Esther:
Orphan Girl Who Became Queen
from sermon series
“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”
by
Pastor Dave Strem
Used by
permission
The Book of
Esther reads like a made for television movie. It
has suspense, intrigue, betrayal, conspiracy, and
treachery. The whole story becomes of fascinating
interest and meaning to us when we discover that this is
not merely a story of ancient past, but is also a
divinely inspired, magnificently accurate portrayal of
God’s active hand in human history. A reading of
the Bible reveals that God intervenes in human history
in two distinct ways. He sometimes does
supernatural, beyond the natural, deeds that only He can
do. Examples of this type of intervention are the
parting of the Red Sea, God’s feeding of Israel in the
wilderness with manna for 40 years, and Jesus’ feeding
of the 5,000. At other times He uses people and
objects within His creation and orchestrates and directs
them to fulfill His will. These activities by God
are more numerous than supernatural miracles. They
can be thought of as ‘natural’ miracles. God does
not create something out of nothing or use physical
power that is only His by divine prerogative, but
confines Himself to act within our space-and-time
limitations. Examples of this type of intervention
are Joseph’s sale into slavery and his eventual use by
God to save Israel from starvation, David’s slaying of
Goliath, and Caesar’s decree that forced Joseph to take
Mary to Bethlehem, fulfilling the prophecy that the
Messiah would be born in that city. The story of
Esther falls into this category. God’s name is
never mentioned in the entire book but God’s guiding
hand can be seen throughout it.
There are five major characters in this book—a king, a
queen, an orphan girl, a man of God, and a villain. The
king is Xerxes, son of King Darius. He ruled a vast
empire that covered much of the Middle East, from India
to Egypt to the borders of Greece. The first act in
this story centers on a fundraising party with hundreds
of dignitaries from all over the empire bringing tribute
to finance a war with Greece. Xerxes was ambitious to
make his mark on the kingdom. He wanted Greece. At the
end of the 7-day party, with his judgment impaired by
alcohol, he made a foolish and arrogant decision to
show-off his beautiful wife to all his guests. He
ordered her to parade in front of his guests. Some
commentators think that he ordered her to parade in
front of his guests naked, wearing nothing but her
crown. He wanted everyone to know what he had and, the
worst part, how he controlled her. Vashti, his wife,
refused. I suspect that what Xerxes wanted Vashti to do
she had done for him in private many times before. And
that is fine. But Xerxes violated his love for her by
ordering her to make their private life public for his
own titillation and ambition. Vashti was stung by his
betrayal and refused to humiliate herself just for his
selfish pleasure. She had standards and refused to
lower herself to his level. Esther 1:12 says that “This
made the king furious, and he burned with anger.” One
can almost sense an undercurrent of a power struggle
between Xerxes and Vashti. Was Xerxes trying to put
Vashti in her place? Was this a continuation of a
behind the scene conflict? His immediate reaction of
rage reveals a prior mindset of control and domination.
To refuse someone in this mindset provokes verbal and
physical abuse.
Persia of Xerxes’ day was much like the Arab countries
of today. The husband had complete control over the
wife. Women were abused regularly. Vashti’s refusal of
Xerxes order was considered scandalous. It was
rebellion against an oppressive system that degraded
women. One could almost see her as a true feminist,
standing up for the dignity of women everywhere. Women
should not be made to parade around naked in front of
others against their will. It is degrading to make them
do it. Vashti had the courage to say “No!” to the evil
command. And what happened to her? She was deposed
from being queen. Some commentators think she was
executed based on Esther’s statement in 4:16. “Though
it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If
I must die, I am willing to die.” Is it possible that
Esther considered death possible because she knew that
Vashti died before her? We do not know for sure, but
whatever happened to Vashti we know she paid a great
price for her convictions, maybe even her life.
Between chapter 1 and chapter 2, four years pass.
During this time the Persians invade Greece. But they
failed. Chapter 2 finds Xerxes back in his palace
licking his wounds from the Greece defeat and feeling
lonely. Xerxes missed Vashti’s company. His attendants
sensed his loneliness and suggested a beauty pageant to
find him a new wife. “Let us search the empire to find
beautiful young virgins for the king…. The young woman
who pleases you will be made queen instead of Vashti”
(2:4). Xerxes liked the idea. One of the women chosen
was Esther.
When Esther was a minor her father and mother died. Her
older cousin Mordecai adopted her into his family and
raised her as his own daughter. From scriptural
evidence, they seemed to have a deep and trusting
relationship toward one another. Mordecai did what he
believed was best for Esther and Esther listened to
Mordecai’s wisdom and direction. When the king’s
servants arrived in Susa, Esther’s city of residence,
they were impressed with her beauty and chose her as a
candidate for Xerxes’ special affection. As the other
women chosen, Esther was taken to a special place and
given one year’s worth of beauty treatments and health
foods to enhance her appearance and vitality. Esther
2:15-18 record what happened when Esther meet the king:
“When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king, she
accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of
the harem. She asked for nothing except what he
suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her.
When Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace
in early winter of the seventh year of his reign, the
king loved her more than any of the other young women.
He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown
on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti.”
The orphan girl was now queen of Persia.
Because of Esther’s influence, Mordecai was given a
position as a palace official. One day Mordecai
overheard two palace guards plotting to assassinate
Xerxes. He reported what he heard to Esther and she
took the information to Xerxes. Upon investigation,
Mordecai’s story was found to be true and the two men
were executed. But he was soon forgotten for what he
did. He received no reward for what he did.
Some
time later, we do not know exactly how long, the Prime
Minister, Haman, enjoyed special prominence in the
king’s sight. The king ordered all to bow down before
Haman whenever he passed by. Mordecai refused to do
this, despite repeated counsel to do so. Haman was
incensed at Mordecai’s snub. Haman was a well-known
hater of the Jews. And this incident with Mordecai
provoked him to such anger that he committed himself to
destroy all the Jews in the kingdom. Haman made
elaborate plans for nearly one year to carry out the
destruction in a single day. As incentive to motivate
many to kill a Jew, the property of the Jew killed would
be given to the killer. Official decrees were written
and distributed throughout the kingdom.
When Mordecai learned of the plot, he became very
distraught and upset. Jews all over the kingdom were
fearful and confused. “And as news of the king’s decree
reached all the provinces, there was great mourning
among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many
people lay in sackcloth and ashes” (4:3). Mordecai also
covered himself in sackcloth and ashes to mourn for his
people. Esther saw him in morning and sent her servant
to inquire as to the reason for his sadness. Mordecai
gave the servant a copy of the decree and instructed the
servant to show it to Esther, as well as a message
requesting that she intercede for her people before the
king. Esther reminded Mordecai that it was illegal,
upon penalty of death, for anyone, even her, to appear
before the king uninvited. Mordecai’s response shows
the severity of the situation, as well as his belief
that God will not allow all Jews to perish (he must,
therefore, have believed the promises made to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob), but that it was a real possibility
that he, his relatives, the citizens of his hometown,
Susa, and Esther herself were doomed to die. Esther saw
the truth of what Mordecai said and sent the following
message to him: “Go and gather together all the Jews of
Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three
days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same.
And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to
see the king. If I must die, I am willing to die.”
Esther was not an aggressive person. All her life she
had graciously submitted herself to an authority
figure. First Mordecai, as her adopted father, and now
Xerxes, the king of Persia. She respected laws and
proper submission. She was probably the direct opposite
of Vashti, who had the aggressiveness to oppose Xerxes
in public. But now at a critical time, she let her
responsibility to her people, God’s people, push her to
do what she would never have considered doing
previously--approaching the king uninvited, putting her
life in jeopardy.
Three days later, Esther appeared before the king and
found a warm welcome. Xerxes heard her request. “What
is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is
half the kingdom” (5:3)! Think about this. At this
point, Esther could have had wealth beyond her wildest
dreams. She could have forgotten about her people,
Mordecai, and her God, but she did not. She remained
faithful. She requested that the king allow her to
arrange a special banquet for just them and Haman. Her
request was granted.
Haman was delighted that he would have a special meeting
with just the king and queen. He thought he was being
honored above everyone else in the kingdom. But he was
soon to find out that God had other plans for him.
The night before Esther’s special banquet, Xerxes had
trouble sleeping. He ordered an attendant to bring the
historical records that perhaps he might gain sleep as
the attendant read to him. Providentially, the account
of Mordecai’s involvement in saving the king from
assassination was read to Xerxes. Xerxes inquired
whether Mordecai had ever been rewarded for what he
did. The attendant replied, “No.” Just at that moment
Haman entered the outer court, which drew the king’s
attention. Haman had come to request that Mordecai be
hanged on a specially built, 75 foot hanging gallows.
Before he could make his request, Xerxes asked him,
“What should I do to honor a man who truly pleases me?”
Haman thought that that special someone was himself. He
advised that royal robes be placed on this person and
that this person was to be placed on a royal horse and
be paraded around the city, as a dignitary shouted,
“This is what happens to those the king wishes to honor”
(6:9)!
The king thought that this was a good idea, so he
instructed Haman to do all of this for Mordecai. Haman
was humiliated. As he mourned with his family, the
king’s servants arrived to take him to the banquet
Esther prepared. At the banquet, Esther revealed to
Xerxes Haman’s evil plot. Xerxes ordered Haman’s
execution. And ironically, Haman was hung on the very
gallows that he intended to use to hang Mordecai.
While the chief enemy of the Jews was dead, the threat
was still present. The day that was set aside for the
mass slaughter of the Jews was near. The decree
designed by Haman had gone out to the entire kingdom, a
vast area. Swift action was needed to prevent a
disaster. Esther appealed to the king for the right for
Jews to protect themselves against those who would kill
them. Scripture records that on the exact day Haman had
planned the Jewish extermination, the Jews killed five
hundred people in Susa alone, and also Haman’s ten
sons. The next day they killed three hundred more of
their enemies in the Susa area. In total, 75,000
enemies of the Jews were killed throughout the kingdom.
