Five things about esther that nobody talks about jews for jesus. All are alike, in that they are words which the holy spirit has inspired, and are in no way due to chance, or dependent on the mere. Esther fleece allen beautifully illustrates the gift we have as children of god, what this sacred identity means, and why this gift is so precious and powerful. Why is the name of god not mentioned in megillat esther. When we read the book of esther, we never read gods name. The hidden god of esther scroll of esther from the jewish museum near the dohany synagogue in budapest, hungary. Just like he did for esther, the lord has a special beautifying process for you. Mordecai is a man of integrity, and esther is a selfsacrificial heroine.
The book of esther is a 20 movie starring jen lilley as queen esther and joel smallbone as king xerxes. Dear students of god s word, there is a study by professor e. The book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. Ester is het enige bijbelboek waarin god niet expliciet genoemd wordt, zo wordt in protestantse kringen wel. The book of esther, though divinely inspired scripture, doesnt mention god by any name or title. In esthers story, gods involvement is implicit rather than explicit. This book is more purely historical than any other book of scripture. Though his name is not mentioned, he is not absent.
Here are some reasons why gods name may not have been referenced in esther. His name is not written in the book, but his fingerprints, as we say, are all over it. It really doesnt matter why gods name was never mentioned in the book of esther but the fact is, the book of esther is canonized and is part of. The story forms the core of the jewish festival of purim, during which it is read aloud twice. Esther, purim and why it all still matters jews for jesus. The book of esther is rather odd because it is the only book of the bible in which the name of god appears to be missing martin luther co. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide of her people. Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark. Unlike the rest of the bible, however, this book shows gods work indirectly. But words from god would make a good foundation for those beliefs.
Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts. Why isnt god mentioned at all in the book of esther. As a result of the use of acrostics, the name of god is indeed found. In 2012, a graphic adaptation of the book of esther was illustrated by j. Jun 18, 2019 the book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. However, at several points in the narrative, the author alludes to gods hand in the events. It has, however, been well observed that though the name of god be not in it, his finger is. Many wonder why the book of esther is in the bible, because the name of god is not mentioned in it. The names are indeed unattested in persian texts as gods, however the talmud sanhedrin 61b and rashi both record a practice of deifying haman. Critics of all stripes, whether jewish or gentile, whether ancient rabbis or modern scholars, have asked this question throughout history.
Many teach that while esther declares for us the incredible providence of god, it never uses the name of god himself. Aug 06, 2016 without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages. Mar 01, 2001 it has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. It is the only book in the bible where god is hidden like this, but he is there. For any bible student who has wondered why the name of god is not mentioned in the old testament book of esther, bullinger has some answers. Mar 18, 2016 the silence of god doesnt mean the absence of god and so it is in the book of esther, where gods never mentioned by name, but he is inferred in the book because the jews fasted over their. The book of esther, like much of the bible, tells the story of gods involvement with his people. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll, is a book in the third section of the jewish tanakh and in the christian old testament. She was a jewess named hadassah the myrtle, but when she entered the royal harem she received the name by which she henceforth became known esther 2.
The story of esther takes place in the persian empire during the reign of ahasuerus, known more familiarly to us by the greek form of his name, xerxes i. Some have even questioned the books place in the bible because of it. The book wonderfully exhibits the providential government of god. Although we do not know who wrote the book of esther, from internal evidence it is possible to make some inferences about the author and the date. Mar 05, 2017 this is really a booklet or pamphlet rather than a book. Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts of scripture. The book of esther is rather odd because it is the only book of the bible in which the name of god appears to be missing martin luther considered excluding it from the bible for this reason 1. The book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. I read this book while pregnant with my third child, and i will never look at naming a child the same way again. Waldman and appeared in volume one of the graphic canon, edited by russ kick and published by seven stories press.
The name of god is hidden several times in acrostics in the book of esther. There are those who want to say that the book of esther is neither inspired nor beneficial but is simply a beautiful legend. Neither mordecai, esther, nor the feast of purim is mentioned. Hidden acrostics an acrostic is when the initial letter of each line spells out a word, and it can be used as a mechanism for including a hidden message. There are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus. The lord gave me that very book to read yesterday as i waited in our car for my wife to do attend to some administrative works. The book of esther never mentions god by name, there is never the word prayer uttered, and the only spiritual discipline that is mentioned is fasting but that never says anything about prayer and fasting.
Satan s work through the nephilim of which hamaan was a descendent was continuing, and thus satan was working to destroy the jewish nation and hinder the fulfillment of the promise of. This summary of the book of esther provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of esther. This fact has caused some to question its place in the biblical canon, but, in reality, the absence of gods name fits. It is a syroarabian modification of the persian word satarah, which means a star. In this way, the book offers a stance of profound faith michael v. When a statement is made by mordecai who is a symbol of the holy spirit gods name is found as the first letter of the first few words of the scripture. This fact has caused some to question its place in the biblical canon, but, in reality, the absence of gods name fits perfectly with the theme of the book. According to most scholars, the name esther is derived from the mesopotamian goddess ishtar andor the persian word stara, star the book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of marduk, a. Dec 25, 2011 perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing. For the religion of the jews, god appears as a character in the national book, the hebrew bible. Perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing. This has led some modern scholars to claim that the book was originally intended as a purely secular history. Hiervoor voert zij met name het volgende bewijsmateriaal aan.
