As in the previous chapter, we see here a plain telling of events without any explanation of good or evil. However, these first two chapters are setting up the circumstances for a powerful story. As in chapter one, this lesson shows us the ways of the world.
The entire book of Esther is about God’s providential care of His people.
The children of Israel were to keep themselves separated from the other nations but, by intermarrying with the different nations around them, they had compromised and taken on their abominations. The answer for them, though it might seem harsh, was to separate from their heathen marriages.
When you compare the description of Saul’s death in this chapter with that in 1 Samuel 31, you will find two different stories of how Saul died. 1 Samuel 31:4-5 tells us that he died at his own hand by falling on his own sword. In 2 Samuel 1:9-10 we are told that he was killed by the Amalekite. Is there a contradiction? No. The second account is that of the Amalekite himself who thought he would receive a reward for killing David’s enemy.
God knows how to reward the righteous and punish the wicked. Those who stayed by the stuff got their share of the spoil and Saul received the end of his disobedience (Romans 2:6)
Saul never submits to doing things God’s way. In this lesson, he disobeys Deuteronomy 18:9-12 and seeks the help of a witch. This lesson should act as a warning against witchcraft and related abominations.
Some say that prophecy is too hard to understand. Everyone interprets the Bible differently and there is no correct way to interpret prophecy. This is not true. As in everything else, God gives us the guidance to understand the prophecy that He wrote.
