A Teaching Outline for the Book of Esther
God’s sovereignty and power are obvious in the depictions of miraculous events, such as the worldwide flood (cf. Gen. 7), the manna from heaven (cf. Exod. 16), and the destruction of Jericho (cf. Josh. 6). But what about in the ordinary moments of life? Is God a deistic watchmaker who winds up the gears of life’s events, only to sit back and watch them spin? Since the book of Esther makes no mention of God anywhere, it would be easy to assume that He was absent in the affairs that it depicts. Yet, this account teaches just the opposite: far from passively observing life’s circumstances, God actively governs every single one of them with meticulous sovereignty (cf. Eph. 1:11). This governance is God’s providence, which can defined as “God’s preserving his creation, operating in every event in the world, and directing the things in the universe to his appointed end for them.”[1] Though many people claim that such an understanding of providence raises a theological “tension” in the Bible between God’s will and man’s will, the book of Esther illustrates that no such tension exists. Instead, it unmistakably teaches that God governs all aspects of His creation—not only events, circumstances, and actions, but even human emotions, intentions, and desires. As the omniscient, omnipotent, omnisapient Creator and Sustainer of all things (cf. Heb. 1:3), He orders it all according to His will.
Transpiring circa 483 BC, the book begins with the Persian King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I) looking to rebuild national momentum for war against the Greeks. To raise support, he wined and dined not only his empire’s highest leaders for an astounding one hundred eighty days (showing off his own riches as an example of the post-war bounty that could be theirs), but then treated all the citizens in the capital city of Susa to a seven-day citywide festival (cf. Esth. 1:4-8). During the final day, however, when ambition got the best of him he decided he wanted to parade his wife Queen Vashti in front of his guests as a human trophy. When she refused, he immediately deposed her, both to protect his own ego as well as the egos of all the male heads of houses throughout the empire. Through this event, we see that God’s providence is preemptive. He not only governs current events, but antecedent events.[2] Far from being an accidental absence, God intended to use Vashti’s royal vacancy to advance His own redemptive plan.
After he had time to reflect, Ahasuerus realized he needed to find a new royal mate (cf. Esth. 2:1). Thus, he hosted what could only be described as a depraved beauty pageant, in which the most attractive women throughout his entire kingdom were summoned for a sexual audition to see if they could please him. Among the women taken into the king’s harem was Esther (also known as Hadassah), who was under the care of her cousin Mordecai. Like many other Jews who had remained in foreign lands despite the fact that the return to Jerusalem had already been allowed decades prior, these two were both spiritually compromised. Evidence of this is that Esther not only concealed her Jewish identity from Ahasuerus (at the instruction of Mordecai), but participated in the king’s immorality—and to such an extent that she earned his favor overnight, becoming queen in place of Vashti. Some time later, while Mordecai sat at the king’s gate (as he often did in order to keep in touch with Esther) he came upon information that two of the king’s guards were planning an assassination attempt. After relating this information to Esther, which then went to the king, Mordecai’s name was recorded in the royal “Book of the Chronicles” to document the much-appreciated allegiance. Of course, neither the empire-wide search in which Esther was selected, nor the back-alley plot which Mordecai overheard, happened by chance. Rather, we see that God’s providence is expansive. He not only governs major events, but minor events. In all matters, both significant and insignificant, and in all persons, both prominent and obscure, God orchestrates it all. Esther’s royalty and Mordecai’s loyalty both factored exactly as God intended for what was to transpire.
