Monday, April 25, 2011

My Outline of Esther

The Providence of the purim:
A history of God’s invisible hand in human intrigues.
(Title's features:  Poetic, double meanings, inferred truth)

I. Preparation
·         Vashti Deposed    1                    
(with intro and overview)
·         Esther Chosen    2.1-14
Esther Endeared   2.15-23
Mordecai Endeared   2.19-23      
(God beginning to solve problems before they begin)
II. Peril
·         Haman’s Plot  3  
(Evils of bitterness and vengeance)
·         Mordecai’s Plan  4   
(Purpose in God’s preparations and our part)
·         Esther’s Presentation 5.1-8
Haman’s Presumption  5.9-14 
(contrast between Esther’s courage and Haman’s overconfidence)
III. Preservation
·         Mordecai Honored   6  
(turning point in the book, God’s hand in circumstances)
·         Haman Hanged   7  
(Poetic justice in God’s timing)
·         Mordecai’s Decree Written  8      
Jews Defended  9.1-17 
(Human effort to accomplish God’s purpose)    
IV. Praise
·         The Feast of Purim 9.18-32
Peace of the Jews  10.1-3 
(God’s work remembered and recounted)

Esther outlines continued

Sermon Titles by Iain M. Duguid in the Reformed Expository Commentary
Standing Firm against the Empire  1.1-22
Beauty and the Beast 2.1-23
Mordecai Makes a Stand 3.1-15
The Dog That Didn't Bark  4.1-17
Meekness and Subtlety  5.1-14
The Man the King Delights to Honor  6.1-14
Coming Out in Susa  7.1-10
It Ain't Over  8.1-17
A World Turned Upside Down  9.1-10.3
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I. The Jews of Persia are Threatened  1-5
   A. Life in Persia Is Dangerous  1.1-22
      1. Xerxes Is a Powerful and Dangerous King  1.1-8
      2. Queen Vashti Defies Xerxes  1.9-12
      3. The King and Nobles React to Vashti's Disobedience  1.13-22
   B. Esther, Mordecai, and Haman  2.1-3.15.
      1. Esther Is Made Queen of Persia  2.1-18
      2. Mordecai Foils an Assassination Attempt  2.19-23
      3. Haman Issues a Decree of Death Against the Jews  3.1-15
   C. Esther's Defining Moment  4.1-17
      1. Mordecai Mourns Over Haman's Decree  4.1-5
      2. Mordecai Begs Esther to Intercede  4.6-14
      3. Ether Calls a Three-Day Fast  4.15-17
   D. Esther's Intervention  5.1-14
      1. Esther Appears Uninvited Before the King  5.1-5a
      2. Ether Prepares a Banquet for the King and Haman  5.5b-7
      3. Haman Builds a Gallows to Kill Mordecai  5.8-14
II.  The Reversal of Destiny  6.1-9.19
   A. The Reversal Begins  6.1-14
      1. The King Has a Sleepless Night  6.1-3
      2. Haman Seeks the King's Permision to Kill Mordecai Immediatly  6.4-9
      3. Mordecai is Honored Instead  6.10-14
   B. Haman Is Executed 7.1-10
      1. Esthe Prepares a Second Banquet for the King and Haman  7.1-2
      2. Esther Reveals Her Jewish Identity and Accuses Haman  7.3-7
      3. The King Orders Haman Executed  7.8-10
   C. The Counter-Edict Is Issued  8.1-17
      1. Esther Introduces Mordecai to the King  8.1
      .2 Mordecai Receives the Signet Ring Previously Worn By Haman  8.2
      3. Esther Gives Haman's Property to Mordecai  8.3-8
      4. Mordecai Writes the Counter-Edict  8.9-17
   D. The Day of Conflict Arrives   9.1-19
      1. The Jews Kill Many, Including Hamna's Ten Sons  9.1-10
      2. Esther Asks for Their Bodies to Be Displayed and for a Second Day of Killing in Susa  9.11-19
III. Purim Is Established  9.20-32
   A. Mordecai Writes to the Jews of Persia  9.20-28
   B. Esther Writes to Confirm Mordecai's Letter  9.29-32
IV. Epilogue:  Mordecai Is Esteemed As National Hero  10.1-3
Karen H. Jobes in NIV Application Commentary.
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       A. Greatness of Ahasuerus  1.1-8
      B. Two Banquets of the Persians 1.1-8
     C. Esther Identifies as a Gentile  2.10-20
    D. Elevation of Haman  3.1
   E. Anti-Jewish Edict  3.12-15
  F. Fatefull Exchange of Mordecai and Esther  4
 G. First Banquet of the Threesome  5.6-8
H. Royal Procession  6
 G. Second Banquet of the Threesome  7.1-6
  F. Fatefull Exchange of Ahasuerus and Esther  7.1-6
   E. Pro-Jewish Edict
    D. Elevation of Mordecai 8.15
     C. Gentiles Identify as Jews  8.17
      B. Two Banquets of the Jews  9.20-32
       A. Greatness of Ahasuerus and Mordecai  10
Jon Levenson in The Old Testament Library (p.8).

