Ester 2:1-18 A New Queen

Queen Vashti is gone from the king’s life. He misses the companionship of having a queen. It’s time to look for a new queen to replace her.

It has been around three years since the king had Vashti removed. It apparently took him a while to get over his anger. It appears that her behavior deeply affected him. But in time he wished for more than physical comfort. He desired a compatible companion again; a new queen.

I’m pretty sure the king had concubines already in the palace. They were most likely from the time when he had sought out and found Vashti. They met his physical needs but none were queen material. It’s time to start over with a new batch of women, to see if he can find another who touches his soul.

ALL the young virgins in the area were rounded up; or at least all the beautiful ones. No ugly ducklings for this king. I wonder how they were rounded up. Did the king make a decree that was read to the people and they complied by bringing their daughters to a specified place? Did the king’s servants go throughout the town looking for beautiful young girls and then question their fathers? Was there a role somewhere that had all the names, ages, and disposition of the girls living in Susa?

This process puzzles me more as I think about the fact that Mordecai was known to be a Jew, at least by Haman, but Ester’s heritage was kept secret. This tells me that her association with him was kept secret too. So did she just show up to the ‘haram call’ and they took her word for her virgin status without verifying it with her people? Maybe they did medical exams on the girls to determine the truth. Maybe they took them at their word as this was a MAJOR issue in a young woman’s life.

Somehow Ester was swept up with all the other virgins destined to lose their virginity to the king. This was apparently quite an honor. In this day and age I’m pretty sure the whole plan would not have gone over so easily. One chance in how ever many to impress the king in one night. If you fail to totally wow him you wind up as just another of his bed warmer for whenever he feels like it. You would lack for nothing physically for the rest of your life but your lot in life would also be sealed.

Anyway, Ester was an exceptional young woman. She not only had beauty on the outside but she was beautiful inside too. I say this because the king’s eunuch had certainly seen many young maidens in his time serving the king but Ester won his respect. How she behaved separated her from all the others. Maybe it was her poise. Maybe it was her kindness. Maybe it was her spirit. Maybe it was all these things. Whatever it was, she stood out among her peers. The king’s eunuch even assigned six other maidens to tend to her needs and he placed them all in the choice places in the haram.

For a year Ester and the rest of the young maidens underwent lavish beauty treatments. They were pampered and prepared with the finest fragrances, spices, and lotions and fed the best foods. They were treated with the stuff of fairytales. But they were not free to determine their own lives. No woman was at this time in history.

When her night with the king approached Ester sought the counsel of the eunuch in charge. He had sent many a maiden on this same voyage. He knew the king’s preferences. He had also taken great interest in Ester and advised her as to what to take with her.

Ester also took with her the same things that had won over the king’s eunuch. She had beauty inside and out which she shared with the king. Whatever it was that Ester possessed, the king was hooked that first visit. She touched his heart in ways that the others didn’t. Be it gentleness of spirit or ability to speak his language or charm beyond measure, his search was over. He had found his queen.

We are not told how many nights Ester actually spent with the king before he was certain she was the one. Whether it was one night or many, he found a woman who completed him and made him happier than he had been in a LONG time. This is evident in the way he behaved after choosing her as his queen. He threw a banquet for her, forgo taxes and gave lavish gifts in her honor. He willingly gave to others because she gave something more to him.

All the while Ester was being prepared for the king and winning him over her guardian Mordecai kept tabs on her and gave her instructions. She was obedient to him as if she were still living under his care. Daily he moved about the court where Ester was housed and discretely asked questions about her. I don’t know if she was able to speak with him herself during some kind of outside recreation period or if messages were passed between the two of them. If it wasn’t direct contact then there were some VERY loyal go between because their relationship was never disclosed. Ester was able to keep her heritage a secret the whole time. And Mordecai’s presence among the courts wasn’t questioned.

God had a role for Ester to play for her people. He brought her to this role step by step. She wasn’t plopped down in the seat of the queen out of nowhere. His Spirit worked within and around he to bring her to the place where she needed to be. He gave her anonymity when taken into the haram. He gave her favor among her peers. He gave her favor with those in charge. He gave her a means to communicate with her cousin without disclosing their relationship. He gave her cousin wisdom to pass on to her. And He gave her favor in the heart of the king.

ALL THIS God did to bring her to the place she needed to be for His purposes. We will see why she needed to be here later in her story. For now, we see her exalted above all the other maidens gathered in the king’s quest.

God’s ‘fingerprints’ were all over her life! So many places where all could have been derailed. But God kept it all on track and going His way. He took her step by step to the place prepared for her in advance, including having her living with her cousin as his ward.

I LOVE looking at His ‘fingerprints’ in my life. I see them in the path He took me along to bring me to this place in time. The love of writing. The training in the health care field. Learning how to run a website. All the little steps that got me here to where I am today, one foot at a time. And this includes all the growth with God too! From the deepest pits to the highest mountains and everywhere in between. He molded and made me His child.

Thank You Father for every step You have authored for me and for every one You have walked me through. I would NOT be who I am today without You! I would be a terrible mess instead!!! I’m still a bit ‘messy’ but I’m Your mess. I will take that! I’m no queen but I’m Your princess.