We mentioned last week that the timeline and pace of Esther varies throughout the book. In the first couple chapters, we cover at least a span of four years though very little emphasis is placed on this fact (1:3, 2:16). It feels like the reel goes in and out of fast and slow motion. In the scope of the purpose and point of the book, the real story has not yet started. These two chapters set the scene for the drama to come. While a lot happens here, it is important to note that the writer does not invite us to make value judgments about how the people here behave. We are bound to have our own opinions, but the emphasis being made is about the condition of God’s people and the place they are living (the world empire of the time).

Scripture References: 1 Samuel 9:1-2, Esther 3:15, Esther 2:1-23, Esther 1:1-22

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From Series: "The Book of Esther"