The Persians - Vashti, Xerxes, and Haman were all fallen. The interwoven plot lines of Esther, with different kinds of literary irony,Īre identified and illustrated to show the essential fallenness of all peoples. It is absolutely vital, in understanding the book, to see the literary device of irony throughout. This book is about God and how He is sovereign over every detail because He loves us so. This book isn’t about Esther, though she made a turn that is admirable. And though it is true and laudable that she risked her life for her people, she made plenty of compromises before that point. This chapter isn’t about Vashti - it’s about God showing the folly of the kings of the earth who do not bow to Him.Ĭonservatives want to make Esther a heroine. But neither can we know that for certain. Historians say she was a vengeful woman who had the tongues of Ahasuerus’ (or Xerxes in the Greek) concubines cut out. But we do not know why she defied the king – were her motives noble or ignoble? The text doesn’t tell us. She defied the king, refused to be humiliated, and boldly broke the rules. I’ve seen books and Bible studies and movies that have completely distorted the story, missing the satire and the sexual abuse involved in the contest for the new queen.įeminists and liberals want to make Vashti a heroine. It isn’t just the Jews who have distorted the book of Esther (at Purim the children boo whenever Haman’s name is read and cheer whenever Mordecai or Esther’s name is read - making it a book of villains and heroes), Christians have distorted it too.

Much better to wait until they are ready. In order to make it appropriate for children, you would have to leave out so much that it no longer is the true story. Sally Lloyd-Jones doesn’t cover the book of Esther in her children’s book, and I think that is wise. HE CAN EVEN TURN THE ASHES OF OUR FAILURES WE HAVE MADE THE BOOK OF ESTHER ABOUT HEROESĪND HOW HE IS SOVEREIGN OVER EVERY DETAIL It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! …It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne – everything – to rescue the one he loves. The Bible certain has some heroes in it - but most of those heroes did really bad things, and sometimes on purpose. Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it… But the Bible isn’t mainly about you and what you should be doing. Now, some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. One of my favorite books on the planet is:

WE HAVE MISSED THE TRANSFORMING MESSAGE GOD LONGS TO GIVE US.

We have missed the satire and thus reversed the meaning.

We have been taught wrong and then read it that way, instead of really looking.

We have so often failed to realize the Bible is not about us but about God.

The story of Esther has been so mis-interpreted. YET WHEN CALLED UPON TO RISK HER LIFE FOR HER PEOPLE SLEPT WITH A MAN TO WHOM SHE WAS NOT MARRIED,

Story of esther bible study