What began with a three-month drunken party, turned into a nationwide human trafficking ring, and leads to a plan to enact genocide on an entire people group. The enemy is real and he operates through the power-hungry pride of fallen men. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat evil and suffering, but it always provides an answer in the person of Jesus Christ. Listen and ask the question: What are the elements of evil, birthed out of pride, that I must be aware of?

We have seen the wealth, power and folly of the king and his empire. Now, against that backdrop we meet the main characters of the story: Esther and Mordecai. They are exiled Jews living under pagan rule. They have a Persian address, but it is not their home. We see unfold the dramatic tension (and failure) of living in a secular age, along with the providence of God invisibly at work not only through foolish, pagan rulers, but also through flawed, failing sinners. Listen and ask the question: How do I strive to walk faithfully, while resting in God, who works even in my unfaithfulness

650 years have passed as we leave the story of Ruth and come to the story of Esther. The golden age of Israel has passed. Deportation, loss, and isolation characterize the scattered people known as the Jews. A new king, a powerful king, a foolish king reigns supreme in the land, but God is still the king on the throne. His involvement is hidden and his name absent, but his providential fingerprints remain all over the story of His people. As we get our bearings in the Persian Empire, we are immediately faced with the folly of human wealth and power. Listen and ask the question: What banquet is my heart chasing after?