If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
AUGUST 18
You are beginning another book of the Bible. Time to celebrate! Esther
is the second of two books that highlights the events in the lives of a godly
woman whom the Lord used in His plan of redemption.
Esther 1-3
Chronologically, the events of Esther happen between chapters 6 and 7
of Ezra. There is a 57-year gap between the finishing of the temple and the
coming of Ezra. In the world, a Persian king named Darius I (not Darius the
Mede of Daniel) allowed the Jews to finish the temple and then went off to try
to become a part of the European Union by conquering Greece. The Greeks killed
Darius I at Marathon near Athens, and Persia made his son Xerxes (Ahasuerus)
king. Xerxes wanted revenge, so he wined and dined all of Persia to sign up to
fight against those "handkerchief dancers." That is where we begin
Esther. Tradition says Xerxes went to Greece with 2 million men and returned
with about 5,000. Apparently, the Greeks were in a generous mood. The famous
battle with the 300 Spartans is part of that history. That war took place
between chapter 1 and chapter 2 of Esther.
Regarding the book of Esther: I recommend taking it at face value. Some
people read in disobedience on the part of the Jews, since they hadn’t returned
to Jerusalem; but it should be noted that Ezra hadn't returned yet, and I don't
want to call him disobedient. Also, some people see grave immorality in Xerxes'
request to have Vashti show her beauty. I don't see that. Actually her behavior
might have had more to do with her repulsion of Xerxes' drunkenness and lack of
character. Just read the book for yourself and get your own opinions.
The book of Esther is very unusual in that it is the only book of the
Bible where God is not mentioned. In that sense, it is a test of the faith of
the people to understand the unseen hand of God working on their behalf. In
education there is a thing called a "close test" to test the reading
comprehension of students. A page of text is given and certain ____ are left
out. A student should be ____ to figure out what those _____ are from the
context. The same is true in Esther. Since Esther is in the Bible, the people
apparently saw God in the events.
One more thing: the events of Esther and the hatred toward the Jews is
easier to understand if you know the first six chapters of Daniel. The Jews had
favored people status in the Babylonian Empire. This protected them racially
and religiously. That made a lot of people jealous of the Jews. When Persia
inherited the Jews by conquering Babylon, it happened again; and, boom, the
Jews were suddenly a favored people with rights that no other peoples in Persia
had. Now in Esther, it will happen again. Particularly now, it was crucial that
God did at this time, what He had done over the last hundred years to protect
His people. The decrees at the end of Esther enabled the Jews to survive and
continue that very special status, worshiping their God only. It is because of
these events that Ezra was commissioned to teach the returned remnant the law,
and Nehemiah was able to come to Israel and rebuild Jerusalem.
“The Three Returns from Exile” and “Chronology of the Postexilic Period”
will also be helpful as you read Esther.
Esther 1
Vs. 1-12 Notice that the time reference says this took place in the
third year of Ahasuerus' (Xerxes') reign. Since the book of Esther is not about
world history, it doesn't say what the party was for. The point isn't even to
tell us why Vashti refused, but now we know why the king was mad. Given the
event, it is Xerxes' pride that was hurt. He appears to have been a petty,
childish hedonist. He lost face before all of his leaders and kingdom and now
this would be news. Xerxes already had plenty of wives, with more to follow.
Vashti was only national "bling" for the king.
Notice that the seven-day feast was after the 180 days of showing the
royal glory. It was on the final day of the feast when the fiasco with Vashti
occurred. The drunkenness surrounding this event is probably what the women
were mad about.
Vs. 13-22 This judgment and edict would have taken place before Xerxes
went out to face the Greeks. It was the height of his pride. He wouldn't return
so proud.
Vs. 19-20 Notice that Vashti remained a wife, but was never to see the
king again. It is thought that Vashti was the mother of Artaxerxes, the next
king.
V. 22 Thankfully, the respect of men in the Persian Empire was saved!
Esther 2
Vs. 1-4 Xerxes came back a defeated man. He had wives, but no queen.
There was no special relationship between him and his queen, as we'll see
later; but for ceremony and national appearance, Persia needed one. Persia was
now shamed in the face of all nations because of those skirted gyro-chompers.
