Sunday is the beginning. You know. The reason I've started this blog. Blogging through the Bible. The first book that I'm going to be looking at is Esther. I've always loved the story of Esther. I've learned a lot from her. But, I want to share with you some basic things about Esther that maybe you've overlooked. I know I have. Maybe not overlooked, but just didn't know.
Esther. Her name is derived from a Persian word meaning "star". Did you know that? I didn't. She is also known as Hadassah. She was the queen of the Persian King Ahaseurus (aka - King Xerxes).
Who wrote the book of Esther? Some believe that it was Mordecai. Mordecai was Esther's cousin, who in more than one way, was like a father to her. Others believe that Nehemiah could have been the author of the Book of Esther. Personally, it doesn't really matter who wrote the book, only that it was written and God believed that it was important enough in His Story for it to be included in the Bible. We'll talk about canonization another time.
When was Esther written? Well, a very long time ago. The estimates place Esther being written around 464-415 B.C. It is believed to have been written after the death of Xerxes, who was the king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire.
Esther was instrumental in the preservation of the Jewish people. I look forward to learning more about this woman, one who can help us strengthen our relationship with our Creator. She was a woman of faith and courage. She was someone that we can model our lives after. Do you think that God only chose queens, kings, princes, and princesses to do His work? I think not. He takes the lowly, like you and I, and does great things through us, so that the world will be pointed toward His light. All He wants is for us to want a relationship with Him.
Before I leave for today, I would like to leave you with one final thought:
Esther is a reminder of God's promise to us as revealed in Romans 8:28:
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."
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