imagine a shy young woman orphaned and without great prospects who transforms into a brave Queen saving her people from destruction this fascinating journey is what we will talk about today the story of Esther unfolds during the Jewish Exile a time of great trial and transformation for God's people the Jews torn from their Homeland and Scattered throughout the vast Persian Empire constantly fa challenges to maintain their identity and Faith this historical context is crucial to understanding the depth of Esther's narrative moreover the story of Esther does not take place in the promised land but in the
heart of the Persian Empire far from Jerusalem and the temple this geographical displacement is extremely important as it shows that God's presence is not confined to a specific place even in Exile even far from the Holy Land God continues to protect and guide his people Esther also known as hadassa was a young Jewish woman living in Souza one of the capitals of the Persian Empire orphaned at a young age Esther was raised by her cousin morai morai is a central figure in Esther's story he was a Jew living in Souza during the Jewish Exile morai
was Esther's cousin and guardian having raised her as his own own daughter after her parents died he plays a crucial role in The Narrative not only for his influence and guidance over Esther but also for his decisive actions that contributed to the Salvation of the Jewish people Esther's life as an orphan was not easy she grew up in an environment of Exile far from her Homeland and surrounded by a foreign culture however the faith and teachings of morai were fundamental in shaping her character and identity as a Jew Esther learned early on to trust in
God and uphold her values even in the face of adversity this upbringing was essential when she faced the greatest challenge of her life Esther's story takes a turn with a Grand Banquet hosted by King ahasuerus also known as Xerxes who ruled a vast Empire stretching from India to Ethiopia this banquet described in the first chapter of the Book of Esther lasted 100 80 days and was followed by a 7-Day celebration in the courtyard of the king's Palace the Splendor and opulence of this Feast were unparalleled showcasing the king's wealth and power the Bible tells us
that the courtyard was decorated with white and blue linen hangings fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars esther6 during the banquet the king in high spirits and possibly influenced by wine ordered Queen vashy to appear wearing her royal crown to display her beauty to the princes and guests this command however was met with refusal by vashy the Bible does not detail the reasons for vash's refusal but this act of Disobedience was a direct challenge to the king's Authority something almost Unthinkable at the time but Queen vashi refused
to come at the King's Command brought by the therefore the King was Furious and his anger burned within him Esther 112 vash's Disobedience had immediate and severe consequences the king's advisers fearing that vash's behavior might incite other women to disobey their husbands advised the king to depose her from her position as Queen they argued that the Queen's Behavior will become known to all women so that they will despise their husbands saying King ahasuerus commanded Queen vashi to be brought in before him but she did not come Esther 117 this decision was not made solely out
of wounded Pride but also as a preventive measure to maintain order and male Authority throughout the kingdom with vash's removal a vacancy for a new Queen emerged sparking a search across the empire for the most beautiful and worthy young woman to fill the position King ahasuerus issued a decree seeking a new Queen beautiful young women from all over the vast Persian Empire were brought to the Royal harm in Susa the Bible tells us that these young women underwent an extensive period of preparation lasting 12 months this preparation included beauty treatments and special care as stated
in Esther 22 each young woman's turn came to go into king ahasuerus after she had completed 12 months prep preparation according to the regulations for the women for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned 6 months with oil of myrr and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women this process though Long aimed to present the young women in the best possible way before the king among these young women was Esther who despite being an orphan and of humble origin quickly found favor in the eyes of Hagar the custodian of the Haram hegi
was generous with Esther giving her the best care and the best part of the provisions this initial favor was a sign of God's grace upon Esther's life Paving the way for something greater the Bible mentions that Esther did not reveal her nationality or her family background as morai had instructed her to do so this precaution was crucial in an environment where Jews could easily be targets of prejudice and hostility when the time came for Esther to be presented to King ahasuerus her grace and beauty combined with her careful preparation made her Stand Out Among all
the other young women the king Enchanted by Esther placed the Royal crown on her head and made her Queen in place of vashi the king loved Esther more than all the other women and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins so he set the Royal Crown upon her head and made her Queen instead of vashy Esther 2:17 this significant moment was not only a personal Triumph for Esther but also a decisive step in God's plan to save his people Esther's coronation as Queen was celebrated with a great banquet in
