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• Tree of Life ©

  A little note re the dimension of time:

  Re Esther 2:6 - Jeconiah, and thus also Mordecai, was exiled in 598 BCE. The feast of Ahasuerus, in his 3rd year of reign, took place in 482 BCE. That is, 116 years later. More than likely Mordecai was at least 10 years old when taken captive to Babylon. Thus, it seems as though Mordecai was a grand old man, 126± years of age, at the time of Ahasuerus' feast. Certainly a respectable age!

  I'd like to make a notice also in re to words such as "that is..." or "which is..." within phrases such as "Hadassah, that is, Esther" (Esther 2:7) and "in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth" (Esther 2:16.) I believe there are good and valid reasons for considering those words as bracketed explanatory remarks introduced by later editors of the original writing.

  Lastly, I am convinced that the default calendar being used within the Book of Esther is the same Scriptural calendar that is being used by default throughout the entire Bible. One exception to that default within the OT is the Book of Haggai. One exception to that default within the NT is the Gospel of John. Thus, the 7th year that is being referenced within Esther 2:7 is a reference to the Scriptural Calendar. The corresponding year within the Babylonian or Persian calendar is the 8th year.

  In Esther 3:7 we find words that are likewise, as based upon a careful study of the context, an explanatory remark within these words: "the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus." That 12th year is a reference to the Babylonian or Persian calendar, not to said default calendar.

  Hoping someone finds value in the above said. More here: http://tinyurl.com/mw8ao7p

• Helen Okah

  Amen. Please Lord uplift me and all your children in Jesus name.

• Derek Morris

  There is so much in this second chapter, but I was impressed by the conclusion. Sometimes we do what is right and nobody notices or affirms us. But we need to do what is right anyway. Later in the story, the king will remember Mordecai's loyalty and as a result all of the people of God will be blessed. May we be faithful servants of our King today, and may all of those around us be blessed. This is my prayer.

• Colleen (cfinneganv)

  Amen my prayer as well

• SimplyTriniSabbie

  Good morning all. All the questions being asked here came to my mind also. But God! That's all I have to say on the matter. Please pray a special prayer for me today. I need the Lord to open my understanding of His Word & I need Him to work things out for me. Thanks. Have a blessed day.

• Colleen (cfinneganv)

  May the Lord bless you with wisdom and understanding as you study His word. As you draw close to Him today He will work all things out for the good for you. Praying for you.

• cmunyoro

  Dear Lord, your servant need to understand your Word, kindly grant her her request.

• Thubelihle Dube

  Morning friends i really need further clarification on today's chapter. the king was a Heathen King, was Esther really suppose to contest to be a Queen to a heathen king?? in the book of Nehemiah the Israelites vowed that they would not have marriages with the heathens , then whats going on here??????

• Julie

  I'm sure Ester did not have a choice in refusing given the women had very limited rights. Also and most important we need to remember this was God's plan.

• Joy Pontanar

  Amen! I love your commentaries, Jean Boonstra! Praise The Lord!

• Matija Kovačević

  Amen, sister Jean! May God fully reverse the course of His people - as He has mightily begun to do. May He prepare and purify us as Esther, so that we may glorify Him as the beautiful and gracious bride of the King of Kings!

• charock01

  King Ahasuerus

  "...King Ahasuerus... remembered Vashti"

  Notwithstanding the high divorce rate within the Church, we really are not today at liberty to do as king Ahasuerus did; trade in your spouse for another. He probably started to miss her and so this is where he should have said, "I'm sorry," and made up. Just one big problem, he had made a decree, and the laws of the Medes and Persians don't change. Lessons?

  1. Don't be hasty to do things you may well regret, but can't undo. I have a brother who would always say, "I don't eat rice while it's hot." In other words, he's not hasty and rash, so he'll have little to regret and must say, "I'm sorry" for.

  2. Don't treat your ego as the Medes and Persians treated the king's decrees; be willing to disregard it and learn to say....

  3. Learn to say, "I'm sorry." Many a divorce would be avoided if only someone would have used those two or three words, "I'm sorry; I am sorry."

  More on Esther

  "Luck," they say, "is where opportunity meets preparation." But rightly understood, this is no luck; it is rightly the outcome from deliberate effort.

  True beauty goes deeper than mere physical features; it is an attitude; a certain aura that one exudes. This comes by training and socialization. And herein lies the value of Mordecai's mentorship of Esther; he had trained her to be a lady of no common or ordinary bearing; she walked and behaved with a definite regal demeanor. No wonder she stood out to Hegai at first, and later to the king. What a standard for how our young should be trained today! Each should know, "I'm a child of the King of kings; I must therefore walk with a certain stride, and bearing."

  Father, we have such a long way to go, but thank You for the revelation in Your word today; in Jesus' name, amen.

• Colleen (cfinneganv)

  Thank you and amen

• Adwoa

  My question is this: is it right not to reveal our identity in eg our work place, social events etc like what Esther was made to do?
  No matter our circumstances God has use for us. If the Samaritan woman who has had five or six male partners could be an evangelist then God has a thousand use us. Let only avail ourselves to Him for His use.
  Thank you sister

• charock01

  I don't know that I of necessity must say that I'm a SDA Christian; my conduct/lifestyle should give testimony of that fact. If I'm asked about it however, then that is another matter. When Samuel went to anoint David as future king of Israel, he went under the pretext of going to offer sacrifice to God - but that was not his primary mission; the anointing was. As the story will reveal, when the time was right, Esther vocalized her identity. We must read a situation and know when and where to say certain things. It's called being wise as serpents and harmless like doves.

