Survey Books of History Old Testament
There are 12 Books of Old testament History.
BOOK OF JOSHUA
Joshuas farewell
Joshua in Hebrew means Jehovah saves. same as Jesus the Greek version.
Joshua and Caleb are the only 2 survivers of the 40 years in the desert except for Moses. They were the 2 spies that believed that the God would enable the Israelites to possess the land of Canaan-the land of promise to Abraham.
Moses, before he dies, appoints Joshua to lead the Children of Israel into the promised land.
Joshua’s empowerment:
Joshua Ch.1:1-3. The Lord spoke unto Joshua-Go with the people into the land which I give them.
God’s promise-Ch.1:5-6. “There shall no man be able to stand before thee.”
“The Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day & night …” Ch.1:8
Outline of the book of Joshua.
Joshua’s commission.
Entry into Canaan.
Mission of the spies-Rahab the harlot shelters the spies and becomes a woman of great faith joins the lineage of Christ.
Preparation for a holy war.
Crossing the Jordan River.
Encampment at Gilgal.
Conquest of Canaan.
The divine command.
First stage-Jericho.
Second stage-southern campaign.
Third stage-northern campaign.
Division of the land.
The two and half tribes east of Jordan.
Caleb and Judah.
Ephraim & Manassah
The 7 tribes.
Cities of refuge-3 east & 3 west of Jordan.
Cities of the Levites-35. Cities for the Priests-13. Total 48 cities.
Return of the two & one-half tribes to east of the Jordan River-conquest complete.
Joshua’s last days.
First address-Joshua 23:8 “Cleave unto the Lord your God…” If ye serve other gods … ye shall perish from the good land which He hath given you. vs.16.
Second address-Joshua 24:15. “Choose you this day whom you wii serve, as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua’s death and burial.
JUDGES
Overview:
Names of the men and one woman who delivered God’s judgement against Israel’s enemies.
Dates of the Judges: 1400 to 1000 B.C.
The problems defined-Ch. 2:8-15-After Joshua died “there arose another generation which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel … And they forsook the Lord and served Baal and Ashtaroth … and the Lord gave them into the hands of their enemies”.
God’s solution-Ch. 2:16 “Never the less the Lord raised up Judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.”
OTHNIEL Judges Ch3:7-11.
He was the young brother of Caleb.
“The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord … and he sold them into the hands of the king of Mesopotamia”.
“When they cried unto the Lord He raised up a deliverer … Othniel … and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he prevailed and God delivered the King of Mesopotamia into his hand.”
And the land rested 40 years.
EHUD. Judges Ch. 3:12-30.
The children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord.
Eglon the king of Moab and the children of Ammon and Amalek smote Israel, and the Children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab 18 years.
When the children of Israel cried unto the Lord the Lord raised up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera.
Ehud smote Eglon with a sword with his left hand, gathered a troop of Israelites, attacked and slew 10,000 Moabites.
And the land rested 80 years.
DEBORAH and BARAK. Judges 4;1-9, 13-24 and Ch. 5:1-31.
The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord and he sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan who oppressed them for 20 years.
The Prophetess Debra tells Barak “The Lord has commanded thee to go fight Sisera the captain of Jabin’s army and chariots.’ Barak says I will go only if you go with me. She said I will. This is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into thy hands.
The army of Sisera is defeated. Sisera escapes, hides in the tent of Jael Heber’s wife. He falls asleep and she kills him by driving a nail into his temples.
Deborah’s song: amazing elaborate historic details that concludes with: So let all thine enemies perish O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.”
And the land had rest forty years.
GIDEON and the MIDIANITES. Judges Ch. 6-8.
Gideon also named Jerubbaal. He was the son of Joash. Joash had become a worshiper of Baal. Jerubbaal means the Lord contends-Baal contends.
Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and He delivered them into the hand of the Midianites. vs.1.
When the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord sent a Prophet who said I am the Lord your God, fear not the gods of the Ammorites but ye have not obeyed my voice. Ch. 6:7-10.
An Angel of the Lord came and sat under an oak tree where Gideon was threshing wheat and said unto him “the Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor” Ch. 6:12.
Gideon’s response: “Oh my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why is this befallen us. Where are all the miracles which our fathers told us of….”
The Lord’s response: “Go in this thy might and thou shalt save Israel from the Midianites…I shall be with thee.”
