Observations from the Book of Esther
The basic story of Esther is well-known among church circles, yet there is a lot more going on than the Sunday School synopsis. For my daily Bible reading this week, I got a chance to sit down and read through Esther. I’m pretty sure I’ve read through it before. But here are my observations from this time through:
1. The Role of Women
The beginning scene in Esther opens with a huge banquet—like it’s huge! The King of Persia Ahaseurus, better known by his Greek name Xerxes, has thrown this banquet to show off his wealth. After being drunk for like seven days, he calls in his Queen, named Vashti, to show off her beauty.
But Vashti declines. Vashti is not interested in coming in. Two things to note. The text isn’t clear on what Ahaseurus’ motives were—some suggest she was to dance naked in front of the guests. It’s also not clear why Vashti doesn’t want to come—but we can perhaps imagine she isn’t fond of being a trophy to show off.
The King brings in advisors to assess the problem. They decided that if word gets out that about this, women of nobility will follow her example and shrug off orders of the officials. They are worried that Vashti will start some sort of feminist movement and/or political statement!
When Esther comes on the scene to replaced Vashti, we funny enough get sort of a reverse of the first story. Vashti is called to the King and doesn’t come. But Esther isn’t called but she comes to the King. Vashti risks death with her refusal. Esther risks death by entering the chamber uninvited. Both women are brave in their own way, in their own context.
In many ways, women drive the plot of the story. When Vashti is deposed, Esther steps up. Then when the plot of Haman is revealed, Esther bravely saves the death, risking her own life. While certainly the story revolves around the actions of men who interact with the women, it’s the women who make the most significant, most important choices in the book.
[See this informative article on MyJewishLearning.com to dive into a feminist interpretation of Vashti and Esther. It's good stuff!]
2. Getting Justice (Mostly) Nonviolently
Another thing I noticed was how justice got accomplished. The story is not without its blood and gore, but the main problem is solved with words. When Mordecai relays Haman’s plot to murder the Jews out of spite, Esther reluctantly decides to step up. In 4:17, she chooses to go to the King even if it’s against the law, accepting potential death. Esther speaks up.
But not quite at first. First, she invites the King to a banquet. Then another one. At this second banquet, she passionately and poetically laments that her people will be destroyed. I can imagine her dramatically pointing a finger at Haman, with the dun dun duuuh playing in the background. But even though Haman gets hanged, the problem is still present. Esther goes to the King, risking her life, for a third time.
Esther then pleas for her people and is told to write as she pleases in the name of the King. Lastly, she uses her words to institute a new and important Jewish festival to commemorate an almost-genocide of her people. Esther saves the day.
The solution to stop the King’s edict (which can’t be reversed thanks to stupid Persia law) is to have the Jews turn and fight. Apparently, the Jews kill a lot of people—those described as their enemies. So while that part of the plan is definitely violent, everything Esther did to save the Jews was not. She utilized her position for good and used well-thought-out words to convince the King. She smartly used food as a way to his heart! She certainly risked a lot, but she never had to turn to violence, mutiny, or anything too sleezy to bring about justice for her people.
3. The Reversal
Like many stories in Scripture (and classic stories in general), Esther includes lots of examples of reversals. Mordecai is just a random immigrant at the King’s gate until he discovers a plot to kill the King. He later becomes praised for discovering the evil plot, and he eventually gets to be second in charge of the whole Kingdom!
But as Mordecai rises, his enemy Haman falls. Haman hates him for not respecting him. Haman’s pride causes him to build gallows to hang Mordecai. There’s a funny scene in chapter six where the King asks Haman how he would honor a man. Thinking the King is referring to himself, Haman gives his wish list. But it’s Mordecai, Haman’s enemy, that is to be honored.
At the end of the story, Haman’s demise is complete. When the plot is revealed that Haman was meaning to kill all the Jews, Haman is hung—yes hung on his own gallows. Later, even his sons are killed, also hung on the gallows, representing how any shred of his legacy was torn from him.
In Esther, pride comes before the fall. While it’s not always the case in the real world, Esther shows how those following God and seeking justice rise to the top, while those against God and who have selfish ambitions end up with nothing.
4. God is Everywhere
Lastly, Esther is a unique book because it never once mentions the name “God.” That’s pretty strange for a canonized book of the Bible! But even though we don’t find God explicitly working, it’s obvious to see how the Lord is running the show.
During the whole wild story, God brings about good for those for God’s people but destruction for those against. God also empowers a woman—a woman honestly meant to be a sex object—to nonviolently change the law. The most famous verse in Esther shows that Mordecai’s theology is that the Jews will always be saved, not matter what, but sometimes a person is in a unique position to do something:
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14
Esther is the perfect book for a person who can’t see what God is doing in the world. Where is God when we can’t peek behind the heavenly curtain, when we don’t have the narrator telling us what to think, and when there is no burning bush, just burning questions? God is here. The Lord still works. God has never left.
And God might just be using you for such a time as this.
What Was Your Favorite Observation from Esther?Created with QuizMaker
