Introduction:

The book of Esther is primarily about two cousins - Mordecai and Esther - living as Jewish people in exile in the capital of the Persian empire. And it’s a book full of ironic, “just so happens” reversals.

It starts off talking about the greatness of the Persian King Ahaseurus, and ends talking about the greatness of a humble Jew named Mordecai. It starts with Mordecai and Esther hiding their Jewish identity, and ends with them showing courage. The villain named Haman gets promoted to second in command, but then Mordecai takes his place. Haman decrees that all the Jewish people in the empire should be killed, but they end up being saved. What starts as sorrow turns to joy, and what starts as mourning turns into celebration. And the whole story turns on one moment of trust and bravery from Mordecai and his cousin Esther, the Jewish queen over the Persian empire.

Esther 4:13-16

13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

The whole story gets summarized in Esther 9:1: “Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred.”

The crazy thing about all these ironic reversals? The name of God is never mentioned in the entire book. He never speaks throughout the entire story. Why? Because when you’re in exile, God often feels silent.

Question 1

Have you ever been through a season where it felt like God was silent? What was that experience like?

Question 2

One thing that the example of Mordecai and Esther teaches us is that when God feels silent, you have to trust what he’s said. Mordecai embodies this when he tells Esther, “Relief and deliverance will come.” He knows God’s promises, and he trusts them deeply, even in the midst of the silence.

If you’ve ever felt like God was silent, were there any promises from Scripture you held onto? If you feel like God is silent right now, what are some promises you can hold onto in this current season? Feel free to take some time to help/encourage each other.

Question 3

Another thing this story teaches us is that when we trust in God’s promises, it doesn’t create passivity - it creates courage. Esther goes into the presence of the king, armed with the strength of God’s promises, with the courageous statement, “If I perish, I perish.” What are the real-life situations that are requiring courage from you right now? How can you step into those situations with courage this week?