Gideon’s response: “show me a sign.” Gideon brought a kid & unleavened bread an offering to the Lord. The Angel of the Lord touched the flesh and a fire rose from the rock and consumed the sacrifice. Gideon says I have seen the Angel of the Lord, I shall surely die.
The Lord said to him-thou shall not die. vs. Ch. 6:23.
The Lord said to him that same night “Take thy father’s young bullock and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath and cut down the grove by it, and build an altar to the Lord thy God upon this rock and offer a sacrifice” Ch. 6:25-26. This was a rebuke for his father having turned from the God of Israel to Baal.
The men of the city find out that the altar of Baal was cast down, find out it was Gideon that did this and want to kill him. His father says let Baal plead for himself if he be a god. Gideon’s father having second thoughts about Baal.
The Midianites & Amalekites gather to war against Israel.
The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. He gathers the fighting men of the tribes of Israel. Ch. 6:34. Gideon asks a sign of the Lord-the fleece of wool twice. Ch. 6:37-40. God responds to his requests.
God instructs Gideon to reduce the number of fighting men of Israel to 300. Ch. 7:6.
Gideon defeats the enemies of Israel in a remarkable way. The Israelites ask Gideon to rule over them. He says “I will not rule over you nor my son or son’s son. The Lord shall rule over you” Ch. 8:23.
The midianites were subdued before Israel…and the land was in quietness 40 years in the days of Gideon.
Gideon made a mistake: he asked “every man to give him the earrings of his prey” Ch.8:24. Gideon made an ephod with the gold earrings and put it his city and “all Israel went thither a whoring after it which thing became a snare unto Gideon and to his house” Ch. 8:27.
Gideon made another mistake. Ch. 8:30-31. He had 70 sons for he had many wives. He also had a concubine in Shechem that bare him a son he named Abimelech.
Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal. Judges Ch. 9.
He was the son of Gideon(Jerubbaal) by a harlot in Schechem. After Gideon died Abimelech went to the people of Shechem to declare himself King rather any of Gideons 70 sons. He went to the house of Gideon and slew his bretheren-69 of Gideon’s sons, but Jotham the youngest escaped-vs.5.
The people of Shchem declare Abimelech king-vs. 6.
God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Schechem vs 23.
Abimelech came to the tower of Schechem to fight against it. A woman on top of the tower cast a millstone the struck Abimelech on the head. He asked his armourbearer to draw his sword and slay him so that it would not be said that a woman slew him. vs. 53-54.
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech…for he had slain Jerubbal(Gideon’s) 70 sons. vs.56.
JEPHTHA the Gileadite-Judges Ch. 11.
Mighty man of valour. The son of a harlot. His father was Gilead.
Gilead’s other sons cast him out and said thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house for thou art the son of a strange woman.
The children of Ammon made war against Israel. The elders of Gilead went to Jephtha and asked him to be their captain & fight against the Ammonites. Come be our head.
The Ammonites accused the Israelites of taking their land which was false.
The Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephtha. He vowed that if God delivered the Ammonites into his hands, he would offer “whatsoever came out of his house to greet him when he returns as a burnt offering.” vs.31.
After his victory his daughter, his only child ran out to meet him. vs.34. He rent his clothes. His daughter said father do what you vowed to the Lord but give me 2 months to bewail my virginity. After 2 months he did with her what he vowed.
It became a custom in Israel that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephtha 4 days a year.
After Jephtha, three judges are named: Ibzan of Bethlehem, Elon a Zebulonite, and Abdon the son of Hilel are named.
SAMSON son of Manoah of the tribe of Dan. Judges Ch. 13-16.
Wife of Manoah was barren. The Angel of the Lord appeared to her and promised her a “son to be a Nazerite and no razor shall come on his head and he shall deliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines.” Ch.13:3-5.
The woman bare a son, called his name Samson…and the Lord blessed him.
Samson marries a Philistine woman.
Samson kills a young lion Ch. 14:5-6.
He slew 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass Ch.15:15.
Samson falls in love with Delilah another Palestinian woman. After three attempts to find out the secret of his strength he tells her “I am a Nazerite unto God…if I be shaven my strength will go from me…She made him sleep on her knees, called for a man to shave the 7 locks on his head and his strength went from him.”Ch. 16:17-19.
The Philistines put out his eyes and made him grind in a prison house. The hair of his head began to grow again.
The Philistines have a temple celebration asking Samson to make them sport. There were 3000 people on the roof. Samson asks a lad to stand him by the pillars of the temple. Ch.16:25-28.
