Esther
Esther Summary
The Book of Esther, a book of the Christian Old Testament, is set in the third year of Xerxes, a king of Persia (also known as Artaxerxes II). The Book of Esther can be divided into three main sections. Chapters 1:1-2:18 – Esther replaces Vashti; 2:19-7:10 – Mordecai overcomes Haman; 8:1-10:3 – Israel survives Haman’s attempt to destroy them. The Book of Esther tells a story of conspiracy and genocide that was eventually thwarted by a Jewish queen of Persia.
Esther was a Jewish woman who was selected by the king to replace his queen. She was brave and good - the noble Esther even risked her own death when she defended Israel against Haman.
She did it willingly, even though it was very dangerous for her to oppose the second-in-command of her husband‘s kingdom. She proved a wise and most worthy opponent, all the while remaining humble and respectful of the position of her husband-king. The Book of Esther shows the choice we make between seeing the hand of God in our circumstances in life and seeing things as merely coincidence – she saw the hand of God and knew what choices to make, even though it was difficult for her.
To read about Esther, please browse the chapters below.