ESTHER.
§ I.
ESTHER
BECOMES
QUEEN OF
PERSIA.
i. 1-ii. 23.
1. The King Holds a Council and Gives a Feast.
i. 1-9.
- Who was Ahasuerus? Cf. Rawlinson.
- What the purpose of this assembly?
4, 5.
- Why did it continue so long?
- Why was the feast held in the court of the garden?
5.
- How was this turned into a dining hall?
5-9.
- Why the rule about drinking?
2. The Queen Degraded.
10-22.
- Why her refusal?
12.
- Meaning of, "saw the king's face"?
14.
- Were the princes sincere?
17, 18.
3. A Device for Procuring Another Queen.
ii. 1-4.
4. Mordecai and Esther.
5-11.
- What was Mordecai's motive?
- Why the eunuch's partiality?
9.
- How could Mordecai hear about Esther?
11.
5. Esther Is Chosen.
12-20.
- Why the purification? and why so long?
12.
- Difference between the two houses?
13, 14.
- Time since the degradation of Vashti?
16, cf. i. 3.
- What great historical event in the interval? See Rawlinson.
- Meaning of, "made a release"?
18.
- Why her nation not made known?
20.
- Why continue to obey Mordecai?
20.
[142]
6. Mordecai Saves the King's Life.
21-23.
- Meaning of, "sat in the king's gate"?
21.
- How did he communicate with Esther?
22.
- Why did he not report directly to the king?
§ II.
HAMAN
MAKES A
PLOT TO
EXTERMINATE THE
JEWS.
iii. 1-v. 14.
1. His Promotion and His Purpose Formed.
iii. 1-6.
- Meaning of Agagite?
1.
- Why Mordecai's contempt and disobedience?
2.
- Why wish to kill as for the offense of one?
6.
2. A Day Selected, and the Decree Issued.
7-15.
- On what did they cast lots? and why?
7, cf. 13.
- Did Haman tell the truth about the laws of the Jews?
8.
- Whence the silver to come?
9, cf. 11.
- Why give the ring?
10, cf. Gen. xli. 42.
- What kind of "posts"?
13.
- Why was the city Shushan "perplexed"?
15.
3. Mordecai Mourns, and Informs Esther.
iv. 1-9.
- Why this public outcry?
1.
- Why was the decree not already known to Esther?
5, 7.
- Why send her a copy of the decree?
8.
4. Esther Is Persuaded to Petition the King.
10-17.
- What the purpose of this law?
11.
- Why could not she escape?
13.
- Why think that relief would come?
14.
- Did he now think her promotion providential?
14.
- Why the fasting?
16, cf. Neh. i. 4.
- What was her motive in taking the risk?
5. Esther Is Accepted and Invites the King and Haman to a
Banquet.
v. 1-8.
[143]
- Why not state her request at once?
- Why invite Haman?
6. A Plot against Mordecai.
9-14.
§ III.
THE
DOWNFALL OF
HAMAN AND THE
DELIVERANCE
OF THE
JEWS.
vi. 1-x. 3.
1. Mordecai Is Honored, and Haman Is Distressed.
vi. 1-14.
- Why could not the king sleep?
1.
- Why resort to reading?
- Why a crown on the horse?
8.
- Why the remark of Zeresh?
13.
2. Haman Exposed and Hanged.
vii. 1-10.
- Why did the king take a walk?
7.
- Why cover his face? and why so quick?
8.
- What prompted Harbonah's remark?
9.
- Why so prompt an execution?
10.
3. Mordecai in Haman's Place, and Another Petition Granted.
viii. 1-8.
- Why was Mordecai promoted?
1, 2.
4. A New Decree Is Issued.
9-17.
- Why were the king's scribes called?
9.
- How much time was left?
9, cf. iii. 12, 13.
- Why not reverse the first decree? Cf.
8.
- Whom were the Jews authorized to slay?
11.
- Why Shushan so well pleased?
15.
- How could many become Jews?
17.
5. The Jews Destroy Their Enemies.
ix. 1-19.
- Why ask for another day in Shushan?
13.
- What hanging [144]
of Haman's sons? and why?
14.
- Effect on the subsequent condition of the Jews?
6. The Feast of Purim Instituted.
20-32.
- Why mention two days?
21, cf. 17, 18.
- Why the feast called Purim?
26.
- Perpetuity of its observance?
7. The Power of Ahasuerus and the Glory of Mordecai.
x. 1-3.
- How does Mordecai compare with Daniel?
- What other record of his career?
2.
- What became of Ahasuerus? [He was assassinated by the captain of his
guard, B. C. 465.]
REVIEW.
ESTHER.
- Relative time of Esther's career and those of Ezra and Nehemiah?
- What the date B. C. of the reign of Xerxes? [Ans. 486-465.]
- Show the crisis of Jewish history brought about by Haman's decree?
- By what means was their extermination prevented?
- What was the effect on the subsequent condition of the Jews?
- What was the cause of Haman's decree?
- Why did Mordecai refuse to honor him?
- Why did the other princes inform Haman of Mordecai's refusal?
- How did Mordecai obtain authority to issue his decree?
- What was the immediate cause of his promotion?
- How had he escaped the gallows which Haman had erected?
- Suppose that Haman had [145]
come to the king a few minutes earlier? or that the reader had been a
few minutes later in reading the account of Mordecai's deed?
- What would have been the result, if Esther had refused to go to the king?
- What, if she had not been queen?
- What, if Mordecai had not presented her as an applicant?
- What, if Vashti had not been degraded?
- Trace the chain of providence from the king's feast to the deliverance of
the Jews.
- Does the fact that God is not named in the book conceal his providence?
- How does this story compare with that of Joseph, as an exhibition of
providence?
[CNSH2 142-146]
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