Month: November 2025

photo of Esther 3-7 focusing on the tension between Esther, Ahasuerus, and Haman at one of the banquets, symbolizing Haman's downfall and Esther's triumph from bsf exile and return study www.atozmomm.com

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 5: Esther 6-7

November 27, 2025November 7, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 6-7

Esther 6:

The King was reminded that Mordecai had saved his life from an assassination plot, but was never rewarded. He asks Haman what reward should be given to someone like this. Haman (thinking this was for him) said the person should be paraded through the streets wearing the king’s robes and riding the king’s horse and honored. The king tells him to do this for Mordecai. Haman obeys and is in anguish when the second banquet is about to begin.

Esther 7:

Esther finally asks the king to spare her and her people, who were to be killed. He asks who has done such a thin,g and she says Haman. The king leaves, but Haman begs Esther for his life. The king takes offense to this and orders Haman impaled on the pole that had been meant for Mordecai.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 5: Esther 6-7

12a) Just before Haman can ask for Mordecai to be impaled, the king remembers about Mordecai foiling an assassination plot and never being rewarded for it. Then Haman comes up with a splendid reward. The banquet happens, and Haman’s evil is exposed. Perfect God timing. God’s sovereignty is seen in the “coincidences.” The king’s sleeplessness, the exact chronicle read about Mordecai’s unrewarded deed, and Haman’s arrival at that precise moment all align perfectly. This shows God’s ironic timing, orchestrating Haman’s downfall and Mordecai’s exaltation before the banquet.

b) That everything happens in God’s timing. These events show that God is sovereignly working, even when He seems silent. They give profound hope that He protects His people and that justice will prevail, often in ironic and unexpected ways, turning the enemy’s own plots against them.

13a) She admits that she is a Jew, finally, and stands for her people. She accuses Haman with no fear. Esther’s courage grew from a fearful “if I perish” to a strategic confrontation. At the second banquet, she bravely revealed her Jewish identity, fully identifying with her people. She then boldly accused Haman directly, moving from a position of desperation to one of confident, decisive action.

b) God used a sleepless king to honor Mordecai, forcing Haman to lead the parade. At Esther’s banquet, Haman’s plot was exposed. He was then executed on the very gallows he built for Mordecai, a perfect reversal of his plan, turning his own pride against him.

c) God’s people experience reversals now through Christ: He reverses death to life (John 11), wrath to life (John 3), and our curse to a blessing (Gal 3). We also anticipate future reversals where God will turn our sorrow to joy (Rev 21) and make the last first (Luke 22).

14) My novel. My job. My dreams. My life’s purpose.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 5: Esther 6-7

I love how God is just and those who plot against His people will face His judgment. And, evil plots can lead to nothing but evil.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 5: Esther 6-7

Esther 6:

The exact page in a book of hundreds of pages was probably read to the king about Mordecai. Only God can do that.

There are no coincidences here; God is in control of everything and everyone. God arranges all things.

God allowed Mordecai to fall to his pride.

Haman lived for human praise. The only praise that matters is God’s praise.

Haman was humiliated.

Esther 7:

Haman had ultimately asked the king to kill his wife since she was a Jew.

The king left, realizing he had been fooled. He was very angry at this.

Satan’s evil attempts to thwart God never prevail. Using Mordecai backfired terribly. You think the Devil would learn. Satan can cause evil, but He won’t win.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Esther 6-7 details the story’s dramatic climax and sudden reversal, where Haman’s plot is exposed, and he is destroyed by his own pride.

Interpretation

Chapter 6 (The Reversal): This chapter is a masterpiece of irony, driven by divine providence. On a sleepless night, King Ahasuerus has the royal chronicles read and is reminded that Mordecai once saved his life and was never rewarded. At that exact moment, Haman arrives, intending to ask for Mordecai’s execution. In a state of blinding pride, Haman accidentally designs a royal parade for Mordecai, which the king then forces Haman to lead, resulting in his total public humiliation.
Chapter 7 (The Execution): The reversal is completed at Esther’s second banquet. Esther courageously reveals her Jewish identity and pleads for her life, exposing Haman as the one who plotted to annihilate her people. The king is enraged, and Haman panics, falling on Esther’s couch to beg for his life. The king returns, misinterprets this as an assault, and seals Haman’s fate. Haman is then swiftly executed on the very 75-foot gallows he had built for Mordecai.

