The Book of Esther
The Book of Esther
Esther is a very popular book.
Few people preach about Esther. In fact, the lectionary, if you know how it works, encourages us to read only once every three years. In contrast to the Gospel of Mark, for example, that we will read something like 50 times during this year, we find that the reading of one of Esther this year, after which the book is removed canonical quiet until 2003.
The book is unpopular. More information – is a controversial book. More – is a book that no less a figure than Martin Luther said that "hated" it. It was "perverse" – "Full of irregularities pay much.
Esther is one of only two books of the Bible does not mention the name of God. Share this honor with the Song of Singular songs, which is also a controversial book.
Not only does the book does not mention God by name. There is so little that is "divine" that occurs in the book. There is no worship, no reading of the Bible, not the people of exceptional piety in the book of Esther. No mention of the great biblical themes of covenant and grace. Not even seem to love Esther! Sex, yes, there are plenty of sex in Esther – Another point of resemblance to the Song of Songs. However, Esther is a little beyond the parts using the other major Hollywood issue – violence.
Esther is a violent book. There are a lot of bloodshed in Esther. It seems be a good hundred thousand people died in the story of Esther – men, women and children – and Esther is right to murder.
This raises two questions:
Why not someone made a major film based on the story of Esther?
Why this book is in the Bible?
I will leave out these two questions we've seen in history, so it might be in a better position to formulate their own opinion.
Chapter 1 introduces us to the environment and the story of one of the main characters. We are in Persia in the late fifth century BC The Jews living in exile, and a king under the name of Xerxes on the throne.
Xerxes is also best known in history under another name – Xerxes – and is best known for its total failure to conquer the Greeks in the early years of his reign.
Yesterday I saw some of the marathon. Many of you know that the first marathon was run after the Battle of Marathon – when a poor man was so hard and fast Greek after the battle to tell the good news of victory to the king died when he gave the message!
Marathon was a victory for the Greeks over the Persians that were conducted then by Darius, Xerxes' father. Xerxes returned to Greece to avenge the defeat of his father in 480 BC with an army that numbered Herodotus 2,500,000! He defeated the Spartans at Thermopylae, but was then completely destroyed by the Greeks in the naval battle of Salamis. He returned in beaten his capital, but, like his father, and like his fellow modern, Saddam Hussein, was initially able to cling to absolute power in their own region.
The other story I remember the story of Xerxes was his friend who held a banquet for a large part of his army at night before going into battle. In the morning, the friend asked if Xerxes his youngest son could stay with him to the farm to help him care. There were three other children in the military and wondered if the child can remain in home. Xerxes had made the boy child was cut in half through the center, had his army in March between the two halves, and said to his friend enjoy business of his son "or something like that.
Xerxes / Xerxes is not a pious man. However, it is the absolute master of many peoples and nations in this story, including many Jews.
Chapter 1 also Vashti, the wife of Xerxes, the first woman in the Bible to prove the assertion of women. Xerxes and his colleagues are Vashti drunk and invite you to join the party. Vashti said to hell. Xerxes responds with something as sexist as Vashti was a feminist action – held a beauty contest for find a suitable replacement of Vashti.
Xerxes attracts girls throughout the empire, dressed and perfumed, to give everyone a chance in bed, and one that promises more tickle your fancy, you become the new queen of Persia. Enter Esther.
Chapter 2 describes the place of Esther in power. She wants the greatest king than any of his contemporaries, and is very encouraged by her uncle Mordecai – himself a faithful servant of the king, who can uncover a plot to assassinate Xerxes, and so benefits both measures king.
The testimony of Esther and Mordecai were Jews, but Mordecai seems to prefer to keep silent about his Jewishness, and encourages Esther to do the same. Why? Since there seems to be a degree of anti-Semitism spread throughout the empire, it is also clear in Chapter 3, where we find Haman – the enemy of the Jews.
Why was Haman the enemy of the Jews? "Because he was an Amalekite, and due to Amalekites and the Jews had always hated. The problem really begins with Mordechai. Haman is appointed prime minister, and bows to all and see to it – all except Mordechai. Mordechai no respect for this man, despite his office. Why? Because it is a damn Amalekites.
This is a useful reflection, I believe, Mordechai mercy. What this means for him to be a Jew? Is this a personal devotion to the God of the Hebrews? If you pray every day while facing Jerusalem? Is this a strict observance of the 10 commandments? No! None of these things, but he hates the Amalekites. Mordechai was not a model Jew.