her honor showing how much the king valued his new wife this event known as the banquet of Esther was an occasion of great joy and generosity with the King granting favors and tax reliefs in honor of his new Queen Esther's rise to the throne is a testimony to Divine Providence showing how God can Elevate people from Humble Origins to positions of great influence to fulfill his purposes with Esther now on the throne a new phase in her life and in the history of the the Jewish people began her position of power and influence in the
palace would be crucial in the events that followed during this time an official of the king named hmon Rose quickly to power becoming the most influential man in the Persian Empire second only to King ahasuerus hmon was known as the agagite a title suggesting a Heritage linked to the amalekites ancient enemies of Israel who were descendants of King AAG mentioned in the book of Samuel for this reason he harbored deep animosity towards the Jews in chapter three of the Book of Esther hmon is described as being promoted by King ahasuerus to a position of great
Authority above all the other officials after these things King ahasuerus promoted hmon the son of hamadaa the agagite and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him Esther 3:1 the Bible portrays hmon as someone who incessantly sought recognition and honor leading him to demand that everyone in the palace bow down before him however this demand met resistance from morai who due to his faith and principles refused to offer such homage the Bible States and all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed and paid homage to hmon
for so the king had commanded concerning him but morai would not bow or pay homage Esther 3:2 mori's refusal to bow down provoked Hon's wroth prompting him to seek revenge not only against morai but also against the entire Jewish people within the Empire from that moment hmon began planning the annihilation of the Jews using his influence and position to convince King ahasuerus to issue a decree for their destruction he presented the king with a distorted view of the Jews claiming that they were a dispersed and different people whose laws and customs were contrary to those
of the Empire then hmon said to King ahasuerus there is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom their laws are different from all other peoples and they do not keep the king's laws therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them M Esther 38 Haymon promised a large sum of money for the Royal treasury in exchange for permission to execute his plan he manipulated the king proposing that a decree be issued authorizing the extermination of all Jews young and old women and children on a
single day the king trusting hmon agreed and sealed the decree with his signate ring unaware of the true extent of haymon's intentions if you are interested in this type of content consider subscribing to the channel and clicking the like button to continue receiving more videos like this and now back to the video with the decree signed haymon's plan to exterminate the Jews began to unfold the date was set for the 13th day of the 12th month the month of Adar the edict was proclaimed in all the provinces of the Empire causing great consternation among the
Jews the Bible describes and the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces to destroy to kill and to annihilate all the Jews both young and old little children and women in one day Esther 3:13 the news spread rapidly generating fear and despair among the Jewish people hmon pleased with the initial success of his plan under under estimated the faith and resilience of the Jews he did not account for Esther's influence in the palace nor mori's Courage the decree of Destruction was a devastating blow but it also served as a catalyst for Action
morai upon hearing of the edict tore his clothes put on sackcloth and Ashes and went out into the city crying out loudly his grief and despair were shared by all the Jews who fasted wept and mourned morai did not only lament the situation but also called for Action he sent a message to Esther informing her of the terrible situation and asking her to intercede with the king the Bible describes this crucial moment morai tore his clothes put on sackcloth and Ashes and went out into the city wailing loudly and bitterly Esther 41 Esther upon receiving
mori's message faced a profound dilemma approaching the king without being summoned could mean her death but ignoring mori's request could result in the destruction of her people after reflecting and seeking advice Esther decided to intercede demonstrating her courage and commitment to her people she sent a message to Mori asking him to gather all the Jews in Susa to fast for three days and nights go gather together all the Jews who are in Souza and fast for me do not eat or drink for three days night or day Esther 4:16 during these three days of fasting
Esther prepared herself spiritually and emotionally for the difficult task ahead she knew her life was at risk but her faith and determination strengthened her at the end of The Fast Esther made one of the most courageous declarations in the Bible I will go to the king even even though it is against the law and if I perish I perish Esther 4:16 this statement exemplifies Esther's unwavering courage and Faith placing the well-being of her people above her own safety morai in turn continued to mobilize the Jews in Susa strengthening the community through prayer and fasting his