Conclusion

These two chapters are the pivotal turning point of the book. They demonstrate that the very moment of Haman’s greatest arrogance was the eve of his destruction. Through a series of seemingly “coincidental” events—a sleepless night, a timely arrival, and a strategic banquet—God orchestrates the complete downfall of the enemy and the vindication of His people, turning the instrument of death into the means of justice.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 4: Esther 5

November 26, 2025November 7, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 5

The king accepted Esther’s appearance and held out the gold scepter. He asks Esther what she wants, even up to half the kingdom. Esther invites Haman and the king to a banquet, where the king still asks what she wants. She invites him to another banquet the following night.

Haman was happy but still upset at Mordecai who showed no fear when Haman was in his presence. He was angry. His wife tells him to ask the king to impale Mordecai on a pole the next day.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 4: Esther 5

9a) The queen approached the king, who accepted her. She gave him a banquet before asking him what she wanted. She also invited Haman whom she intended to expose.

b) She knew the culture and knew that feasting was important before making a request. She showed restraint rather than blurt out what she wanted. Esther showed wisdom by using private banquets to isolate Haman. She demonstrated great restraint by not rushing her plea, even when offered half the kingdom. This patient delay, following her fast, allowed time for God’s providence to work, perfectly setting the stage for Haman’s downfall.

10) Haman is still making decisions based on his hurt pride. Not a good idea at all. Haman’s foolishness is his fragile, all-consuming pride. Despite his wealth and exclusive invitation, he is sent into a rage by Mordecai’s disrespect. This one offense robs him of all joy, leading him to boast arrogantly and then impulsively build a 75-foot gallows, blinded by his own obsession.

11) The Holy Spirit is our guide when we are faced with challenges by human sin (pride, anger, etc). We can always pray when we need God and His ways and not ours. To discern God’s guidance, test your thoughts against Scripture; His leading never contradicts it. God’s ways align with His character (love, holiness), while our thoughts often stem from fear or selfishness. Finally, seek confirmation from a wise, spiritual community, as God rarely leads in total isolation.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 4: Esther 5

How often do we allow one offense to ruin our day or cause us to make poor decisions? Pride is so harmful in so many ways.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 4: Esther 5

Esther wanted to win the king’s confidence before asking.

Haman is a great example of the lives of those without Christ. He is never happy. He is honored by the king and queen of his country, but he lets one man disrupt his happiness. How many of us do this in ways, too?

Haman was empty, and so was his heart. Only God can fill our hearts.

This kind of hatred for one man is what leads to murders and other sins; it’s also what led to Jesus’s death. It should never be underestimated.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Esther 5 details the beginning of Esther’s courageous plan and the peak of Haman’s arrogance.

Interpretation

After her fast, Esther approaches King Ahasuerus, who extends the golden scepter, sparing her life and offering her anything she wants.

Instead of making her plea for her people, she strategically invites the king and Haman to a banquet. At that feast, she delays her true request again, inviting them both to a second banquet the next day.

A euphoric Haman leaves the banquet, overjoyed at this exclusive honor. However, his joy instantly turns to blind rage when he sees Mordecai at the king’s gate, who still refuses to bow. He goes home and, on the advice of his wife and friends, builds a 75-foot-tall gallows, eagerly planning to ask the king to hang Mordecai on it the very next morning.

Conclusion

This chapter masterfully builds suspense. It contrasts Esther’s calculated, patient strategy with Haman’s explosive, pride-driven rage. The building of the gallows is a crucial act of dramatic irony, as Haman, at the height of his power, unknowingly prepares the instrument of his own execution, setting the stage for the story’s dramatic reversal.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 3: Esther 4

November 25, 2025November 7, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 4

Many Jews were in mourning because of the edict, and Mordecai put on sackcloth and wept bitterly. Esther found out Mordecai was in distress. Through an attendant, Mordecai asked Esther to beg the king for mercy for their people.

