Questions

Scriptural Reflection
Esther 1:1–8

This week we will begin the study of the Book of Esther in the Old Testament.

Introduction

From a historical perspective, the Book of Esther seeks to explain the origin and authenticity of the events behind the establishment of the Jewish Feast of Purim which is also called the Day of Mordecai (2 Macc. 15:36). Although the name of God is never once mentioned in the book, the motif of God’s deliverance of His people as they fasted and trusted in Him alone is very obvious, especially as expressed in 4:14.

The author is unknown, and who King Ashasuerus was is also uncertain, but he is generally believed to be Xerxes who reigned over Persia from 486-465 B.C. While the book's canonicity was at times being disputed by some of the early church fathers, it “has always formed a portion of the Hebrew canon” (K&D, 196) and was recognized as canonical at the Council of Jamnia (A.D. 90).

It is worth-noting that the name Esther “seems to be of Babylonian origin, from the goddess Ishtar ('a star') or Mercury” (ITC, 118) and her Hebrew name, Hadassa, means “myrtle”. Based on the genealogy of 2:5-7, it is quite obvious that both Mordecai and Esther were born in Persia.

I wish to express my gratitude to Pastor Irene Yeung for the composition of the following reflective questions and the meditative articles for the Book of Esther.

(1) How impressive, would you say, was the Persian Empire under Xerxes?

(2) Who were invited to the feast of the king? (1:3)

a. How were the guests treated? (1:4)

b. Why did the king throw such a lavish party?

(3) Apart from the nobles and the leaders, whom did the king also invite?

a. How were they treated? (1:5-8)

b. Why?

(4) How was the venue of the feast decorated? (1:6)

(5) If this king was Xerxes who was preparing another war against the Greek after his defeat, why would he still throw such a lavish party?

(6) From what we have read so far, how would you describe Xerxes as a king?

(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Esther 1:9–22

(1) After a total of 187 days of feasting (and heavy drinking), what kind of state do you think Xerxes was in?

(2) Why did Xerxes want the queen to join the party?

a. From this request, what do we know about Xerxes as a person?

(3) How did he take the refusal by the queen?

(4) What advice did Memucan give the king?

a. What do you think might be the motive of Memucan in elevating a personal issue of the king to a national issue?

b. What do you think about his advice?

c. How did this great warrior king respond to his advice?

(5) Before this incident, the king was obviously very proud of his wife, but in an instant, all had changed:

a. If you were the queen, how would you feel?

b. Have you experienced a similar drastic change of fortune in your life?

c. How did you face such a change?

(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Esther 2:1–11

Background to the chapter: Between the third year of Xerxes’ reign, when the queen was divorced by the king, to the 7^th year of Xerxes’ reign, when Esther was made queen — i.e. from 483-479 B.C., Xerxes’ army suffered heavy losses in their defeat by the Greeks, after which history tells us that he indulged in an extremely immoral lifestyle and plunged the empire into chaos. It was during such a time that the story of Esther developed.

(1) The Bible tells us that the king “remembered” his queen when his rage subsided. What does it mean?

(2) What did the king’s attendants advise the king to do?

a. When Memucan advised the king earlier to have a better woman replace the queen, what might he have had in mind of this “Better” queen? (1:19)

b. However, what was the actual criterion used to select the next queen?

c. In selecting a person for His use, what does the Lord use as His criterion? (1 Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2-3)

d. So what is the main difference between man’s criteria and God’s?

(3) Try to describe the personal background of Mordecai. (2:5-6)

a. If you were Mordecai, how would you feel living during such a time and under such a king?

(4) How does the Bible describe Esther and her ways?

a. What was Esther’s Hebrew name?

b. From the way she was being treated by Hegai, what do you know about Esther as a person?

c. If you were Esther, how would you feel about the whole pageantry?

(5) Why does the Bible purposely draw our attention to their Hebrew ethnicity?

a. How did they deal with their ethnicity?

b. Why?

c. What might we learn from how they dealt with their ethnicity at a time like this?