Amman Mordechai decides to punish his insolence killing all Jews, and convinced the king that is a good idea. It sets a date for Holocaust 11 months here.
In chapter 4, Mordechai to Esther calls for help. Esther said she would like to help, but I can not really do anything for the moment because the king, apparently, has already reached disease. She has no right to waltz just for a chat with the king uninvited. King every right to be halved to show this kind of insolence.
Mordechai said that should not live under the delusion that will be safe in the palace, while others suffer. Over time it arrives in the neck too. Esther and the chapter gives 5, it's your chance to Xerxes and vague in his throne room to invite him to dinner. Esther Xerxes catch in the right mood. He did not kill, but accepts the invitation for dinner.
The king and Haman Esther to dinner that night, so excited that Haman decided to accelerate its plans to kill Mordechai, and built a scaffold in your backyard to do the job.
Chapter 6 is a kind of comedy, where the king can not sleep one night and he is in his head that he was worried because he never gave her appropriate compensation Mordechai warned against the assassination attempt.
Xerxes, Haman called for advice on how to reward Mordechai. Amman completed Meanwhile, the gallows and was about to get lynched Mordechai. When Xerxes asks Haman what should be done to honor one of its most faithful servants, Amman is supposed to Xerxes spoke to him, and he recommends a very luxurious treatment. So Haman ends up having to walk before Mordechai, singing the praises of the man who wants to kill.
In Chapter 7, while it is clear from Haman to another dinner with the queen. Xerxes said Esther Haman tried to kill her and all her people. Haman was quickly hoisted their own petard.
Chapters 8 and 9 lines of revenge Esther. With the collaboration of Xerxes She does not get just to Amman hanged, but all his children with his body hanging from the next screen. Then asked if the King of His people could not go on his killing spree against their enemies, and, in fact, got the best part of 100,000 people died in the space only a few days, which is a huge amount of blood.
Chapter 10 concludes by telling us that this story is remembered each year at the Purim party, as indeed it is still remembered by the Jews in the world today. And the tradition is, and is an ancient tradition that during the feast of Purim, is allowed to drink so much wine that eventually can not tell the difference between cries of "blessed be Mordechai" and "Cursed Haman."
This relates to one of the theories to explain why the name "God" is not in the book. The drunk people when they read regularly, I accidentally took the name in vain.
And so we leave Leave this tale of drunkenness, sex, and so much violence, and return to our original question:
Why not someone made a major film based on the story of Esther?
Why is this book in the Bible?
The first question I'm not sure how to respond. The second question, I am willing to try one.
What makes this book in the Bible? It's a violent history. The characters all seem so bad. What kind of role models for our children to these biblical characters do! It seems so immoral, violent and irreligious as damn it!
Perhaps that is the point we can get this book. Highlights the fact that there is a dimension to the unholy Bible, and indeed, arguably, is not a very irreligious dimension God!
It has been traditionally assumed to think of God as living in a world of religion. God is in his holy temple. God is present with his people. God is working through the prayers of those who are performing miracles and healings and salvation and life. And all this is true.
However, we also know that God is present in his holy temple is also present in the palace of Xerxes at Susa pagan king. We know that God responds to their presence when we worship, also be present with us when we get home. We know that God works through the prayers of the faithful always work when no one asks and when there are faithful people!
In the book Esther, no one is faithful to pray to God, nobody is talking about God, nobody seems to even think about God. But this does not means that God is there. In fact, we can see history in the context of a broader set of Scripture, we know very well what is happening. God is the protection their old village. God is fulfilling his promise to Abraham that originally would be conservation. God is faithful to the prophecies of hope given by the prophet Jeremiah the people in exile. God works in mysterious and amazing to see that His will is done at this point in human history. Is anyone in history acknowledge what actually happens.
Watch a series of happy coincidences for the Jews – Esther in a position of great influence, Mordechai except for the fact that the king had a bad night night King was in a good mood when Esther took his life in his hands going to see without being invited, the fact that Mordechai accidentally head of the conspiracy against the king. To the person who does not believe these guys just seem to get lucky. A person of faith is called "Providence."
Providence is actually larger than San Pablo pointed when he said that "all things work together for good to those who love and serve. Providence does not deny God can work in a wonderful and miraculous. It merely states that God can work very human and very normal "things together for the good." Providence does not deny that God works through prayer and the lives of those they serve. He also stated that if we have now is, God is always able to gather all things together for good.
It is certainly true, if it can be a bit worrying because it suggests that may not be as essential to God's plans as he had thought.