Esther cannot approach the king without being summoned. Mordecai told Esther that she was put in this place for such a time as this.

Esther asked Mordecai to gather the Jews in Susa to fast for her (and she would too) for three days. Then she will go to the king, and if she dies, she dies.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 3: Esther 4

6) Mordecai’s public mourning prompts a secluded Esther to send an attendant. Mordecai reveals Haman’s genocidal decree, sends Esther a copy, and charges her to go to the king to plead for her people. Esther responds in terror, explaining that approaching the king uninvited is a capital offense.

7a) Mordecai said that her family will die and that she was put in this position for such a time as this. Mordecai boldly challenged Esther by completely dismantling her justifications for inaction and reframing her royal position as a divine responsibility.

b) Esther asked Mordecai to gather the Jews in Susa to fast for her (and she would too) for three days. Then she will go to the king, and if she dies, she dies.

c) They discussed it and came up with a plan and a compromise in order to offer the Jews the best chance of survival. Esther and Mordecai teach that courage isn’t an absence of fear, but acting despite it. We must use our influence “for such a time as this,” as silence doesn’t guarantee safety. Their story shows the power of bold truth-telling and spiritual preparation (fasting) before taking a necessary, costly risk.

8 ) Unsure. Fear. Probably uncertainty if this is indeed what God wants me to do. I can move forward in prayer, however.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 3: Esther 4

This is a great look at how ancient kings ran their courts. What a time to have been ruled by absolute power.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 3: Esther 4

Remember that Mordecai’s integrity was the cause of this fiasco.

Esther had not heard the news, living in the palace.

Haman wanted the Jews’ money, too.

Esther had not seen her husband for a month. There apparently was not a lot of intimacy.

Mordecai asked Esther twice to intercede. His faith was in God to send someone to help them if Esther would not do it. Mordecai saw now why Esther was the queen from God’s hand to save His people. Now, he had to convince Esther of this.

God puts all of us in a place for a reason. We need to follow God’s plan for us, too.

Serve God where you are.

Esther needed to prepare to see the king. Sometimes, we need to pray before we step out in faith or face a battle.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Esther 4 is the crucial turning point of the book, marking the moment Queen Esther is forced to move from passive concealment to courageous, life-threatening action.

Interpretation

The Crisis Revealed: The chapter opens with Mordecai’s intense public mourning in sackcloth and ashes. This alerts a secluded and unaware Queen Esther that something is terribly wrong.
The Life-or-Death Dilemma: After learning of Haman’s genocidal decree, Mordecai charges Esther to go to the king and plead for her people. Esther is terrified, sending back a message that approaching the king uninvited is a capital offense, punishable by death unless he extends the golden scepter.
“For Such a Time as This”: Mordecai sends back a powerful, challenging response. He warns her not to think she will be safe in the palace and then delivers the famous line: “who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Esther’s Resolve: This challenge transforms Esther. She makes a decisive choice, ordering Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Susa for a three-day fast. She and her attendants will do the same, and then she will go to the king, “which is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.“

Conclusion

This chapter is the story’s pivot. It is the moment Esther accepts her identity and her dangerous, providential role. Her decision to risk her life and act on behalf of her people, supported by the fasting of her community, sets in motion the entire plan that will lead to their salvation.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 2: Esther 3

November 24, 2025November 7, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 3

Haman was promoted by King Xerxes. Mordecai would not kneel before Haman. Haman then wanted to destroy all the Jews, not just Mordecai. He convinced the king to issue a decree to kill all the Jews, while Haman and the king drink.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 2: Esther 3

3a) Mordecai would not kneel before Haman when the king had commanded all to kneel before him.

b) Mordecai would not kneel to anyone but God. Haman was probably jealous and angry. Haman was driven by arrogant pride. Mordecai’s refusal to bow wounded his ego, sparking a genocidal rage. Mordecai was motivated by religious faithfulness (refusing to give a man worship reserved for God) and likely his people’s ancestral enmity with Haman, an Agagite.

