1:16-17 - The treatment of women during this time was deplorable, but the king's advisor actually hits on some deep truth in this passage. When people choose to rebel the consequences are much more far reaching than they can probably imagine. The Queen refused to see the king and the advisor believes that she has brought trouble for all men, because other women will see the example of the Queen and rebel against their husbands. The first thing that came to my mind when I read this was Christian hypocrisy. If people are going to call themselves Christians and then live totally opposite of that statement - they are not only sinning against God, but against all of Christianity and everyone who sees their hypocritical example. They sin against the non-Christian who sees their lack of wholeness and either rejects God because of hypocrisy or believes that Christians can claim faith and then do whatever they want. When we claim the name of Christ - we take on huge responsibilities.
2:11 - I am really impressed by the commitment of Mordecai in this passage. Esther is not his daughter. Esther is basically a slave trapped in the pagan king's harem. Mordecai could have written her off as unclean, but instead, every day he goes to the steps of the harem and inquires about her life. Great example of a man of honor.
2:17 - I don't know if you already know this, but God is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Though he is not mentioned by name, I think it is clear to see that His hand is at work throughout the events. Esther, the poor Jewish exile, is made the Queen of the most powerful empire on earth just in time to save God's people. Hmmmm...sounds like God may have been around.
3:2 - God is not mentioned here, but we see God honored through godly living. Mordecai will not bow because he is a Jew...he is a follower of the most high God and refuses to offer his worship to anything else. I wish there were a few more Christians, myself included that were so careful with where they offered their honor and worship.
Sidenote: We do not know who wrote the book of Esther. It was written years after the event to explain why the Jewish people celebrate Purim (Which commemorates the salvation of the Jews through God and Esther). Some believe it was Ezra or Nehemiah or even Mordecai himself. I personally lean towards Mordecai, because of the failure to mention God. In Ezra and Nehemiah, we see the two men instantly giving credit to God for every victory. Mordecai is an exiled Jew and may not have a sophisticated theology of God and just wrote the facts as he saw them.
3:13 - How many times has this happened in history? Over and over we see that God's people are hated because they are different. Because they have the audacity to stay true to their beliefs in the face of persecution...because they are willing to say there is one and only one God. I also believe there is something more spiritually sinister going on behind the scenes...I believe that Satan and his minions target the people of God to try to
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