An Overview of Esther

At our Mom's Matter Too Bible Study... we're starting to study Esther.  I'm posting those studies here, so that you can read along, so that we all have a reference point... and maybe someone that needs something that God had us go over will receive that message from Him through these words.  I do not take any credit for the words I am typing here... This "study" while we are doing it without a workbook, without videos, etc... is mostly based on and borrowed from Beth Moore's study on the book of Esther, Esther: It's Tough Being A Woman.  I wish I was as eloquent and well versed in the scriptures as she is, and am blessed to have been able to participate in the video course and learn something from her that I can now share with some of my favorite moms.  Other information was gathered from Webster Mirriam Dictionary, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Word Biblical Commentary, and my NKJV Woman's Study Bible.

Esther an Introduction
Background.
 - Written in the late 5th century B.C.
   - Ahasuerus = Xerxes reigned 486-465 B.C.
 - Esther & Mordecai lived in Susa (Hebrew - Sushan) in current day Iran near the Iraqui border
 - Diaspora story - Diaspora is a scatter population with a common origin in a smaller geographic area.
 - The traditional purpose for the book of Esther is to explain the Jewish holiday of Purim - a celebration of deliverance.  The reading of Esther (the Megillah) is the central rite of the observance of Purim and attendance is mandatory, even for women.
 - Fro Christians, the book of Esther is an important reminder that God is never absent.  Even those living in a world hostile to the Christian faith may not always be aware of presence, but He is always there.

**The book of Esther is unique - there is a NO reference to God.**

Why Study Esther?
 - The book is an integral part of God's Word to us.
 - Psalm 138:2b I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name. - God's name may not be in it, but it is ALL OVER it.
 - It offers hope.
 - It reminds us of the providence of God.
  - Merriam Webster - providence - divine guidance or care; God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human DESTINY
  - Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary - "God attends not only to apparently momentous events and people but also to those that seem both mundane and trivial --- Indeed, so all encompassing is God's attention to events within creation that nothing --- happens by chance."
 - Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
 - Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
 - The Title bears a woman's name.  - It's tough being a woman, in another woman's shadow.
 - The emphasis on human responsibility.  According to Word Bible Commentary, the God inspired author of Esther lays on the stress on human contribution to the divine-human synergism (combined or shared energy).



Next week... We'll focus on Esther Chapter 2 :-)

Ruth

Ruth –

Ruth 1:1-5 Elimelech’s Family Goes to Moab

Elimelech and his wife Naomi and their two boys headed for Moab to find food during a famine in Judah.  While they were there, Elimelech died, his two sons married Moabite women and then the sons passed away; this left Naomi in a foreign land responsible for herself and her widowed daughters-in-law.

Ruth 1:6-22 Naomi Returns with Ruth

Naomi heard that the famine was over in her hometown of Bethlehem and had to head home where she could be cared for.  Remember that in this time, women couldn't just go out and get a job and take care of themselves.  She told her daughters-in-law to return to their families, that their commitment to her and her family was over following the death of their husbands.  At first, both women said that they were going to stay with her.  After some urging, Orpah returned to her family but Ruth refused to return to her family and returned with Naomi to Bethlehem.  Her words, found in Ruth 1:16-17, were, 

"Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

for where you go, I will go;

and wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

and your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die,

and there will I be buried.

The Lord do so to me, and more also,

if anything but death parts you and me."

What a promise of loyalty!!  A note from my Bible... (Women's Study Bible by Thomas Nelson Publishers 2006)

Gratitude on the part of one awakens loyalty in the heart of the other.

Selflessness on the part of one demands unselfishness from the other.

Bitterness in one gives opportunity for creativity in the other.

Interest from one is rewarded by responsive communication in the other.

Counsel from one bears fruit as accepted and honored by the other.

Ruth 2:1-23 Ruth Meets Boaz
Ruth 3:1-18 Ruth’s Redemption AssuredRuth 4:1-12 Boaz Redeems Ruth

Boaz was a rich person in Bethlehem.  He was of the family of Elimelech.  Naomi told Ruth to go to Boaz' fields to gather the left over wheat that was dropped by the pickers to provide for their little widow family.  When Boaz saw her gathering and knew who she was, he instructed his people to make sure that they left enough behind to provide for her and Naomi.  In those times, a man's family was to take care of the widows of their men and if their was a suitable male among them, to marry the widow and continue to bear children to increase their family line.  Boaz eventually married Ruth and they gave birth to sons, importantly, they gave birth to Obed.

Ruth 4:13-22 Descendants of Boaz and Ruth

Boaz and Ruth had a baby, Obed.  Obed was father to Jesse, Jesse was father to David, who became King David.  King David is in the human lineage of Christ.  I for one am quite glad that Ruth followed Naomi back to Bethlehem for the ultimate purpose of giving birth to the humanly lineage of Christ.

Every Saint has a Past...

August 20, 2013

This week we discussed how God can use people, women in particular, with a past.  Women like Rahab the harlot who was saved and her family spared when the walls of Jericho came crashing down because of her faith in the God of the spies that Israel had sent into the city.  Another was Bathsheba, who was seduced by King David, despite being a married woman; King David had her husband killed in battle and she eventually became his wife, and bore him a son, King Solomon.  And Sarah, the wife of Abraham, who followed and trusted and believed and helped Abraham along the way, but who also lied to protect herself and her family as they traveled through foreign lands.  Rahab and Bathsheba are now counted in the 28 generation genealogy of Christ listed in Matthew and both Rahab and Sarah are listed in Hebrews 11 as women of great faith.  Once we have become believers and submit fully to what God wants for our lives, there is nothing that HE can't do with us and through us.

  

Matthew 1 – The Genealogy of Jesus. - from the NKJV – Bold is mine.

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ² Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. ⁴ Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. ⁵ Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife^[a] of Uriah. ⁷ Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa.^[b] 8 Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. ⁹ Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. ¹⁰ Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon,^[c] and Amon begot Josiah. ¹¹ Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. ¹² And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.¹³ Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. ¹⁴ Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. ¹⁵ Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.¹⁶ And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. ¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Rahab – the harlot.

Joshua 2

Bathsheba – her who had been the wife of Uriah

2 Samuel 11

Sarah

Genesis 12

Hebrews 11 – the Faith Chapter – from the NKJV – Bold is mine.

11:8-12 ⁸ By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he dwelt in the land of promise asin a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. ¹¹ By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child^[b] when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

11:30-31³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.