Xerxes and Esther: Courageous Decisions

March 16 was Purim, when we usually read the book of Esther.

The name of God does not appear in Esther, but his handwriting is all over it.

Esther is not a romance, it’s about a beautiful marriage; it’s about what to do in a difficult marriage – possibly what seems like an impossible situation.

1. Esther starts with a

• Vashti’s refusal to obey Xerxes outrageous command results in her being banished.
• Esther 1:22 is funny; the Persians try issuing an actual decree that women must obey their husbands. Not only is it funny, it’s ironic, since Xerxes himself is about to marry a woman who will appear to obey him, yet ultimately outwit him and his entire empire.

2. A

• Xerxes and Esther’s marriage began with her winning a beauty context.
• He was looking for nothing more than a woman who would bend to his will.

3. Worse, Xerxes had bad

• Xerxes honored an official named Haman. However, when Haman was not honored by a Jew named Mordecai, he became enraged and sought to find ways to kill all of the Jews.
• Haman convinces the king to issue a decree to kill the Jews. He even offers to pay. The date set to murder the Jews was March 7, 437BC.
• How do you get a whole nation to declare war on a group of people within its borders? They did more than just stir up antisemitism; they told the Persians that anyone who killed a Jew could take their property.
• Mordecai went to the kings gate weeping. When Esther finally discovered what was wrong, she explained that she had no real power within the workings of the Empire.
• Esther 4:13, her own life is on the line.
• Esther 4:14, her uncle explains that the has come to the position she is in for exactly a time like this.

4. What did Esther do? (Esther 4:16)

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16)

• She asked
• She personally
• She

Think about Esther’s liabilities:

• Orphan. (Adopted by uncle)
• Minority. (Jew)
• Poor.
• Single.
• Believer among pagans.
• Forced into marriage.

5. What Happened?

• Esther invited Haman and the king to lunch.
• At his wife’s urging, Haman set up a 75 foot pole to impale Mordecai on. However, when he arrived at the palace the next day, the king ordered him to honor Mordecai.
• At dinner, Esther reveals the plot against the Jews; and that she is a Jew.
• Haman is hung (impaled) on his own gallows. And to override his previous order, the

What difficult situation do you need courage in?

1. Gather your spiritual support.

2. Set aside definite period of time to seek God’s perspective.

3. Commit ahead of time to doing what God tells you.