Hello everyone.
In this blog post, I will be sharing lessons that we can learn from the story of Queen Esther.
The story of Esther can be found in the Book of Esther. This book contains 10 chapters. For today’s blogpost, I will share the first part of the story of Esther. In our next blogpost, we’ll wrap up this story and will explore some insights that can be gathered from this account.
Esther was of Jewish descent. Her story takes place during the time when the Jews were in captivity in Medo-Persia. Esther’s parents passed away at some point during her childhood and she was then raised by her cousin Mordecai.
The story of how Esther became queen is an interesting one. King Ahasueras had held a lengthy feast. During this feast he consumed much alcohol. In his inebriated state, he called for his queen, Vashti, to come and show her beauty to the guests. Vashti refused. This angered the king, and, in agreement with the advice he received from his wise men, he rescinded Vashti’s queenly status.
King Ahasueras’ servants suggested that beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king, so that the king could select the new queen from among them. The king accepted this proposition, and Esther was among the virgins that were brought to the palace. Esther was selected as the new queen.
The king did not realize that he had a Jewish queen as Esther had honored Mordecai’s request that she not reveal her ethnicity.
Mordecai worked for the Medo-Persian government. The Bible says that he “sat in the king’s gate.” Esther 2:19 (KJV) Mordecai learned of the plans of two of the king’s doorkeepers who intended to harm the king. Mordecai notified Esther, who in turn notified the king in Mordecai’s name. This report was investigated and confirmed to be true, and both of the doorkeepers were hanged. This account was recorded in the historical records of the kingdom.
King Ahasueras then promoted “Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.” Esther 3:1 (KJV) The king also commanded everyone to bow to and worship Haman. However, Mordecai did not bow. This angered Haman. Haman had been told that Mordecai was a Jew, and his anger then became directed not only at Mordecai, but at Mordecai’s people as well.
Haman determined to destroy all of the Jews. He went to the king and said; “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.” Esther 3:8-9 (KJV)
King Ahasueras agreed and a law that was for the purpose of destroying the Jews was signed in the name of the king and was sealed with his ring.
When Mordecai heard about this, he was distressed. “When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.” Esther 4:1-2 (KJV)
Word came to Esther about Mordecai’s emotional state, and she sent a man named Hatach to inquire as to the cause. Through Hatach, Mordecai explained the situation, sent a copy of the decree to Esther, and requested that she go to the king and “make request before him for her people.” Esther 4:8 (KJV)
Esther responded that if anyone who was not asked by the king to enter his presence entered uninvited, that person would be killed unless the king held out his golden scepter to that person. Mordecai responded that Esther should not feel that she herself would be safe from the terrible decree. He ended with the famous words; “…who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 (KJV)
Esther requested that the Jews fast and pray for three days and nights and stated that she and her maidens would do the same. After these three days and nights, she would go before the king, no matter the outcome.
“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16 (KJV)
Due to God’s wise and loving answer to these prayers, when Esther went before the king, he held out his golden scepter to her and accepted her invitation to a feast.
We will explore what happened before, during, and after this feast in our next blog post. We will also discuss the lessons that can be learned from this story.
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