Comments on the Book of Esther-L M Grant

8/9/2019 Comments on the Book of Esther-L M Grant

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Comments on the Book of EstherLeslie M Grant

http://www.biblecentre.org

PREFACE

The books of Ezra and Nehe iah ha!e dealt with the re nant of "srael who ret#rned tothe land when the Persian king had gi!en the per ission for this. $#t there were stillan% &ews who chose to re ain in Persia. "f the% had faith' it was so weak that therewas no energ% to get back to (od)s appointed place for the . The book of Esther thenshows the wa% in which (od dealt with these &ews in spite of their lack of faith. $#t ithas been often obser!ed that (od)s na e is ne!er entioned in the book. *h%not+ $eca#se "srael had not s#b itted to (od)s a#thorit% and were in s#ch a condition

that (od did not p#blicl% own the as ,is people' consistentl% with what ,e had said in,osea -: ' not 0% people.1

2et this book of Esther akes !er% clear that (od ,i self was working in irac#lo#swa%s on behalf of the &ews' b#t working behind the scenes. "n this present da%' the sa efact is tr#e. "srael has re3ected their 0essiah' and is in a state of being !irt#all% disowned

b% (od p#blicl%4 b#t ,e is still working a ong the &ews in obsc#re wa%s' preser!ingthe thro#gh cent#ries of persec#tion and tro#ble' so that' tho#gh scattered a ong an%nations' the% ha!e still retained their identit% as &ews' and will in the f#t#re ha!e theirgreat sorrow and tro#ble t#rned into !ibrant 3o% and gladness' s#ch as is s% bolized intheir celebration of !ictor% in Esther :-5 - .

Esther)s na e eans 1" will be hidden'1 3#st as her identit% was obsc#re e!en after beco ing the wife of Ahas#er#s4 and 3#st as (od is hidden fro !iew in the book ofEsther. 0ordecai' who was finall% e6alted as r#ler in Persia' is at least a faint t%pe ofChrist when e!ent#all% e6alted a ong the nations. 2et it is not known who wrote the

book of Esther' b#t we know that (od is its A#thor.

C,APTER -

T,E F"R7T FEA7T 8F T,E 9"N( !!. - ;<

Ahas#er#s was a na e gi!en to the chief king of Persia. The Ahas#er#s of !erse - isrecorded in histor% as =er6es -. ,is e pire e6tended o!er a !er% large area' incl#ding->? pro!inces fro "ndia to Ethiopia. The capital of his e pire was 7h#shan' a bea#tif#lcit% s#rro#nded b% o#ntains and rich in !egetation. "t is here called a citadel' for it wasa fortress' a castle b#ilt not onl% for residence' b#t for ilitar% defense !. >


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da%s !. ;


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7i pl% beca#se it was to his credit that he had s#ch a bea#tif#l wife' 3#st as all the glor%of the kingdo was to his credit. 7#ch is the pride of the nat#ral an.

,owe!er' one 3arring note arred this celebration. Hashti ref#sed to co e !.->@I


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instr#ctions gi!en to h#sbands in this sa e chapter' 1,#sbands' lo!e %o#r wi!es1 and1h#sbands o#ght to lo!e their own wi!es as their own bodies1 Eph. :> '>5

E7T,ER C,87EN A7 GEEN !!. - -5<

*e read nothing ore as to Hashti' whether she was si pl% banished fro the king)sco#rt or killed. $#t it was fo#r %ears before the king arried a J#een to take Hashti)s

place cf. ch. -:I and ch. >:-D


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character. 0ordecai walked e!er% da% before the co#rt of the wo en)s J#arters' an6io#sto hear an% news of Esther)s progress !. --


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*hile 0ordecai was sitting in the gate' a place of disc#ssion of an% atters' speciall%concerning the kingdo ' he learned that two of the king)s ser!ants who were doorkeeperswere e bittered against the king and plotted his o!erthrow !. >-


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e!identl% had a great deal of confidence in this conni!ing A alakite who had far oreconcern for his own rep#tation than he had for the Persian kingdo . The king thereforeagreed' and ga!e ,a an libert% to do 3#st as he desired !!. -@ --


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Then 0ordecai sent an #rgent response to Esther' 1 o not think in %o#r heart that %o#will escape in the king)s palace an% ore than will the other &ews. For if %o# re ainco pletel% silent at this ti e' relief and deli!erance will arise for the &ews fro another

place' b#t %o# and %o#r father)s ho#se will perish1 !!. -I -;> >I


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changed fro his sackcloth' b#t he ga!e ,a an no recognition whate!er !.


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*hat a shock it #st ha!e been to ,a an to ha!e the king tell hi to take the robe andhorse and do all that he had s#ggested to 0ordecai the &ew !. -@


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na e of 9ing Ahas#er#s' sealed with the king)s signet ring' and sent b% co#riers onhorseback' #sing thoro#ghbred horses chosen for their swiftness !!. -@th onth' the da% that the first decree had a#thorized thekilling of the &ews !!. -- ->


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re3oicing of the #een of 7heba for "srael)s sake when she ca e to !isit 7olo on -9ings -@:D


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The &ews at 7h#shan' howe!er' ha!ing engaged for two da%s in destro%ing their ene ies'rested on the - th da% of the onth' aking it a da% of feasting and gladness !. -5>


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celebration' b#t script#re sa%s nothing of this beca#se the condition of the &ews at thatti e was reall% lacking in an% e!idence of obedience to (od. ,e was !irt#all% disowningthe p#blicl% tho#gh caring for the behind the scenes.

Th#s' the histor% here speaks of P#ri as a feast of the &ews' not a 1feast of the Bord.1

Be!itic#s >I:- speaks of 1The Feasts of the the Bord'1 b#t in &ohn >:-I' the Passo!er iscalled 1the Passo!er of the &ews'1 and another feast of the Bord was called 1the &ews)Feast of Tabernacles1 &n. ?:>


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Esther is not part of that contin#it%' for the &ews in Esther were o#tside their land. The book then is significant in showing so ething of the &ews) condition for the an%cent#ries the% ha!e contin#ed awa% fro the land of pro ise' being called b% (od' 1not% people'1 %et still watched o!er for good' and e!ent#all% to be restored to the Bord&es#s' and blessed as ne!er before. *hat a celebration then

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