Esther 2:5-11 – “There was a Jew in Susa”

We’ve already seen that this story is full of heartache, drunkenness, and sexual deviancy. It features some truly reprehensible characters; and God is nowhere to be seen. Yet, his fingerprints are all over it. v5 alerts us to this with six simple words: “There was a Jew in Susa”. God may not be mentioned in the book, but his people are! God will not sit back and watch disaster unfold.

We’re introduced to two of the story’s main characters, and they’re both God’s people. Esther is a beautiful young girl, possibly only in her early teens. Her parents have both died, and so her cousin Mordecai is bringing her up.
These are six surprising words. The Jews had been taken into captivity because of their rebellion against God and many of them had found themselves in the Persian Empire. Yet, years before Ahasuerus took the throne, God in his mercy had moved King Cyrus to allow the Jews to go back to Jerusalem. You would expect a God-fearer to jump at the chance to return to the promised land that God had given his people.

Yet, here are Mordecai and Esther, not in Jerusalem, but in the heart of idolatrous Persia. Why are they there? Surely they’d be better off in Jerusalem? Even their names raise awkward questions, since they’re based on the names of false Persian gods.

I’m not looking to bash either Mordecai or Esther. Yet, this introduction does raise some awkward questions. Are these two people paying the price for the poor decisions of their families? Were those who came before them drawn in by the world? Is moral compromise the reason why Esther and Mordecai find themselves here in Susa rather than the land God gave his people?

This story is a messy one. Living in exile often is. And yet, in the midst of the mess we see a glorious phrase. “THERE WAS A JEW”. God never abandons his people, no matter how messy their situations may get.

Questions
1. Mordecai and Esther’s ancestors could have chosen to go back to the promised land (Ezra 1), but they didn’t. Why might they have stayed?
2. Do you have sinful priorities that you need to repent of?

Prayer Points
1. Give thanks for how God never forgets his people, even when they are surrounded by those who rebel against Jesus Christ.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.