The King chooses Esther

The Book of Esther Chapter 2

After King Xerxes anger at his queen had cooled, he began to think about the decree he had sent out. His attendants suggested that they find a beautiful young virgin for the king, so agents in each province were appointed to bring these women to the royal harem at Susa. Hegai, the eunuch in charge, would give them beauty treatments and then the woman who most pleased the king would be made queen.

At the fortress of Susa there was a Jew named Mordecai, son of Jair. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and his family had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzer. Mordecai had a beautiful young cousin named Esther, whom he had adopted into his family and raised as his own daughter. She was rounded up with the other young women and taken to the harem. Hegai, the eunuch, was impressed with Esther and treated her kindly and gave her beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids and moved her to the best place in the harem.

Esther had not told anyone her nationality or family background, for Mordecai had instructed her not to do so. Every day he would walk near the courtyard of the harem and inquire about her.

Before each woman was taken to the king's bed, she was given twelve months of beauty treatments - six months of oil of myrrh, followed by six months of special perfumes and ointments. Then she was given lovely clothes and jewelry. That evening she was taken to the king's private rooms and the next morning she was brought to the second harem, where the king's wives lived. There she would be under the care of Shaashgaz, another eunuch. There she would spend the rest of her life, never going to the king again unless he enjoyed her and requested her by name.

When it was Esther's turn, she accepted the advice of Hegai and asked for nothing except what he suggested and she was admired by everyone who saw her. The king loved her more than any of the other young women and was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. Then he gave a great banquet in Esther's honor. After all the young women had been transferred to the second harem, Mordecai became a palace official. Esther meanwhile, kept her nationality and background a secret.

One day as Mordecai was on duty, two of the king's eunuch's plotted to assassinate the king. Mordecai heard the plot and passed the information along to Esther. She told the king and gave Mordecai credit for the report. When the investigation proved true, the eunuchs were hanged.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Persian kings collected vast amounts of jewelry and women. These young women were taken from their homes and put in a building near the palace; their purposed was to serve the king. Most rarely saw the king and their lives were restricted and boring. Esther would be one of these girls, but her presence and beauty pleased the king enough that he made her queen in place of Vashti. As queen she had more freedom and authority than those in the harem, but she had few rights because she replace a queen who had become too assertive.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? We must realize that God put Esther on the throne before the Jews faced complete destruction. He needed her to be in a position to help. Ask yourself if you are changing jobs or locations, perhaps you are fulfilling God's purpose. Perhaps a purpose that you cannot see at the moment, but one that God will reveal to you in the future.

Don't you just love old Mordecai? He was a faithful servant to his God and risked his life to stay close to this woman whom he considered his daughter. He was a willing servant of God. May we all be willing servants of our God and be able to trust in the Lord even when we can't always see the future plan. Praise be to God!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is healing but her leg was crushed and will take many months of doctoring. She is in a nursing home for rehab care. Pray for her healing. Also Gabe, Wanda, Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother whose cancer has returned and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them. Update on this family: Her mother-in-law is being taken to Oklahoma to live with an aunt who will care for her.
Pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life.
Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Pray for Cyndi Sullivan who made it six years with cancer but may now go home with hospice in her final days.
Pray for my cousin Diane who had total mastectomy surgery for breast cancer.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Pray for Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray too for Charly’s husband Robert who is undergoing chemo for his prostate cancer.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and for the doctors who have difficulty diagnosing his other symptoms.
Pray for James’s sister Cynthia whose chemo has lost its effect as the cancer grows powerful.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.