One woman saves the lives of thousands.
God never wastes a life. He has a purpose for every person. The Book of Esther tells how one young Jewish woman in Persia discovered what God wanted her to do, and how she rose to the challenge.
Esther was a child of the Exile, the great-granddaughter of Israelites taken captive to Babylon during the second invasion of Jerusalem (599–597 B.C.; Esth. 2:6). After her parents died she was adopted by her older cousin Mordecai and became part of the royal harem of Ahasuerus (probably Xerxes I), king of Persia (486–465 B.C.). She was named queen after winning what was essentially an ancient beauty pageant.
Esther is the only book of the Bible that does not explicitly mention God, which has raised serious questions about its meaning. Some have denied that it belongs in Scripture. Others defend its inspiration but do little to decipher its lessons or address the theological questions raised in the book. Some early Christians allegorized it, and some modern Christians spiritualize it. Many Christians in Iran, the modern successor to ancient Persia, where the story takes place, celebrate its history.
Although God’s name does not appear in the book, His purposes do. A high point occurs in the narrative when Mordecai informs Esther of a genocidal plot against the Jews. He warns her that she would be mistaken to think that she can escape death simply because she has been named queen, challenging her to take action not only for herself but for her people. Yet Mordecai seems unaffected by the possibility that she may not speak up: “If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place,” he says (4:14) in a quiet display of faith in God’s protection. Nonetheless, he adds, “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Mordecai’s searching question suggests that he was aware that God was working out His purposes, and perhaps Esther was meant to be an agent of His will in this situation. He raised the hopeful possibility that nothing had happened in Esther’s life by accident, chance, or mere human intervention. God had placed her in this strategic position for a reason. Apparently Esther concurred because she asked Mordecai to have all the Jews fast for her for three days—an act of religious devotion (see “The Value of Fasting” at 1 Chr. 10:12). In the end, her risky but well-conceived plan saved her people.
The reign of King Ahasuerus in 485–464 B.C. provides an approximate date for the Book of Esther. The identity of its author is uncertain, although parts of the narrative (Esth. 9:20, 32) imply that Mordecai may have written at least some portions if not all of the account. The events took place in Shushan (see the city’s profile at Esth. 1:2), one of three royal cities in the Persian empire, and in the Persian provinces where Jews had settled.
Key People in Esther
• Ahasuerus, also known as Xerxes I, the powerful king of Persia (Esth. 1:1).
• Esther, a Jewish orphan whom God used to save His people from a murderous plot (Esth. 2:7).
• Vashti, the fearless queen of Persia who was deposed for refusing to parade her beauty for her husband’s drunken guests (Esth. 1:11, 12).
• Mordecai, Esther’s older cousin and adoptive father, who used his position as a royal official to expose a conspiracy against the king (Esth. 2:21).
• Haman, vicious enemy of the Jews (Esth. 3:1)
Key Events in Esther
• Esther is chosen to be queen (Esth. 2).
• Haman conspires to exterminate the Jews (Esth. 3).
• Esther foils Haman’s plot, and he is hanged (Esth. 7).
• The feast called Purim is established (Esth. 9:20–28).