Samson calls on the name of the Lord, took hold of the middle pillars that the house stood on. “Samson said let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might and the house fell upon all the people. “So the dead which he slew in his death were more than he slew in his life.” Ch.16:28-30.
THE BOOK OF RUTH
Elimelek and Naomi of Bethlehem.
Elimelek take his family to Moab because of famine. Did not depend on God.
Elimelek dies.
The sons marry Moabite women-Orpah and Ruth. Did not follow God’s instruction. Both sons die.
Naomi is now alone. She plans to return to the land of Israel and tells her daughters in law to return to their families.
Orpa returns to her family.
Ruth cleaves to Naomi and says “your people shall be my people and thy God my God”. Ch.1:16. The faith od Naomi has influenced Ruth.
Naomi returns to Bethlehem at the time of barley harvest. God’s timing.
In Bethlehem Ruth continues to be faithful to Naomi.
Ruth asks Naomi “let me go & glean ears of corn after him whose site I shall find grace” Ch.1:2
She ends up at the field of Boaz, Elimelech’s kinsman. He welcomes her and compliments her on her faithfulness to Naomi.
He says to her: “The Lord recompense thy work and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wing thou art come to trust.” Ch.2:12.
Naomi instructs Ruth to reach out to Boaz (go to his tent while he is asleep) and ask him to redeem the parcel of land that was Elimelech’s according to the law of Moses. To do so he would have to marry Ruth. He agrees. Ch. 3.
Boaz marries Ruth, she gives birth to a son named Obed. Naomi becomes his nurse.
Obed is the father of Jesse the father of King David.
Ruth becomes one of the four Gentile women in the genealogy of Jesus: Tamar of Canaan, Rahab of Jericho, Ruth of Moab and Bathsheba wife of Uriah the Hittite(Matthew Ch.1).
GOD MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS HIS WONDERS TO PERFORM.
FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL
Samuel means “asked of God”. First of 4 books of the kingdom. Authors-Samuel, Nathan and Gad. Records kept with the Ark of the Covenant.
Samuel started the schools of the prophets.
Chronology:
Samuel born 1090 B.C.
Samuel called of God. 1080 B.C.
Eli the High Priest dies, Samuel becomes Judge. 1070 B.C.
Saul begins to reign. 1040 B.C.
Samuel dies. 1015 B.C.
King Saul killed. David reigns over Judah. 1010 B.C.
David King over all Israel. 1003 B.C.
Chapter 1. Birth of Samuel to Elkanah, a Levite, and Hannah his baren wife. She had “wept and cried to the Lord: if Thou gives me a man child I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.” Ch. 1:10-11. God gave her a son who she named Samuel. When he was born Hannah dedicates Samuel to the Lord after he was weaned. God also gave her 3 other boys & 2 girls.
Hannah’s amazing prayer: Chapter 2:1-10.
The High Priest Eli’s wicked sons Hophni and Phinehas stole from the sacrifices and laid with the women that came to the tabernacle. Eli pleaded with them but did not remove them from the priesthood.
Visit of the Man of God to Eli: your sons will die in one day and there shall be no old man in thy house and I will raise up a faithful priest. Ch.2:27-35.
Samuel ministers in the Tabernacle at Shilo. The Lord calls to Samuel 3 times. The 4 th time Samuel recognizes the Lord’s voice and says “Speak Lord for thy servant heareth.” And the Lord was with him and he did not let any of the words of the Lord fall to the ground.”Ch.3:10&19.
Attack and victory of the Philistines: They killed Hophni & Phinehas. Ch.4 and took the Ark of the Covenent and placed it in the house of Dagon their idol. The next day they find Dagon fallen on his face before the Ark. Ch. 5
Eli dies at age 98 years. He judged Israel for 40 years.
Samuel’s leadeship-Judges Israel for 30 years. He defeated the Philistines. Was circuit judge from Shilo to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpa. When he got old he appointed his sons judges over Israel but his sons “ walked not in his way but turned aside after lucre, took bribes and perverted judgement.” Ch.8:3
King Saul.
Israel demands a king-to be like other nations. Samuel very unhappy with this request but God permits it reluctantly.
Samuel meets Saul as he is looking for his father’s lost donkeys. God had told Samuel “tomorrow I will send thee a man of Benjamin and thou shall annoint him captain over my people…” Ch.9:16.
Saul is king for 40 years.
His son Jonathan is a good man and a good general.
Saul’s sin:
Saul offered a sacrifice violating God’s law. Ch.13:10-11.
