lives of his people. He used the circumstances in Esther's life, as he uses the decisions and actions of all humans to providentially work out his divine plans and purposes. We can trust in the Lord's sovereign care over every aspect of our lives.

God's Deliverance - The Lord raised up Esther, as he raised up Moses, Joshua, Joseph, and many others to deliver his people from destruction. Through Jesus Christ we are delivered from death and hell. God is able to save his children.

Surprisingly, though, The book of Esther is unusual in that it is the only book of the Bible that does not contain the name of God. In fact, it includes virtually no reference to God.