Charles R. Swindoll - Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity

Publications by Charles R. Swindoll

ADULT BOOKS

Active Spirituality

The Bride

Compassion: Showing We Carein a Careless World

The Darkness and the Dawn

David: A Man of Passionand Destiny

Day by Day

Dear Graduate

Dropping Your Guard

Elijah: A Man of Heroismand Humility

Encourage Me

The Finishing Touch

Flying Closer to the Flame

For Those Who Hurt

Gods Provision

The Grace Awakening

Growing Deep in the Christian Life

Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life

Growing Wise in Family Life

Hand Me Another Brick

Home: Where Life Makes Up Its Mind

Hope Again

Improving Your Serve

Intimacy with the Almighty

Joseph: A Man of Integrityand Forgiveness

Killing Giants, Pulling Thorns

Laugh Again

Leadership: Influence That Inspires

Living Above the Level of Mediocrity

Living Beyond the Daily Grind,

Books I and II

The Living Insights Study Bible

General Editor

Living on the Ragged Edge

Make Up Your Mind

Man to Man

Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication

The Mystery of God's Will

The Quest for Character

Recovery: When Healing Takes Time

The Road to Armageddon

Sanctity of Life

Simple Faith

Simple Trust

Starting Over

Start Where You Are

Strengthening Your Grip

Stress Fractures

Strike the Original Match

The Strong Family

Suddenly One Morning

The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart

Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

Victory: A Winning Game Plan for Life

Why, God?

You and Your Child

1997 by Charles R. Swindoll.

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All Scripture quotations in this book, except those noted otherwise, are from the New American Standard Bible 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1973, 1975, and 1977 by the Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission.

Other Scripture quotations are from the following sources:

The New International Version of the Bible ( NIV ), 1983 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

The Living Bible ( LB ), 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Ill. Used by permission.

The King James Version of the Bible ( KJV ).

ISBN: 978-1-4002-0223-2 (trade paper)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Swindoll, Charles R.

Esther: a woman of strength & dignity: profiles in character / from Charles R. Swindoll.

p. cm.(Great lives from Gods word: v. 2)

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN : 978-0-8499-1383-9

1. Bible. O.T. EstherCriticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Esther, Queen of Persia. 3. O.T.Biography. i. Title. ii. Series: Swindoll, Charles R. Great lives from Gods word ; v. 2.

0910111213QW87654

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It is with great joy I

dedicate this volume to our daughter

Colleen Dane

and our daughters-in-law

Debbie Swindoll

and

Jeni Swindoll

I am confident the Lord will

graciously reward them for their

loving and faithful commitment

to their husbands

and their

deep and enduring dedication

to their children.

As He used Esther to make a difference in her times, may He use

these ladies of strength and dignity to shape and change the times

in which they live.

I NTRODUCTION
Esther: A Woman of Strength & Dignity

T he power of a woman! Those words have become proverbial among us. Occasionally, theyre said forcefully. Feminists are especially fond of the statement as they underscore the all-important role women play in the workplace. As the familiar bumper sticker brashly announces, The right man for the job is a woman. Sometimes thats true, even though I find myself skeptical of the put-down attitude behind it.

There are other times the power of a woman is said quietly, with enormous feelings of dignity and respect. Who has not watched a hurting child crawl up into the gentle arms of a mother or grandmother and seen the pain quickly dissolve? Most have witnessed a very capable woman step into a chaotic setting and bring order and meaning back into the scene. Admittedly, some women simply have the touch. Such pioneer women thrive on challengesthey see past the obstacles, they refuse to be intimidated by the odds. I know about these thingsI married a woman like that! Most guys I know would get tired just thinking about Cynthias to-do list. I certainly do!

Then, theres the power of a woman who finds herself thrust into a threatening situation that has no visible escape route. A mixture of uncertainty and danger lurks in the shadows as she finds herself virtually trapped in a no-win maze of circumstantial misery. Remarkably, she does not despair. On the contrary, she survives, she excels. Its as if she were made for such a time as this.

Esther was that kind of woman.

Unwittingly victimized by an unbearable situation, she stepped up and determined, by Gods grace, to make a difference. Throwing protocol to the wind and ignoring all her fears, this woman stood in a gap most of her peers would never have risked. In doing so, she not only exposed and foiled the plans of an evil man, who, like Adolph Hitler, had a violent agenda. She alone saved her nation from extermination. Now, thats what I call power!

Its that kind of stuff that makes writing this book such a delight. I mean it when I say its got it all! When you have a story that compelling and a plot that intriguing, revolving around a woman that dynamic, you cant miss! Furthermore, you who have decided to read of her exploits will quickly discover what hidden treasures we have in this biblical character most folks have never stopped long enough to appreciate. Trust me on this one: Youre going to fall in love with Esther. Then youre going to wonder how you could have lived so long without realizing what a magnificent realistic and balanced message she models, especially in this day of wild fantasies and radical extremes.