Saul was commanded to “go and smite Amalek and destroy all they have…” Ch.15:3.
Saul spared Agag their king and let the people “take best of the sheep & oxen to offer a sacrifice unto the Lord”
Samuel said “The Lord has rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day and has given it to a neighbor of thine…” vs. 28.
David’s preparation:
Anointed by Samuel “ and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward”. Ch.16:13. David the youngest of 8 sons of Jesse. The shepherd boy fron Bethlehem.
The Philistines led by Goliath gather to fight against the army of Saul. The army of Saul including David’s brothers are frightened.
Goliath mocks David. David says “I come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts…this day will the Lord deliver thee into my hand.” David puts a rock in his sling and strikes Goliath in the forehead and takes Goliath’s sword & cuts off his head.
David becomes a captain in Saul’s army and wins more battles than Saul.
David and Jonathan’s friendship.
Saul’s jealousy and hatred of David.
Death of Saul and his sons at Gibeon. Saul was king for 40 years
SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL
David becomes king over Judah for 7 years and 6 months at Hebron. There is strife between David and the house of Saul-Ishbosheth Saul’s son. Israel and Judah at war for 7 years. Ch.3.
Ishbosheth is murdered by 2 of his servants. They go and tell David. He has them executed.
David becomes king over all Israel. “The Elders of Israel came to David at Hebron… and anointed him King over Israel” Ch.5:1-3. David was 30 years old. He is king over all Israel for 30 years.
David defeats the Philistines and returns the Ark of the Covenent to Jerusalem.
David becomes the greatest king in the history of Israel.
David man after God’s own heart.
David makes preparation for building the temple. Prophet Nathan says your son will build the temple.
David also sinned-adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed.
He cofessed his sin and was forgiven.
God’s covenant with David: Ch.7:16-19. “Thy house and thy kingdom shall be established forever…” fulfilled in Jesus Christ the Messiah son od David.
David was Israel’s greatest poet and wrote most of the book of Psalms.
He was also a theologian and a prophet-he prophesied Jesus Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection.
1 KINGS
King David is old and ready to die. He says to his son Solomon “keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes and His commandments…” Ch.2:3.
Solomon’s dream in Gibeon: The Lord appears to him and says: “asks what I shall give thee.” Solomon says: “Give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people…” Ch.3:5-9.
Solomon”s first test: the 2 harlots claiming the surviving child. He says split the child in 2 and give each a half. Ch.3:16-28.
Solomon becomes king over all Israel. Ch.4:1.
Amazing wealth.
Great army-40,000 stalls of horses. 12,000 horseman.
Great learning-spoke 3,000 proverbs e.g. “bring up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
People from all over the world came to see and hear him including Queen of Sheba.
Solomon’s temple-First temple built for God. It took 7 years to build.
Solomon’s mistakes:
Had 700 wives and 300 concubines.
When he was old his wifes turned away his heart after other gods. Ch.11:3-4.
God’s punishment:
Stirred up enemies against him.
Jeroboam son of Nebat rebels against him then flees to Egypt.
Solomon dies-was king for 40 years.
Reheboam his son reigns.
Jeroboam returns from Egypt and with Elders of Israel confront Reheboam and ask him to lighten the yoke his father placed on them.
He refuses the council of the elders. He follows the council of the young men and says “my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your Yoke, my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions”… This was from the Lord to fulfill the saying of the prophet Ahijah. Ch.12:14-15.
The kingdom divided:
Reheboam reigned over Judah and Benjamin-the Southern Kingdom.
Jeroboam ruled over the 10 tribes-the Northern Kingdom. All the kings of the Northern kingdom were wicked.
Ahab the most wicked of the kings of Israel. Wife was evil Jezebel. Ch.16.
The prophet Elijah comes to Ahab and says “ As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be dew or rain these years, but according to my word.” Ch.17:1.
Elijah at the brook Cherith-fed by ravens.
To the widow of Zarephath-barrel of meal & cruse of oil lasted for three & a half years. Her son dies. Elijah raises her son.
God instructs Elijah in the third year to show himself to Ahab. Ch.18.
Elijah meets Obadiah the governor of Ahab’s house who was a Godly man that saved some of the prophets that Jezebel was killing. Ch.18:13.
Elijah meets Ahab. Elijah tells him to gather all Israel and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of the groves that eat at Jezebels table to mount Carmel to offer sacrifices.
The prophets of Baal cannot call down fire from heaven.