Thus, assuring their future safety in the kingdom.
The author of the book of Esther closes the book by
emphasizing the greatness and future blessings of both
Xerxes and Mordecai. Mordecai became Prime Minister,
behind only Xerxes in authority. Esther 10:3b says this
about Mordecai: “He was very great among the Jews, who
held him in high esteem, because he worked for the good
of his people and was a friend at the royal court for
all of them.” Mordecai received the blessing of God
because he was faithful to God’s purposes and plans.
Xerxes, a gentile, received the blessing of God because
he was friendly and protective toward God’s specially
chosen people, the Jews.
The story of Esther and Mordecai can be used to teach
many different lessons, some moral and some spiritual.
But one primary lesson revolves around God’s ability to
use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Esther
and Mordecai were Jews in a foreign land. But God was
able to use them for a special task because they had
both good character and a faith and love toward the
Creator God of Israel. True, Esther’s beauty helped put
her in a position to be considered for queen, but it was
her character and humility that gained the position.
Xerxes trusted her to help run palace affairs and not to
embarrass him in public. Mordecai had wisdom and a kind
heart. He took care of an orphan girl and loved her.
And continued to love her even when she became an
adult. There were probably other Jewish people living
in the Persian Empire that had the qualities Esther and
Mordecai had. But God chose them for the tasks and
roles we read about in the book of Esther.
God can work great things through ordinary people. In
Esther, He works through a drunken husband’s outrageous
demand, a pagan beauty pageant, a villain’s hateful and
arrogant plot, a king’s insomnia, a king’s
absentmindedness, and a boring congressional record. He
weaves all of these together and redeems His nationally
adopted people from destruction. God had a plan for
Esther’s and Mordecai’s lives and used them by grafting
them into the historical tapestry that is the book of
Esther. What if they refused to listen? Refused to
stand up for what is right and moral? They would have
missed God’s blessing, but God would have found another
way to complete His task. He would have used other
people or arranged other sets of circumstances. But
there is biblical evidence that when God has to alter
His best plan to accommodate human unfaithfulness there
are negative consequences. The Bible is full of stories
of the consequences of rejecting God’s first and best
plan.
What would this world be like had Adam and Eve followed
God’s best plan by not eating of the tree in the center
of the garden, or if Cain had followed God’s admonition
to bring a more worthy sacrifice, or if Abraham had not
brought Lot with him on his journey, or if Abraham had
waited for God’s promised child, Isaac, and not had
Ishmael, ancestor of the Arab tribes of today, which are
Israel’s sworn enemies, or if Moses had not brought
Aaron on his deliverance mission, or if David had not
committed adultery with Bathsheba, or if Solomon had
stayed away from pagan wives whom eventually corrupted
him, or if Israel listened to God and did not introduce
idol worship in their midst, or if the Jewish leaders
had listened to Jesus and not Caiaphas the high priest.
There are more. Do not think that because something
happens it was fated to happen. Sometimes things happen
in this world because someone does not do
something. He or she does not fulfill God’s best plan
for their lives. Instead of putting God, family, and
country first, too many men and women chose career and
money as their priority. Negative consequences follow
for their children and their culture.
Esther and Mordecai are examples of two individuals who
did fulfill God’s best plan for their lives. The
results are all positive. Nothing negative came out of
the Esther-Mordecai story. As James 1:17 states:
“Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God
above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he
never changes or casts shifting shadows.” God authored
the plan and it worked perfectly, with no negative
consequences. Except, of course, for Haman, Haman’s
family, and those who hated the Jewish people, God’s
nationally-chosen people. And for this reason James
continues by saying, “So get rid of all the filth and
evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God
has implanted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to
save your souls” (1:21). God does not promise us riches
and a carefree, comfortable life, but if we follow His
perfect plan for our lives we will have His praise and
no negative consequences that will harm His kingdom and
people. Many who are listed in the Hebrews 11
Hall-of-Fame of faith suffered greatly for their
faithfulness. But the kingdom of God was advanced by
their faithfulness. And God praised them for it. They
did not hurt God’s testimony in this world but advanced
it. By their faithful sufferings they inspire others to
persevere during hardships and trials. God’s perfect
plans further the kingdom without negative consequences
for the kingdom. Human-polluted plans always leave
negative consequences for the kingdom and human history.
The example of Esther and Mordecai’s character and
faithfulness to God’s ways and plans teach us to follow
after God perfectly, so that no negative consequences
might be created by us, consequences that hinder God’s
testimony in this world. We need to strive to fulfill
His plan for our lives in a pure and holy manner so that
He can work out His plan in the best possible way, free
of negative consequences created by us!
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