You know what I mean? I like to think that the spiritual future depends entirely Dulwich Hill us. I believe God has called us here, and I believe God has a mission in this area, and that means working with people on the fringes of our society, and involves the construction of a Christian community that makes no distinction between black and white, rich and poor, between educated and illiterate, between men and women, just and less than fair. I think this is God's will for us is our vocation, and if we are faithful to God and could not open our hearts and our homes to each other, then we will see what happens and the will of God will be fulfilled.
And yet, if I read the book of Esther, I would say that even if we do not get our acts together but things of things and close your eyes and close their hearts and homes close together, then the will of God forever!
Everything seems a bit mysterious, but is something that goes directly in the book of Esther itself. I am writing the text of the book of Esther again, because there is a passage that speaks directly to this specific problem.
Esher in Chapter 4, Mordecai says to Esther:
"I do not think the king's escape was no more than any other Jews. For if you keep silence at a time like this, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews on the other side, but you and your family miss her father. Who knows? Maybe you have come to royal dignity for a moment like this. "(Esther 4:13-14)
Mordechai Esther uses its own interest. Perhaps Esther was decided to deal the destruction of his people by his own guard company, Mordechai said bluntly that undoubtedly get in the neck too. But there's more to the threat of Mordecai
If unable to do what is required of it, Mordechai seems to be convinced that "the issue will be raised from the Jews on the other." We are not told why I was so convinced of that. If I had a dream about him? Had I read the promises of God to the Jews in the Bible? Did your parents say these things when he was young? I do not know. But surely what makes a destination is ideal for controlling the future of his people the Royal Decree of Xerxes.
Esther also wondered whether could not have been in this position for this purpose. Do not call God, and not even call it "welfare." But he seems to believe that things happen for a reason, and wondered if this could be the fate of Esther?
Now Mordecai could not have obtained his theology all went well, and perhaps Mordechai not read their Bible well enough to be able to express exactly what they assumed to be true, but I think we can fill in the blanks for him. Mordechai is right. It is no coincidence that Esther was put in this position that she is able to save her people from destruction. God's hand is in this sense. In fact, it is God's call him. God worked in his own mysterious way in so many events in order to Esther is now given this opportunity to divine service.
And yet? if it does not. If not achieve its purpose. If she keeps her mouth shut, and sends his people to destruction, but (Mordechai is right) the Lord's promises true. God will not abandon his people. We can be sure that, as Mordechai said, "The issue will be raised from the other side." God find someone else to do!
Did not analysis is the same place Esther in the plan of God – which is an important player, but not vital. It is important but not essential. Is not that a good framework within which to understand the they play in the work of God?
We are all called by God to be God's servants and soldiers in the army of Christ – called to do his will on the various functions calls. And if we follow Christ and we do what we were called to do, then God's will be done and his work will be done. And if you do not really follow Christ and do not what we are called to do, then God's will is always done and work left to do – "the problem will increase the other side" – God to find someone more to do!
We are significant players in the team of God, but not essential for the team. Play an important role in God's plan for this world, but not essential. Every good work done in the name of Christ helps the final coming of his Kingdom. However, even if not fully in the work to which God has called us, his kingdom anyway.
I find strangely comforting when I think of our situation here in Dulwich Hill. God has called us here to be witnesses in this community. Has joined us, I think the particular role in the care of people in the periphery of society. He has called us to integrate into the Christian community included. And if we are willing to make sacrifices and follow Christ and open our hearts and open houses, then we will see the release of God come to this place. And if we do not well, then I think "The topic comes from somewhere else." God chooses to do another group. We will miss the privilege of being involved in this wonderful work. The work of the Kingdom of God will continue.
Not a good point in the book of Esther, I think it is serious about common man's secular world in which we live, and recognizes the validity of human decision, and yet at the same time recognizes that this world is God's world and last name, and that our decisions and actions, while important, can not end in the reign of God in the future decisions of this world.
We are real players in the divine drama, but ultimately it is the Alpha and the Omega. Is the beginning and end. He is the creator and He is El Salvador. Theirs is the future and theirs is the kingdom. And if we can use so that we serve. And if we fail, we fail. And "If we lose, we perish. "And yet we can tell the faith" is the kingdom, the power and glory for ever and ever. Thy kingdom come. Amen. "
About the Author
Rev. David B. Smith
(the ‘Fighting Father’)
Parish priest, community worker,
martial arts master, pro boxer, author, father of three
www.fatherdave.org
Get a free preview copy of Dave’s book,Sex, the Ring & the Eucharist when you sign up
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