Daily Readings

Read Esther 1-3.

Read Esther 1:1 - 3:15

Look for divine activity. Where is God in the events described?

Read Esther 1:1-22

How is Xerxes characterized in this chapter? How does he make decisions? How would you describe his “feast”?

Read Esther 2:1-18

How is Mordecai characterized? Look for reversals: the rise of some characters and the fall of others.
Read Esther 2:19 - 3:2

What does Mordecai’s action tell us about his character? What do you think would be the outcome for someone who helped save the life of a King?
Read Esther 3:3-15

What does this passage tell us about Haman? What about Xerxes?
Esther 1 - 3 Outro

Each of the characters introduced in the first three chapters of Esther will follow their own story arc. Some will rise while others will fall. As you read and meditate, think about how we too can be surprised by hope in desperate situations, and what role we might be able to play in bringing about justice.

Faithful People, Dangerous Situation

Have you ever had someone in authority over you who was capricious or even unfit for leadership? How did you react? How did you navigate that situation?

In Esther chapter 1, we get a sense that King Xerxes is driven more by his whims than by wisdom.


Read Esther 2:10, 2:19-23

How is Mordecai contrasted with Xerxes? How does Mordecai serve as a model for the Jews in exile? How is he a model for us?


Read Esther 3:1

The author of Esther lets us know that Haman is a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites, the prototypical enemies of God’s people. How is Haman portrayed in Chapter 3? Why do you think Mordecai refused to bow and honor Haman? Have you ever felt that you needed to stand on principle despite what the consequences might be? As Christians, how do we know when to stand on principle?

Read Esther 3:15

Here we see more inept leadership from Xerxes. As a follower of Jesus, how do we respond to obvious injustice and failure of leadership?

Why do you think the author of Esther has not mentioned God or even providence directly? Can you see God’s hidden hand in this story? How is that instructive for our own lives?