ESTHER: A queen of faith and courage
A despot, a vast kingdom, a villain, a beauty
pageant, a beautiful queen, a harem, a massacre plot, and a Jewish diaspora in
Persia. Esther’s story is a thriller, but the real protagonist’s name never
appears in the text. Who is he?
Have you ever wondered whether you’re doing the
‘right thing,’ whether you’re in line with God’s will? Esther struggled with
this problem until her cousin encouraged and supported the toughest decision of
her life.
King Xerxes of Persia ruled over a vast kingdom
of 127 provinces, stretching from India to the upper Nile region of Africa. By
474 B.C., he’d been on the throne for six years, proud of his many conquests.
The Jewish remnant who remained in Susa lived peacefully among the Persians,
although ancient antisemitic grievances rumbled below the surface. Xerxes’
power was supreme, and no-one contradicted his authority since the penalty was
death. Despite this dire threat, two women dared to defy his authority. He
banished one and honored the other.
Xerxes’ opulent banquets were legendary, and he
held garden parties on the mosaic gemstone pavements where his male guests reclined
on gold and silver couches, sipping on their favorite wines. White and blue
linen drapes hung between the marble pillars. As for the palace ladies, Queen
Vashti entertained them at a private banquet.
The king spent a scintillating week displaying
his wealth and power, but it didn’t satisfy his lusts. He summoned Queen Vashti,
the first lady of his harem, and commanded her to parade her beauty before his
courtiers. But Persian women veiled themselves in public, and the queen refused
to cooperate with his ostentatious demand.
How dare the queen defy the king of the realm! Furious, he consulted his
legal team, who advised him the queen had sinned against his rule and the
nation. Her outrageous behavior would lead every woman to disobey her husband
and undermine male authority.
“Vashti must never enter the king’s
presence again. Search the kingdom for a superior queen.”
So, the king sent dispatches to every province,
proclaiming every man should rule his household. He deposed Queen Vashti.
The commissioners scoured the realm for virgins for the king’s harem. In
Susa, there lived the beautiful Hadassah, and her cousin, Mordecai. They were
from the Benjaminite tribe, like King Saul, and belonged to the remnant who
hadn’t returned to Jerusalem. She entered the harem, under the control of
Hegai, the eunuch. A year of beauty treatments and special diet were necessary
to prepare a virgin for this illustrious king and Hadassah, known as Esther.
She won Hegai’s favor with her beauty and pleasant demeanor. Before she left
her home, Mordecai had gauged the extent of the undercurrent against the Jews, and
he told her to conceal her nationality. An orphan, he’d raised her from
childhood and loved her like a daughter. He visited the harem courtyard every
day because he needed to know she was safe.
The night arrived for Esther to visit the king.
Hegai asked what she needed for her special rendezvous, but she left it to him
to decide. Did she feel scared, overwhelmed, or excited? This humble Jewish
girl would sleep with the world’s most powerful man. In the morning, she would
be his concubine, just one of hundreds of women reserved to satiate the king’s
desires.
The same beauty and grace which gained her favor in the harem charmed
the king. She knew how to please him yet protect her true identity. He arranged
a banquet and crowned her queen to replace Vashti.
An astute man would hear rumors when sitting at the king’s gate, and
Mordecai had his ear to the ground. Enter the conspirators! Two officials were
angry with Xerxes and the Jew heard them discussing an assassination plot. When
he told Queen Esther, the court verified the reports, and the two officials
were strung up and impaled.
Several characters are emerging in the narrative, but not the
protagonist by name. Do the coincidences in Esther’s story captivate you?
A Jewish family stays after the exile and settles in Susa. A
coincidence? No, God selects this Benjaminite clan to protect his people.
Esther is God’s choice to fulfill an important role.
There’s a powerful king who doesn’t understand
he’s an instrument in God’s hand. He thinks he’s deposing his queen, but God is
setting her aside to replace her with a Jew. Since he only banishes her, God is
merciful to Vashti by saving her life.
Although Xerxes searches for his new bride
from India to Egypt, she’s living in Susa, right under his nose. God knows
which virgin will excite and charm the king and she enters the king’s harem. Shocking?
Odd? But even there, God places a concerned relative where any abuser will see
him. God ensures she receives the optimum care and preparation, the finest
beauty treatments in Persia.
Since Esther’s parents have died, her
conscription to the harem can’t concern them. Mordecai is a loving guardian and
a shrewd man who understands Susa society. If he doesn’t like her abduction to
the king’s harem, he knows how to use it to benefit others. Esther will enhance
her position as queen if he exposes the assassination plot, since it’s a wise
and honorable political move for himself and the queen. God knows Esther must
curry favor with such a volatile king. The Lord delights in changing evil
intentions into glorious victories.
Mordecai hides Esther’s Jewish identity. God uses Esther’s discretion to
gain favor in a Gentile court.
The hidden power behind the scenes is watching
and acting according to his sovereign will. He hasn’t changed. Jesus is the
same, today, yesterday, and forever. Hebrews 13:8.
Next week we’ll see the plot thicken. God’s arch enemy steps up his pace. You’ll feel his secret presence invading the central
villain’s heart, sending shivers down every Jewish spine as he schemes for his
ultimate downfall.
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