1. SESSION 1: LIFESTYLES OF THE RICH AND FOOLISH

2. THE FIRST THREE KINGS OF PERSIA: CYRUS  DARIUS  XERXES

4.  SOME UNIQUE FEATURES… 1.The Book of Esther and ______________are the only writings named after women. 2. The Book of Esther and ________________are the only writings that are set entirely outside the ‘promised land. ’ 3. The Book of Esther and ________________________are the only writings in which God is never mentioned. 4. The Book of Esther opens with a banquet and ends with the feast of ___________. Ruth

5.  THREE PARTIES IN PERSIA Read Esther 1:1-9 1. Who was Xerxes? The third King of the Persian Empire; also called Ahasuerus 2. Who was invited to the ‘Imperial Party’ (vs.1-4)? Military Leaders, Princes, Nobles and Officials of the 127 Provinces 3. What is the purpose of a banquet that lasted 180 days? It was a six-month summit for the strategic planning of the invasion of Greece

6. 4. Who was invited to the ‘Palace Party’ (vs. 5-8)? All the people in the Citadel of Susa 5. What is the purpose of this shorter, 7 day feast? It is a “Pep Rally” and extravagant celebration of an anticipated victory Some historians suggest that this might be the wedding feast between the King and his new Queen 6. How are the citadel of Susa and the gardens of the king’s palace described? Over the top! The point is obviously to show the excesses of the king ---pleasure with no restrictions.

7. 7. Who is invited to the “Queen’s Party” and how is it described (vs. 9)? It is a non-descript banquet for the women held in the king’s royal palace It probably includes the women of the king’s harem  THE CONSULTATION OF THE KING Read Esther 1:10-22 1.On the last day of these “parties,” how is King Xerxes described? …in high spirits, with wine (aka: wasted)

8. 2. What does the king command and to whom? He orders his 7 eunuchs to go fetch his wife in order to show her off to everyone 3. Why does Queen Vashti refuse the king’s command? The text doesn’t tell us. It could be speculated that she did not want to be paraded around in an undignified manner. 4. How does the king react to the queen’s refusal and what does he do? He goes from merry to mad and calls for help from his 7 ‘wise guys’

9. He is humiliated because his wife will not obey him. Here is was trying to get faithful supporters for his war and he cannot get his own wife to join his banquet. He is a king with all of his wealth and power and friends, but he cannot command his wife. It is really quite humorous and I believe the writer is intentionally trying to get us to laugh at the king’s dilemma. – John MacArthur 5. What is the concern of the nobles as expressed by Memukan? That a women’s liberation movement will break out in the Empire 6. What did the “experts in matters of law and justice” propose to the king? Make a law! Banish the queen and spread the news throughout the Empire These foolish men of wealth and power turn a domestic dispute into a national fiasco

10. 7. What is the royal decree and how is it implemented? An unchangeable edict that removes the title of queen from Vashti and a proclamation that all women should obey their husbands It is translated into various languages and literally sent via “pony express” to all parts of the empire Now everyone knows about the king’s embarrassment and the queen’s courage  CONSULATION FOR A DEFLATED KING Read Esther 2:1-7 1. How much time is “later” regarding the king’s fury? Altogether it has been about 4 years since the removal of Queen Vashti

11. The king has led a 2 year campaign against the Greeks and lost in some of the most famous battles in history 2. As the king remembers Vashti, what do his attendants propose? To hold a beauty contest for new queen to cheer him up 3. How does the king respond to the advice? He finds it “appealing” so he followed it

12. 4. Now aside from all the opening drama, what else is in the citadel of Susa? Two Jews Mordecai, of the tribe of Benjamin, first taken into Babylonian captivity by Nebuchadnezzar. Hadassah, a beautiful young orphan and cousin of Mordecai. Given the Persian name ESTHER In the opening of the book of Esther, a storyline is set. We see a proud and excessive king, a foolish consort of noble advisors, a deposed queen, a petty national law and finally the introduction of two Jews….from here the plot will pivot and twist in unexpected directions.

13.  A COMPARISON OF TWO KINGS While in captivity in Babylon, Daniel prophesied about the 4 nations that would rise to power before the coming of the Messiah (Dan. 2:32-33). BABYLON  PERSIA  GREECE  ROME XERXESJESUS Had Dominion – 127 Provinces (Esth 1:1) Eph. 1:22 … Had a Royal Throne (Susa, Elam, Persepolis) (Esth 1:2) Rev. 5:13 … Had Banquets (Esth. 1:3,5) Rev. 19:9 … Has Great Wealth (Esth. 1:4,6) Rom. 9:23 … Had Authority to Command Esth. 1:8-10 Matt. 28:18 … … All things under his feet …An eternal throne in Heaven …A wedding feast in Heaven …Riches of His Glory …All authority in Heaven & Earth