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Esther: Hidden Hand of God
| King’s Decrees, 1-2 | Haman’s Decree, 3-7 | Esther’s Decrees, 8-10 |
|---|---|---|
| King’s feast, 1:1-11 | Haman’s rise, 3:1 | Esther’s 1st decree: Defence of the Jews, 8 |
| King’s 1st decree: Vashti’s banishment, 1:12-22 | Haman’s decree: Destruction of Jews, 3:2-15 | Jews victory, 9:1-17 |
| King’s 2nd decree: Choosing a queen, 2:1-18 | Esther’s intervention, 4:1-5:8 | Esther’s 2nd decree: Feast of Purim, 9:18-32 |
| Mordecai’s discovery about the king, 2:19-23 | Haman’s anger, 5:9-14 | Mordecai’s rise, 10 |
| King’s discovery about Mordecai, 6 | ||
| Haman’s fall, 7 |
Major Characters
- Ahasuerus / Xerxes, King of Persia (486-465 bc)
- Esther (“star,” from Ishtar, a Persian god); her Hebrew name is Haddassah (“myrtle”)
- Mordecai (“Marduk,” a Babylonian god); he was a Benjamite, a descendent of King Saul
- Haman (“magnificent”) an Agagite, (possibly a descendent of Agag the Amalekite (cp. 1 Sam. 15:8), or from the Persian province of Agag)
Major words/phrases
- decree (16x)
- Jew, Jews, Jewish (53x)
- feast/banquet (20x)
Major themes
- Anti-Semitism
- Providential care of God
- Secularism of Jewish captives in Persia