Week 13 - For a Time Like This - Esther

The story of Esther is set during the Persian Empire's reign in the 5th century BC. It is a time when the Jewish people were living in exile, having been taken captive by the Babylonians and later released under Persian rule. The Persian King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes I) ruled over a vast empire, stretching from India to Ethiopia.

The principal characters in the story are Esther, the Jewish orphan who becomes queen of Persia. Mordecai is Esther’s cousin and guardian, a wise and faithful Jewish man. King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) is the Persian king who chooses Esther as his queen. Haman is the king's wicked advisor who plots to annihilate the Jewish people. And finally, there is the Jewish people, the chosen ones of God living in exile, who face imminent danger.