Navigating the Bible: Esther

On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”
 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared.  For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.” – Esther 7:2-4

Esther holds an interesting place in the Old Testament. It’s a post-exilic narrative similar to Ezra and Nehemiah, but rather than focusing on the Jewish community returning to Jerusalem, it tells the story of some of the Jewish remnant in Susa – people who for one reason or another chose not to return to Jerusalem. In many ways, Esther reads like a thriller. There’s a nefarious plot, divine providence, and bold actions culminating in a decisive moment for Esther herself and the Jewish people. But, at its heart, Esther is a very relatable story. There are no demonstrative miracles, just people making the choice to stand up for a cause important to them and the God who is ever-present, even if not specifically named. 

To help us navigate the book of Esther is Dr. Iain Duguid, Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary and author of a commentary on Esther. 

Doable Discipleship is a podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. 

Resources Related to This Episode:
https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Ruth-Reformed-Expository-Commentary/dp/0875527833

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Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: 
Navigating the Bible: Nehemiah - https://youtu.be/zWR-5pSzk1c
Navigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/23Sdch-pZK0
Navigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/Xs7k9ntEcuE
Navigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/eagXyo9oepg
Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/vuCefx3wha0
Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/EQjzZ0lvLjo
Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/9UOoIvfwXy0
Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/kWKqWlB8pkE
Navigating the Bible: Ruth - https://youtu.be/shGuoDkiFkg
Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/Sz6TL_w-gpc
Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/5gldD5FM-wk
Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/JidwMnYL51k
Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/V60gGr-9pHw
Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/1-I-QdjB700
Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/1ELkgAlWFGg
Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/5zXHObysL6g

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