Esther And Her Elusive God

What if the way the book of Esther has been taught to us in church and retold to us in films, cartoons, and romance novels has missed the original point of the story? Far from being models of piety and devotion, Esther and Mordecai seem indifferent to the faith of their ancestors. How then did this story become part of the Bible and gain the broad acceptance that it has? If the church should not neglect the story, how should it be read? Esther and Her Elusive God calls Christians to avoid the common attempts to make Esther more palatable and theological, and to reclaim this secular story as Scripture. Readers will be encouraged to see in Esther a profound message of God's grace and faithfulness to his wayward people.

A remnant of Jews living in a heathen country. A young orphan being raised by her God-fearing cousin. A self absorbed king in search of a new queen. a Jewish woman rising to the throne of Persia. A book of the Bible which makes no mention of the name of God ...

The author asserts that the book of Esther is relevant to the status of the nation of Israel today.

Addressing a topic of perennial interest in Christian theology, this volume offers a constructive account of the doctrine of providence. Mark Elliott shows that, contrary to received opinion, the Bible has a lot to say about providence as a distinct doctrine within the wider scope of God's acts of salvation. This book by a leading scholar of Christian theology and exegesis is a capstone of years of research on the history and theology of the doctrine of providence.

Veiling Esther, Unveiling Her Story: The Reception of a Biblical Book in Islamic Lands examines the ways in which the Biblical Book of Esther was read, understood, and used in Muslim lands, from ancient to modern times. It focuses on case studies covering works from various periods and regions of the Muslim world, including the Qur'an, pre-modern historical chronicles and literary works, the writings of a nineteenth-century Shia feminist, a twentieth-century Iranian encyclopaedia, and others. These case studies demonstrate that Muslim sources contain valuable materials on Esther, which shed light both on the Esther story itself and on the Muslim peoples and cultures that received it. Adam J. Silverstein argues that Muslim sources preserve important pre-Islamic materials on Esther that have not survived elsewhere, some of which offer answers to ancient questions about Esther, such as the meaning of Haman's epithet in the Greek versions of the story, the reason why Mordecai refused to prostrate before Haman, and the literary context of the 'plot of the eunuchs' to kill the Persian king. Throughout the book, Silverstein shows how each author's cultural and religious background influenced his or her understanding and retelling of the Esther story. In particular, he highlights that Persian Muslims (and Jews) were often forced to reconcile or choose between the conflicting historical narratives provided by their religious and cultural heritages respectively.

In the fifth-century B.C, a beautiful Jewish girl named Esther becomes the queen of Persia and discovers God's purpose for her life when she courageously saves her people from death at the hands of the evil Haman.

Long ago, a young girl was orphaned in a land of her people's enemies. She lived through the deaths of not one, but both of her parents - parents who taught her to love God and who faithfully modeled his ways to her. Had God forgotten her? Abandoned her? Never. Instead, God had an amazing plan for her life that included helping rescue her people from certain destruction. Come on the amazing journey of her life, from orphan to queen of ancient Persia, and discover how God faithfully led his daughter through valleys and heartache to victory and joy. The story of Esther is a historic account that contains the plot line of the entire Bible in just ten short chapters. Through this study you'll also learn of Satan's ancient hate against God and how it originated. You'll visit the courts of heaven and the Garden of Eden and trace Satan's advance upon God's kingdom as he moves through the men and women of this earthly domain with his lust for power, to kill God's people and ultimately establish his own worldwide reign. The account of Esther is an ancient story that is more relevant than ever. It's lessons and insights will give you a new perspective on the earthly battles God's people must engage in today just as his people of yesterday did. No matter what situation you face personally or what situation God's people face collectively at this time in our history, this study will reveal God's amazing power and faithfulness to bring all of us into full deliverance and joyful victory.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1859. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.