faith in God and his confidence in Esther's bravery did not waver he knew that divine intervention was necessary and that Esther's courage could be the instrument for the Salvation of the Jewish people the unity and Faith of the Jewish community in Susa were crucial during this period of great tension and uncertainty Esther's decision to intercede for her people marked a turning point in the story on the third day of fasting Esther dressed in her royal robes and with courage in her heart went to the inner Court of the palace in front of the throne room
the Persian law was clear anyone who approached the king without being called could be executed unless the King extended his golden scepter the Bible describes this tense moment when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court she found favor in his sight and the King held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand so Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter Esther 52 this Gest by the king not only saved Esther's life but also opened the door for divine intervention with the king's permission Esther invited him and hmon to
a banquet she would prepare this invitation intrigued both the king and hon as it was not common for a queen to make such a request during the banquet the king asked Esther what her petition was promising to Grant even up to half the kingdom if she desired Esther Str rically decided to delay revealing her true request inviting the king and hmon to a second banquet the next day then the king asked Esther what is your petition it will be given you what is your request even up to half the kingdom it will be granted Esther
56 that night King ahasuerus had insomnia and asked for the book of Chronicles to be brought and read to him upon hearing the reading the King was reminded of how morai had saved his life by revealing the conspiracy of the unuk big and teresh this event had happened a few years earlier morai who spent much time at the palace Gates was a Vigilant and diligent man during one of his routine stays at the gates he overheard a plot by two of the king's unic bana and teresh who were guards at the palace doors to assass
assassinate King ahasuerus the Bible recounts this critical moment in those days while morai sat within the king's gate two of the king's unics big and teresh doorkeepers became Furious and sought to lay hands on King ahasuerus Esther 2:21 the exact motives behind ban and tesh's conspiracy are not clearly explained in the biblical text nonetheless their betrayal represented a direct threat to the King's life and the Kingdom's stability upon learning of the plot morai did not hesitate to act he quickly communicated the plan to Esther who had already been chosen as Queen and had the king's
trust using her influential position Esther informed King ahasuerus about the conspiracy crediting morai with the discovery the Bible continues so the matter became known to morai who told Queen Esther and Esther informed the king in mori's name Esther 2:22 Esther's disclosure led to an immediate investigation and when the plot was confirmed bigthan and teresh were executed for their treason this event was recorded in the annals of the Kingdom but morai received no immediate reward for his loyalty realizing that morai had never been rewarded for his loyalty the king decided to honor him him the next
morning hmon entered the outer Court of the palace with the intention of requesting mori's execution before he could make his request King ahasuerus asked hmon what shall be done for the man whom the king Delights to honor Esther 66 hmon believing that the King was referring to him suggested a grand honor dressing the man in Royal robes mounting him on the king's horse and parading him through the city proclaiming his honor the king then instructed hmon to do exactly this for morai the Jew he despised hmon was forced to honor morai publicly a humiliating blow
for him thus shall it be done to the man whom the king Delights to honor Esther 69 this event foreshadowed haymon's imminent downfall that same day Esther organized a second banquet for King a aerus and hmon during the banquet the king asked Esther again what her request was it was then that Esther revealed Hon's plot to exterminate the Jews and exposed her own identity as a Jew for we have been sold I and my people to be destroyed to be killed and to be annihilated Esther 7:4 the king Furious asked who had devised such an
atrocity and Esther pointed to hmon saying the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haymon Esther 76 overcome with rage the king Rose and went out into the palace Garden hmon realizing his fate was sealed begged for his life from Esther when the king returned and saw hmon pleading with Esther on the couch where she was he interpreted it as an assault on the queen will he also assault the queen while I am in the house Esther 78 exclaimed the king this final accusation sealed Hon's fate he was immediately taken by the gods and hanged on
the very Gallows he had prepared for morai Hon's downfall was Swift and definitive his rise to power fueled by pride and Malice met an Abrupt end due to Divine Providence and Esther's courage hmon who had plotted to destroy morai and the entire Jewish people found his own destruction instead this event not only saved morai but also reversed the fate of the Jews who were on the brink of annihilation following haymon's execution the immediate challenge was to nullify the decree he had issued Which authorized the destruction of the Jews in Persian law a decree sealed with
