{"id":26175,"date":"2020-11-06T13:49:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T13:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/2020\/12\/11\/preaching-on-esther\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T16:17:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T16:17:10","slug":"preaching-on-esther","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/preaching-on-esther\/","title":{"rendered":"Preaching on Esther"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Historical Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 586 BC, the southern kingdom of Judah was defeated by the Babylonians (modern day Iraq) and the inhabitants were forced to leave their homeland. The Jews were exiled to Babylon. You may recall Daniel and his friends living lives that honored God in Babylon during that time period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost fifty years later, in 539 BC, the Babylonians were defeated by the Persians, and that proved to be beneficial for the Jewish people living in exile. The Persians allowed the Jews to return to Israel, and to rebuild the Temple and fortify the walls surrounding Jerusalem. But not everyone returned. Many people stayed in the lands in which they were exiled. They were called the diaspora. Esther was part of the diaspora. She was a Jew, living in Persia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the Book of Esther, we see that even though Esther didn\u2019t live in Jerusalem; even though she was not near the Temple, God was still near her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persia became her home away from home. If one had to be exiled to a foreign land, Persia was the place to be, at least in the year 479 BC when Esther became queen. It was the world\u2019s superpower, a kingdom that dominated to the far reaches of the world. King Xerxes ruled over 127 provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Story<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Book of Esther is a narrative that includes all of the elements of a sit-at-the-edge-of-your-seat story. The tension is evident right off the bat when Queen Vashti refuses the request of her husband. King Xerxes is humiliated in front of his guests and on the advice of counsel, he deposes Vashti and holds a beauty contest to find a new queen. Esther, a Jew, wins the crown and finds herself between a rock and a hard place when one of the king\u2019s advisors, Haman, encourages the king to issue an edict that will eradicate the Jews living in the land. King Xerxes is not aware of his new bride\u2019s heritage and religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems simple, doesn\u2019t it? Why doesn\u2019t Esther barge into the throne room and talk to her husband and tell him what\u2019s going on? But that wasn\u2019t the royal way. Esther had to be invited<\/em> to see the king, but the king hadn\u2019t asked for her in several weeks. Approaching him without an invitation was putting her life at risk, unless of course, he extended the royal scepter, which signified mercy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the way, Esther is encouraged by her cousin, Mordecai, to approach the king and save the Jewish people. Little does Mordecai know that his life is in imminent danger. The wicked Haman is tired of the lack of respect that Mordecai shows for him at the city gate. Mordecai does not rise or show fear in his presence and Haman is furious! Filled with rage, he complains to his wife who offers a solution: build a gallows, kill Mordecai, and hang his body in humiliation. Feeling high and mighty and sensing that he had the king\u2019s ear, Haman builds the gallows and will ask for the king\u2019s permission to kill Mordecai the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a surprising twist, Haman\u2019s wicked plan is turned upside down and instead of Mordecai, Haman ends up hanging from the gallows he had constructed for Mordecai. In this reversal of fates, Haman is humiliated and Mordecai is honored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new edict issued by the King allows the Jews to protect themselves and to kill, destroy, or annihilate any armed force that might wage battle against them. On the appointed days, the Jews slaughter thousands of their enemies, thereby tending to the unfinished business of blotting out the memory of the Amalekites (NIV note 9:5-10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story has everything: power, deceit, fighting, wicked plots, underdogs, but where is God? Is there a spiritual element to this story? After all, God is not mentioned. Yet he is everywhere<\/em>. The Jewish people are saved through God\u2019s providential care for<\/em> his people, through<\/em> his people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chart: Preaching Through Esther<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We know the weekly grind of sermon prep is hard, whether you are in the midst of series or planning a new series. Trying to find key verses you need to highlight in your sermon, finding the historical background to the book, discovering the flow\/structure of book, and even figuring out what is the theme of each section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why we created this chart! This chart is designed to\u00a0save you time<\/strong>\u00a0as you prepare to preach a new sermon series from the Book of Esther.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will find a quick visual overview of the movement of the Book of Esther. It will help orient you and your hearers as you preach through the entire book or sections of the book. It provides, at a glance, one way to divide the book into pericopes. The chart includes key verses in the book, an overarching title for the book, the overall message of the book, and some historical background. It is color-coded to highlight certain defining aspects of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chart could be used as a slide in your church service. It could serve as an introduction to a new series or a weekly check-in before you begin preaching. It could even be printed out and given to the members of your church, as a resource to help them grasp the message of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sermon Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since the Book of Esther is one story with several twists and turns, I decided to preach the entire book in one sermon\u2014as a first-person narrative. You guessed it, I played Queen Esther. I have to admit, I enjoyed being the queen, if only for a day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Title: Esther, Queen of Heart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n