Episode 11: Esther – A Fairy Tale With a Punch

Did you know that there is a book in the Bible that never mentions God, never includes a prophesy or a prayer?  It's the book of Esther, one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman.  But despite not mentioning God at all, Esther's story illustrates that even when you don't know it, even when you can't see it, God the Father is working on our behalf all the time -- even if it's just the middle of our story.

Laurie reads the Esther story in the style of a classic fairy tale. Then ... we have the repeat of Laurie's guest Elizabeth Sprinkle who was our very informed and inspirational guest in Episode 2.  Beth is an absolute master of the Book of Esther.  You will learn so much from her insight just like Laurie did when she attended a Bible study season on the book of Esther taught by Beth.

Here's a little more about Beth.

And for those who have been asking ... here's where you can get your hands on the other The Year I Read the Bible resources: 

The blog

The video channel

The book (ebook, paperback, hardcover and audio!)

Transcript

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Hi, I'm your host Lori Larson, and this is the year I read the Bible. Welcome a Lifelong Christian. I thought I was familiar with the Bible, but in 2023 I accepted the challenge of reading the whole thing, cover to cover. Whenever I encountered something I didn't understand or wanted to learn more. I jotted it down, but I kept reading to stay on schedule. Then I reached the end Imagine Confetti rating down on me, and a huge sigh of relief. I had 40 topics to research in 2024. I started diving into all those topics. I did research, I wrote blogs and I shared them with whoever might wanna learn too. And in 2025, the project continues. I published a book containing all my essays, and now a podcast. Is there something you can learn from that dusty book that sits on all of our shelves? Yes. Yes, there is. Let's dive into The year I read the Bible. Hey friends, it's Lori and I have a question for you today. Were you the type of person to listen to fairytales when you were growing up? Who were your favorites? I know Disney has redone a ton of fairytale characters, snow White, Rapunzel, The Bible has its own fairytale. It's not really a fairytale, but as I was reading it, it reminded me of the fairytales that I used to listen to and read when I was a little girl. So today our topic is Esther, a Fairytale with a Punch. The book of Esther located about Midway through the Old Testament is an interesting addition to the Bible for several reasons. It reads differently than any of the other books. To me it reads like a fairy tale told to generation after generation, a well-known story with meaning embedded deep within. Esther has the distinction of being the only book in the entire Bible that God is not mentioned at all. But if read carefully, we can learn a great deal about this actual time in history as well as what eternal lessons we can utilize in our lives today. Let me tell you the book of Esther Fairy tale style. Rich and lazy. King Es love to throw lavish parties and display his wealth. He orders his wife Queen Vashti to come into the chamber where he's been partying steadily for a week, so his party guests can admire her. Beauty vashti refuses this request and Xerxes banishes her from his kingdom forever. The king orders a search for beautiful young women across his entire kingdom to come to his palace and form a harem out of which he will select his new queen from all the young virgins. Esther niece of Mordecai, who is secretly a Jew, wins the king's favor and becomes queen outside the kingdom gate. Mordecai overhears an angry plot to kill the king and reports it to Esther. The new queen tells her husband, who has the conspires killed. Royal consultant to the King Haman notices that Mordecai refuses to bow in Haman's presence, so he decides to kill Uncle Mordecai for his disobedience. Because Haman discovers Mordecai is a Jew, he decides what the heck he'll have. The kingdom's entire Jewish population killed as well. The king blindly agrees not knowing that he just signed on the dotted line to have his new, beautiful Queen Esther executed, not to mention the man who saved his life. Mordecai asks Queen Esther for help in stopping the plot to kill all the Jews. Esther knows that palace law states that no one, not even the queen, is allowed to speak to the king without being summoned by him. If she approaches the king to dissuade him from this genocidal plan, she could likely be put to death. Unless the king extends his gold scepter in greeting, yet, she will do it to save her people. And if she perishes, she perishes. But at Esther's approach, the king extends the scepter. Pleased to see his beautiful queen. He's willing to offer her anything she asks, but all she requests is a banquet with herself, the king and Haman. Haman happily brags about being included in such a illustrious company until his eyes land on that disobedient Mordecai. Outside the palace, anger rising. He plans a request to the king to have him impaled the next day during a night of insomnia. The King reads the book containing the history of his reign. And there he remembers that Mordecai had exposed the plot to kill him, realizing Mordecai had never been properly rewarded. He calls Haman in for his thoughts on how to reward, quote, the one the king delights to honor. End quote. Haman. Believing the king is referring to him suggests an