4a) Haman had an evil heart. The King simply did not care. Haman’s edict reveals his genocidal pride, manipulating the king to soothe his ego. The king’s casual approval shows he is a reckless, gullible, and morally indifferent ruler. He enables Haman’s cruelty, treating mass murder as a simple administrative task before casually sitting down to drink.

b) Peoples of the earth and the devil will be out to annihilate the Jews. Haman’s edict manifests the cosmic “enmity” of Genesis 3:15, as the serpent’s seed (Haman) attempts to destroy the woman’s seed (the Jewish people). His plot, rooted in deception and a desire for genocide, reflects Satan’s nature as a “liar” and “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44; Rev. 12:9).

5) Human pride and selfish motives can make all of us do things we normally would not do and sin. I can pray about it and grow closer to God. I can resist the devil and put on my armor of God. I can ask God for help. I can rely on God. Pride and selfishness distort attitudes by creating an inflated self-worth and a victim mentality, causing us to see others as tools or obstacles. This leads to manipulative, defensive, and aggressive actions, justifying injustice and envy while destroying empathy.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 2: Esther 3

Interesting lesson on how the Jews have always been targeted due to religion and how ancient kings really were extremely cruel.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 2: Esther 3

Haman was an Amalekite who was an enemy of the Jews (Exodus 17:14-16) and a descendant of Agag.

Jews could bow as a sign of respect, but Mordecai simply refused.

Haman hated the Jews and used this as an excuse to eradicate them.

The Pur was a lot. The Jews would have 11 months before execution.

Haman half lied to the King to get his decree. The Jews did keep the king’s laws even though they had their own. And, the king likely did not know the number of Jews in the kingdom that this would affect. He probably thought only a handful would be killed.

The king most likely had no idea what his decree meant.

Everyone was confused since the Jewish people had done no wrong. All because of one man’s pride would a nation suffer annihilation. Such dangerous times these were.

Mordecai chose to stand out and not bow to Haman, rather than blend in with the crowd. There is a time and place for this, and you must be prepared for the consequences of such an action.

The King was just as guilty of the plot to kill the Jews as Haman since he did not ask many questions and went along with the plan. This is sin, too.

Haman reflects Satan, as Satan’s sole desire is to eliminate God’s people and end God’s purposes.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

This chapter marks the story’s great crisis. It introduces the villain, Haman, who is promoted to the highest position under the king. When Mordecai the Jew refuses to bow to him—likely an act of both religious faithfulness (refusing to worship a man) and ancestral animosity (Haman was a descendant of Israel’s ancient enemy, Agag)—Haman’s wounded pride escalates into a genocidal rage.

Instead of targeting only Mordecai, he manipulates the king with half-truths and a bribe, obtaining a royal decree to annihilate the entire Jewish people. Haman uses a “Pur” (lot) to select a date, which providentially falls 11 months in the future. The chapter ends with the decree being sent out, leaving the city in confusion while Haman and the king drink, callously indifferent to the edict.

Conclusion

Esther 3 introduces the central threat of the book, transforming a personal conflict into a crisis of existence for God’s covenant people. It showcases the terrifying power of unchecked human pride, prejudice, and arbitrary rule. This chapter sets the “ticking clock” and creates the dire circumstances that will force Esther to risk everything, demonstrating the need for a savior.

