Background Information
Before moving into the season of Advent, we can conclude our journey through the Hebrew Bible with the intriguing stories of Daniel and Esther. Daniel’s story begins at the start of the exile as he interprets the dreams of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel is still around during the Persian conquests of Cyrus, whose leadership is followed later by Darius and eventually King Xerxes. The message in Daniel is one of God’s sovereignty: “The Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men (Daniel 5:21).” The book of Esther presents the narrative of Esther and Mordecai and their eventful encounters with King Xerxes. Esther was part of the exiled community living under the Persians. Her story is remembered and celebrated during the Jewish festival of Purim. A notable feature of the book of Esther is the absence of any mention of God. Nevertheless, God’s sovereign presence is implied in the dramatic string of events. In these colorful stories, the Hebrew Bible effectively concludes where it started in Genesis 1:1 (‘In the beginning God”) with the message of a faithful, loving, and sovereign God.