Esther
Weekly
Reading
Week
Two – Chapter Two
Read
Chapter 2
Between
chapters 1 & 2 there is a lapse of about 4 years time, when Ahasuerus went
off on his expedition against Greece .
The feast that he had was the feast in preparation of his unsuccessful invasion
of Greece
and before two of the great battles of history.
Chapter 2 introduces one of the women taken for beauty pageant, a
beautiful Jewish girl named Hadassah. Her name was changed to Esther when she
was brought to the king’s court.
Esther received favor from everyone who saw her, especially the
king (verses 15-17). The king selected Esther to be his new queen, but Mordecai
counseled her to not reveal the fact that she was a Jew, because Jews were
still held in some suspicion throughout the Persian Empire.
Shortly after she became queen, a seemingly unrelated incident
is recorded in Esther 2:21-23. Two men plotted to kill the king, but
Mordecai became aware of the plot and had Esther reveal it to the king. The two
men were hanged, and the incident was recorded in the king’s personal history.
This incident turns out to have a great deal to do with the rest of the story.
Going Deeper Proverbs 31:10-31, John 10:27-29, Hebrews 6:10-12
Questions
When did King Xerxes “remember” Vashti (v. 1)?
What specific steps were proposed in verses 3-5 toward the
selection of a new queen?
Who was Hegai and what were some of his responsibilities?
What facts does Esther 2:5-7 tell about Mordecai and Esther?
Why might Mordecai have wanted Esther’s Judaism kept secret?
What three responses from Xerxes led to Esther’s queenship? Read
Esther 2:17-18 in the New American Standard Bibles’ translation.
What happened after Queen Esther gave Mordecai credit for
exposing the plot?
Click here for a printable version of Week 2.
Click here for a printable version of Week 2.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing,
Cheryl
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