What INSPIRATION and LESSONS can be
learned from the Book of Esther?

There are many popular Old Testament Bible stories that almost every adult who ever attended a church even for a short time knows about - particularly if they ever attended Sunday School classes classes as an impressionable youngster. Who can forget the presentations about David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion's Den, the Three Hebrew Children in the Fiery Furnace, Moses in the Bulrushes and Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors? Then again, who can remember Esther, Mordecai and Haman? I don't know about your experience, but as a child growing up those folks were not on my list of famous Bible characters.

You would think that such ignorance about Queen Esther and other faithful Biblical women would be solved for adults since they study a wide scope of Biblical topics. So what has kept adults from studying and pastors from preaching about the Book of Esther? I don't know. But I do know that for twenty years I was in churches that had a weekly worship service with a sermon, and a weekly Bible Study session on a separate day. I can account for having listened to nearly two thousand -- and likely a whole lot more - messages, lessons and Bible studies based on the Bible. Yet, I can't remember even one that had as its theme the events or characters of the Book of Esther.

Given the relatively few female role models in the Bible (compared to the men), this should be somewhat surprising. Why don't ministers take advantage of the story of Esther to INSPIRE women, young and old, with messages that would emphasize the importance of the role of a GODLY woman in the unfolding plan of God?

What are some BIASED examples of women in the Bible?

And what about the MEN?

What about the MEN? What kinds of examples of their behavior were often used? Men were regaled in sermons and Bible Studies with positive role models galore - the bravery and faith of little David against Goliath; the steadfastness of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in face of the fiery furnace; the triumph over adversity of Joseph; the fiery zeal of John the Baptist; and many, many more.

My daughter Ramona asked me about this disparity, puzzled why we had never heard any messages about Esther in church. In fact, it wasn't just in church settings that Esther has been ignored. Hollywood, where numerous epic movies and mini-series with Bible themes have been brought to life, has ignored her story too. This particularly puzzled Ramona, as she had recently read the Book of Esther again and noted what a exciting plot it had.

Only in Jewish communities is the book and the characters of Esther remembered much. The Jewish festival of Purim is celebrated in late winter each year in memory of the events of the Book of Esther, which tell of the great delivery of the Jewish people during the reign of King Xerxes of Persia in the fifth century B.C. As part of that commemoration, annual plays based on the story of Esther are staged in almost every local synagogue. Members of the audience are given noisy instruments, and encouraged to rattle, bang, toot and clatter them whenever the name of the villain of the story, Haman, is mentioned, drowning out that hated name. This is particularly exciting for the children of the congregation. Some more contemporary synagogues even take a few liberties with the plot - at least one I am aware of re-stages it each year to be a musical parody of famous Broadway musicals.

But back in the Christian Churches, Esther continues to be a forgotten woman. This is a shame, for there is so much to learn from her story.

POSITIVE Examples of
Women in the Bible

What is the EXCITING story of Queen Esther?

At the beginning of the Book of Esther, Esther is a young virgin. In those days, this quite likely meant not much more than 14 years old! And given the chronology of the story, she was likely less than age 20 even by the end of the story. This sheltered young woman, barely out of girlhood, was thrust into a setting where she ultimately had influence with one of the most powerful men in the world, King Xerxes of Persia. All of this was at an age when most modern young women are still concerned with such things as school proms and studying for geometry exams. What incredible qualities God must have seen in such a young woman to entrust the rescue of His People to her courage, wisdom, resourcefulness, self-control and faith.

If you have not read this exciting story recently, let's recap just the highlights of the plot.

The Jews had been in exile for many years in the land of Babylon. When power changed to the hands of the Persians, they were still there. At the beginning of the story of Esther, the King of Persia is displeased with his queen, and removes her from her royal position. Advisors suggest that all the fairest young maidens in the land be brought to the King over a period of time that he might choose a new queen from among them. (Yes, this may well be the original source of such elements in folk tales like Cinderella.)

The young Jewess Hadassah, whose Persian name is Esther, is among the young maidens brought to the palace. At the insistence of her guardian, Uncle Mordecai, she conceals her national identity. After winning the favor of the King, she becomes Queen.

Meanwhile, Uncle Mordecai runs afoul of the evil courtier Haman, who decides in revenge to trick the King into declaring a sentence of death on all Jews in the kingdom, to be carried out at a future date to be decided by lot. (The word PURIM in Hebrew means "lots." Although also called the Feast of Esther, the Festival of Purim is the most common designation for the holiday.)

Mordecai learns of the plot, and alerts Esther. She, at great personal risk, decides to accept the role of confronting the King about the plot and begging for mercy for her people. She is successful in this matter. Through a series of fortuitous events (no doubt orchestrated by God) and her wise handling of the circumstances, Haman is shown before the King to be the villain that he really is. In the end, Haman is hung on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. And the Jews of the kingdom are saved from extinction.

What are the LESSONS from the Book of Esther?

There are many ways to focus on the contents of the Book of Esther. In spite of the fact that most pastors and teachers seem to ignore the book and the character, there have been a few books written specifically about Esther.

The purpose of this article is to encourage readers to go back and read through the Book of Esther with a new perspective. Below are five specific general principles and lessons which I have gleaned from the book. It is left to the reader to contemplate how these principles might apply to Christians!

1. God has sometimes used armies and sometimes flashy miracles in order to rescue His People. But He is not limited to those strategies. He can just as easily use one obscure person - male, such as Joseph, or female, such as Esther - and manipulate the circumstances around them to allow them to be the agent of His salvation.

2. Most western nations appreciate living in basically democratic societies. And rightly so. Christians can thereby be unusually free to worship according to their consciences, and free to obey God without much fear that such obedience will run afoul of the government in most circumstances. But God never in the Bible destroys kingdoms specifically because the form of government is a dictatorship so his servants could have the kind of freedoms we enjoy. Instead, He enables His people to function right within whatever system they find themselves in. Even the apostle Paul notes this:

   "Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.  Were you called while a slave?  Do not be concerned about it;  but if you can be made free, rather use it. " (1Corinthians 7:20-21, NKJV).

   Paul is not thereby telling us to give up the freedom we have. He is indicating that God can use us, just as He used Esther, wherever we find ourselves, no matter the nature of the government.

3. Serving God and fulfilling the role He called you to is possible even in an environment where almost everyone around you is a heathen. And it can be done without attempting to change everyone around you. Joseph, Esther and Daniel all served totally pagan kings and won favor with them by their exemplary conduct and example. And they were thereby able to accomplish great deeds.

4. God can use young women, like Esther, just as easily as young warriors, like David, to accomplish His plans for His people.

5. It is comforting to know that God can redeem people with unpleasant pasts and use them to advance His plans for His people - witness Rahab the harlot and Paul, the persecutor of Christians. But in some cases His plans particularly call for those who have kept themselves undefiled physically and / or spiritually. Certainly in the case of Esther, it would have been impossible for her to fulfill God's plan if she had not been a chaste young woman. This brings to mind another chaste young woman, no doubt as young as Esther when she began her role in an even greater plan of salvation - Mary, the mother of Jesus. Just as noted above about Esther, what incredible qualities Mary must have exhibited even as a young woman barely out of girlhood, to be considered mature enough for the responsibility of raising the Messiah!