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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 15, Day 3: Esther 9:1-19

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

Summary of Esther 9:1-19

The enemies of the Jews did not attack, afraid of the power of Mordecai. The Jews struck down their enemies in the kingdom and Esther asked for a second day in order to ensure the threat was put down for good. The Jews never took plunder, as this was a fight for survival, not for riches.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 15, Day 3: Esther 9:1-19

6) The enemies of the Jews did not attack, afraid of the power of Mordecai.

7a) By “gathering themselves together” across all 127 provinces, they presented a powerful, coordinated defense. Instead of being isolated victims, their shared purpose allowed them to act as a single, overwhelming force, ensuring their collective survival and victory.

b) Unity is vital because, as Jesus warned, “a house divided… will not stand” (Matt 12:25). Division renders the church ineffective. Therefore, believers are called to be “perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Cor 1:10), ensuring a strong, collective witness and preventing their mission from failing.

c) The killing troubles me, some of it probably egregious (like Haman’s 10 sons), but in light of ancient times, this was what was needed in order to ensure the safety of God’s people.

8 ) I would say a spiritual victory in general over Satan’s lies in my life.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 15, Day 3: Esther 9:1-19

Killing and war can be hard to read about and digest, but everything God does has a purpose. Here, the purpose is preserving His people.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 15, Day 3: Esther 9:1-19

When God is on your side, no one can defeat you.

Total victory was a must, which explains Esther’s day 2 request.

Since Haman’s sons were descendants of the Amalekites, they needed to be destroyed (1 Samuel 15:2-3), so Esther is just finishing what Saul himself failed to do.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Esther 9:1-19 details the violent climax of the story, where the great reversal is finally and physically carried out.

Interpretation

  • The Reversal Executed (vv. 1-5): On the 13th day of Adar, the day Haman had chosen for the Jews’ annihilation, “the opposite occurred.” Empowered by Mordecai’s counter-decree, the Jews assembled and “gained mastery over those who hated them.” Fear of Mordecai was so great that Persian officials actually helped the Jews.
  • The Battle and Esther’s Request (vv. 6-15): The Jews defended themselves, killing their enemies, including the ten sons of Haman in the capital city of Susa. When the king reported this to Esther, she made a grim but strategic request: for the Jews in Susa to have a second day to root out their enemies and for Haman’s ten sons to be publicly hanged. This request, which the king granted, demonstrated a ruthless commitment to removing the threat completely from the heart of the empire.
  • A Principled Victory (vv. 10, 15-16): The text critically repeats that in all the fighting, the Jews “did not lay a hand on the plunder.” This was a crucial moral point, proving their motive was self-preservation and justice, not the selfish greed that had characterized Haman.
  • The Origin of the Celebration (vv. 17-19): The fighting was followed by celebration. The Jews in the provinces, who fought for one day (the 13th), feasted and celebrated on the 14th. The Jews in Susa, who fought for two days (13th and 14th), celebrated on the 15th.

Conclusion

This passage is the story’s necessary and violent resolution. It shows the Jewish people, with God’s providential and the king’s political backing, completely turning the tables on their enemies. The hanging of Haman’s sons and the refusal to take plunder finalized the just end of Haman’s plot, transforming a day of decreed genocide into a decisive, celebrated victory.

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 15, Day 2: Esther 8

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

Summary of Esther 8

The king gave Esther the estate of Haman. Mordecai was appointed over Esther’s new estate. King Xerxes overturned the edict by Haman and granted the Jews the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill, and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. The Jews everywhere celebrated.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 15, Day 2: Esther 8

3) Esther and Mordecai gained riches. Queen Esther gained Haman’s estate. Mordecai got Haman’s ring and former position. He was appointed over Esther’s estate.

4a) Esther fell at the king’s feet, weeping. She begged for the plan of Haman to kill the Jews to be reversed.

b) Esther approached the king with humility and asked for what she wanted with no fear to her own self. She put the community first.

c) Good question. Unsure, honestly. In general, others less fortunate.

5a) The king gave Mordecai full authority to write an edict, so he gave the Jews the power to defend themselves.

b) They responded cause they weren’t going to be killed! People of other nationalities converted to Judaism out of fear of the Jews’ new power.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 15, Day 2: Esther 8

Great lesson on how God works behind the scenes to ensure the survival of His people.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 15, Day 2: Esther 8

It’s important to note that the decree from the king could not be revoked, so he just allowed Mordecai to issue a different one.

The other people saw God working through what happened with the Jews. This is a powerful testimony to convert. They saw how God loved His people, and they wanted the same thing.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Esther 8 describes the immediate reversal of fortunes for the Jewish people, moving them from a death sentence to a position of royal favor and empowerment.

Interpretation

  • Mordecai’s Exaltation: The chapter opens with Haman’s estate being given to Esther, who in turn appoints Mordecai to manage it. The king promotes Mordecai, giving him his own signet ring—the very symbol of power Haman once held. Mordecai’s rise from the gate to the palace is now complete.
  • Esther’s New Plea: Despite this personal victory, the genocidal decree against her people is still in effect. Esther makes a second, deeply emotional plea to the king, weeping at his feet. She begs him to revoke Haman’s evil plan.
  • The Counter-Decree: The king explains that a Persian law cannot be revoked. Instead, he gives Esther and Mordecai his signet ring and full authority to write a new decree to counteract the old one.
  • A New Law: Mordecai writes a royal edict, dispatching it by swift couriers to all 127 provinces. This new law grants the Jews the right to assemble, protect themselves, and destroy any armed force that might attack them on the 13th day of Adar. It effectively turns their day of execution into a day of self-defense.

Conclusion

Esther 8 is the story’s great reversal in action. It details the transfer of Haman’s power to Mordecai and, more importantly, the creation of the counter-decree that legally empowers the Jews to fight for their lives. This chapter shifts the narrative from one of looming genocide to one of authorized deliverance, setting the stage for the Jewish people’s victory.

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Friday’s Digest BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14

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 14

  • Satan opposes everything God does
  • We respond to God’s call
  • Satan cannot defeat us; we have the Holy Spirit
  • Desperate situations allow us to seek God
  • God places us where we are for important times and opportunities — to ultimately make a difference
  • Ordinary people are put in challenging situations beyond their control and are called to depend on Him
  • God’s work can never be stopped
  • God is stronger than all His enemies
  • We are to serve God with purpose and power

TAKE AWAY: God’s plans always prevail.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

  1. It establishes Mordecai’s undeniable loyalty to the king, a fact that will stand in stark contrast to Haman’s later accusations of disloyalty.
  2. 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

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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