Babylon Conquers Israel. Before the time of Esther the Babylonians were the world power and they had carried the Jews off into captivity. The Babylonians took the cream of the crop. Think Daniel…. the best, the smartest, the good looking Jews in Israel.
Jews Released to return to Israel. In 538 BC Cyrus (after a 70 yr exile) issued a decree that said the Jews could go back to their homeland. Not all of them went. In fact only 60,000 of 2 million Jews returned. Many had grown comfortable in the Babylonian Empire so they didn’t go back.
Persia Conquers Babylon. Later Persia conquers Babylon. Persia was the strongest world power. Xerxes (Greek name) was the king. In your Bible it might say Ahasuerus.
Esther’s Time. Now it’s 50 years later and a group of Jews remains in Persia – the Diaspora – the dispersed.
3 comments:
Hello Katherine,
Thank you so much for opening your house for this study. I'm having so much fun coloring my Bible! I'm wondering if we will we have other words to highlight in the future. I have found it interesting how often the number 7 has come up (7 advisors to King, 7 days) and how much time elapsed between the different chapters. Another interesting thing is how the word 'wine' shows up and how the king often seems to make decisions "under the influence". Can't wait for next Thursday night!
Michele
Yes! There will be more words to color. The whole idea of the Inductive Method is for each person to find those on your own. I have given you a sneak preview of some to dig for... but if you find something significant... and there usually is if it's repeated... then color away!
~ Katherine
Hi..my name is Monica Campos and I will be a new member to your group starting tomorrow night. I’m a friend of Julie Ray, the “adorable realtor” you referred to in this blog.
Wow! I can't believe how much I'm into this study! I find myself picking up my Bible every spare moment. I want to delve further and further into Esther. I've not done an inductive Bible study before, and so far I really like the process.
Now about the painting….I saw the original when it was on exhibit at the Blanton Art Museum in 2006. At that time, I had not studied the Book of Esther and although I found the painting to be a beautiful piece of art, I didn’t connect with it like I do now. What touches me most about it is the gentle way King Xerxes cradles Esther’s right elbow in the palm of his hand. I wonder…is he helping Esther up after she presented herself to him with a bow? Also, the look on Esther’s face appears to be one of gratitude – almost as if she is relieved. Can you imagine…coming from the life of a teenage orphan having experienced so much heartache, and being presented, along with many other “girls”, to a king so he can decide whether you will be the next queen?! What must have been going through her mind? Especially when she was keeping such a deep secret about being Jewish. God truly does have a plan for all of us and the Book of Esther is proof once again of His commitment and faithfulness to us. Are we as faithful to Him? Do we live each day trusting Him to lead the way in our lives?
Thank you Kathy for your time and effort in offering this study, for including those of us who are not members of your church, and for opening up your heart and home to us. I look forward to meeting everyone tomorrow night!
Post a Comment