◄ Esther Devotional Commentary ►

Esther 1:1

The book of Esther was written to offer Jewish exiles, and those who had returned to the land of Israel with Ezra, great encouragement, and the assurance that God is a covenant-keeping God Who is faithful to His Word and watches over His people, even when they disobey Him.

Years earlier, the 70-year long Babylonian captivity had ended, just as Jeremiah had prophesied, and Cyrus the great Persian king decreed the rebuilding of the read more...

Esther 1:19

The first chapter of Esther lays the foundation for the thrilling story that follows, where a satanic scheme to slaughter the entire Jewish nation is thwarted. This planned genocide was discovered and reversed through faithful servants of God whom the Lord used to save His people from destruction, and to carry forward His eternal plan of redemption.

Ahasuerus, who was also known as Xerxes 1st, succeeded his father, Darius, onto read more...

Esther 2:6

At the end of their 70-year exile in Babylon, Cyrus, the great Persian king, decreed that the temple in Jerusalem, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, was to be rebuilt, and Jewish exiles were permitted to return to their homeland. Many took advantage and set off with Ezra or Nehemiah on their respective expeditions, but many remained in their land of exile, preferring all the material advantages they now enjoyed.

Among those who read more...

Esther 2:10

Esther is a fast-moving historical drama that traces the life and times of a beautiful young Jewish girl called Hadassah, and her uncle, Mordecai. They were descendants of the Babylonian exiles, who had been deported from Judah during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Their forebears had been deported generations earlier but had chosen not to return to Israel once the 70 years had passed.

Hadassah was an orphan who had been given the read more...

Esther 2:15

The story of Esther is remembered as one of the greatest victories in Scripture when the evil plots of Israel's enemies were set to exterminate the entire Jewish race, but God turned around this harrowing situation for good. The intriguing story of a beautiful young orphan girl, who entered a beauty contest and became queen of the greatest empire in the world, is the stuff of dreams and fairy-tales.

Esther is identified as a read more...

Esther 4:14

The book of Esther commands a unique perspective on Israel's history, taking a peep behind the scenes of the Persian monarchy and giving insight into a particular historical event that is not mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures, but which gave rise the Jews feast of Purim.

Throughout their history, Israel has been viciously attacked by the rest of the world in a satanically orchestrated plan to prevent God from fulfilling His read more...

Esther 9:17

The Feast of Purim is a day of celebration for the nation of Israel, for it commemorates that joyful time when Esther, the beautiful queen of Persia, was raised up by the Lord for the salvation of her people - the Jewish nation.

The extermination of the Jewish race has been the primary target of Satan's fierce attack on humanity, in his bitter conflict with God and his hatred of mankind... for the Lord destined Israel, through read more...

Esther 9:32

The book of Esther is an exciting story of a beautiful, young Jewish girl named Hadessah who became queen Esther of Persia. It was due to "the command of Esther, that the feast of Purim was established - as written in the book."

She was wonderfully used by the Lord to save the Jewish nation from extinction, when an evil decree, instigated by a wicked man named Haman, tricked the king of Persia into passing a read more...

Esther 10:3

There are many reasons that the book of Esther has received a less than a positive response over the years. Perhaps the absence of any direct mention of God is one reason it has been dismissed as irrelevant or unimportant by some. Similarly, different methods of interpreting Scripture, such as allegorising its content or presuming that it is no more than a fictional story, has also contributed to Esther being spurned in ancient Judaism and early Christianity read more...