Peter H. W. Lau 
Esther [PDF ebook] 
A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary

The Asia Bible Commentary Series empowers Christian believers in Asia to read the Bible from within their respective contexts. Holistic in its approach to the text, each exposition of the biblical books combines exegesis and application. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the Body of Christ in Asia by providing pastoral and contextual exposition of every book of the Bible. Set in Persia, the book of Esther seems to show little interest in the temple, the Promised Land, prayer or other signs of the Israelite religion. Most peculiarly for a book of the Bible, there is no explicit mention of God! Yet there are many similarities with the setting of Esther and situations in Asia today, which open ways for God to speak into present realities. This commentary examines the book of Esther in its original context, and considers how to interpret and apply it in light of the rest of Scripture – both the Old Testament and the New.