What are some lessons from the Book of Esther?

from the old testament

• Esther is a fascinating book, not just because it tells a compelling story of injustice being made right, but because it demonstrates how God is always at work even when we can’t see Him.
• In this story, there are three main characters: Mordecai, Esther, and Haman. Mordecai is Esther’s uncle and caretaker (Esther 2:7), and they are both Jews. Haman is a powerful and arrogant ruler. The story is set after the Jewish exile and the Jews' return to Israel. However, most Jews had remained behind as they had grown up in the exiled land and, for them, that felt like home. This account was in Persia (Esther 1:1–3). The primary story plot is Haman’s hatred of the Jews being aggravated by Mordecai’s refusal to bow down when Haman passes (Esther 3:2). The result is that he gets the king to consider the Jews an existential threat to the kingdom, forcing through a law that would allow for the Jewish genocide (Esther 3:8–10, 13). The rest of the story, both before and after that plot, shows how God orchestrates events to save the Jews.
• The book opens with King Ahasuerus’ drunken anger at his wife, the queen, for not showing up at a party at his demand (Esther 1:10–12). He then decides to find a replacement wife and queen, initiating a process in which all the beautiful girls of the kingdom would be prepared for an overnight visit with the king (Esther 2:2–4, 12–14).
• Mordecai encouraged his niece, Esther, to join the process (Esther 2:10). When the king met her, he fell in love and made her his queen (Esther 2:17). In this way, and through what, at best, were immorally questionable proceedings, God placed Esther into a key position to save the Jews. This shows how God uses even sinful men and women to accomplish His will.
• Early in the book, we also learn about Mordecai overhearing a plot to kill the king (Esther 2:21–22). He delivers a message to the king, saving his life (Esther 2:23). This action will later lead to the reversal of Haman's and the Jews' fortunes.
• However, before that point, a ruler by the name of Haman was raised high in power (Esther 3:1). A prideful man, he became livid when Mordecai, who was often at the palace gate, refused to bow to him when he passed (Esther 3:2–5). It wasn’t just Mordecai that he hated, but all Jews (Esther 3:5–6), with Mordecai’s disrespect leading to Haman’s genocide order.
• Mordecai learned of Haman’s intent to kill off the Jews, and he was able to let his niece, the Queen, know. While at first she refused to intervene because she feared the king would kill her (Esther 4:11), in the end, Mordecai convinced her with the now-famous verse: “who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (see Esther 4:14–16). Esther then set out to invite the king and Haman to a banquet (Esther 5:4–5).
• Meanwhile, Haman was still angry with Mordecai, so with the help of his family, Haman devised a way to expedite Mordecai’s death by building gallows. He then set out to get the king’s permission.
• Unknown to him, however, the king had lain awake the night before, unable to sleep (Esther 6:1). As he read a log of previous events to try to fall asleep, he realized that he had never done anything to thank Mordecai for saving his life (Esther 6:2–3). Desiring to make that wrong, right, he grabbed the first person in the court to help him (Esther 6:4). It turned out to be Haman walking in to ask for permission to kill Mordecai.
• This is the start of the story’s great reversal. First, Haman, who hates Mordecai, is made to walk alongside him in a parade, praising him because he saved the king (Esther 6:10–11). Second, later that evening, Haman joins the king and Esther at a banquet, only for Esther to reveal that Haman was planning to kill her people, the Jews (Esther 7:3–6). Finally, the drunken king misinterprets Haman’s attempt to plead for his life as him attacking the queen (Esther 7:7–8), and he orders that Haman be hanged on the very gallows he had built to kill Mordecai (Esther 7:9–10).
• From placing Esther in power (Esther 2:17) to positioning Mordecai at the king’s gate to uncover assassination plots (Esther 2:21–23), and even through the king’s delayed but timely honoring of Mordecai (Esther 6:1–3, 10–11), God’s providential hand is seen bringing every piece perfectly together.
• After Haman was killed, Mordecai was raised to power (Esther 8:1–2). Persian law did not allow Haman’s law to be canceled, so Mordecai devised a second law that allowed the Jews to attack and kill anyone who attacked them (Esther 8:11–12). The result was that, instead of a purge of Jews, the Jews ended up with a great victory over their enemies (Esther 9:1–5). As a result, the holiday of Purim began. Purim means “lot” and refers to the lot Haman cast to select a day for killing all the Jews, the same day that God rescued them.

from the new testament

• The book of Esther is not found in the New Testament.

implications for today

While the story of Esther is fascinating in its own right, even more so is its picture of how God works, even when unseen. That parallels our experience in everyday life very much. When we forget that God is there, we start to view life as a series of random events. That can cause us to despair, as we begin to think that the bad people in life are the ones rigging and winning the game. But even when evil people seem to get what they want, we can remember that, behind the scenes, God is moving everything so that it will all work out for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Does that mean we will see justice in this life, as Esther did in hers? We might, but there’s a good chance we won’t. Many believers throughout history have died without a satisfactory resolution. However, we can rest on the knowledge that God keeps an account and that vengeance is His—He will punish all wickedness (Romans 12:19).

There’s a scene in heaven of martyrs who had been killed and who were still awaiting justice. They wondered aloud how much longer it would be until God’s justice would come (Revelation 6:9–11). They had seen the injustice and longed for justice. They were assured that, when God was ready, justice would come, but in the meantime, they were to wait a little longer.

We, too, as we go through this life, see many injustices—sometimes against us and sometimes against others. Let us not grow impatient. Instead, remember that God also sees, and He will set everything right. Meanwhile, let us wait a little longer, using this time to plead with others that justice is coming and to flee before it is too late.