Week Commencing 30th August 2020

The first five chapters of the Book of Esther is this
week’s reading plan. The next and final 5 chapters will
follow next week.

One might at first glance pass over the book of Esther
as just another historical story of the Old Testament
but its much more than that. It is a pivotal step in Gods plan for humanity. The detail
contained in the story of Esther is magnificent and the
sort of stuff that movies are made of( which it was of course).

Along with the Song of Songs, the Book of Esther has a major difference to
all other books of the Old Testament. Maybe when
you complete the book you will have worked out
what that difference is. The Jewish festival of Purim
recounts the story of Esther when there is always a
public reading of the book

I always find Esther challenging.
It is a story of brave faithfullnes of a woman in times when women were not leaders and not often well respected but there is some quite gruesome activity planned against the Jews by a greedy and selfish man who draws the king into his plan by playing on the kings ego, then some harsh uncompromising retaliationary violence exacted on their oppressors by the Jews in chapter 6 onwards when Haman's plan gets turned on it's head at the end of chapter 5.
An amazing woman in a tough situation.