This question has been a source of controversy for centuries. Unlike the many other books in the bible, throughout whole book of esther, the word god is not mentioned once. He was the son of darius the great and reigned from 486465 b. The fate of gods chosen people is at the very center of the story, but god seems to remain in the shadows. The hidden face of the lamb of god in esther is the lord jesus. In esther, god providentially uses two exiled israelites to rescue his. And in fact, the whole story of esther is a bit like a game of hide and seek first of all, you may have noticed that god himself is hiding in the book of esther he is not mentioned at all. The book of esther is one of two biblical books that never mention god. Without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages. Far from being secular, esther pushes us to look at our own lives and consider how god might be actively working behind the scenes, even in the face of great threat or tragedy, to accomplish his good and perfect purposes. Aug 15, 2018 it is true that god is not mentioned at all in the book of esther, but then again it is. The story of esther is one of drama and excitement that depicts heroes and villains.
The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third. Ahasuerus kingdom is referred to 26 times in the book of esther. Martin luther favored eliminating it from the bible on this basis. He ruled over a vast empire that extended from india to ethiopia.
Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the. The book covers a period of about 12 years, falling somewhere between the events recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of ezra. The book of esther in hebrew is secular in nature, in that the name of god, the temple, and prayer are not mentioned. How can a book which fails to mention not only the name of god, but also prayer, worship, the coming messiah, heaven, hell or faith, be included in the canon of the old testament. A story of the providence of god in a pagan land page 4 introduction to the book the book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention the name of god. The silence of god doesnt mean the absence of god and so it is in the book of esther, where gods never mentioned by name, but he is inferred. Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the time that mordecai saved the kings life esther 6.
Watch our overview video on the book of esther, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Gods name is not even mentioned once in the book of esther. The book demonstrates how god works in the lives of his people, both then. The name esther is a girls name of persian origin meaning star esther was derived from the old persian word stara, meaning star. For traditional jewish commentators, the absence of god s name did not mean that god was absent from the book. Using a word play with the name esther and the hebrew word for hide astir, the talmud connects the narrative of esther to the prophecy in deuteronomy. H ere are 5 important lessons that i learned from the book of esther silence doesnt mean its not there. The fate of gods chosen people is at the very center of the story, but god seems to. But many of the things that happen in the book could not be just luck. Why doesnt the book of esther directly mention god.
Esther the book of esther is one of the most beautiful stories in all literature. Mordecai and esther act in faith throughout the book. The book of esther 6 powerful life lessons from the bible. Weve also compiled some resources for you to use as you study. In fact, gods name is not mentioned once, though his influence permeates the narrative. The book of esther is one of only two books in the hebrew bible that never mention god the other is the song of songs. This is really a booklet or pamphlet rather than a book. One distinguishing characteristic is that its the only biblical book that does not mention god by name.
Note that this was not a form of secret bible code but of literary composition. Still today, the book is read in its entirety in synagogues. Dear students of gods word, there is a study by professor e. The image of god that appears in the national, canonical book. For the same reason we have the divine title the god of heaven as characterizing the book ezranehemiah. Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark tabata. Even though gods name is never mentioned by name or directly referenced, its evident that his presence is. In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people. In the old testament, esther, originally named hadassah, was the captured jewish wife of the king of persia who risked her life to save her exiled people from annihilation. Satans work through the nephilim of which hamaan was a descendent was continuing, and thus satan was working to destroy the jewish nation and hinder the fulfillment of the promise of a redeemer.
This passage on the book of esther is a symbol from god on how all things for our beautiful lord have requirements and a process. Indeed, there is no direct reference to god at all. The coincidences, the amazing reversals, and the poetic justice that led to the deliverance of the jews in persia all proclaim the presence of god. Why does the book of esther never mention god by name. The hidden name of god in esther randy white ministries. We dont know for sure if mordecai had gods promises to abraham and david in mind when he claimed that the jews would be delivered es 4. Dec 22, 2017 why does the book of esther never mention god by name. Jul 18, 2018 the name esther gives us another clue. This is like a special funfact not many people notice about the book of esther. Well put on gospel lenses and examine the text for the fingerprints of god together. Messianic symbols, message in the book of esther hallel. The book of esther has 167 verses there are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus.
Yet actually, god is mentioned throughout the account. According to most scholars, the name esther is derived from the mesopotamian goddess ishtar andor the persian word stara, star the book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of marduk, a babylonian god. For example, when esther asks the jews to fast, we can assume this included prayer est. It has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. Jul 23, 2017 in this way, the book offers a stance of profound faith michael v. For any bible student who has wondered why the name of god is not mentioned in the old. The lord our god is one lord 167 is the 39th prime number.
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