extravagant parade with the honoree riding a stride. The king's horse wearing the king's robe being adored by the city. The king turns the tables on. Haman ordering him to set all that up for Haman's enemy Mordecai. At the banquet hosted by Queen Esther, she reveals to the king that she and all her countrymen would be killed by haman's plot. The king is horrified by haman's evil treachery and orders the he be impaled on the very pole where Haman had planned to Impale Mordecai that very day. The King Awards Queen Esther with Haman's entire Estate and Awards. Mordecai with the King's own signet ring, and along with it, a job working alongside the King. Esther begs the king to reverse haman's upcoming plans to kill the Jews, but the king knows that no document written in the King's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked. Instead, he tells Mordecai and Esther to write a new edict, allowing the Jews to assemble and protect themselves against attack. Because of the favor he received from the king and the resulting destruction of Haman. Mordecai became a strong and influential Jew in the kingdom. Enemies were terrified of him, and under his leadership, they faced victory after victory, destroying all the enemies who came to kill them at the appointed time. It was a time of happiness and joy for the Jews. Mordecai is promoted to second in command under King Xerxes, and he became preeminent among the Jews, held in high esteem because he worked for the good of his people. The end. Wow. What a story. It has all the makings of an epic fairytale. But it isn't fiction. It is historically proven to be true. Now that we know the story, let me share some other interesting points about the book of Esther. The timeline. King Xerxes, also known as Aha Suis, was a real life king. Verified by history. He reigned in the Persian Empire from 485 to 465 bc. In terms of foreign tyranny over the Jews of Israel, the Persian Empire followed the Babylonian Empire and came before the Roman Empire. Esther and Mordecai's lineage Esther two verse five reads Now, there was in the citadel of Susa, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin. Named Mordecai, son of Jir, the son of Sheme, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Among those taken captive with Jein, king of Judah, I apologize for any mispronunciations, but the point is Kish is the father of King Saul. Mordecai and Esther have royal blood flowing through their veins. Nebuchadnezzar battled and exiled the Jews about 100 years before this story takes place. Esther is caught between two worlds. She's hiding the fact that she's a Jew for her own safety. The next point. Haman wouldn't have even been there if Mordecai's ancestors had obeyed God's order. Okay, stay with me here sometimes. It's amazing how one Bible story ties back to another look to this section of the book. One Samuel 15, one through three Samuel said to Saul. I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people, Israel. So listen now to the message from the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty says. I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now, go attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them put to death. Men and women, children and infants, cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys. Saul did attack the Amalekites as God ordered, but look in verse seven. But Saul and the Army spared a gag. A GAG, and the best of the sheep and cattle. These they were unwilling to destroy completely. So despite God ordering Saul to kill all the Amalekites, he spared one a gag and take a guess. Does a gag relate to Haman somehow? Yes. In Esther three, we see the evil haman's lineage, Haman son of Haha, the Aite. And Haman became obsessed with destroying Mordecai from the lineage of Saul who spared Haman's own ancestors in addition to the entire Jewish race in the Persian empire. When I discovered that, my mind was blown onto my next point. The plot happened again with the Holocaust. Esther tells an ancient account of one man determined to wipe the entire Jewish race off the face of the Earth. Seems extreme and unlikely, but wasn't there another man in modern times who had the same intent? And went to vast extremes to ensure that every last Jew was captured and tortured and killed Hitler. Hitler was the Haman of the modern world. Thank God that he was stopped before he accomplished his goal. Another point, Haman Hama. It's one letter different. At the very same time that I was studying the Book of Esther news programs were filled with stories of the attack of Hamas against Israel. Wikipedia says on the 7th of October, 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into Southern Israel. The first invasion of Israeli territory since the Arab-Israeli War of 1948. The day was labeled the bloodiest in Israel's history and the Deadliest for Jews since the Holocaust. Some have called the attack a genocidal massacre against Israelis. I don't know what to make of that coincidence other than the evils of humanity never change. And the holiday of Purim. Out of the story of Esther, comes the Jewish holiday of Pure Rim, which celebrates the saving of Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman in Esther nine, starting with verse 26. These days were called Purim. The Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who joined them should observe for two days every year, days of feasting and gladness and ascending portions, one to another, and gifts to the poor. End