After those events, Mordecai found himself in trouble for refusing to bow to a man named Haman who had been newly promoted to a high position in the king’s government (cf. Esth. 3:1-2). Rather than basing it on religious reasons (such as a second commandment violation), Mordecai’s refusal actually had more to do with a history of national—and even familial—animosity between the two men. Mordecai was from King Saul’s tribe of Benjamin (cf. Esth. 2:5) and knew that Haman was a descendent of the Amalekite King Agag. Centuries prior, Saul had defeated the Amalekites in battle and should have executed all of them according to God’s instructions, but instead decided to keep some of the best spoils of war as well as King Agag himself (cf. 1 Sam. 15:3-9). When the prophet Samuel found out that Saul disobeyed God, Samuel took matters into his own hands (literally), and “hewed Agag to pieces” with a sword (cf. 1 Sam. 15:33). Thus, when Haman found out that Mordecai was a Jew and would not bow in his presence, he used the authority of the king to decree a law that all the Jews throughout the kingdom would be destroyed. Casting lots in the first month Nisan to determine the timing of the execution, Haman concluded that his law should take effect in the twelfth month Adar. Far from being only oppressive and unjust, this decree represented what can only be described as a satanic attack on the promises of God to bless the world through the coming Messiah (cf. Dan. 10:20-21). Yet, just as God controls the casting of lots (cf. Prov. 16:33), so too does God predestine even the sinful assaults on His people (cf. Acts 2:23), demonstrating that His providence is comprehensive. He not only governs good events, but evil events. In fact, God ordains evil precisely so that He can display His power and might in overcoming it (cf. Gen. 50:20, Rom. 9:22-24).
The Jews’ response to Haman’s edict was as expected: “fasting, weeping, and wailing” (Esth. 4:3). Apparently, however, Mordecai remembered that during the prophet Joel’s time centuries prior, the Lord called the people to return to Him with the same threefold Hebrew phrase, rendered as “fasting, weeping, and mourning” (Joel 2:12), and Joel had asked the people, “Who knows whether He will not turn and relent and leave a blessing?” (Joel 2:14a). With that precedent in mind, Mordecai thought that perhaps Esther could use her position as queen to speak to the king about Haman’s edict. Thus, similar to the prophet Joel’s question to the people, Mordecai asked Esther, “Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Est. 4:14). Whether she agreed or not, Mordecai had enough clarity of mind to know that deliverance for the Jews would arise from somewhere else, if not through her. And so we see the affirmation that God’s providence is determinative. He not only governs an event’s possibility, but its certainty. The Jews would be delivered one way or another. Though we don’t always know how, when, or where God will accomplish His purposes, we know that He is guaranteed to accomplish them (cf. Dan. 4:35, Isa. 46:10). God doesn’t “try.”
Taking Mordecai’s advice, Esther bravely approached the king uninvited—an act that could have cost her life (cf. Est. 5:1). With a serious demeanor, Esther once again gained favor with the king, not by chance, luck, or happenstance, but by God’s sovereign governance. After all, though the king (like most still today) undoubtedly assumed he had “free will” and was in control of his own life, the reality was that his very heart was in the hand of God (cf. Prov. 21:1). Offering to grant her whatever she’d like, Esther requested a banquet with the king and Haman, an invitation which left Haman feeling puffed up with pride and honor—that is, until he passed by Mordecai on his way home and was reminded of Mordecai’s unwillingness to bow. In anger, Haman had his friends build a gallows upon which to hang Mordecai (an act which would come back later in his own demise). Through Esther’s bravery, the king’s pity, and Haman’s arrogance, God was putting everything in place to rescue His people, demonstrating that His providence is invasive. God not only governs events, but emotions. In His sovereignty, God accomplishes His purposes by ordering everything about our lives including our thoughts, feelings, motivations and intentions. This truth is demonstrated most supremely in the new birth: the redemptive act of the Holy Spirit in which God’s elect are regenerated, given a new heart with new desires, so that they can repent of their sins and come to faith in Jesus.
