A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
Related Articles
RETURN TO SYLLABUS
ESTHER 1
LESSON #02
MODELS FOR SOCIETY
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 40:4
v READ EST 1:1-8 THE PALACE PARTY
Ø THE FEAST AT SUSA (GREEK) SHUSHAN (HEBREW)
§ THE THIRD YEAR OF THE REIGNOF AHASEURUS (DARIUS I HYSTASPSIS) (3) = ABOUT 518 BC
· THE FEAST
¨ THIS FEAST WAS A TYPE OF WORLD’S FAIR THATLASTED 6 MONTHS. (4) THE PROVINCIAL LEADERS FROM ALL OVER THE KINGDOM WERE INVITED.
Ø THE PURPOSE WAS TO PROMOTE BUSINESS AND TRADETHROUGHOUT THE PERSIAN KINGDOM AS WELL AS TO PROMOTE POLITICAL UNITY.
¨ AFTER THE 6 MONTHS, THEY HELD A PARTY THATLASTED A WEEK. (3)
Ø THIS PARTY WAS HELD FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE.(VS. 4-5)
Ø THIS PARTY WAS ALSO THE BACKDROP TO STRATEGYPLANNING FOR THE CONQUEST OF OTHER TERRITORIES.
§ THE SOCIAL DECORUM OF THEDAY:
· OFTEN RULERS REQUIRED SUBJECTS TODRINK THE SAME AMOUNT OF LIQUOR THAT THEY DRANK. BECAUSE OF THIS CUSTOM, PERSIA SUPPLIEDENOUGH LIQUOR SO EVERYONE AT THE PARTY COULD DRINK AT LEAST AS MUCH AS THE KING DRANK. (7)
¨ HOWEVER, UNLIKE MANY KINGDOMS, NEITHERPERSIAN LAW, PERSIAN CUSTOM, OR THE KINGS COMMAND REQUIRED PEOPLE TO DRINK THE SAMEAMOUNT THAT AHASUERUS DRANK. (8)
· THE OPULENT BEAUTY OF THE PALACEIS EVIDENT IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER.
¨ DARIUS KINGDOM WAS WEALTHY, HAVINGCONQUERED THE WEALTH OF BABYLON AND EGYPT.
¨ THIS SUMPTUOUS PALACE BURNED DOWN ABOUT 435BC TOWARD THE END OF THE REIGN OF ARTAXERXES.
v READ ESTHER 1:9-22
Ø QUEEN VASHTIS PARTY
§ ACCORDING TO CUSTOM, WIVESDID NOT ATTEND THE SAME PARTY WITH THEIR HUSBANDS. THEREFORE, WE SEE THE QUEENENTERTAINING THE WOMEN SEPARATELY. (9)
Ø THE KINGS REQUEST (11)
§ ON THE LAST DAY OF THEPARTY, WHEN THE KING WAS DRUNK (10), THE KING REQUESTED THAT VASHTI APPEAR BEFORE THE MENTO DISPLAY HER BEAUTY.
· THE BIBLE IS NOT SPECIFIC, BUT ITWAS COMMON PRACTICE AMONG RULERS OF THAT DAY THAT THESE MALE PARTIES WERE DRUNKEN ORGIESWITH FEMALE PROSTITUTES IN ATTENDANCE.
¨ THEREFORE, THE REQUEST TO DISPLAY HERBEAUTY IS PROBABLY A REQUEST TO APPEAR NUDE. (11)
Ø VASHTIS REPONSE:
§ READ EPH 5:24
· DISCUSSION: DID VASHTI DO THE RIGHT THING TOWARD HER HUSBANDBY REFUSING TO APPEAR AT THE PARTY?
§ READ ROM 13:1
· THE KINGS COMMAND WAS LAW(13).
· DISCUSSION: DID VASHTI DO THE RIGHT THING TOWARD HER KING BYREFUSING TO APPEAR AT THE PARTY?
§ WHAT WAS THE POOR QUEEN TODO?
· HER OPTIONS:
¨ APPEAR AND BE HUMILIATED.
¨ REFUSE AND BE KILLED.
¨ REFUSE AND BE DEPOSED.
§ THE REASON WHY SHE REFUSED:
· SHE KNEW THAT DARIUS WAS DRUNK.
· SHE KNEW THAT DARIUS WAS A FAIRMAN. THAT WAS HIS REPUTATION FOR WHICH HE WAS PROUD. SHE PROBABLY ASSUMED THAT ONCE HE WASSOBER, SHE COULD REASON WITH HIM.
Ø ADVICE TO THE KING
§ MEMUCAN’S REASONING (16-17)
· THE QUEENS REFUSAL WAS ANAFRONT TO THE KING AND THE PEOPLE OF PERSIA.
· THE QUEEN SHOULD BE A MODEL OFSUBMISSION FOR ALL WOMEN IN THAT SOCIETY.
§ DISCUSSION: HOW DO YOU THINK OUR SOCIETY CHOOSES MODELS FOREXAMPLES OF EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOR?
§ DISCUSSION: HOW DOYOU THINK SOCIETY SHOULD CHOOSE THEIR MODELS?
