Esther

Esther 1

Xerxes was showing off his wealth and throwing a great party that lasted six months.  This was normal before going to war.  Theere is some indication that the powers were milirary leaders and this was a planning session for the invasion of Greece. 

Then another seven day party is thrown for the general population.  The wealth of the king is on display for all to see.  Drinks were served in golden cups, each unique in design.  The law of Medes and Persians was that whenever the king drank, everyone had to drink.  This law was set aside for this event. 

Queen Vashti had her own feast for the women during these seven days.  On the seventh day, the king was merry (maybe we should read this as 'having had plenty to drink').  The queen was summoned to present herself so she could also be shown off.  Queen Vashti refused to be presented before the King (maybe because he was drunk).  This just wasn't done.  It was a violation of the etiquette of the court; but also an offense and embarrassment to an extremely prideful man.

Xerxes consultedd his advisers about the law.  They fear that the disrespect will run rampant among the women if he doesn't do something.  They recommend an edict that would banish the queen from the presence of the King.  This was actually pretty slick – as an advisor they were in a sticky situation.  They had to make sure they gave advice the King agreed with or they might lose their life. 

Vashti was banished, opening the way for the search for a replacement.    

©2017 Doug Ford

Esther 2

Esther 2:1-4

There is about a 2 year time from from the kings first edict of banishing the queen to the time when Esther is chosen to be part of the king's harem. It is sometime during this 2 year period when the king took the advice of his counselors to have a type of beauty contest with the king as the judge.  By the advice of the counselors and edict of Xerxes, there were only three qualifications to become queen: young, beautiful and virgin.  These girls were probably 12 to 14 years old. 

Esther 2:5-11

Mordecai is introduced and his lineage as a Jew and Benjamite becomes significant when his adversary is introduced.  Esther is gathered along with the other beautiful young ladies and brought to the palace.  Hegai was pleased with her and began to prepare her with beauty preparations.  Maidservants were assigned to her.  Esther spent a year in the harem getting ready to see the king. 

Mordecai and Esther are introduced as Jews showing the underlying tensions and hatred some had for them.  Likewise, Esther kept her nationality quiet as directed by Mordecai.  He apparently knew this would work against them.  Keeping her nationaliuty secret probably meant she ate unclean foods and didn't keep the other ceremonial regulations of the law.  It's not hard to picture Mordecai pacing in from of the living quarters like a nervous father protecting his daughter. 

Esther 2:12-18

There was twelve months of preparation leading up to the day when each of these ladies went into the King's presensce.  She could request whatever she desired; meaning clothing, jewelry or perfumes to prepare her for the king.  This was a sexual encounter.  The women left the one house, spent the night with the king and returned to another house; the house of the concubines.  The young women wouldn't return to the king unless he called her by name.

Esther followed the advice of Hegai who had prepared her.  Grace and favor were granted to Esther by the king.  He loved her more than all the others so he placed the crown on her head and made her queen.  This is really just a little higher stature than a concubine. Considering what happened to the last queen, she wasn't about to extend her will or claim her rights.  The party and its guest probably resembled the party when Xerxes banished Vashti for not performing for the drunken crowd.

Esther 2:19-23

Esther has still kept her nationality a secret.  This means she is, by all appearance, a Persian woman in every way. 

Mordecai is at the king's gate.  This means he has some official role or business for the king.  He overhears a plot to kill the king.  Mordecai obviously had access and frequent communication with Esther since he was able to pass this information to her.  These men were hanged on the gallows; this 'hanged on the gallows' is actually impaled on a stake, which was common practice at that time.   

Esther 3

Esther 3:1-6

Mordecai was not honored for saving the king from the plot of chapter two.  For some reason though Haman is honored and promoted.  Haman was an Agagite; this is a derogatory term affiliating him with Agag, the Amalekite king.  Agag the Amalekite was the enemy of Israel since they attacked Israel when they were journeying to the promised land (1 Samuel 15:2-3).

Mordecai wouldn't bow down to Haman and pay him honor.  Haman gets wind of this but doesn't attack Mordecai, he has bigger ideas.  He wants to kill all the Jews. 

Esther 3:7-15

By this verse, four years had passed since Esther had become queen.  Haman approached King Xerxes with his plot to get rid of the Jews.  He is vague about the people, general in his accusations, but vile and specific in his request for a decree to kill them all. 

The edict is written and sent to all the kingdom that on that specific day all the Jews, every man, woman and child, would be killed and the wealth plundered.  This was planned 11 months in advance.  It would take four months for the decree to reach all the kingdom. 

Mordecai spins this to the king and gets his signet ring and authority to make a decree.  The king said in verse 10 to do what he wanted to them.  I wonder if that included destroy, kill and annihilate them. 

Esther 4

Esther 4:1-3

As the news of the king's decree against the Jews traveled across the land, the mourning and weeping followed.  Being near the king, the news came quickly, but it took months to travel across the land and then the even was still months away.  Mordecai is the epitome of grief in tearing his clothes, wearing sackcloth and putting ashes on as he cried out.  There is a sense of extreme grief, helplessness and hopelessness without God's intervention.  We don't see any sign of prayer or crying specifically to God.

Esther 4:4-9

Esther trusts this eunuch Hathach; he was probably assigned to her care and was more loyal to her than the king.  He goes outside the palace and to the square where Mordecai is mourning.  At Esther's instruction, he was to give clothes to Mordecai to replace the sackcloth; but Mordecai refused it.  He agreement regarding money was probably not widely known in the public.  It's interesting that Mordecai has this information.  It leads you to believe he had inside information to the goings on at the palace (apart from Esther).  He also possessed a copy of the decree.  This was a big deal and revealed Mordecai as a man of means or importance.  He gives a copy of the decree to Hathach to take to Esther so she could speak to the king about it. 

Esther 4:10-12

Esther's favor with the king may have waned in the last four years.  She had not been called before the king and the laws of Persia did not allow one to go to the king uninvited.  This was a death sentence.  If Esther went into the king, he would have to grant and exception to her to prevent her death. 

Esther 4:13-

This seems like a message Mordecai would have much rather had face to face, but he has to deliver it through Hathach.  There was no reason for Esther to think she could escape this death penalty brought on the Jews.  He believed deliverance would come, yet, if not from her than from another.  He implies that this may be the very reason she was made queen. 

Esther asked for Mordecai to gather Jews and fast for her.  She was going to fast and get all her attendants to also fast.  Then she would go into the king with full knowledge the law decreed her death.  The situation was grave and required actions; she decided that if she died, she died.  What was the difference if you were going to die anyway? 

Mordecai went his way and did all that Esther commanded him to do.  This is a role reversal.  Esther is now leading Mordecai and the Jews.  She seems to be calling the shots now where Mordecai had previously been in this role. 

©2017 Doug Ford