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Esther: From Orphan to
QueenA Divine Reversal Book of
the Bible
Agenda
Divine Reversal Teaching
30 minutes
Question and Answer Time
15 minutes
Personal Application: Break-Out Groups
10 minutes
Wrap-Up
5 minutes
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The Story of Esther
• Persian king Ahasuerus’s wife Vashti refuses to obey him, so he seeks a new wife
• Hadassah is an orphan being raised by her cousin and guardian Mordecai
• She is taken from Mordecai and forced to compete for the affection of the king
• She wins the beauty pageant and is crowned queen
The Plot Thickens
• The king’s chief advisor, Haman, is offended by Mordecai and gets permission from the king to have all the Jews in the kingdom killed.
• Mordecai urges Esther to take action
• “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
• Unbidden, Esther goes before the king and pleads for her people
• Esther and Mordecai are allowed to write a new
Divine Reversals in Esther
Esther Position Reversals
Esther is an orphan girl (1:7) being raised by her older cousin.
Vashdi is queen (1: 11)
Esther is queen (2: 17)
Mordecai is hanging out at the king’s gate (2:19, 5:9) Mordecai is making edicts and 2nd
in command to the king (10:3)
Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman (3:3-5; 5:9). He is being
required to bow down.
Mordecai wears royal garments and others are bowing down to him (9:3-4,
10:3) of their own volition.
Haman is elevated to position higher than the other nobles (3:1) Mordecai given position of honor. Fear of Mordecai seized the people (9:3-
4). Mordecai is 2nd
in rank to the king (10:3)
Haman gallows built to hang Mordecai on (5:14) Haman himself is hung on the gallows (7:10).
Haman’s 10 sons are hung on the gallows (9:25)
EstherEconomic, Political, and Legal
Reversal
Economic
reversal
Haman has great wealth and riches (3:9, 5:
11)
Haman’s estate is given to Esther (8:1). Esther
appoints Mordecai over Haman’s estate (8:2)
Political
reversal
Signet ring given to Haman (3:10) Signet ring given to Mordecai (8:2)
Legal reversal Edict to destroy, ill, annihilate all Jews and to
plunder their goods (3:13)
Edict gives Jews the right to assemble and protect
themselves, to kill, annihilate anyone who attacks
them and plunder their goods (8:11, 9:1-2)
Esther Identity Reversal
Esther’s identity
reversal
Esther is terrified about going into the presence
of the king without being summoned (4:11).
30 days had passed without her being
summoned.
If I perish, I perish.
Esther pleads with the king, falls at his feet
weeping (8:3-6).
Esther makes regulations and writes with full
authority about feast of Purim, declaring it a
yearly celebration (9: 29-32).
Increased
Favor
Queen Vashdi killed for refusing to come into the
King’s presence when bidden
Queen Esther was spared when she went into the
King’s presence unbidden
King Xerxes goes and makes a request of Queen
Vashti to appear naked in front of all the guests to
show off her beauty (1: 11)
King Xerxes offers Esther up to half the kingdom
(5:3, 6; 7:2; 9:12)
King asks the queen 4 different times to name her
petition
Esther Emotional Reversal
Jews weeping, fasting, in
sackcloth and ashes (4: 1-3)
Joyous celebration (8:15-17),
feasting, happiness, giving gifts
Fasting for Esther’s appearance before the
king for 3 days (no eating or drinking) (4:11)
Feasting and celebration for 2 days (9:20-21,
27-28)
Haman is happy and in high spirits (5: 9).
Boasting to his friends about his wealth (5:
11)
Haman is covered in grief (6:13). Haman is
terrified (7:6)
Esther Spiritual and Emotional Reversal
Spiritual
reversal
Hiding identity as a Jew (2:10, 2: 20) People of other nationalities became Jews (8:17)
because fear of the Jews seized them.
Understanding that they cannot stand against
Jews (6: 13)
Emotional
reversal
Jews weeping, fasting, in sackcloth and ashes
(4: 1-3)
Joyous celebration (8:15-17), feasting, happiness,
giving gifts
Fasting for Esther’s appearance before the king
for 3 days (no eating or drinking) (4:11)
Feasting and celebration for 2 days (9:20-21, 27-
28)
Haman is happy and in high spirits (5: 9).
Boasting to his friends about his wealth (5: 11)
Haman is covered in grief (6:13). Haman is
terrified (7:6)
Divine Reversal Lessons from the Book of Esther
Even When God Seems to be Silent, He is Not Absent
John 5: 17 AMPC
Where do you turnwhen circumstancesget difficult?
• Esther did not resign herself to an intractable situation, but sought God
• She took steps of faith
• Called for prayer and fasting for 3 days
• She went before the king unbidden
• She made a request
The Importance
of Divine Favor
Timing is of theEssence
• God’s anointing is on His timing, and if we operate outside of His timing, we operate outside of His anointing
The Past Cannot be Erased, but it Can Be Reversed
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
Which Lesson Resonates
Most For You?
• Even when God seems to be silent, he is not absent
• Where do you turn when life gets difficult?
• The importance of divine favor
• God’s anointing is on His timing
• The past cannot be erased, but it can be reversed
Comments? Questions?
What struck you about Esther?
What more do you want to know?
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