The turning point in the entire ordeal occurred during the night after Esther’s first banquet, as Ahasuerus read through a book of royal records to cure his insomnia, only to learn that Mordecai had never been rewarded for his loyalty (cf. Est. 6:1-3). When the king consulted Haman to determine how a loyal subject should be rewarded, Haman thought the king was referring to himself, and suggested that a grandiose parade through the city on the king’s horse would be fitting. Taking Haman’s advice, the king then revealed that he was actually referring to Mordecai. Thus, Mordecai was given the very recognition that Haman had intended to receive, which would be just the beginning of Haman’s calamitous reversal (known by the literary term peripety). Here, then, is the demonstration that God’s providence is counter-intuitive. He not only governs events, but the reversal of events contrary to human wisdom. Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, whereas those who humble themselves will be exalted (cf. Matt. 23:12). The first will be last and the last will be first (cf. Matt. 19:30). Joseph was sold as a slave only to reign as a commander (cf. Gen. 50:20). Moses survived Pharaoh’s slaughter, and was then adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter (cf. Exod. 2:1-10). Jesus was wounded, that we might be healed; stripped that we might be robed; killed that we might live.
Things quickly unraveled for Haman when he arrived at Esther’s second banquet and was accused in person for his sinister law (cf. Est. 7:1). As Haman clung to Esther, pleading for his life, the king returned from collecting his thoughts outside and used the opportunity to accuse Haman of even more: assaulting the queen. At that point, the king’s eunuchs were brought in, Haman was taken out, and the very gallows that were built for Mordecai ended up being used for Haman’s execution. What is unmistakably evident through this is that God’s providence is retributive. He not only governs events, but governs them judicially. Since it is appointed for man once to die, and after this comes judgment (cf. Heb. 9:27), it’s clear that God arranges all events leading to that final day. Every sin is accounted for either in the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the Son in His death on the cross, or upon the sinner in his eternal death in the lake of fire.
With Haman gone, Mordecai received both the prominence and property that once belonged to him (cf. Est. 8:1-2). However, even though this may have provided a sense of relief for Mordecai, it did nothing for the Jewish people as a whole—Haman may have been dead, but his edict threatening their lives was still very much alive. Yet, with Mordecai’s new position of authority, which included possession of the king’s own signet ring, he was able to write a counter-edict that provided the Jews with the ability to defend their lives and preserve their safety. When a copy of this counter-edict was sent out to every province in the empire, it provided a sense of hope that restored peace back into their lives: “For the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor” (Est. 8:16). Such a response reminds us that God’s providence is, in fact, restorative. He not only governs events, but governs them for the good of His people. Those who feel the guilt and conviction of their own sin also know what it feels like to have peace restored through an even greater hope that has gone out into the world: the Gospel of grace. And that hope is based not only on a present peace that believers have with God (cf. Rom. 5:1), but a knowledge that God continues to work out all things for their good (cf. Rom. 8:28).
When the time came for Haman’s edict to be executed, God indeed turned the circumstances completely around (cf. Est. 9:1). The Jews defended themselves, killing thousands of their enemies (including the ten sons of Haman). And in keeping with the instruction of Samuel to Saul centuries prior, in which Saul was told not to keep anything belonging to the Amalekites, the Jews throughout the Persian empire did not even lay hands on any of the plunder of their enemies (cf. Esth. 9:10, 15, 16). Ultimately, this decisive victory (which included a second day of slaughter at the request of Esther) is proof that God’s providence is conclusive. He not only governs the beginning of events, but their end. He did not merely put everything into place for the Jews to be victorious, only to leave them on their own to make it happen. Rather, as the active escort of time itself, His hand guided the entire ordeal to its predetermined conclusion. And because God’s providence operates this way in salvation as well, believers today can rest in the fact that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).
To commemorate all that happened, the feast day of Purim was inaugurated. This celebration began naturally by the Jews (cf. Est. 9:23), was then further encouraged by Mordecai (cf. 9:21), and finally mandated by Esther as a two-day feasting and fasting annual holiday (cf. Esth. 9:29). Mordecai also found himself memorialized in the Persian records for his governmental achievements. Unfortunately, for those Jews who had been thoroughly paganized by Babylon, this holiday might have represented a “fortunate” or “lucky” turn of events. But for believers then and now with a keen eye and regenerate heart, God’s hand is seen throughout the entire situation—unmistakably administering His perfect plan to preserve the Jewish people in order to bring about the promised Savior from their descendents. For that reason, God’s providence is undoubtedly instructive. God not only governs events, but grants His people the ability to reflect on them in retrospect.
