Books
以斯帖记生命读经 · 第1篇

以斯帖记的作者极可能是末底改。

A. The Writer
壹 介言
I. AN INTRODUCTORY WORD
1现在让我们来看引介。
1Let us now consider some introductory matters.
2（斯九２０，２３。）末底改是以斯帖的堂兄，是抚养她的人。
2Mordecai (Esth. 9:20, 23). As Esther’s cousin, he was the one who raised her
二 时间
B. The Time
3本书内容涵盖的时期至少有十年，在亚哈随鲁作王期间。（主前
3The contents of this book cover a period of at least ten years during the reign of Ahasuerus (486-465 B.C
4四八六年到主前四六五年。）
4
三 内容
C. The Contents
5以斯帖记给我们生动的记载，说到以色列人隐藏的神如何在祂受压制的选民分散时，秘密的照顾他们，并在祂受逼迫的选民被掳时，公开的拯救他们。
5The book of Esther gives us a vivid record of how the hiding God of Israel took care secretly of His oppressed elect in their dispersion and saved openly His persecuted elect in their captivity
四 重点
D. The Crucial Point
6以斯帖记的重点是：这位拣选亚伯拉罕后裔以色列人作祂选民的神，在祂使他们被掳到外邦列国之后，对他们成了隐藏的神，秘密的照顾他们，并在隐密中公开的拯救他们。（赛四五１５。）为这缘故，本书没有题到神的名，甚至在神的名应当题及的地方，也没有题及。（斯四３，１６。）因为本书给我们看见隐藏的神，所以没有题及神的名。
6The crucial point of Esther is that the very God who chose Israel, the descendants of Abraham, as His elect, after He gave them into captivity to the Gentile nations, became a hidden God to them to take care of them secretly and save them openly in secrecy (Isa. 45:15). This is the reason that this book does not mention the name of God even at occasions when the name of God should be mentioned (Esth. 4:3, 16). Because this book shows us a hidden God, it does not mention the name of God
五 分段
E. The Sections
7以斯帖记有两段：（一）隐藏的神在祂受压制的选民分散时，秘密的照顾他们，（一～二，）（二）隐藏的神在祂受逼迫的选民被掳时，在隐密中公开的拯救他们。（三～十。）
7The book of Esther has two sections: (1) the secret care of the hiding God for His oppressed elect in their dispersion (chs. 1—2) and (2) the open salvation of the hiding God in secrecy to His persecuted elect in their captivity (chs. 3—10
贰 隐藏的神在祂受压制的选民分散时，秘密的照顾他们，
II. THE SECRET CARE OF THE HIDING GOD for His oppressed elect
如在以斯帖身上所看见的
IN THEIR DISPERSION AS SEEN IN ESTHER
8一、二章揭示隐藏的神对祂受压制的选民秘密的照顾，如在以斯帖身
8Chapters one and two unveil the secret care of the hiding God for His oppressed elect as seen in Esther
9上所看见的。
9
一 在外邦世界设立一位顶尖的王
A. Establishing a Top King in the Gentile World
10首先，隐藏的神在外邦世界设立一位顶尖的王，使他亨通，有权势和荣耀，管理极大的帝国，从印度伸展到衣索匹亚（非洲－一１～２）。
10First, the hiding God established a top king in the Gentile world in prosperity, power, and glory over a great empire extending from India to Ethiopia (Africa)—1:1-2.