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Friday’s Digest BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13

November 21, 2025November 7, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN BSF EXILE & RETURN: A TIME TO BUILD LESSON 13

God positions His people to accomplish His purposes
God works in ways we rarely recognize in the beginning
God calls us to live for Him
God is always working in our lives for His good purposes for us
God is there in all the twists and turns of our lives
We yield control to God, giving us peace

TAKE AWAY: No one can defeat God’s plan for our lives, no matter what they do to us.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 5: Esther 2:19-23

November 20, 2025October 31, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 2:19-23

While sitting at the king’s gate, Mordecai uncovered a plot by two eunuchs to assassinate King Ahasuerus. He told Queen Esther, who reported it to the king, giving Mordecai credit. The conspirators were investigated, found guilty, and executed. The event was recorded in the book of the annals in the king’s presence.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 5: Esther 2:19-23

14) She still kept her family background and nationality a secret, even after her marriage to the king.

15a) He overheard a plot to kill the king. He told Esther, who told the king, who gave him credit. The king’s life was saved!

b) It helps to give credence that the events of the Bible are historically accurate and did happen.

16a) If Esther had not been queen, this message most likely would never have reached the king, and he may have been assassinated. Mordecai was at the king’s gates, probably waiting to see Esther or doing official business. So, all of this was put into place by God to save the king’s life for His greater purposes. The recording of this event is the story’s lynchpin. It’s a perfect example of God’s hidden providence. Mordecai’s loyalty is documented but unrewarded, creating an “unpaid debt.” God uses this specific record during the king’s insomnia (as we’ll read in Chapter 6) to trigger Haman’s humiliation and Mordecai’s exaltation.

b) It’s all God. Nothing in my life would have happened without Him.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 5: Esther 2:19-23

Love how we are all in the perfect place in our lives to make a difference in others’ lives.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 5: Esther 2:19-23

The men who made decisions sat at the gate, so Mordecai had a leadership position.

Fun Fact: The book of Esther does not mention the name of God (neither does the Song of Solomon). Bible scholars debate the reasons, with many believing it was due to the fact it was written under Persian rule.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

This passage details a crucial, seemingly minor event: Mordecai, while serving at the king’s gate, uncovers an assassination plot against King Ahasuerus. He reports it to Esther, who in turn informs the king, making sure to give Mordecai the credit. The traitors are executed, and Mordecai’s good deed is officially recorded in the royal chronicles.

Conclusion

This event serves two vital narrative purposes:

It establishes Mordecai’s undeniable loyalty to the king, a fact that will stand in stark contrast to Haman’s later accusations of disloyalty.
It plants the “ticking time bomb” of providence. Mordecai’s heroic act is recorded but not rewarded, creating an unresolved debt that God will use at the perfect moment (in chapter 6) to save the entire Jewish people.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 4: Esther 2:1-18

November 19, 2025October 31, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 2:1-18

After Vashti, King Ahasuerus’s servants gathered beautiful virgins for a new queen from all over his kingdom. They are to be placed under the care of the king’s eunuch, Hegai, and given makeovers. Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, was taken to the palace. She wont he favor of Hegai and was provided for. She concealed her identity, won the favor of all, and after 12 months of preparation, the king loved her most and crowned her queen. A banquet was given and a holiday proclaimed.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 4: Esther 2:1-18

10) King Ahasuerus’s servants gathered beautiful virgins for a new queen from all over his kingdom. They are to be placed under the care of the king’s eunuch, Hegai, and given makeovers. Then, the one who pleases the king the most will be made queen.

11a) Mordecai is introduced. His ancestors had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Mordecai’s cousin was Esther, whom he had raised since she was an orphan. She was beautiful.

b) No doubt she would have been excluded if it had been known she was a Jew, since they were technically servants in the Persian kingdom and discriminated against. Mordecai likely advised secrecy for protection and strategy. Revealing her Jewish identity could have exposed her to prejudice, disqualifying her or endangering her. It also allowed her to gain influence impartially, positioning her as a “sleeper agent” who could later save her people without the king suspecting her agenda.

c) She pleased Hegai and won his favor. Immediately, he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem. In sum, she got preferential treatment!

12) The king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen.

13) My job. Coaching. Saved from unruly situations. His hand has been on my life in many ways.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 4: Esther 2:1-18

Love how we see God at work! This shows us that we all have a place in God’s plan for our lives. There is a purpose for all of us. Great stuff!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 4: Esther 2:1-18

History tells us that this takes place 4 years after Esther 1. Xerxes had recently been defeated by the Greeks and is now looking for a new wife.