Elijah repairs the altar of the Lord that had been broken down, places the bull on the altar, prayed to God and the fire of the Lord came down & consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones & the water that had been poured on it. When the people saw that “they fell on their faces and said The Lord He is God.” Ch. 18:37-39.
The prophets of Baal were killed.
The Drought ends.
Jezebel kills Naboth to give Ahab Naboth’s Vineyard.
Ahab dies in battle with the king of Syria. Ch.22:35.
II KINGS
Ch.1-17. Focused on the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
Elijah the prophet taken to heaven in a fiery chariot. The second man not to die after Enoch.
Elisha the new prophet of God.
The Shunamite woman, a Gentile woman given a son.
Son dies and is raised by Elisha.
Naaman the Syrian General healed of his lepersy-also a Gentile.
One wicked king of the Northern Kingdom followed by another.
All were like Jereboam and Ahab.
Worshipers of Idols.
Led the people away from God.
Manasseh offered his son & daughter as sacrifices to idols.
Assyrian Empire.
King Shalmanezer-Sargon defeats the Northern Kingdom & takes select people into captivity-the Assyrian captivity.
Non Jewish people from Babylon brought to Samaria. They intermix with remaining Jews and constitute the Samaritans from that period to the coming of Christ.
The exiled people of the Northern Kingdom are never restored to Israel. Only the Southern Kingdom of Judah remains
II Kings Ch. 18-25. Focused on the Southern Kingdom.
Brief history of the Southern Kingdom.
I & II Chronicles devoted to the Southern Kingdom.
I CHRONICLES.
History and genealogy of the Kingdom of Judah.
Genealogy of King David and details of the Davidic Kingdom.
Geneology of the priesthood.
Solomon appointed King to succeed David.
II CHRONICLES.
King Solomon’s reign detailed-Ch.1-9.
Succeeding Kings of the Southern Kingdom-Ch. 10-36
descendents of King David.
Many were wicked but not as wicked as the Northern Kingdom.
Several of the kings were Godly and there were several revivals including Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah & Josiah.
Southern Kingdom of Judah defeated by the Babylonian Empire.
Jerusalem fell 597 B.C
. Select population taken captive including the Prophet Ezekiel, Daniel and many others. Captivity ends 70 years later.
The Temple destroyed 587 B.C.
Prophets to the Southern Kingdom: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Joel.
Prophets to the Northern Kingdom: Elijah and Elisha.
BOOK OF EZRA
Cyrus the Mede-Persian Empire conquered Babylon in 538 B.C.
He ordered release of the captive nations.
It had been 70 years since Judah was taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezar.
People were to return and rebuild the Temple of God in Jerusalem including the priest Ezra.
The first act was to build God’s Altar and offer sacrifices.
Second build the foundation of the Temple.
Third build the foundation of the city walls.
The vessels of gold and silver were allowed to be brought back to Jerusalem. Ch.1:11.
Names of the numerou families returning listed. Ch.2. Zerubabel was the chief.
The work was brought to a standstill.
The adversaries of Judah & Benjamin came to Zerubabel and said let us build with you. Ch. 4:1-3.
Zerubabel and the people said we alone will build the house of our God as King Cyrus commanded us. The adversaries asked the King of Persia to stop the building. The building ceased till the second year of King Darius of Persia. Ch.4:24
Darius the King searches the records and oder of King Cyrus. He decrees: “Let the Jews and Elders build this house of God. Ch.6:7.
The work resumed and completed.
Ezra the Priest Gathers the Chief Priests, the Levites and all Israel to swear to follow the Laws of God and his instructions, and they sware. Ch.10:5.
God uses the Persian Kings to return His people to the land He promise to Abraham where they remain in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ the final fullfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” Gen.12;3.
BOOK OF NEHEMIAH
The cupbearer of King Artaxerxes of the Persian Empire.
He hears that the wall of Jerusalem has been broken down and it’s doors burned.
He wept mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven and says: “Remember I beseech The God said if ye transgress I will scatter you abroad…but if ye return unto me I will gather them and bring them into the place I have chosen to set my name there…I pray Thee grant thy servant mercy in the site of this man, for I was the king’s cupbearer.” Ch.1:8-11.
As he served the King the King says “why is thy countenance so sad seeing thou art not sick?” He had not looked sad in the past.Ch.2:1-2.
He replies: “The city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchers lieth waste and the gates consumed with fire”Ch.2:3.
The King sends him along with captains of the army and letters to the keepers of the King’s forests. He goes to Jerusalem and directs the repairs & construction.
