Video

Hi John. I am not the one who taught this class. I just upload the videos for the church. However I believe I may be able to answer your question... There seems to be about 5 years between the two events. It is somewhere around 479-478 BC in 2:16 and around 474-473 BC in 3:7. Having said that, Esther's relationship with the king could have been quite different in chapter 2 since she was his new bride. Most likely she would have been called to go in to the king more frequently which would have given her more of an opportunity to speak with him about the events of chapter 2. When we get to chapter 4 it seems she is not being called into the king near as frequently. 4:11 tells us it had been 30 days which might explain why she was more reluctant to go in uninvited. Hope this helps and thank you for watching our videos!

Dear friend, may I ask for the basis for “5 years between the two events”? I agree that as a young bride Esther would have been regularly called to the king. But since neither Mordecai nor Esther knew the timing of the assassination, to save the king, I propose that she willingly risked her life to save the king by urgently approaching him without waiting for an invitation that, if she delayed too long, would never come. Adding to her risk was the likelihood that the doorkeepers (bodyguards) Bigthan and Teresh were as personally trusted by Ahasuerus as (years later) Nehemiah was trusted by Artaxerxes. But Esther courageously trusted in God’s direction through Mordecai and saved the king. (If we don’t acknowledge Esther’s outstanding, self-sacrificing courage in saving Ahasuerus in chapter 2, how can we justify him rewarding her by offering her half of his kingdom in chapter 5?) Regarding Esther not being called for the 30 days in chapter 4, I propose that Haman, who at that time still had Ahasuerus’ confidence, (despite being, with Zeresh, a mastermind behind the assassination plot) was trying to prevent any more of Mordecai’s information (via Esther) from getting to the king. How does that sound?

@@johnbuchan3678 I am just saying there is 5 years between 2:16 (7th year of Ahasuerus) and 3:7 (12th year of Ahasuerus). The rest of your comment may possibly be correct. Fact is we are not told the exact reasoning and you offer a plausible explanation. Thanks again!

Dear friend, thanks for mentioning the timing, I hadn't noticed that. It seems that they married in the 7th year. But the timing of Mordecai sitting at the gate is not indicated. My idea is that the 30 days began when Esther saved the king's life. She was understandably concerned that during the following 30 days Ahasuerus had neither thanked her nor communicated with her in any way. I think the reason for that was that Haman had been preventing Esther from communicating with the king to block any more information from Mordecai getting to him. I suppose that Haman and Zeresh were the actual masterminds behind the assassination. That would explain Haman’s speedy prosecution of Bigthan and Teresh, who had been duped into the plot but foolishly gave themselves away to Mordecai. That would also explain Ahasuerus subsequently rewarding Haman by making him a "junior" dictator.