Concerning providence, the seventeenth-century Puritan Thomas Watson noted, “Providence is a Christian's diary—but not his Bible. Sometimes a bad cause prevails and gets ground; but it is not to be liked because it prevails. We must not think the better of what is sinful, because it is successful. This is no rule for our actions to be directed by.”[3] In that regard, we ought to refrain from thinking that a good outcome justifies our own methods in achieving it. We must avoid the kind of exemplary preaching that sees Esther and Mordecai as godly examples to follow. That kind of pragmatic understanding of this account falls woefully short of its intent in light of the fact that they were both deeply compromised in their morality and behavior. Thus, this narrative is not of good people doing good things for a good outcome, but of a good God bringing about a good outcome through sinful people. One expositor summarized it well this way: “The ever-fascinating providence of a never-slumbering God explains the preservation of His always-fragile people. That's Esther.”[4] Because God continues to direct the affairs of the world according to His perfect wisdom, we can trust that His promises will never fail. May you faithfully explain the providential grace of God to your disciples through a verse-by-verse study of this book. The following outline is offered to help.
A Position Providentially Vacated (Esther 1:1-22)
The King’s Wealth Displayed (Est. 1:1-9)
The King’s Wishes Defied (Est. 1:10-12)
The King’s Wife Dismissed (Est. 1:13-22)
A Placement Providentially Arranged (Esther 2:1-23)
The King’s Search Planned (Est. 2:1-4)
The King’s Satisfaction Pursued (Est. 2:5-14)
The King’s Selection Presented (Est. 2:15-20)
The King’s Safety Preserved (Est. 2:21-23)
A Problem Providentially Developed (Esther 3:1-15)
Haman’s Promotion Established (Est. 3:1-6)
Haman’s Power Enforced (Est. 3:7-11)
Haman’s Plot Enacted (Est. 3:12-15)
A Plan Providentially Considered (Esther 4:1-17)
Esther’s People Distressed (Est. 4:1-3)
Esther’s Predicament Described (Est. 4:4-11)
Esther’s Purpose Determined (Est. 4:12-17)
A Plea Providentially Welcomed (Esther 5:1-14)
Esther’s Earnestness Observed (Est. 5:1-2)
The King’s Empathy Offered (Est. 5:3-8)
Haman’s Ego Offended (Est. 5:9-14)
A Prestige Providentially Reversed (Esther 6:1-14)
Mordecai’s Honor Deserved (Est. 6:1-3)
Haman’s Honor Desired (Est. 6:4-9)
Mordecai’s Honor Displayed (Est. 6:10-11)
Haman’s Honor Diminished (Est. 6:12-14)
A Punishment Providentially Executed (Esther 7:1-10)
Esther’s Desire Revealed (Est. 7:1-6)
The King’s Decision Reached (Est. 7:7-8)
Haman’s Death Required (Est. 7:9-10)
A Privilege Providentially Utilized (Esther 8:1-17)
Haman’s Property Reassigned (Est. 8:1-2)
The King’s Protection Requested (Est. 8:3-8)
Mordecai’s Proclamation Recorded (Est. 8:9-14)
The Jews’ Peace Restored (Est. 8:15-17)
A Precedent Providentially Thwarted (Esther 9:1-19)
The Jews’ Attackers Executed (Est. 9:1-10)
The Jews’ Advantage Extended (Est. 9:11-15)
The Jews’ Achievement Enjoyed (Est. 9:16-19)
A Policy Providentially Recorded (Esther 9:20-10:3)
Mordecai’s Letter Established (Est. 9:20-28)
Esther’s Law Enacted (Est. 9:29-32)
Mordecai’s Legacy Esteemed (Est. 10:1-3)
References:
[1] John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, eds., Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 218.
[2] Karen Jobes, The NIV Aplication Commentary: Esther (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999), 237.
[3] Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity (Carlise, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2015), 123.
[4] https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=101415165190