二 使这位顶尖的王废掉他王后的位，因她不听王命
B. Causing the Top King to Depose His Queen because of Her Disobedience to His Word
11其次，隐藏的神使这位顶尖的王废掉他王后的位，因她在王与高级官员的极大筵席上，不听王命。（３～２２。）王吩咐王后头戴王后的冠冕到王面前，使赴筵席的人看见她。然而，王后拒绝照王的吩咐前来。王后不听命，结果被废了位，王后的地位就空缺了。
11Next, the hiding God caused the top king to depose his queen because of her disobedience to his word at his great banquet with his high officials (vv. 3-22). The king commanded that the queen come before him wearing the royal crown in order that he might present her to those attending the banquet. However, the queen refused to come at the king’s command. As a result of her disobedience the queen was deposed, and the position of queen became vacant
三 兴起一个犹大孤女，被这位顶尖的王封为王后
C. Raising Up a Jewish Orphan Virgin to Be Crowned by the Top King as His Queen
12最终，隐藏的神在祂秘密的照顾中，兴起一个犹大孤女以斯帖，被这位顶尖的王封为王后。（二１～１８。）以斯帖救了王免被暗杀，她题末底改的名，将计画暗杀王的人报告于王。（１９～２３。）我们的神是无所不在、无所不能、富有怜悯、且满了赦免的。虽然祂是这样一位神，祂也是隐藏的。因为我们的神是隐藏的神，别人也许会问我们：『你们的神在那里？祂的国在那里？』我们这样被质问时，也许要这样回答：『我的神是隐藏的。我看不见祂，你也看不见。但你需要知道，我这隐藏的神迟早要进来为我作些事，并且对付不相信祂的人。』
12Finally, in His secret care the hiding God raised up Esther, a Jewish orphan virgin, to be crowned by the top king as his queen (2:1-18). Esther saved the king from being assassinated, telling the king in Mordecai’s name of those who planned to assassinate him (vv. 19-23). Our God is omnipresent, omnipotent, merciful, and full of forgiveness. Although He is such a God, He is also the hiding God. Because our God is a hiding God, others may check with us and ask, “Where is your God? Where is His kingdom?” When we are questioned in such a manner, we may want to answer in this way: “My God is hidden. I cannot see Him, and you cannot see Him either. But you need to realize that sooner or later my hidden God will come in to do something on my behalf and to deal with those who do not believe in Him
13我能从我的经历见证这点。四十五年多以前，我与好几位同工，被一个背叛中国并为日本宪兵工作的小小中国部队所逮捕并监禁。那个城市的整个基督教团体都感震惊，因为他们知道，我们很容易会被处决，像其他落入日本入侵军队手中的中国人一样。我们不知道会发生甚么事，但隐藏的神使用一个像以斯帖这样特别的人，来作奇妙的干豫。在日本宪兵手下的中国部队队长的妻子，曾是我一个死于肺结核之同学的妻子。他临终的时候，他妻子请我去探访他；我也去了，与他有亲密的谈话。至终他死了；一段时间以后，她改嫁了。我被逮捕并监禁以后，一位与我们也与其他基督徒一同聚会的医生，听见我的情形，就去告诉那已嫁给该中国部队队长的妇人。他们二人是亲密的朋友。这位医生告诉那妇人，我和其他好几个人已被监禁，她该请求她的丈夫释放我们。就在当天，她对她的丈夫题起我们。他因著爱她，就愿意答应她的请求。
13I can testify concerning this from my experience. More than forty-five years ago, I, along with several other co-workers, was arrested and imprisoned by a small Chinese army that betrayed China and worked for the Japanese military police. The entire Christian community in that city was shocked, because they knew that we could very easily be executed like other Chinese who had fallen into the hands of the Japanese invading army. We did not know what to expect, but the hiding God intervened in a wonderful way using a particular person as an Esther. The wife of the captain of the Chinese army under the Japanese military police had been the wife of a schoolmate of mine who had died of tuberculosis. When he was dying, his wife asked me to visit him, and I did so and had an intimate conversation with him. He eventually died, and some time later she remarried. After I was arrested and imprisoned, a medical doctor who was meeting both with us and with other Christians heard about my situation. He then went to speak to the woman who had married the captain of that Chinese army. The two were close friends, and the doctor who was meeting with us told the woman that I and several others had been imprisoned and that she should ask her husband to release us. She spoke to her husband about us that very day. He loved her and was willing to fulfill her request.
14当晚他就出现，审理我们的案件。我们被带出囚室，站在他面前受审判。我是第一个被他察问的人。他看看我，问我的名字，就告诉我，一切都没问题，我可以平平安安，自由的回家去。他对其他与我一同被逮捕的人也说同样的话。当时我们没有一人知道背后所发生的事。后来我才明白，隐藏的神在祂秘密的智慧里，为我们豫备了以斯帖。祂兴起了一个中国寡妇，成为要审理我们案件之人的妻子。正如波斯王听从以斯帖，并且因著对她的爱，就作她所说的事；照样，这人听从他的妻子，就从监牢释放我们。这的确是由于隐藏之神的照顾。今天我们需要领悟，我们所事奉那无所不能的神，仍在隐藏自己，尤其是在祂帮助我们的时候。我们看不见祂，表面看来，祂没有为我们作甚么。事实上，祂始终隐藏的与我们同在，并且正为我们作许多事。
14That night he appeared to judge our case. We were taken from our cells and stood before him to be judged. I was the first one to be examined by him. He looked at me, asked me my name, and told me that everything was all right and that I was free to go home peacefully. He said the same thing to the others who had been arrested with me. At the time none of us knew what had taken place behind the scene. Later I realized that, in His secret wisdom, the hiding God had prepared an Esther for us. He had raised up a Chinese widow to become the wife of the man who would judge our case. Just as the king of Persia listened to Esther and did what she said out of his love for her, so this man listened to his wife and released us from prison. This surely was due to the care of the hiding God. Today we need to realize that the omnipotent God whom we are serving is still hiding Himself, especially when He is helping us. We cannot see Him, and apparently He is not doing anything for us. Actually, He is with us all the time and, in a hidden way, He is doing many things for us