Xerxes planned to assemble a harem and choose his most favored one to be queen. Historians estimate there were 400 women chosen from all over his kingdom.

Esther and Mordecai did not return with Ezra.

Esther means “star” and her Jewish name (Hadassah) means myrtle.

None of the women had a choice to go to Xerxes.

We should not normally hide the fact we are Christians; yet, there are times when it is prudent.

The 12 months preparation time was to ensure the women were not pregnant because the King did not want a child not his.

The fate of those not chosen was grim. They would be banished to the harem, rarely see the king, and could not marry another.

Beauty does gain attention and should not be shunned.

God had a plan, and Esther was a big part of it. None of what happened to her was happenstance.

God uses the evil of Xerxes ousting his former queen for good.

No one can defeat God’s plan for our lives, no matter what they do to us.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

This passage details the providential rise of Esther. After King Ahasuerus’s anger subsides, a search is launched for a new queen. This search is a systematic, state-run operation to gather beautiful virgins for the king’s harem.

We are introduced to Esther, a beautiful Jewish orphan, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her. Esther is taken into this system, where she wins the “favor” of Hegai, the eunuch in charge. On Mordecai’s orders, she conceals her Jewish identity. Following Hegai’s advice, Esther captivates the king, who loves her more than any other woman and makes her queen in Vashti’s place.

Conclusion

Esther 2:1-18 demonstrates God’s hidden hand at work. In a story defined by pagan power, lust, and human scheming, God strategically places his own person in the highest position of power in the empire. Esther’s concealment of her identity and her obedience to Mordecai are the very factors that make her available for this role, setting the stage for her to become the savior of her people.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 3: Esther 1:10-22

November 18, 2025October 31, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 1:10-22

Drunk, King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti to display her beauty before the people, but she refused. Enraged, the king consulted his advisors. Fearing widespread domestic disobedience, they issued a royal decree banishing Vashti and commanding all wives throughout the empire to honor their husbands. He is to give her royal position to someone else who is better. The royal decree was issued, proclaiming that every man shall be ruler over his own household.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 3: Esther 1:10-22

6) King Xerxes commanded the Queen to come to him, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles.

7) She wanted to be seen as more powerful than the king. She just wanted to say no to see what would happen. She didn’t feel like coming and being an object. Vashti likely refused to protect her royal dignity and personal modesty. The king was drunk, and his command to parade her “beauty” before his drunken guests was a demeaning objectification. It violated Persian customs that secluded royal women and reduced her from a queen to a spectacle.

8a) King Xerxes issued a royal decree, proclaiming that every man shall be ruler over his own household, and the Queen must never again enter Xerxes’ presence.

b) Xerxes’ ungodly authority was self-serving, impulsive, and insecure. Driven by pride and rage, he used force to objectify Vashti and demand respect. In contrast, godly authority is service-oriented, self-controlled, and humble, seeking to honor others and earning respect through wisdom and love, not threats.

9) Many times. You have to do what is right, or you can’t live with yourself. Oftentimes, it resulted in shunning or isolation. But God never leaves me!

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 3: Esther 1:10-22

I love how we see the shallowness of the King here and how easily he can be persuaded. No wonder the Persian Empire was obliterated from the Earth.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 3: Esther 1:10-22

Bible scholars argue that there was most likely an argument at the table and a debate about who had the most beautiful wife, so the King decided to lay the matter to rest. She may have been expected to be immodest here, too.

Note that wives are to submit to their husbands, but not obey if it causes her to sin. God’s commands come before men’s.

The King was foolish here to back his advisors and not his queen.

A wife’s respect is the most precious gift she can give her husband. Xerxes here tried to demand respect; it should be a gift.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

This passage details a crisis of power in the Persian court. When a drunken King Ahasuerus commands Queen Vashti to be paraded as an object to display her beauty, she refuses, publicly humiliating him.

