Thursday Bible Study

[Read Esther 9:1-19] How have things changed dramatically from earlier chapters of this book? What is stopping the enemies of the Jews from trying to continue with Haman's plan? Verses 5-10 echo back to the days of Joshua, when the Israelites were fighting for the Promised Land. How are these two scenes similar? How are they different? Esther has yet another request of King Xerxes, but this time the set-up is different. This time the king comes to her. Why is this significant? What is it that Queen Esther requests of the king? Where the Jews able to defend themselves and find joy in how things had gone for them? How did they defend themselves? How did they express their joy?

What turn of events do we find as begin chapter eight of Esther? Starting in verse 3, what request does Esther make of the King? Does King Xerxes grant Esther her request? Why or why not? As Esther is given the signet ring, documents pre-signed by the king and the ability to construct her own edict. What could Esther have done in this situation? How might she have reacted to all of this? How does she react? In the light of the king's decision and Esther's reactions, in verses 15-17, how well is this story turning out for Mordecai?

Even after all that went on, in the previous chapter, between Haman and Mordecai...Haman still goes the banquet with King Xerxes and Esther. Why? How willing is the king to hear and answer Esther's request? Why? In verses 3-4, Esther gives her request at the banquet. What is her request? At what point did Esther expose Haman as the adversary? How might you have expected the king to respond? Does the king rise to Haman's defence? Why or why not? Haman has two options in this scene; he can go after the king and try to make him see his point of view, or he can stay and work on Esther. What does Haman chose to do and why? When the king returns, what assumptions does he jump to? In a twist of fate, what do we discover is happening to Haman at the end of this chapter?