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by Samuel E. Ward
September 22, 2013
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Introduction
Review of Esther
I. God's Hand Prepares for the Future: How Esther Came to Be Queen, Esther 1:1-2:23
Xerxes I is the ruler of Persia during the time of Esther and the book opens in the third year of his reign, 483 B.C. Placed in the context of the whole book, we can see the providential hand of God at work to prepare for the deliverance of His people.
There are other observations that we can make from the banquets described that bring out some secondary lessons that are helpful and supply good wisdom. Xerxes teaches us from his bad choices that decisions, made under emotional stress and the influence of alcohol or drugs, are not likely to lead to anything good.
We can also credit Xerxes with reminding us that words spoken in haste and anger often lead to regretful actions and decisions. Like arrows released from a bow, once shot there is no returning them. It is best, therefore, to release words that will not injure, but edify and encourage the heart that receives them. I am reminded of a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow learned in elementary school.
The Arrow and the Song
I shot an arrow into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For, so swiftly it flew, the sight
Could not follow it in its flight.
I breathed a song into the air,
It fell to earth, I knew not where;
For who has sight so keen and strong,
That it can follow the flight of song?
Long, long afterward, in an oak
I found the arrow, still unbroke;
And the song, from beginning to end,
I found again in the heart of a friend.
-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
We have examined the events of the first chapter which included . . .
A. The Great Banquets of Xerxes and QueenVashti, Esther 1:1-9 (483 B.C.)
B. Vashti's Dethronement, Esther1:10-22.
We now turn our attention to chapter two, which leads us through the process of . . .
C. Choosing a New Queen, Esther 2:1-23
1. The search, Esther 2:1-4
Esther 2:1-4 (NIV2011) 1 Later when King Xerxes' fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 Then the king's personal attendants proposed, "Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.
a. Xerxes' anger recedes over Vashti, Esther 2:1.
The campaign against Greece perhaps planned in chapter one with his advisors experienced impressive initial victories. In the end, Xerxes was forced to retreat back to Susa or experience irrecoverable defeat.
The celebrations in Esther 1 prove to be premature. A different mood is hovering over Xerxes as he seemingly lacks anyone from whom he could receive comfort or solace after his defeat in Greece. This may have caused regret over the loss of Vashti as queen and a profound loneliness to settle in Xerxes' heart and mind.
b. Xerxes' advisors suggests finding a replacement, Esther 2:2-4a.
The search for a new queen was to be empire-wide. Commissioners from every province brought young virgin maidens to Susa and made them a part of Xerxes' harem. They were to be "beautiful" (Heb., tob, translated 196 times as "good", 75 times as "better", 11 times as "beautiful.") Physical beauty was probably a key qualification, but the word could well include a description of pleasant disposition, cheerful attitude, etc. They Certainly did not want someone like Vashti who might be a challenge to King Xerxes.
Part of the process was to put the young maidens through a series of beauty treatments. The phrase "beauty treatments" hardly expresses the Hebrew word, maricaq, which means to "polish" or "scour ." The same word is used to describe polishing metal utensils of the temple or the metal on lances in preparation for war.
c. Xerxes accepts the recommendation, Esther 2:4b.
There is no surprise in Xerxes' response. "Let the games begin!"
2. Esther as a candidate, Esther 2:5-11
a. Esther's background, Esther 2:5-7
Esther 2:5-7 (NIV2011) 5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
Esther was under the care of a cousin named Mordecai. Mordecai had taken custody of Esther when her parents died. No details exist as to the cause of their death, but Esther was apparently quite young. It is held by some that Mordecai was a single-parent and possibly a eunuch, since he had access to the women's quarters and no mention is made of a wife or other family.[1]
b. Esther's selection, Esther 2:8-9
Esther 2:8-9 (NIV2011) 8 When the king's order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king's palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king's palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.
