It is he, not esther, whom the book praises in its conclusion. She was the cousin of a benjamite named mordecai, who was also her guardian, having adopted her as his own daughter when her parents died. Now there was in the citadel of susa a jew of the tribe of benjamin, named mordecai son of jair, the son of shimei, the son of kish, who had been carried into exile from jerusalem by nebuchadnezzar king of babylon, among those taken captive with jehoiachin king of judah. Esther had been living in the citadel of susa, where the king also lived. Mordecai persuades esther to help when mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out.
Book of esther, in the hebrew bible and the christian old testament. But there a couple of problems with this view, first in order for mordecai to have been alive at this time, his great grandfather, grandfather, and father all had to have been in their fifties at the time their sons were born and mordecai would have been advanced in years at the time of the book of esther. The greek septuagint remedied this situation by adding six passages which include the name of god. The events of the book of esther took place about 2,500 years ago during the reign of king ahasuerus of persia and media. Mordecai was esthers adoptive father, mentor, confidante, cheerleader. Mordecai is a lot like daniel or joseph, except hes not quite as awesome or good at interpreting dreams or anything like that. The book of the old testament immediately before esther. Mordecai held some type of official position within the. Esther 6 mordecai honored that night the king bible. He had banished his former wife and chose esther through a contest. The festival of purim was established by mordecai to remind jewish people how they were saved by queen esther and mordecai from extermination. Do you know any parents who do not enjoy pictures of their children and delight to show them to their friends. The book of esther is about a jewish girl adopted by her uncle, mordecai, after her parents died. Esther asked the king to allow the jews to defend themselves against the people of haman, the agagites.
The book of esther is a unique book in the bible in, for one thing, its written from the persian perspective because the children of god are captives. One of the most famous passages of the book is esther 4. King ahasuerus gave his ring to mordecaithe ring he had previously given to haman when haman became the kings righthand man. What is the persian city where most of the book of esther takes place. Why, at this time of success, he should not have earned everyone s respect bothered many commentators, and numerous explanations have been offered.
Xerxes i, and her cousin mordecai persuade the king to retract an order for the general. The book purports to explain how the feast of purim came to be celebrated by the jews. But mordechai feared the day when esther would be called to the palace. When he learns of the edict against the jews, he encourages esther to confront the king. Esther 4 niv mordecai persuades esther to help bible. Esther and mordecai under xerxes of persia amazing bible. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
The book of esther in hebrew is secular in nature, in that the name of god, the temple, and prayer are not mentioned. Mordecai goes and wails outside the palace gates while wearing sackcloth, and esther fasts for three days before visiting the king. Hes a bit more minor leaguethe faygo to their fanta, if you will. Through the grace of god, the author has identified at least 80 divine interventions and reversals in the book of esther in the bible. The book ends with mordecai as the kings chief minister. Believed by some to house the remains of the biblical queen esthe r and her cousin mordecha i, it is the most important pilgrimage site for jews in the country.
Very briefly, the biblical book of esther narrates the marriage of esther, a jew, to the persian king ahasuerus. Esther was a jewish woman who was selected by the persian king ahasuerus to be his wife. This monarch learns of esthers jewish identity only after haman, the storys villain, plots to annihilate the jews, including esther and her guardian mordecai, who like haman serves the king. By alistair begg in this message, we meet esther and her cousin mordecai and learn how she was chosen to be queen of the medopersi. As you read the book of esther, you will see that mordecai was very instrumental in ensuring the safety of not only esther and the jewish people, but of also exposing treachery in the kingdom of her husband, king ahasuerus. For he was in charge of a very charming and good hearted cousin named esther, or hadassah. In the narrative, ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, vashti, refuses to obey him, and esther is chosen for her beauty. King xerxes of persia was the worlds most powerful monarch who ruled the persian empire around 486 b. Mordecai informed esther of law and advised her to speak with the king.