the king's signate Ring could not be revoked therefore Esther once again approached King ahasuerus this time with the crucial task of saving her people the king moved by by Esther's bravery and recognizing the Injustice of the decree granted her and morai permission to write a new decree in the king's name using his signate ring write also concerning the Jews as you please in the king's name and seal it with the king's Ring Esther 88 the new decree drafted by morai allowed the Jews to defend themselves against any attack in all the provinces of the Empire
the the news of this decree brought great relief and joy to the Jews in every Province and City wherever the King's Command and decree arrived the Jews had joy and gladness a feast and a holiday Esther 8:17 this decree transformed a death sentence into an opportunity for defense and Justice on the day marked by haymon's original decree the Jews United to defend themselves against their enemies in all the provinces the Jews prevailed over those who hated them the Bible recounts that with the help of government officials who now feared morai the Jews defeated their adversaries
the Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword killing and destroying them and did what they pleased to those who hated them Esther 9:5 in Susa the capital the Jews killed 500 men on the first day including Hon's 10 Sons son the Jews victory was complete and significant marking a total reversal of haymon's wicked plan the courage and Faith of Esther and morai along with Divine Providence ensured the survival of the Jewish people this victory was celebrated with joy and gladness and morai became even more respected and influential in the Kingdom his rise to
power brought peace and prosperity to the Jews throughout the Empire to commemorate at this great Victory and to remember the Salvation that God provided morai instituted the Festival of Purim this Festival celebrated annually is a time of joy giftgiving and helping the needy the name purm comes from the word Pur which means lot referring to the lot hmon cast to determine the day of the Jews destruction these days of Purim should never cease to be observed by the Jews nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants Esther 9:28 Purim became a Perpetual
reminder of divine intervention and the courage that saved the Jewish people the salvation of the Jews and the establishment of the Festival of purm are testimonies of faith and courage that can transform situations of Despair into glorious victories the story of Esther and and morai continues to inspire Generations reminding us that even in the most difficult circumstances Divine Providence and human courage can Prevail the celebration of Purim is a lasting tribute to the resilience and Faith of the Jewish people the story of Esther is a powerful testimony of faith and courage in times of adversity
in a moment of great danger when the Jews faced imminent Annihilation Esther and demonstrated unwavering faith in God and a courage that inspired everyone around them Esther's decision to intercede for her people risking her own life by approaching the king unbidden is a classic example of Bravery motivated by Deep Faith her words if I perish I perish Esther 4:16 resonate as a call to action reminding us that sometimes it is necessary to risk everything to do what is right for Christians living in non-Christian societies the story of Esther offers a valuable perspective just as Esther
and the Jews lived in an environment that did not share their faith many Christians today find themselves in contexts where their faith is a minority or even hostilely received the way Esther maintained her identity and Faith while navigating the complexities of the Persian Court serves as a powerful example she teaches us the the importance of remaining faithful to our values and beliefs even in adverse environments then Jesus said to his disciples if anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Matthew 16:24 another remarkable aspect of
Esther's story is the role of Divine Providence although God's name is not explicitly mentioned in the Book of Esther his presence and influence are palpable in all the events the series of coincidences that led Esther to the throne King auses insomnia that led to the reading of the Chronicles and the discovery of bana and tesh's conspiracy all point to God's hand working behind the scenes Esther's story teaches us that even when God seems silent he is always present guiding and protecting his people a man's heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps Proverbs
16:9 even when circumstances seem hopeless we can trust that God is in control as Psalm 375 says commit your way to the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass Esther's story reminds us that God has a plan and that he can use even the most difficult situations to fulfill his purposes these practical lessons from the the story of Esther are as relevant today as they were when they were written they challenge us to live with courage faith and trust in God's sovereignty regardless of the circumstances we face I hope you
enjoyed today's video just like Esther another story of courage in the Bible is Joshua's Encounter With Jesus click on the video that's appearing to watch this beautiful story of bravery and Trust in the Divine thank you for watching blessings and stay with God