The neighboring Samaritans, Arabians, Ammonites and Ashdodites learned this they conspired to attack Jerusalem but fail. Ch.4:6-8.
The work is completed.
Ezra the priest brought the Law before the congregation, opened the book and led the people to repentance, to prayer and to the covenant. “He blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered Amen, Amen and lifted up their hands and bowed their heads, and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” Ch.8:6.
Nehemiah is able to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem and with the assitance of Ezra the priest leads the people to repentance and to follow the Lord the God of Israel.
BOOK OF ESTHER
Setting-palace of Shushan(Susa) in Elam one of the 3 capitals of the Persian Empire.
Time-third year of Ahasuerus(Xerxes son of Darius) toward the end of the Jewish captivity.
Author-possibly Ezra or Mordecai.
Jehovah God not mentioned. Written when it was dangerous to mention worship of God.
Wealth of the empire celebrated. Ch.1
Concluded with a 7 day celebration feast made by King Ahasuerus and Queen Vashti.
At the end of the feast King Ahasuerus commanded to bring Queen Vashti ro show off her beauty.
Vashti refuses. The king is angered and asks the 7 princes-what shall we do to the queen?
They reply-”let Vashti no more come before the king, and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she. vs.19.
The new Queen. Ch.2.
Officers of all the provinces were ordered to gather all the fair virgins to the house of women at the palace.
The maiden which pleased the king to become queen instead of Vashti.
Esther was a beautiful and charming Jewish girl adopted by Mordecai her uncle after her father and mother died.
Esther was brought also unto the kings house. vs8.
The king loved Esther above all the women…and made her queen instead of Vashti. vs17.
Mordecai who probably was doorkeeper at the palace reveals a plot by 2 of the king’s servant to assasinate the king. Ch.2:21-23. Xerxes was assasinated 14 years later.
Homan’s plot. Ch.3.
Homan was promoted to highest officer of the land-all to bow down to him.
Mordecai the Jew refuses to bow down. Haman becomes very angry.
Haman persuades the king to destroy the Jews because:
“They are the people that “keep themselves apart, have different laws, and do not keep thy laws.”
Haman offers to contribute 10,000 talents of silver to the treasury.
Total yearly revenue of the Persian Empire was 17,000 talents.
The empire had been impoverished after the recent Greek wars.
Haman expected to get the funds from the Jewish possessions.
Mordecai appeals to Esther Ch.4
Esther wants to know why Mordecai is grieving-sends Hatash her chamberlain to find out. vs.4-5.
Mordecai’s message to Esther-tells her of Haman’s plan to destroy the Jews.
Esther’s hesitency due to fear of the king’s policy regarding visitors.
Mordecai’s challenge: don’t feel secure in you present state and position. It is probably for this reason you have come to your position as part of God’s plan. You will suffer loss if you do not take advantage of this opportunity.
Esther resolves to petition the King.
Three days of fasting and prayer by her court.
Enters the King’s court-the golden scepter extended to her.
Esther’s request: invitation to the King and Homan to a banquet Esther has prepared that day. Evidence of her faith.
First banquet day-wine banquet. Esther requests that the King & Haman return for full banquet the next day.
The King’s insomnia. Ch.6:1-4
Calls for the chronicles-official records of the kingdom. Sleep was disturbed by something & Esther’s banquet.
Asks for a reading related to a certain period of time-attempted insurrection of Bigthana & Teresh reported by Mordecai.
Mordecai unrewarded kindness.
The King desires to immediately reward Mordecai.
At this moment Haman enters the King’s court to ask that Mordecai be hanged.
The King asks Haman what should be done to the one the King wants to honor.
Haman’s response: “Let the King’s nobles & princes place on him the King’s robe and crown, place him on the King’s horse and parade him through the city proclaiming: this is what shall be done to the one whom the King honors.”
The King instructs Haman to do this to Mordecai the Jew. vs.10. Haman does this and goes to his house mourning.
That afternoon Haman is called to the Queen’s banquet.
Esther now ready to present her request to the King. Ch. 7.
The King asks Esther “ what is thy petition?”
Esther’s reply: “If I have found favor in thy sight O King, and if it please the King. let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request for we are sold, I and my people to be destroyed, to be slain and to perish.”vs.3-4.
The King answers Esther: who is he that durst do this?
Esther’s respose: this wicked Haman, Then Haman was afraid before the King and the Queen.
Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. The Jews were delivered.
It is amazing how God delivers His people.