Esther 3 | Enemy - Study notes on Esther 3 based on Peter Adam's book Esther - for such a time as this in the Bible today series.
For those who like history, the Greek Historian Herodotus in The histories describes how during the time described in Esther, Xerxes expansionist ambitions were defeated by the Greeks in the battles at Thermopylae, Salamis and Platea in 480/479 BC. He was finally assassinated in 465 BC. Herodotus describes him as 'impatient, hot-tempered and lecherous.'
Here is a history of Haman's family line from Esau (Jacob's brother) to Amalek (Genesis 36:15-16), the attack of the Amalekites upon Israel (Exodus 17:8), continuing conflict in the time of Judges (Judges 3:12-14, 6:3) and the capture of King Agag by Saul (1 Samuel 15).
In other words, through a short reference to Haman's lineage the book of Esther evokes a long history of conflict between two people.
Q: What have you learnt from this chapter in Esther?
- About the use of power and efficiency?
- About increasing wealth with decreasing morality; economy and society?
- About evil and weakness in leadership?
Q: The Bible teaches that behind the persecution of God's people is ultimately a spiritual force for harm. How is our great enemy, Satan, attacking Christians in our country, and what should we do about it?
Q: What should Christians do about attempts at genocide or ethnic cleansing in the world today and why?
Q: If a person who was not a Christian believer asked you what you had learned from this chapter of Esther, how would you answer that question?
Q: Pray with persecuted Christians, in the light of the prayer request below:
Please don't pray for us. Please pray with us. If you pray for us you will pray the wrong things. You will pray for safety. But if you pray with us, you will ask God to bring millions to faith in Christ. You will pray that when the inevitable backlash comes because of our witness, we will be faithful, even if it costs us our lives. [A prayer from middle eastern Christians]
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