This was more than a contest to be queen. Each of the girls selected
would become his wife. I don't know if there was anything official before the
wedding night, but the wedding night sealed the deal. In this sense, all of the
girls "won." They became a wife of Xerxes, king of Persia and
whatever privileges and benefits that entailed for them and their families. It
would have meant money for the family giving up the daughter. It wasn't "losing"
not to be queen. And since this was marriage, becoming a part of the king's
harem wasn't "immorality" as we understand it, except maybe in its
sheer magnitude and excess.
Vs. 5-11 This is where the plot thickens and you begin seeing (or not
seeing) the working of the Lord. Again, some of this looks familiar, if you
know Daniel (which took place in captivity about 100 years earlier).
V. 5 Mordecai has a Babylonian name, suggesting, in spite of his brief
genealogy, he was born in Babylon.
V. 8 Esther was gathered up
with the other young women, meaning it was not Mordecai's doing.
V. 9 Hmmm. Sounds like Daniel chapter 1 (or the story of Joseph, if you
can remember back that far). Receiving favor from others was one of the ways
the Lord put Joseph and Daniel in key positions.
V. 10 I think this was because of the animosity toward the Jews.
Vs. 12-18 I'm sure you're seeing God's hand in all of this.
Vs. 12-14 This was the preparation. I can't imagine that this took a
year, but then I hate having to do more than brush my hair before I go out the
door. What would six months of oil of myrrh treatment look like?
Vs. 15-18 Esther won! What a surprise.
V. 16 Did you notice the hidden time reference here? Esther became
queen in the 10th month of Xerxes' 7th year. Since Esther had a year of
preparation, it would mean that the search for a queen probably occurred in his
6th year. So now, four years have gone by since chapter 1.
Vs. 19-23 This is now after Esther was queen. I don't know why Xerxes
did this again, but I don't know much about maintaining a respectable and
well-ordered harem. Esther obeyed Mordecai and didn't say she was a Jew.
What a coincidence that Mordecai saved the king's life. It is equally
as important that God had them overlook giving Mordecai any reward. These are
good things for us to observe and keep in mind as we see the Lord working.
Sometimes He allows us to be forgotten too, but all for good reason.
Esther 3
Vs. 1-6 After these things
gives us the idea of a passage of time. Notice again that Mordecai was at the king's gate. Some suggest that
this means Mordecai had some minor post in government.
So, why didn't Mordecai bow? You get the idea that he was just a
grumpy, nasty, hook-nosed little guy. Part of the clue here is that when asked
why he didn't bow, he said he was a Jew.
And they let him go, as if that explanation did the trick. So? I'm part Greek
and part German. What does that have to do with anything? Now I'm going to
crawl out on a limb here and suggest what might have been happening.
God's work in the book of Daniel gave the Jews the right to worship
only their God. It became law. All other peoples in Babylon had to worship all
the gods, including Nebuchadnezzar himself…but not the Jews. In fact,
Nebuchadnezzar commanded that if anyone forced them to worship any God but
their own, that person would be killed. Boy, did that save the Jews, but that
was Babylon. This was Persia. So then, read Daniel chapter 6. A law was made
compelling everyone to worship and pray to Darius the Mede. As a result of Daniel
6 another command was issued protecting the Jews which became a law of the
Medes and the Persians which cannot be
revoked. This became binding for the entire Persian Empire, protecting Jews
from having to worship or pay homage to any god, or representative thereof,
other than their own, under penalty of death to anyone who forced them.
So if showing homage to a person, king or otherwise, was actually
thought of as paying homage to a god, and that person was a representative of
that god, it would explain things. If this was the case, Mordecai's response
totally answered their question. He was a Jew, and therefore, he was exempt.
This would also explain why Haman couldn't just get off his horse and make
Mordecai bow to him. According to Persian law, if my theory is right, it would
have made Haman's act punishable by death.
Vs. 7-15 Here is another time reference. It is now the twelfth year of
Xerxes. Four and a half years have gone by between the selection of Esther and
this event. Notice how lucky it was that the lot was cast and gave the Jews a
year to get ready.
V. 8 Haman mentioned that the Jews did not keep the king's laws. This
was because of edicts issued by Darius the Mede and by Cyrus. See Daniel 6.
V. 9 Haman must have been extremely wealthy. This might be why King
Ahasuerus was so taken up with him. A talent weighed 75 pounds. That was tons
of silver. It is interesting to think that a man of this wealth and position
was shaken, because one little guy wouldn't recognize him.
