God's providential choosing of Esther is for such a time as this, when the future of the Jews as a people is in peril. God gives Esther the courage to go before the king, despite the danger she may face.

Haman plots to annihilate the Jewish people because of Mordecai's refusal to bow down to him.

When you try to build a world apart from God, it will not work because it cannot work. Instead, what will transpire is misery upon misery. A world without God will not work. King Ahasuerus attempts to do things his godless way, but it only brings him more misery.

When God seems silent, He is still at work in our lives and in the world.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the eternal hope of the believer.

As our Suffering Substitute, Jesus suffers for His people, brings about the new covenant, and brings salvation to His people.

When the Word became flesh, He was not just a mere man, but He was the God-man, fully God, fully man. Part of the Resurrection narrative is that Jesus lived a sinless life because He was God in the flesh. There are major implications for this truth that are a source of comfort for believers and a source of terror and dread for unbelievers.

Nehemiah's final reform concerns the leaders of Israel marrying the women from the pagan nations, which will once again lead the nation into idolatry.

God's leaders are neglected and the Sabbath is dishonored.

After Nehemiah returned to Persia to continue his service for King Artaxerxes, he receives word that Eliashib, the priest, made the storeroom in the tabernacle into a room for Tobiah, an enemy of God's people. This violated the command God gave to Moses. It was unholy alliance. Upon his return, Nehemiah because righteously indignant and he threw out all of Tobiah's belongings and returned all the items to the storehouse. This unholy alliance spurred Nehemiah to enact a series of reforms, which are chronicled in Chapter 13.