Among all the other young women brought to Susa, Esther soon became a favorite of Hegai, overseer of the king's harem,. The Hebrew language describes her as being "beautiful of form and face." She received the best female attendants, treatments, food, and housing among the candidates. We might say in today's idiom that she was "put on the fast track" to become the new queen.
c. Mordecai's concern, Esther 2:10-11.
Esther 2:10-11 (NIV2011) 10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
Several questions arise out of Mordecai's forbidding Esther to reveal anything about her nationality or other personal family information. Since Jews were discouraged from marrying Gentiles, why didn't Mordecai resist Esther's inclusion in the candidacy for queen. Perhaps he was not given a choice and was fearful to object.
There was no known animosity toward the Jews in Persia at this time of which history is aware. Mordecai's future adversary, Haman, was not yet in the picture. In situations like this, scholars are best served not to assume too much about what is not mentioned in history. The argument from silence is never absolute at best and has often been lost when further knowledge becomes available. It could be that Mordecai had a strong sense of the history of the fragile nature of other nations' relationships with the Jews. These relationships could turn in a moment. It is best not to speculate.
3. The traditional procedure, Esther 2:12-14
Esther 2:12-14 (NIV2011) 12 Before a young woman's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. 13 And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 14 In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.
Take note that the young women would go through this procedure for twelve months and still could be rejected by the king! This was no less true for Esther.
4. Esther chosen as queen, Esther 2:15-18
Esther 2:15-18 (NIV2011) 15 When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Many commentators and scholars dwell on what they consider to be the sins of Esther and Mordecai that put them in this position of being obligated to this heathen king. It would seem that if that were the point of Esther, she would have been portrayed in a more negative light than she is.
What does shine through in Esther's character is her winsomeness. The overall view of those who came in contact with her is one of favor among the servants as well as the king, himself.
It has been said that "beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear to the bone!" In this case, Esther is beautiful according to Persian standards through and through and this favor she had acquired will eventually save her people. Let us be careful about being the ones to cast the first, or even subsequent stones.
5. The attempt on the king's life, Esther 2:19-23
Esther 2:19-23 (NIV2011) 19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. 20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. 21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.
In God's preparation for the deliverance of the Jews who were dispersed throughout the Persian Empire, He was already prepared to use the dethronement of Vashti for His purpose.
Now we see that other events which transpired seem to guide the course of events which will make the deliverance possible. These include . . .
§ Mordecai was in a strategic position to gain useful knowledge.
§ Esther kept the secret of her family background and nationality.
§ Mordecai became aware of a plan by Bigthana and Teresh to assassinate King Xerxes.
§ Mordecai had access through Esther to warn the king and gain favorable status with the king.
§ Bigthana's and Teresh's plans were prevented and they were executed.
§ Most importantly, the event was recorded and filed away in the king's annals.
Conclusion
It is not for man to know and understand all of the ways of God in the world. We do know that we are quicker to condemn others than God is. He offers mercy and grace before judgment. Mordecai and Esther seem to have been in violation of God's Law in a number of ways. But the point of this book is not so much about the failings of Mordecai and Esther, but their courage to stand in the gap on behalf of their people .
Rahab was a prostitute and yet not one word of condemnation is recorded against her because, when it counted, she trusted in God. The woman caught in adultery was not condemned by Jesus because perhaps He saw her as the victim of the men who self-righteously judged her. The inference in the text is that these same men probably used and abused her. Jesus did not even ask for a confession. Hear Jesus' words of grace and mercy. See John 8:10-11.
John 8:10-11 (NIV2011) 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
Before we judge others, we should judge ourselves first. Then we can judge others.
Luke 6:41-42 (NIV2011) 41 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Before we judge others, we should offer grace and mercy because often all the facts of a person's life are not known to us. Only God knows when the time of judgment has come and someone has reached the limit of His grace and mercy.
Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NIV2011) As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.
[1]Expositor's Bible Commentary, The - The Expositor's Bible Commentary – Volume 4: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job.
