"Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for 8 August 2012"
Today's Blog Title: "Introduction to the Book of Esther"
The Book of Esther is a remarkably different biblical book because (1) neither the word "God" nor the name "Yahweh" (LORD) occurs in this Hebrew text; (2) the scene is Shushan (Susa) the winter capital of Persia, not Israel; (3) the book concerns the marriage of its Jewish heroine with a Gentile king; and (4) it solves the problem of an incipient anti-Semitism by a bloody self defense, which is repeated on the following day by Esther's request!
Even though the name of God in nowhere mentioned in the book, His sovereignty and providence are evident throughout. Vashti's dismissal, Esther's regal position, Xerxes's indebtedness to Mordecai discovered during a sleepless night, and the miraculous deliverance of the the Jews all demonstrate God's control and care for His people.
The Book of Esther also explains the origin of the the Feast of Purim on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of Adar (February-March), when the Jews celebrate the deliverance from Haman.
Also in the book of Esther, a third theme is evident, that of anti-Semitism. When fully developed, animosity toward the Jews results in genocide: the attempt to exterminate a race. This satanic scheme is probably much older than the time of Haman, for even in the days of Moses, Pharaoh attempted to exterminate the Hebrew slaves.
Esther is the second of the two books of the Old Testament named after a women the other being Ruth which we just finished in the previous Blog Writing. The key people in the Book of Esther are:
Xerxes: The powerful but erratic Persian ruler best known for his failed attempts to invade Europe and was defeated by the Greeks.
Haman: An influential Persian official who is angered by a Jew's failure to bow before him and then because of that determines to exterminate the Jewish race.
Mordecai: The lesser Jewish official in the Persian court who is hated by Haman. He is the uncle of Esther.
Esther: The niece of Mordecai, who has recently become Xerxe's queen and who intercedes successfully for the Jewish people.
The pattern of events that form this book, shows that despite the attempt of evil men to destroy the Jewish race, God shapes history to preserve His chosen people.
JESUS REIGNS!!! May God's Love, Peace, Strength, and Grace be with you all.
Your Sister in Christ,
Cindi
Today's Blog Title: "Introduction to the Book of Esther"
The Book of Esther is a remarkably different biblical book because (1) neither the word "God" nor the name "Yahweh" (LORD) occurs in this Hebrew text; (2) the scene is Shushan (Susa) the winter capital of Persia, not Israel; (3) the book concerns the marriage of its Jewish heroine with a Gentile king; and (4) it solves the problem of an incipient anti-Semitism by a bloody self defense, which is repeated on the following day by Esther's request!
Even though the name of God in nowhere mentioned in the book, His sovereignty and providence are evident throughout. Vashti's dismissal, Esther's regal position, Xerxes's indebtedness to Mordecai discovered during a sleepless night, and the miraculous deliverance of the the Jews all demonstrate God's control and care for His people.
The Book of Esther also explains the origin of the the Feast of Purim on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of Adar (February-March), when the Jews celebrate the deliverance from Haman.
Also in the book of Esther, a third theme is evident, that of anti-Semitism. When fully developed, animosity toward the Jews results in genocide: the attempt to exterminate a race. This satanic scheme is probably much older than the time of Haman, for even in the days of Moses, Pharaoh attempted to exterminate the Hebrew slaves.
Esther is the second of the two books of the Old Testament named after a women the other being Ruth which we just finished in the previous Blog Writing. The key people in the Book of Esther are:
Xerxes: The powerful but erratic Persian ruler best known for his failed attempts to invade Europe and was defeated by the Greeks.
Haman: An influential Persian official who is angered by a Jew's failure to bow before him and then because of that determines to exterminate the Jewish race.
Mordecai: The lesser Jewish official in the Persian court who is hated by Haman. He is the uncle of Esther.
Esther: The niece of Mordecai, who has recently become Xerxe's queen and who intercedes successfully for the Jewish people.
The pattern of events that form this book, shows that despite the attempt of evil men to destroy the Jewish race, God shapes history to preserve His chosen people.
JESUS REIGNS!!! May God's Love, Peace, Strength, and Grace be with you all.
Your Sister in Christ,
Cindi
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