quote. Pure Rim is celebrated among Jews by exchanging gifts of food and drink, donating charity to the poor, eating a celebratory meal with alcoholic beverages. Public recitation of the scroll of Esther, usually in synagogue. Reciting additions to the daily prayers and grace after meals, wearing masks and costumes, public celebrations and parades, eating ham, and which translates to haman's ears and drinking wine. I'm so glad that this marvelous Jewish character inspired a holiday of fun and joy for the believers. In closing, I'd like to share a famous verse from the Book of Esther that makes us ponder why certain events land on us in life before we know the whole story and what part we play in it. Esther four verse 14 says, if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place. But who knows? But that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this end quote. We don't know why we are called into certain situations, but we can feel confident that God has called us in to serve his own purposes because of our unique experience and skillset. If only we are brave enough to try like Esther. Let's take a moment to say a prayer. Dear Lord, thank you for the powerful story of Esther and Mordecai and how they used their unique skills and experiences to save the abolition of the Jewish race way back nearly 500 years before Christ came. We ask that when you call us to do important work for the kingdom, that you give us the confidence to move bravely forward and take action. Amen. And now stay tuned for a guest who is not only a guest, but she is a master on the topic of the book of Esther. I. I am so excited to welcome back a repeat guest to the podcast. The last time you heard this special guest talk was in week two of the podcast. She was in the very start of this whole enterprise. Now it is week 11. I'm so excited to have her back. My reverend at the church, I go to Beth Sprinkle. Welcome back, Beth. Glad to be here. Lori, I definitely wanted to have Beth be the guest on this podcast about Esther because I took a Bible study. Through women of the Word at All Saints Church in Polly's Island. And Beth and her co-teacher Dina, taught the book of Esther, which you don't really know that I knew too much about it. It was one of those, oh, this one's kind of easy reading and, entertaining. But there's just so much to it. What special connection do you have to the book of Esther and did you enjoy teaching that session on it to women in the word? Yes, I love the stories of the Old Testament, but especially Esther. She is one of only two books in the Bible that are named after women. The other one obviously being Ruth. So that's intriguing for us as females, uh mm-hmm. In the Kingdom of God, and it's also known as the only book in the Bible where God is not mentioned. Which makes people wonder. So why is it there? There's not a prophetic word spoken, there's not a prayer recorded. But it obviously is an very important book in the canon of scripture. I think one of the reasons that. God is not mentioned is one of the overall overriding points of the book is the sovereignty and providence of God that he is working on our behalf. Even when we don't see it. Even when we don't feel him. Even when we don't hear it, even if we are in the middle of our story. We can be assured that his presence is always with us. And as Romans 8 28 says that, all things work together for the good of those who love him. And what I loved is there was one preacher, mark Deaver, who stated that he believed that Esther was the longest. Meditation in scripture on that Romans verse on that all things work together for the good of God's people. Which it is. It's, it's really about his sovereignty, that God is in control and his providence, he has the ability to foresee the future and his plans and purposes are not gonna be thwarted, even though we might be unfaithful at times our faith is two steps forwards, one step back. He's able to use all circumstances. So it's wonderful when you're reading the book, knowing that he's not mentioned, is to look for the coincidences that happen in the book, because those are really the fingerprints of God. Yes. Which brings me to my next question, which is about Haman, the villain of the story. Haman, he wants to wipe out the entire Jewish race. But isn't it interesting that if King Saul had obeyed God's orders back in one Samuel Haman's, ancestors would've been wiped out, what, a hundred years before and Haman wouldn't have been around to attempt to destroy the Jewish race in the book of Esther. Isn't that amazing to you? Yes. It, it shows that. Our sin does have consequences. I mean, God can redeem any situation, but by Saul's unfaithfulness to God's command to wipe out because he had actually told Moses back in Exodus 17 that he was gonna wipe out all the Amalekites from the face of the Earth. And then when Saul had the opportunity. The Lord had told him to do that. He didn't. He kept the best spoils and people for himself, which then generations later leads to Haman, and so the Aite were always enemies of God's people. Haman obviously being one, and the Jewish people. In the Old Testament, yes, they are Jews, but we have to remember that they're being shown as the covenant people of God. That's who they are, just as we are the covenant people of God. So yes, it's amazing that he is alive because Saul disobeyed God's commands. And that fact is something that. Just me, myself and I reading through the book of Esther, it just would've gone completely