Esther The Jewish Queen of Persia

One evening, during the third year of the reign of Xerxes, a massive feast was held to show off his wealth. During this feast, he ordered his queen to be brought out before the men. But Queen Vashti refused and the King banished her for it. After the feast, the King had women brought from all over the country to be seen by him. One of these women was a Jewish woman named Esther from the city of Susa and raised by her uncle Mordecai. After long and rigorous treatments, she was chosen by the King to be his new Queen. Meanwhile, her uncle Mordecai was doing everything he could to keep an eye on his niece. One day while standing guard at the King's gate, he overheard two of his servants plotting to kill him. He told Esther and she in turn told the King. However, Haman, one of the King's servants hated Mordecai for not bowing down to him. In his hatred, Haman enacted a plot to exterminate all the Jews in Xerxes' kingdom.

In our last episode, we heard of the return of God’s people to Judah and Israel. God had moved in the heart of the Persian king to release the exiles and provide them with the means to rebuild their cities and His temple. But even as they returned there was tension and division. Their hearts still needed healing. Today we’ll hear a reading from Esther and learn of this amazing Jewish exile who was used by God to protect His people. Her life will become an example of how God often places people in just the right place at the right time for a specific purpose they may not even grasp.