BibleProject | One Story That Leads to JesusSample

Carnal debauchery. Political intrigue. Assassination attempts. Murderous rage. Bold queens. Plenty of sex, drugs, and murderous rage. Welcome to the book of Esther, which strangely never happens to mention God. Not even once.

The opening scenes take place approximately one century after the Babylonian exile. The Persians have pounded Babylon to dust and risen to become the new superpower. Persia’s King Xerxes just wants to rock and roll and party every day, so he’s throwing an extravagant, six-month-long ballroom rager. The wine is flowing. The luxuries are sparkling. The people are gawking at the king’s incredible wealth. It’s all going great, until the tipsy Xerxes tries to show off his queen, Vashti, as if she’s one of his expensive rugs.

Queen Vashti won’t have it and bravely refuses to waltz across the stage like a puppet. So he dumps her and searches for a new queen. This eventually leads him to the young Jewish woman Esther. Through a series of (very) fortunate events, Esther finds favor from King Xerxes. Queen Vashti’s crown is now on Esther’s head.

And not a moment too soon. Shortly after becoming queen, Esther’s cousin Mordecai offends a powerful man named Haman, a high-ranking Persian official. Enraged, Haman plots revenge not only on Mordecai but also against the entire Jewish people.

Now God’s beloved people are facing an existential threat. Again, there’s no direct mention of God at all, but his divine fingerprints are all over the story.

Watch the video to learn about the book of Esther, including her sharp mind and resilient courage. Pay special attention to the way God sometimes rescues people through seemingly convenient coincidences.

Reflection Questions

• Where else have you seen a good-looking, young Hebrew person rise to power in a foreign land? (Hint: Flip back to Genesis 39-41 and review the story of Joseph.) What significant parallels do you see between the stories?
• Compare Esther 1:19 to 1 Samuel 15:28. What similarities and differences do you notice? What does this hyperlink reveal about God’s purposes behind the scenes of the Persian royal court?