(6) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Esther 2:12–18

(1) Try to list the details of the preparation needed for the whole process of pageantry.

a. From such a process, what might you know about how the Persians view women and their beauty?

b. If you were one of the girls, how would you feel about this process?

(2) How would you understand that before their presentation to the king, they would be given anything they wanted?

a. If you were one of the girls, what might you want at this time?

b. What might be your reason(s)?

(3) How would the girl, so presented to the king, know that she might have a chance?

a. What might be the chance of being chosen by the king?

b. What would it mean not to be chosen?

c. How would one deal with the aftermath of not being chosen?

(4) Given the above thoughts, how unusual was Esther’s way of preparing herself?

a. What might account for her unusual way of preparing herself?

(5) We learn that the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other girls:

a. What might the reason(s) be?

(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Esther 2:19–23

(1) What was the king’s gate?

a. What might Mordecai be doing sitting there?

b. Was his discovery of the plot of an assassination an accident? Why or why not?

(2) Here, the Bible highlighted the fact that Esther kept her ethnicity a secret the second time:

a. Why did Mordecai ask Esther to do so?

b. Do you agree with him?

c. If you were Esther, would you do as Mordecai told you? Why or why not?

(3) What was the plot that Mordecai overheard?

(4) Why did he choose to report it to the king through Esther?

a. What did you learn about him because of his action?

(5) What did Mordecai get out of his action?

a. Why, do you think, the king would forget to reward Mordecai?

b. How would you feel if you were Mordecai?

c. How did such negligence on the part of the king serve to accomplish an even greater reward at a future time? (See 6:1-14)

(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Esther 3:1–15

Five years later:

(1) How much do you know about the person Haman from this passage?

- Who Haman was:

a. It is believed that Agag was one of the tribes of the Amalekites which had been a constant enemy of Israel (1 Sam. 15:1-3); as such, the Agagites appeared to hold a distinct hatred towards the Jews.

(2) Why did Mordecai refuse to bow to Haman?

a. Mordecai tried very hard to hide the ethnicity of himself and Esther. Why would doing such a thing expose his ethnicity?

b. If you were Mordecai, would you do what he did?

(3) What was the result of casting lots (pūr) to enquire of one's gods?

- Note that the first month of the Persians coincided also with the first month of the Jews (both used the lunar calendar). The lot fell on the month of Adar (i.e. the 12^th month) and that meant that the killing had to wait another 11 months.

(4) How did Haman approach the king so he would agree to his plot?

a. From his approach, what do you know about Haman?

b. How did the king respond to his plot?

c. Why?

(5) Perhaps, the bowing to Haman symbolized to Mordecai the bowing to the power of evil. Have you ever been confronted with a similar encounter?

(6) What would you do if you were Mordecai?

(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Esther 4:1–17

(1) What was the response to the king’s decree among the Jews?

a. What does the response of Mordecai indicate?

b. What was Esther’s response?

(2) Mordecai obviously wished to draw Esther’s attention to the crisis by showing up at the open square of the city: What was he expecting Esther to do?

a. What did Mordecai’s request mean to Esther in terms of the challenge and danger she was confronted with?

b. Was his request not in contradiction to his previous advice to Esther (in 2:10, 20)?

(3) What was Esther’s response, now that she knew of the plight facing her people?

a. What was her position in the kingdom of Persia?

b. What dilemma did she still face?

c. If you were Esther, what would you do?

(4) What was Mordecai’s immediate reaction to the initial response of Esther?

a. What was his warning to Esther?

b. From where did Mordecai expect that their ultimate deliverance would come?

c. Mordecai said: “for such a time like this”. What was the important truth conveyed by these words?

(5) What did Esther ask the Jews in Susa to do? What was the reason behind her request?

a. How did Esther deal with the fact that she had not been called to see the king for as long as 30 days?

b. How did this change of attitude come about?

(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?