3. 1.As a result of the kings power, he gets whatever he wants. 2.Beauty definitely plays a major role, but this is no miss America contest. 3.Question: No good Jew would be a part of such a thing would they?

4. 1.The author wants us to make an association between Mordecai and King Saul who was known as man more concerned with how others saw him than with God. 2.Mordecais name means worshipper of Marduk

5. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the kings palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans….

6. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego.

7. 1.The author wants us to make an association between Mordecai and King Saul who was known as man more concerned with how others saw him than with God. 2.Mordecais name means worshipper of Marduk 3.His name tells us about His identity, who he was and where his allegiance lies.

8. 4.Esther is the name of the Babylonian goddess of love and war 5.Esthers two names reflects that she is living in two separate worlds and there is a tension between them.

9. 1.Did Esther only eat what God has said was okay to eat? 2.The Queen contest is really a one night stand with the King. What will Esther do? 3.Esther spends the night with a man who not only is not her husband, but who also is not one of Gods people. 4.Their decisions are fear based rather than focused on trusting God.

10. 1.How much we are driven by fear or by what others think? 2.How we respond really boils down to our identity, who we truly are.