Even more Esther outlines

God's Invisible Presence through...
I. Hard Times  1-7  (Threat and Trust)
  A. King's Banquet  1-2
     1. "There She Goes Miss Persia  1.1-2.7
     2. Queenlike Quailities of a Lovely Lady  2.8-20
  B. Hamman's Edict: An Evil Interlude  2.21-3.15
  C. Queen's Obedience  4-5
     1. To Her God: Thinking, Saying, and Doing What's Right--Regardless  4
     2. To Herself: The Beginning of a Collision Course  5
  D. God's Deliverance  6-7
     1. Mordechai Honored: Turnabout I s Fair Play  6
2. Hamman Hanged:  Ultimate Poetic Justice  7
II. During Happy Times  8-10   (Deliverance and Praise)
  A. Mordecai's Edict  8
  B. Jew's Rejoicing  8.15 - 9
     1. The Limitations of Retaliation  9.1-16
     2. After the Ache, Celebrate  9.17-32
  C. Shalom!: In the End God Wins  10.
 -----Swidoll (adapted from the study guide)
I. The Wife Who Refused to Obey Her Husband  1
II. The Beauty Contest to Choose a Real Queen  2
III.  Haman and Anti-Semitism  3
IV.  For Sunch a Time as This  4
V. The Scepter of Grace and the Nobility of Esther  5
VI. Whe a King Could Not Sleep at Night  6
VII.  The Man Who Came to Dinner but Died on the Gallows  7
VIII. The Message of  Hope That Went our from the King  8
IX. The Institution of the Feast of Purim  9-10.
--- J. Vernon McGee 


I. Esther Elevated to Queen of Persia  1.1-2.23
   A. The Great Banquets of Xerxes 1.1-9
   B. Vashti's Dethronement  1.10-12
   C. Choosing a New Queen  2.1-23
II. The Feud Between Haman and Mordecai  3.1-8.17
   A. Haman's Plot to Kill Mordecai  3.1-6
      1. Haman's anger with Mordecai  3.1-15
      2. A day of revenge chosen by lot  3.7-15
   B. Mordecai's Plan to Save His People  4.1-17
      1.  Reactin to the edict  4.1-2
      2. Mordecai's appeal to Esther  4.4-17
   C. Esther's First Banquet  5.1-8
   D. Haman's Plot Against Mordecai  5.9-14
   E. Haman's Humiliation  6.1-13
       1. Discovery of an unrewarded deed  6.1-5
       2. Mordacai honored  6.6-11
       3. Haman's wife affirms his doenfall  6.12-13
   F. Esther's Second Banquet  6.14-7.10
      1. Haman summoned to the banquet  6.14
      2. Haman exposed and executed  7.1-10
   G. Mordecai's Elevation  8.1-17
      1.  Exaltation over the house of Haman  8.1-2
      2. Reversal of Haman's decree  8.3-14
      3. Popualr reaction  8.15-17
III. The Jews' Day of Vengeance  9.1-19
   A. A Great Slaughter  9.1-10
   B. Vengeance in Susa  9.11-15
   C. Celebration in the Provinces and in Susa  9.16-19
IV.  Institution of the Feast of Purim  9.20-10.3
   A. Mordecais's Letter  9.20-28
   B.  Esther's Confirmation  9.29-32
   C. The Greatness of Mordecai  10.1-3
-----F.B. Huey, Jr. in Expositor's Bible Commentary 

http://www.amazon.com/Expositors-Commentary-Chronicles-Nehemiah-Esther/dp/0310364604/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303742934&sr=8-4