over my head. It takes a really knowledgeable Bible scholar like yourself. You taught that in the Esther study that we did. And that Mordecai is a descendant of Kish, of the Benjamite of Saul. So Haman had to know that and that would just, fuel his hatred. His racism towards him or hatred towards him for the, had been steeped in him for generations. Yeah. So maybe it's not coincidental. Maybe he knew the history and wanted to take this opportunity to, take another swipe at it. It's chilling that. Haman was attempting to do in 485 BC exactly what Adolf Hitler attempted to do in 1944. I recently took a trip to France and we spent a day in Normandy and, we saw where the American troops stormed the beaches of Utah and Omaha and, took so many losses to liberate. France from Hitler's armies. And right there in Normandy was the whole World War II Museum spending quite a bit of time on the Holocaust and the loss of so many Jews. It's just a haunting and very heavy atmosphere there. But why? Why does this keep happening through history? Because in the essay I also talked about when, the Palestinians, attach Israel, It was the Hamas. Yeah, it was Hamas that attacked Israel just, a year and a half ago, and they ended up killing more Jews during that attack than any excluding the Holocaust. So, what do you make of that? What are your thoughts on all this violence against Jews? Well, number one, I think it shows the depravity of the human heart apart from God, even though people think that, oh, we're in the 21st century or whatever, that we have progressed. Look at what is still happening, in the hearts of man. And I think the Jewish people, as I said, have always represented the people of God and that has been their plight, and God has been faithful. Throughout the generations to be their deliverer. But I think if you pull back farther mm-hmm. That you would realize it stems all the way back to Genesis three 15. Where is the first messianic promise that God says one, A seed will come from Eve, the woman, but there's gonna be enmity between. Her seed and Satan and he will bruise his heel and, will crush his head. And so Haman, yes, is evil and is trying to wipe out the Jewish people in the time of Esther in that kingdom. But he's really a pawn of Satan. It's always the principalities and forces. And ever since the beginning of that prophecy in the Old Testament, you see. Satan using people in events trying to prevent the Messiah, the seed of the Messiah from coming. And that's really what the big picture about that Haman story is trying to prevent Messiah from coming and so now we can look at our day. Not only the Jews, Christians in our day are persecuted throughout the world. There it is the spiritual forces of conflict that are gonna go on. Our world until Jesus comes back. And so Haman is a picture of that. And we're just gonna continue to see that in our world today, in current events, that people are being used by the spiritual forces of the enemy, of our souls, or coming against Godly people, preventing Christian teachers or preventing us from. S declaring which gender identity should be taught in schools or, boycotting Christian businesses. That's it's light here in America. But other countries, Christians are really being persecuted and it's really Satan who is using these people like he used Haman, to try to block or thwart or persecute god's people. It almost makes me think that if we were to write a, holy Bible. 2.0. There are a lot of stories that could go into there that continues to show the plight of God's chosen people, the Jews and the Christians Well, the good news is, is God reversed. And that's what I loved about Esther. We called it the God of grand reversals, that he reversed the plan of evil. That which was meant for evil. God made for good, thankfully through. The providence of God, of having Esther in the right place where she ended up being chosen as Queen by her God-fearing uncle who literally preached the gospel to her telling her about the plan and said. God, he knew that God was gonna raise up somebody, whether it was gonna be her or not, that he was gonna protect the seed line. But by the end, everything is reversed, that God does deliver his people. Just as you could take it to the cross. Everybody thinks that it's the end. Satan's one, Jesus is hanging on the cross, but God reversed that and defeated Satan on the cross just as he reversed Haman's plans and Mordecai and all of them were the beneficiaries have got all his goods and his position and the people were saved. That's amazing. That is such a great image of the God of reversals. Yes. Just when you think it's hopeless and it can't get any better, God reverses it for good. What you were saying is that famous line in Esther four, if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place. Who knows, but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this and such a great line. Yes. And it shows he had the faith, he knew it and he was preaching it. I think they both at the beginning of the book were compromised with the culture until this crisis moment came. Yeah. And then he approached her and he knew that God was gonna raise up somebody, but who knows, maybe you are the one because you are in the position. And then she had a. And it's beautiful to see her actions of prayer and, surrender to God and she really was risking her life, but willing to do so. Mm-hmm. Um, of God's direction and her uncle's direction. Yeah, it's almost like they were quietly just fitting