Sincerely, Esther: Study Notes on Women in the Bible Series

By Drs. Monique Van Helvoort

Do you recognize this woman? Biblical Esther: she had nothing of her own but herself. Her cousin advised her, yet she was on her own when it came to life choices for herself and for others. Reasoning through the scriptures on her sheds true light on a strong character who was hidden and is now revealed, as she steps into the Light.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Dec 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647730291

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SINCERELY,

ESTHER

Study Notes on Women in the Bible Series

Drs. Monique van Helvoort

Books in This Series of Study Notes on Women in the Bible

by Drs. Monique van Helvoort

Rahab, Scarlet Woman (Book 1, August, 2019)

Leah and Rachel, Becoming Matriarchs (Book 2, April, 2020)

Eve, of Mankind (Book 3, June, 2020)

Ruth, a Friend in T-Ruth (Book 4, August, 2020)

Bathsheba: Liaison to Kings (Book 5, October, 2020)

Sincerely, Esther (Book 6, December, 2020)

The ideas, insights and suggestions contained in these books are not intended to substitute for professional consulting. The author respects each individual’s right to make their own decisions.

Dedication

To them of old: the elephants that walk the earth, the great whales, the turtles that swim the seas, the eagles that soar in the sky, and the wise men that met with nature and with God.

Acknowledgement

For all the ants that faithfully till our earth, for their comradery; and for their strong ones, filled with faith, that walk first: they trust.

Understanding Women in the Bible: Meet: Sincerely, Esther

Study Notes on Her Personal Message and on the Universal Message of Her Life

Introduction

First you met Rahab, a scarlet woman in the Bible, then you got to view Leah and Rachel, both sisters and wives to the same man. Ruth is described very specifically for us in the Bible. Eve, the first woman of mankind, introduced herself. Bathsheba was heavily involved in the politics of her day. They gave me insights into their lives, and they shared their life lessons with me to write down. They all are formidable Women of the Bible.

Then I pondered, and got a bit antsy. I knew that Esther was next to speak; she seemed so big, and yet I did not know what her message was going to be. Would I be able to do her message honor? What was her message? Well, I had Proverbs 6:6-8 (King James Version): no guide, overseer, or ruler, yet I knew I had to provide my meat in summer and gather my food in the harvest—and there she was, Esther, a hidden treasure, as she revealed herself and her choices to me.

I have studied the Bible intensely since 2006. It is something that I consider to be a big achievement, according to my own measurement of success. On my own, through others by listening and speaking to them, and by learning to listen to God’s voice better and better, I live and learn to live in a healthy and happy way. One day at a time.

I live in Aruba and was born in Curaçao, in the Caribbean Islands. I went to secondary school in Aruba and studied later in the Netherlands. Among my studies was that of a bachelor’s degree in teaching, to instruct in the English and in the Dutch language. I later studied governance and graduated with a master’s degree that carries the title drs. doctorandus in our educational system.

I choose to read and study the Bible in English (King James Version) and to support myself with Bibles in different languages and different translations. Our daily language in Aruba is Papiamento; the instructional language in most of the schools is Dutch. We are closely affiliated to the US, so English is used on the whole island, as is the Spanish language. All three and even four languages are part of these study notes and my insights, and together they lead to this series of study notes on Women in the Bible.

The first message that my heavenly Father gave me in specific words, in 2006, came through clearly: they were para keto in Papiamento, the native language; in English that is well known as be still. And so, I did; I stood still and listened. It was only later that I encountered the biblical text "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 KJV). That was when I was really silenced—at awe, really. It made God and the Bible all so very real; and at the same time, reality became unreal. How is that so, you might ask? Let me explain how it works with me: I ponder about the character I am going to write about; I have studied it before. I sit still and think about what she would mean to the world and to me. Her reality comes to this world.

Esther represented radiating energy, beauty, and power to me—even her name is beautiful. I was a little bit intimidated by her at first, I must confess. I understood the story, or so I thought. I had no idea what would make these understandings—these insights—so special to other women and men, and to myself, really. So, I reconsidered and sat still, and after reading two versions of her book, I asked the Lord to help me find the real and right insight. And there it was: the theme came through, and I got to understand a different part of her. I could see her and get my interpretation on what she was, what she is, and what her story represents. Esther is sincere on each level of her story.