· SHOULD GOVERNMENT LEADERS BE HELDAS A VALID MODEL FOR SOCIETY?
· WHAT ABOUT SPORTS FIGURES ASMODELS IN SOCIETY?
· WHAT ABOUT MOVIE AND TVPERSONALITIES AS MODELS IN SOCIETY?
Ø THE KINGS DECISION:
§ IN MAKING COMMANDDECISIONS, THE KING SHOULD HAVE ASKED HIMSELF SEVERAL QUESTIONS BEFORE ACTING:
· WHAT EFFECT WILL THIS HAVE ONOTHERS?
· WHAT EFFECT WILL THIS HAVE ON ME?
· WHAT CONSEQUENCES WILL THERE BE?
· WHAT PRECEDENT WILL IT SET?
· WHAT MODEL OF BEHAVIOR AM IDISPLAYING?
§ BECAUSE THE KING WAS DRUNKWHEN HE MADE THE COMMAND THAT SHE APPEAR AT THE PARTY, HE WAS NOT THINKING RATIONALLY ATTHE TIME.
· THEREFORE, HE HAD PLACED HIMSELFAND HER IN A DIFFICULT POSITION. HIS WORD WAS LAW. THE PERSIANS HIGHLY RESPECTED THE LAW.THIS FACT IS OBVIOUS IN THIS CHAPTER.
· HE COULD NOT LET THE AFFRONT GOUNPUNISHED.
¨ THERE MAY BE MORE HERE REGARDING POLITICALINTRIGUE THAN WHAT APPEARS ON THE SURFACE OF SCRIPTURE.
Ø PERHAPS VASHTI WAS UNPOPULAR AMONG THEARISTOCRACY SO THEY SAW THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET RID OF HER.
¨ NOTICE THAT THE KING DOES NOT SEEM TO MINDLOSING HER. IN FACT, HE THINKS IT IS A GOOD SOLUTION TO DEPOSE HER.
v APPLICATION:
Ø ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, A WOMAN IS TO BESUBMISSIVE TO HER OWN HUSBAND.
§ WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
· SUBMISSION IS A RESPONSIVEATTITUDE OF LOVE IN THE HEART THAT DECIDES TO YIELD THE WILL IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE LOVEOUTWARDLY AND RESULTS IN OBEDIENCE.
· THE WORD IS OFTEN MIS-UNDERSTOODIN BOTH CHRISTIAN AND NON-CHRISTIAN CIRCLES.
¨ THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THATSUBMISSION MUST NEVER BE COMMANDED BY ONE IN AUTHORITY. (THE EXCEPTION TO THIS RULEIS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN.) ACCORDING TO OUR DEFINITION, SUBMISSIONIS A RESPONSE BASED ON LOVE.
Ø REMEMBER JESUS SAID THAT IF WE LOVE HIM, WEWOULD OBEY HIM. (JOH 14:15 1JO 5:3)
v SPECIAL NOTE:
Ø GOD’S NAME DOES NOT APPEAR PER SE IN THEBOOK, HOWEVER THERE ARE FIVE TIMES WHEN ACROSTICS SPELL OUT GOD’S NAME IN VARIOUS WAYS,PERHAPS AS A DISGUISE FOR A PERSECUTED PEOPLE. (1:20 5:4 5:13 7:5 7:7)
§ WHAT IS AN ACROSTIC?
· DEFINITION: A SERIES OF WORDS INWHICH THE FIRST OR LAST LETTER OF EACH INDIVIDUAL WORD FORMS ANOTHER WORD.
§ ESTHER 1:20 “ALL THE WIVES SHALL GIVE TO THEIR HUSBANDSHONOR”
· “JHUH” (MEANINGJEHOVAH) IS FORMED AS AN ACROSTIC WITH THE 1ST LETTER OF 4 HEBREW WORDS, BUT HERE IT ISSPELLED BACKWARDS.
¨ IFWE WERE TO PUT THIS OCCURRENCE INTO ENGLISH IT MIGHT APPEAR AS:
| DUE |
| RESPECT |
| OUR |
| LADIES SHALL GIVE |
¨ NOTICE THAT THE FIRST LETTERS SPELL THE WORD LORDBACKWARDS.
HOMEWORK
ESTHER 2
v APPLICATION OF ESTHER 1
Ø READ EPH 5:21-33
§ IF YOU ARE A HUSBAND, INWHAT NEW WAYS CAN YOU DEMONSTRATE YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR WIFE THIS WEEK?
§ IF YOU ARE A WIFE, IN WHATNEW WAYS CAN YOU DEMONSTRATE SUBMISSION TO SHOW YOUR LOVE TO YOUR HUSBAND THIS WEEK?
v PREPARATION FOR ESTHER 2
Ø READ EST 2:1-23
§ WHAT DOES THE PHRASE,GODS SOVEREIGNTY MEAN TO YOU?
§ WHAT ASPECTS OF GODSSOVEREIGNTY DO YOU SEE IN THIS CHAPTER?
v MEMORY VERSE: PROVERBS 21:1