This act of defiance is not treated as a private marital dispute but as a political threat. The king’s advisors, led by Memucan, spin the event, fearing it will inspire widespread rebellion from all wives in the empire. Their solution is a legal one: banish Vashti and issue an absurd royal decree, sent to all 127 provinces, commanding that every man must be “master in his own household.”

Conclusion

This episode exposes the fragility of the king’s supposedly absolute power. His authority, built on lavish displays, is shown to be hollow, easily threatened by a single act of defiance. The over-the-top, foolish decree reveals a court that is insecure and farcical. Most importantly, Vashti’s removal, born from a drunken whim and political panic, creates the very power vacuum that God will providentially use to elevate Esther to the throne.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 2: Esther 1:1-9

November 17, 2025October 31, 2025 by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Esther 1:1-9

King Xerxes gave a banquet for his nobles and officials in the 3rd year of his reign. Then he gave a feast for the citizens. Each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions. Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for all the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 2: Esther 1:1-9

3) Xerxes ruled the kingdom of Persia. He ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush (the upper Nile region of Egypt).

4a) Lavish to say the least. For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. The king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa.The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones.Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality.By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.

b) To display his wealth and power for all to see so that no one would challenge him. Xerxes’ 180-day feast was likely a strategic war council, not just a party. He gathered leaders to plan his invasion of Greece, securing their loyalty and resources. It was also a massive propaganda display—showing his immense wealth and power to intimidate rivals and satisfy his own ego.

5a) Many define success as having wealth. Many like to display this wealth for all to see. However, others don’t. Many define success by their family. Our culture often defines success by financial wealth, career status, and material possessions. This success is then externally validated through public recognition, fame, and social media influence, which are often equated with personal worth and achievement.

b) I think we are all tempted at some point because it is so predominant in our culture. However, God is my lynch pin.

c) Doing His will. Helping others. Putting others first. Raising my family. Spreading His light unto the world.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 2: Esther 1:1-9

It must have been insane to have seen such parties back in the day!

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 2: Esther 1:1-9

Esther is a historical book of the Bible. It features King Xerxes of Persia, who was the son of Darius I of Persia around 483 BC. Xerxes was planning to invade Greece (which would fail). It takes place in the middle of the book of Ezra, between chapters 6 and 7. This takes place before the second wave of exiles return to Jerusalem under King Artaxerxes, who may have been her son or step-son.

Persia was the largest empire that most people had seen, covering most of the Middle East and into Egypt and Asia. The Jewish people were dispersed all throughout the Persian Empire, but they maintained their separation, culture, and identity with God. Hence, they were persecuted and discriminated against, which is why Esther concealed her identity to the King. She rose to power so God could use her to save His people. God is always in control!

There are 3 feasts here:

One for his government officials and servants that lasted 180 days. The reason for this was to show off the glory and riches of his kingdom.
The 2nd feast was for the citizens of the capital city of Susa. The reason for this was most likely pride and to show off his wealth and prestige, as well as his generosity
The 3rd feast was for the women of the royal palace, hosted by Queen Vashti.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Esther 1:1-9 sets the stage by establishing the immense power, wealth, and extravagance of the Persian Empire under King Ahasuerus (Xerxes). The narrative emphasizes the vastness of his kingdom (127 provinces) and, most notably, the opulent, 180-day feast thrown purely to display his “glorious kingdom” and “splendor.” This is followed by another lavish, seven-day banquet for all the people in the capital.

The detailed descriptions of luxurious decorations, free-flowing wine, and separate feasts (including Queen Vashti’s for the women) paint a picture of a court defined by excess, self-indulgence, and a focus on outward appearances.

Conclusion

This opening passage meticulously establishes a world dominated by seemingly absolute human power and worldly splendor. It portrays a culture of excess and arbitrary rule, creating the perfect backdrop for the story that follows. This seemingly secure pagan court, governed by the whims of a prideful king, is the unlikely setting where the hidden, sovereign hand of God will work to protect His people.

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