Mordecai says to esther that if she is unwilling to act on behalf of her people, help will come from another place, but that other place is certainly no deus ex machina. Esther bible story summary what christians want to know. Esther is worried the king will execute her for visiting him unannounced, butto the contraryhe is mellow and pleased. He is described as being the son of jair, of the tribe of benjamin. For mordecai the jew was second to king ahasuerus, and was great among the jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his kindred. What does esther do before agreeing to help mordecai. Esther 4 niv mordecai persuades esther to help bible gateway. Mordecai s genealogy in the second chapter of the book of esther is given as a descendant of kish of the tribe of benjamin. But it is also a wonderful story of courage and faith.
One key figure in the book of esther, a man named mordecai, is someone we should know and learn from. God is not mentioned in the book of esther, but that doesnt mean he isnt there. His actions within esther s life story in the bible characterize attributes. This book is the story of how godly queen esther came to the throne in persia and preserved her people from extinction through her wise trust in god. The authorship of the book of esther is a subject of debate. The book of ester is a very special book in the bible, so here are 11 important bible verses from the book of esther. Esther 4 new international version niv mordecai persuades esther to help. According to rashi on chapter 9, verse 20 of the book, mordecai was the author. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third section ketuvim, writings of the jewish tanakh the hebrew bible and in the christian old testament. The book of esther is the only one not found in the dead sea scrolls.
Esther, the beautiful jewish wife of the persian king ahasuerus, and her cousin mordecai persuade the king to retract an order for the general annihilation of jews throughout the empire. The genre of the book of esther is narrative history. Summary of the book of esther genuine leather bible. Among the numerous subplots is the personal hatred that haman bears for mordecai. Esther 6 new international version niv mordecai honored. The book of esther may remind you of a classic, once upon a time childrens story with a wealthy king, his beautiful queen, and an evil villain. Purim today is not celebrated as mordecai asked the people to do, and as they agreed to do. Esthers uncle, mordecai, appears first as an adoptive father, whose solicitude for esther leads him to the kings gate, where he foils a plot to assassinate the king.
As esther was an orphan, her cousin mordechai brought her up. The prayers of esther and mordecai are especially noteworthy. Kish was also the name of the father of king saul, and the talmud accords mordecai the status of a descendant of the first king of israel. But the threat of the jews imminent demise kicks esther and mordecai into action. Xerxes, the persian king, rejected his wife queen vashti, and fell in love with esther at a beauty contest.
Mordecai story book of esther old testament bible story for. He took esther as the new persian queen, not knowing she was an israelite. Learn how the story of queen esther, mordecai and their people impacts you. The book of esther is also rich in types and patterns which expound for us, the purpose of god in redeeming mankind from the power of sin. Yeah, he knows how to foil an assassination plot, he knows when to strap the sackcloth on, he knows when to weep and wail in front of the emperors gate, and he. But while the characters might resemble a fairy tale, the book of esther depicts actual events that shaped jewish history and instituted the festival of purim. It is one of the five scrolls megillot in the hebrew bible. Grand old holy tells us the story of queen esthers wit and how she saves the lives of mordecai and fellow jews from persecution by haman. Esther and mordecai biblical missionaries amazing facts.
Mordecai learned of a plot to kill the king and continue reading summary of the book of esther. To most parents it would have been a rare honor and a great privilege to have a daughter married to the king. The book of esther may not explicitly mention the name of god in its pages, but it undoubtedly showcases gods hand upon his people. The fascinating story of mordechai and esther and their triumph over the treacherous haman, based on the megillah, talmud and midrash. The book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of. Mordecai is one of the main personalities in the book of esther in the hebrew bible. Queen esther and mordecai were given hamans estate.
Grand old holy tells us the story of queen esthers wit and how she saves the lives of mordecai and fellow jews from. Mordecai was revealed to be the foster father of esther. This monologue, particularly its climactic phrase for such a time as this, is. Put in a nutshell, the theology of the book of esther is judeocentered.
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