I stood still, and Jesus became my author as the Book of Esther enthralled me.

The study notes and the thoughts I have on the character that I describe are shared in this book, written for both women and girls, and they actually have the same value for men. I wrote down my understanding so that the reader can decide if they want to receive the knowledge I bring, and they can decide to purchase the book it if it pleases them. I write in each book from the point of view of a woman in the Bible for two reasons. The first is that I myself am a woman. The second is that I have realized that people still convince girls and women that they are limited, which is completely untrue in my belief—as I can do and be everything I want to do and be, and I stand on my own two feet. These two messages I received from my late (earthly) dad.

I wanted to share life messages for and from women of the Bible, as the Bible is the oldest universal bestselling book, so that women know they can do everything they want to—as it was created in them to do so.

I emphasize that the same principle counts for men. And yes, in the same way, women can learn the life messages from the male characters in the Bible. It just so happens to be that I am a woman, so I chose the women in the Bible for this purpose. As a woman or as a man, you and I can learn from their lives, as these personas and their lives are descriptions on some level of my own life—and probably of your life as well. So, the life stories are from the Bible, and I share with you my study notes and my interpretations of the facts about the woman and her life message. Esther, like Ruth before her, has her own book. How about that—another woman who has her own book in the Bible.

These study notes and the messages consist of my own study insights, as I am not a clergywoman. I am, however, a student of Jesus and the Word of God.

So, I present to you this palette of diverse women, each one with a biblical as well as a worldly side to her character. I invite you to get to know them; and through them, to get to know a bit more about yourself. Read about how I color a passage of their lives as I imagine them to be back then—a long time before Jesus, before they learned an important lesson—and then I will color their lives as I imagine them to be after they have learned a valuable life lesson. You will receive the factual biblical text, as it is presented to us in the Bible. The daily life that I write about is simply my imagination that I present to you. It is there to bring the person to life and into our daily world. Be prepared that the imaginary description that I introduce as a part of the character’s daily life might sound gruesome, offensive, or even not done to your modern ears and eyes, or not in concordance with your educational level or social and political correctness. I invite you, however, to have an open mind, as they lived before Jesus ever came to save the world—and He did not come to save them, and us, for no reason.

In each book I present you with my study notes on her persona, a short fictional version of her life, the factual version of the Bible, and derived from that, her personal message for us as readers. As God’s ways are unknown to me, the book received an additional part. While studying the persona, God gave me an added message with regard to the woman in her specific context. Therefore, I also share with you the message I have perceived from the context that she lives in as described in the Bible. I call that part a universal message. This is followed by a fictional version of the character’s new life after she has learned her personal lesson. The more I have studied the Bible, the more the underlying symbols have become clear. That might not be for everyone, yet it is in there, according to me.

Each book has one character, or one persona, who is described in my study notes. Leah and Rachel’s book will tell you why they are together in one book. The choice for the biblical character has been mine, and it is not in historical order or in order of their Christian status of being famous. The choice is led by what I tend to call my inner voice.

It is my privilege to share my study notes on women in the Bible—on their stance, their capacities, and their abilities. The choices they made, the mistakes they made, the flaws that are described, and the good characteristics they have. To put it plainly, they are described just as the men in the Bible are—with their accomplishments and with their failures, for us to learn from—as they lived their lives. Their first achievement is plainly visible, as their lives were so prominent that they are described in the best-sold book in the whole world for the last many centuries. Our advantage is that their lives are written down so that we can learn from them.

Be still, if it so pleases you, and learn from one who lived before you. Let God speak to you.

Esther is a treasure, hidden by God in the castle of a king who became her husband. Meet Esther: she speaks sincerely; she knows no guile.

Drs. Monique van Helvoort

Table of Contents

Chapter I How to Read the Study Notes on Women in the Bible. 23

Chapter II Structure of Each Book 31

Chapter III Sincerely, Esther 33

The Official Biblical Text 34

Esther’s Daily Life