Esther 1:1-22 - Homiletics

The Book of Esther.

There is a striking contrast between the Books of RUTH and ESTHER . The earlier book is an idyll; the later a chronicle. The earlier relates to lowly persons and to rural life; the later to kings and queens, and to a great Oriental metropolis. The earlier is the story of a family, and its interest is domestic; the later is a chapter from the history of a people, and deals with the intrigues of a court and the policy of a state. The religious character and aim of this book may be presented in four observations.

I. GOD 'S NAME IS ABSENT FROM THE WHOLE BOOK , BUT GOD HIMSELF IS IN EVERY CHAPTER . There is no other book except Canticles in the sacred volume in which the Divine Being is neither mentioned nor obviously referred to. Yet no disbeliever in God could have written it; and no believer in God can read it without finding his faith strengthened thereby. Refer especially to Esther 4:14 .

II. A NATIONAL FESTIVAL IS HISTORICALLY ACCOUNTED FOR . The feast of Purim was held in high honour, and observed with great regularity and solemnity and rejoicing, among the Jews. "The temple may fail, but the Purim never," was one of their proverbs. This Book of Esther was written to explain the origin of this national festival.

III. A VALUABLE MORAL LESSON PERVADES THE WHOLE NARRATIVE . Not only is the great general truth, that earthly greatness and prosperity are mutable and transitory, brought effectively before us, but we learn that God humbles the proud, and exalts the lowly who trust in him ( vide 1 Samuel 2:1-10 ).

II. THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD IS STRIKINGLY AND MEMORABLY DISPLAYED . We are brought into contact with the righteousness and the rule of the Most High. A great deliverance is wrought; and whilst the means are human, the deliverance itself is Divine. God appears as "mighty to save." The book is, accordingly, one peculiarly suitable to those in distress, perplexity, and trouble.