• cmunyoro

  Amen

• Denis Lavrut

  Not to reveal our identity is pretty much similar to lying about who we are. Unless we are spies like the spies of Joshua, I don't see a reason to do that. Jesus asked us to be the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
  Furthermore, my experience of revealing my identity as Christian and Sabbath keeper at work and anywhere else has helped me in my personal walk with Jesus because once I identify myself, I clearly place myself under a huge responsibility to behave myself. I found that I am now careful about my language, my behaviours and attitude. I don't take part in certain jokes and others don't offer or invite me to certain things. Because once I identify myself, I am no longer Denis, I am the child of the King and I no longer do what Denis would do but what the child of the King would do. Then without you having to say anything to anyone, your behaviours become the best testimony. Revealing your identity and living by it is better than all the sermons. So praise God for revealing our identity to all.

• Julie

  Amen..

• Colleen (cfinneganv)

  Amen again

• Wojtek Janiuk

  Amen Sister Jean

• Harriet

  Good morning RBHW friends and thanks Jean for the blog, that helps us understand the lesson
  better.

  1cor 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness
  with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

  In our own wisdom what Mordecai did by taking his child (cousin)

  to a heathen man, who could divorce his wife
  through the influence of alcohol could be looked at as “abuse” in today’s
  language.

  But to God this was but a strategy to serve his people by placing Esther at the Centre of influence and
  Mordecai being the gate keeper helped him perform a good service to the government,
  in discovering a plot against life of the king, which was recorded to his advantage.(2:21-23)

• Thembie Mapingire

  Amen. Thank you Jean

• Brenda Malumisa

  I have a question on the story of Easter.Why would Mordicai, a man who knew God's precepts, allow His niece (or cousin) Easter get married to a heathen King? I am a bit confised, although this marriage turned out to be of God to God's people. Remember God had warned them about marriages with these other nations. Why was this was done?

• Debbie

  Brenda, because God is God, He uses every situation to the blessing and advantage of Himself and His people.

• Brenda Malumisa

  Amen Debbie. so true hey. it might not make sense now, but we will understand why, when we get to meet our Lord, and He makes all things clear to us.

• Denis Lavrut

  I don't really have the answer, I was wondering myself. But the king did not really leave her a choice. She was picked up because she was beautiful and her uncle saw there an opportunity, hopefully driven by the hand of God. Remember Joseph married an Egyptian woman and his sons joined the children of Jacob. The Jews were captive in a foreign land. There is a messed up situation and sometimes the solutions are messed up as well.

• Colleen (cfinneganv)

  Amen Brother Denis thanks for pointing to Joseph.

• Brenda Malumisa

  Amen Denis.Thank you for your enlightment.be blessed

• Ros Farrell

  Brilliant summary Jean. I am so glad to serve a God of reversals and hope. Blessed be His holy name. Halleluiah!

• Helen Okah

  Amen

• cmunyoro

  Amen, true we serve a God of reversals!

• Hele_K

  This chapter reminds me of Joseph who came from being a prisoner to the Prime Minister. We serve an amazing God who can turn each adverse circumstance we are faced with into our favour!

• KT Abbequaye

  Jean your conclusion is inspirational. We serve a great God who turned an orphan into a queen. May this same God bless us all with the same favour - turn us from sinners into saints, from mortal to immortality, from disgrace to marvellous grace! Amen

• Colleen (cfinneganv)

  Amen and Amen

• Thembie Mapingire

  Amen

• Ros Farrell

  Amen my sister

• Rosi Ramasimong

  True indeed
  

• GillianMapp

  Thank you for your prayers I made it to camp meeting.

• Colleen (cfinneganv)

  Amen praise the Lord

• Gloria Mosha-Onchiri

  Amen be blessed my Sis.

• cmunyoro

  Amen

• Kim

  Amen and Amen Jean

• Liviu

  Indeed, there is hope for us by faith in Jesus Christ who gives us justification by His blood and sanctification.

• Merle

  Good morning RBHW family of God. I'm glad to read all your comments/blogs, & I thank you all for making my day! Keep well & stay blessed.

• Jonathan Rutaganira

  Thanks sister Jean.

  Some of the lessons I have learnt from this chapter include:

  1) There is always hope for God’s people. God turned this orphaned girl, a foreigner, with no social standing, who relied on her cousin for her livelihood into a queen of a vast empire. It is a lesson for us today, in these troubled times when people are losing their jobs, investments being wiped out by falling stock markets and uncertainty in what the future holds. While there is little hope in today’s economy, God is never caught off guard or by surprise. God is the one who hold the future.

  2) God works all things into carrying out His will for us. God brought Esther from orphaned captive to a queen of all of Persia. There is hope for each one of us, no matter how hopeless, no matter how dire the situation might seem today, God promises us a future full of hope. Jeremiah 29:11 Says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

  "Lord give me the desire to seek You with all my heart and with all my soul. And help me use the blessing You have bestowed upon me for your glory" Amen.

  Have a blessed day.

• Colleen (cfinneganv)

  Amen

• Gloria Mosha-Onchiri

  Amen.

• Ros Farrell

  My prayer too Jonathan

• mona

  Amen.

• kayreen

  Thank you sister Jean for your insight. It's interesting to note how the word beauty is used in the first four verses. God elsewhere has something to say about beauty. 1Samuel 16v 7. Proverbs 11v 22 and proverbs 31v 30. All verses talk about what God calls beauty it's not outward appearances. It's the inner strength. I wonder what I could do today to enhance God's brand of beauty in my life? God's standards for true beauty is faith and character not external appearances. He cares about my heart not my hair or my figure. Does my heart find favor with him? My prayer for all of us is that we will find favor in the eyes of our soon coming king and truelly be called beautiful like Queen Esther. Be blest as we study together.

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