into the culture. And I'm not gonna raise my head. I'm not gonna, raise any suspicions. And then, boy, God had a much bigger plan, a much bigger story for them. Yes. I mean, it's wonderful. I want, you know, to see like how her plan, and even when she did the parties, trying to get her husband in a good mood and thank you Wonder, why did she wait another day and invite him to another party? You're wondering what in the world is going on. But had that not happened, he would not have waked up in the middle of the night and had that book of remembrance read to him to remember that it was Mordecai who saved his life. Yeah. You know, it's only in hindsight, and I think it's the same in our life, it's only in hindsight do we see that these coincidences are really the fingerprints of God moving in our life. Right. And if we look for it, we can find it. Yes. And if we ever wonder, was that not Well, chances are It was. It was. That's right. That's right. I don't know if you're a viewer of the series, the chosen. Which is big. I've not started it yet big. Okay. It's a really, popular, I don't know if some of our listeners have seen it, but in one of the episodes they had on the Jews of Jesus' Time celebrating the holiday of Pure Rim. Is that how you pronounce it? Purin? Yes. Well, that's how I pronounce it. It might not be pure, pure Purim. Some people say Purim. Yeah, so the holiday of Purim, they read the book of Esther, or they call it The Scroll of Esther before it was published in a book. And they have all these, loud noisemakers noisemaker, so they have certain, toys and noisemakers for the different characters. For Haman, it was a, bad one. And then for Mordecai it was a big one, and it shows how that would've looked during Jesus' time. In that episode of the Chosen is really a wonderful holiday that the Jews, celebrate every year. So do you have any thoughts on that? It is a wonderful holiday to celebrate the remembrance. Uh, the pure PUR was the Hebrew word for lots, and Haman had cast lots to determine the date of when they were gonna annihilate all the Jews and. I think it's proverb 16. I can't remember the exact verse where, it says the Lord determines the casting of lots. So even he was in that. But I do love all the celebratory. We were able to do a few little things when we, concluded our study of Esther. Yes. They said that they ate certain, I can't remember what exactly how they were made, but we had the recipe for the Haman hats, which were cookies. You were supposed to eat the evil. And then when they would read the book of Esther, we read that they would shout Boo and do the noisemakers whenever Haman's name. So it would be a fun celebratory. Yeah. Celebration, participate in And that they would hear because it is a masterful story the way it is. And you're a writer, so like you said, it's a great romance story and it's got suspense and it's got the evil characters, yes, but to have that celebration of Purim at the end, that it was wonderful to celebrate God's faithfulness even when we're not faithful, and that he is our deliverer. Mm-hmm. It was a really great Bible study season that you taught. Is there anything else that you remember from teaching that session or anything else that you wanna add, to this discussion that we haven't covered yet? I just think the importance of remembering one of the reasons that God isn't mentioned, that we need to remember, especially in those times when we're in the middle of our story and we feel like God has forgotten us to remember Esther, or to remember Psalm 1 21, that he never sleeps or never slumbers, that he is always working and we need to remind ourselves of that, that God's plans. Will never be thwarted that he is working for our good. And even if we don't see it or if we don't feel it or don't hear it, we can trust in his faithfulness. Not in our faithfulness, but in his faithfulness and his promises. And, and that is a great lesson of Esther. That's a wonderful lesson and something that everybody on earth will need to remember at some point in time. There's always gonna be a hardship, there's always gonna be sadness or tragedy in your life. And just reach out to him and he will connect with you. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but he is working to make everything work out. Yes. Amen. Amen. Well, Beth, thank you so much again for meeting with me and sharing your wisdom. You're just such a, oh, a knowledgeable, your brain is a knowledgeable foun of knowledge. Oh, it's the Lord. Thank you. I can't remember where I put my keys, but I somehow, the Lord has given me the gift where I can remember Bible verses and it is a gift. He gets all the glory. That's awesome. Well, you have a great day and, I'll see you when the new, women in the word session starts. Great. Thank you, Beth. Thank you. Bye. and that's it for today. Thank you very much for being here with me on the year I read the Bible Podcast. We'll be back with another episode next week. If you enjoy this podcast, please do all the normal things to spread the word like it, review it, share it with your friends. If you are interested in additional the year, I read the Bible resources such as the book, the video channel, and the blog, I will include the links in the show notes, and I'd love to hear about your own journey to read the Bible cover to cover. Have you done it or are you doing it right now? Please reach out to me and let me know how it's going. Until next time, it's Lori Larson with the year I read the Bible. Bye.