V. 15 After planning to kill the Jews and then having to send word
throughout the entire empire, I'll bet they were beat. There is nothing like
being able to kick back after a hard day's work. So what do you gather about
the character of this king?
We have seen before, and it will be true of the first six chapters of
Daniel, that disaster often precedes blessing. By now we should understand that
this is also true of us in the harvest. The Father prunes vines that bear
fruit. God often uses problems to bring us to our knees and do things that we
never would have imagined possible.
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
Vs. 17-19 These are the divisions Paul mentioned in chapter 1.
Basically, chapters 11-14 have something to do with their public meetings.
Vs. 20-34 Apparently, this church celebrated communion as a part of a
larger meal, sort of like what took place at the Passover where Jesus
introduced communion. Jesus took the cup,
after supper. So, they apparently had supper first, and then celebrated
communion. What was happening in Corinth was a mess.
V. 23 Paul received these instructions personally from Jesus Himself.
Communion must be an important remembrance, if Jesus made sure He passed it on
to Paul personally.
Vs. 27-32 Notice that this warning is aimed at believers, not
unbelievers. The sin is a serious sin for someone who knows better and
desecrates the body and blood of the Lord anyway. Many, if not most, of the
people in the world who take communion on any given Sunday are probably
unbelievers, doing it out of sheer ignorance. I think the prohibition and the
penalty is for those who know better and are partaking in sin. Of course,
anyone who intentionally would think to mock communion, even in ignorance,
would be in danger too.
V. 30 I'm glad God doesn't do this today, or does He?
V. 31 A person is called to self-examination before the Lord, before
they participate.
V. 32 This is God chastening His children. According to Romans 8, we
cannot be condemned. God keeps His children from imitating the world in their
utter disdain for Him by keeping us humble, in affliction if necessary.
Vs. 33-34 The abuse of the Lord's Supper was one of the issues that
they wrote to Paul about to gain some clarity. Paul addressed key issues, but
apparently there were other, less important, questions that he would choose to
address later.
Psalm 35:17-28
In one sense, when you read all of what David asks for, he is only
asking God to be true to His character and to do what He has spoken in the
Word. In a video/song I found for Psalm 25, there is a line that has stuck with
me: "It is your reputation that makes me outrageously brave." I think
this is what David means here. David knows that God will show justice and save
him, and I guess he's asking God to do it sooner than later.
Vs. 17-18 I don't think David was bargaining with God, but he
definitely wanted some help quickly. Praising God publicly was one of David's
constant refrains.
Vs. 19-21 These are all the things David feared would come upon him if
God didn't help. David's enemies didn't think God would help David. And David
feared he would be shamed for having waited on the Lord.
Vs. 22-25 God had seen all of this and David knew it. David cried for
vindication. I don't think it was vindication of his righteousness or
innocence, as much as it was vindication of his faith in the Lord. Verse 25
seems to emphasize their arrogance and their confidence in putting David to
shame.
V. 26 This is another way of saying, "Let what they have planned
for me happen to them."
Vs. 27-28 David knew, in faith, that God would come through. David knew
he would be telling of God's righteousness
and praising His name. Through David, others would have the courage to wait for
the Lord. We need that same kind of faith and assurance as we wait on the Lord,
following Him in the harvest.
Proverbs 21:19-20
It seems like both of these verses have to do with "control"
issues. Or really, maybe both of them have to do with fully appreciating the
blessing and love of God.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are interested in growing
deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the
growth of a discipleship culture in the church, that is, groups of 3-4
disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to
reach out and make disciples, who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most
universal and important discipleship manual we have and it is the key to our
growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here,
or what we are to be doing, or whom we are to be following. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us, as disciples, focused on Christ and our role in His
harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be
willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their
growth as disciples, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome
to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own
observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition
or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any
point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as
I understand it. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm doing
this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that will
keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are reading. Remember,
the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a supplement, a disciple’s
commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we will keep following our
Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make
disciples. Being in the Word every day,
sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the essential essence of
being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow Him in the
harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
If you would like documents
containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full
presentation of discipleship read Simply
Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with
insomnia and would like a long boring dissertation on disciple making, these
can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
The One Year Bible © by
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of
Good News Publishers.
All charts/graphics/outlines
from the Bible Knowledge Commentary are used with the permission of David C.
Cook.
© 1983, 2001 John F Walvoord and Roy B Zuck.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary is published by David C Cook.
All rights reserved. Publisher permission
required to reproduce.
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