Ladies Bible Class: Esther ... Lesson 1

Welcome back to Ladies Bible Class!

I hope you’ve had time to think about and maybe study the background information we looked over last week.  It’s been my experience that knowing the background of any situation helps understand what has or is about to happen better.  The same logic applies to Bible study.  

I hope you have your Bible, paper or some means of making a list, and something to write with as we begin delving into the first 4 verses of chapter 1. 

Open your Bibles and let’s begin … (Wait!  First go back and review last week’s introduction.  It will be easier to pick up with this lesson if you do.) 

Chapter 1 ... 

Verse 1:  Now it took place in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces,

As we learned last week, King Ahasuerus was an ambitious, proud, arrogant, and impulsive man who ruled over a massive area.  In fact, his empire was the most powerful empire at the time.  Consequently, he had a lot of power and influence which, when coupled with his character traits, led to a big upheaval in the palace!

Ahasuerus was also known as Xerxes the Great, King of Persia.  A little background on his ancestry will help us see how the Jews came to be in Susa (now modern-day Iran) at this time. 

Let’s go back to King Cyrus who conquered Babylon (remember Babylon had carried the Southern Kingdom (Judah) off into captivity).  King Cyrus reigned from 538 – 529 B.C. and after conquering Babylon allowed the Jews who wanted to, to return to their home of Jerusalem.   Not all Jews wanted to return though, after all some of them had been born in Persia or had lived there for as long as they could remember.  Those who didn’t want to go, stayed in Persia, hence the Jews in Susa.  (Susa, also known as Shushan, was made the capital city of the Persian Empire by Cambyses II.) Those who did return started working on rebuilding the Temple.

King Cyrus’ son, Cambyses II, took the throne at his father’s death and stopped the work on the Temple in Jerusalem.  He reigned from 529 – 522 B.C.

King Cambyses II’s son, Darius, took the throne at his father’s death and completed the work on the Temple.  He reigned from 521-485 B.C.

King Darius’ son was Ahasuerus, the King Ahasuerus that we read about in the book of Esther. He reigned from 485 – 465 B.C. about 100 years after the fall of Jerusalem. (Side note:  the book of Esther covers about a ten-year span of time.)

Bible Markings and Notes:  In verse 1, I underlined ‘from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces’ and made a note that it was the most powerful empire at the time.  I also noted that Ahasuerus was also known as King Xerxes.  

Verse 2:  in those days as King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne, which was at the citadel in Susa,

In this verse we find King Ahasuerus sitting on his royal throne in the citadel.  This is pretty specific, isn't it?  According to research, the Kings of Persia, as a rule, conducted and ran almost everything, even some battles from their thrones.  I guess you could say that ‘sitting on the royal throne’ was much like going to our places of work in today’s times.

The citadel in Susa was the winter palace for Persian kings (one of 4 Persian King’s palaces located throughout the empire).  The word 'citadel' carries with it the connotation of a being a fortress. Dictionary.com says it 'is the fortified area of either a town or a city.  It could be a fort, a castle or a fortified center.'   When I think of a ‘fortress’ I think of a well-guarded place, a place of security, well-fortified or a place that was most protected.  In Susa, the citadel was the King’s palace.

Bible Markings and Notes: In verse 2, I underlined King Ahasuerus and right above it wrote 37-40 years old.  I also made a asterisk beside ‘Susa’ and made a note by the title that Susa is in modern day Iran. I also included Susa’s other name, Shushan.  

Verse 3:  in the 3rd year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence.

There's a lot to unpack in this verse that’s important to setting the stage for what is about to happen.

King Ahasuerus is in his 3rd year of a 21 year reign as King of Persia ... this would put the date at or about 483 - 482 B.C.

He gives a banquet that was actually a gathering to plan an invasion of Greece. We might call it a ‘military banquet.’  It, the banquet, lasted 6 months!!!  This was a banquet with a serious agenda!

Look who the King invites ... all his princes, all his attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his 127 provinces.  That's a lot of high-ranking men ... it gives credence to this being more than just an ordinary banquet, that indeed it was a six-month time period of intense planning and preparations for the invasion of Greece. (Side note:  the battles we read of in the book of Esther are always between the Persians and the Greeks.  These two were continually at war with each other during this period of time.)

It’s likely that they received their assignments regarding the troops each would supply for the invasion in and amongst the banquet happenings.

Bible Markings and Notes:  In verse 3, I underlined ‘third year of his reign’ and wrote out to the side in the margin, ‘about 483 – 482 B.C.

Verse 4:  And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.

While the princes and military men were there the King not only entertained them but also exhibited his power and riches. 

In keeping with what we've learned in verses 1 - 3, this is most likely the King's way of bringing to a close the 6-months of military planning and possibly his way of reassuring all these high-ranking men that he had the where-with-all to pull off this invasion.   Can't you almost sense his pride and arrogance as he gives these men the 'tour!'

It seems that King Ahasuerus was full of himself and wanted everyone to be impressed with him and all that he possessed.  Instead of this being a time of praying and seeking God’s will, it seems the King made it all about himself.

Bible Markings and Notes:  Beside verse 4, I wrote ‘military campaign’ in the margin.

All of my Bible markings and notes are intended to help me remember and better understand the text.  If you mark in your Bible, why?  (Not everyone likes to mark in their Bibles and that’s okay too.)

If you mark in your Bible, what markings and or notes are you making in these first 4 verses?

Now, let’s pull out our notebook, paper, etc that we’re going to make our ongoing list of ways we see God working behind the scenes on and look closely at these 4 verses.  Do you see anything that would indicate that God was providentially setting things in place to save the Jews?  (God working providentially means that He works for the good of His people through circumstances, both the good and bad, the negative and the positive.)

One thing that I see is a ‘build up’ that's going to catapult into the dethroning of the current queen … an ambitious, prideful king and a palace full of important men that the king wanted to impress (verses 3 and 4).  

What about you, do you recognize God working providentially behind the scenes in any of these verses?

Please share your thoughts and comments on today’s lesson.  I look forward to reading your thoughts.  Please feel free to comment on each other’s comments as well.   

Also, remember to share the link to this study with other ladies you know who might be interested in this type of verse-by-verse Bible studying.

Next week we’ll take apart verses 5 – 8.

Don't forget to leave a comment!

 Until the next class ...

patsy @ From This Heart Of Mine

(c) 2023 by Patsy Norwood ~ All Rights Reserved.