Esther's Favor Esther 2:9 - Equipped for Battle

As our story continues in the book of Esther, we have found the servants of King Ahasuerus gathering fair young maidens who are candidates to be the new queen from all over the empire to receive a special spa treatment within the palace of Shushan. Esther, who is the young cousin of Mordecai, has been selected to be among them, and she is now in the care of Hege who is the king's chief chamberlain who will prepare the ladies for presentation to him. In chapter two and verse nine we learn of special favor that Esther obtained from Hege where we read:

And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

Our verse begins, “And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him;” There was something about Esther that drew the special attention of Hege. Among all the maidens who were gathered, Esther “pleased him” which means she made him glad and joyful, and because of this, she was given goodness and kindness from him. We are not told exactly why this favor was granted, but as we continue our story it might be related to her outward beauty and her attitude and manner as well. Nonetheless, Esther stood out from the other maidens and received the favor of Hege.

The verse goes on to say, “and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house:” It is one thing to say that one is in favor, and it is quite another to see it demonstrated by actions. Hege “speedily gave her her things for purification”. When he met Esther, Hege hurried to get her the provisions of the king. He must have known right away just what a wonderful young lady Esther was. As one who knew the king (he was the chief chamberlain we know), Hege must have had it in mind that Esther would definitely please him. He gave her the beauty treatments, seven maidens to apply them, and whatever was necessary to condition Esther for presentation to the king in the future.

Finally we read, “and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.” Hege didn't stop with provisions for beauty treatments and seven maidens for Esther. He also gave she and her maidens the “best place of the house of the women.” Esther was preferred which means “changed” to the best location within the palace where the women were located. It's as if Esther was gathered within a room with all the fair young maidens initially and then selected to be given the best place among them. There is no doubt that Esther has been given a very special place of honor in our story.

Can we imagine the thoughts of Esther for one moment? Can we envision her being excited about advancements along the way? At one point in her life she lost her father and mother and was now to live with her older cousin Mordecai who has been exiled during the Babylonian empire. Then suddenly she is dwelling in the best place in the house of women within the palace of Shushan. If we cannot see the Divine hand of God working in her life, perhaps we should continue to meditate upon these verses just a little while longer. If we can see the hand of God in Esther's life, might we imagine that He is working in our lives as well?

Next time we will discover a secret Esther kept to herself, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.

Maidens Gathered Esther 2:8 - Equipped for Battle

The decree has been sent out, and fair maidens are being gathered together all over the lands of Persia. King Ahasuerus desires a new queen, and young ladies from all over the empire are to be gathered together to be housed and cared for by the king's chief chamberlain for a time of beauty treatment. We were introduced to Mordecai and his young cousin Esther, and in chapter two and verse eight we discover more about how Esther enters this mighty plan. We read:

So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

We begin our study of this verse with these important words, “So it came to pass,...” It is always beneficial for us if we realize that the events in our lives “come, to pass”. Let us keep this in mind as we consider what we have learned about Mordecai and Esther thus far. Mordecai was taken away from his homeland along with the others in Judah, and Esther lost both her parents and was now in the custody of her older cousin Mordecai. Both of these traumatic events “came to pass”.

The verse continues, “when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace,...” We have imagined in the past what a huge undertaking this must have been. One hundred and twenty-seven provinces were notified about this venture for the king, and any “fair young maiden” was invited to participate. We might think about it like a beauty contest. Men of such great power as the king were expected to have a beautiful queen, and now that Queen Vashti, whose beauty was the impetus for this event in the first place, is now banished. Can we imagine the excitement and trepidation there must have been among the young ladies as they were brought to the winter palace in Shushan?

The verse goes on to say, “ to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.” All of these young ladies are brought to “Hegai” which is just another spelling for “Hege” whom we learned about in verse three of this chapter. His job was to give them beauty treatments, proper diet, manners, and preparations for being the new queen. In other words, he was to to keep watch and ward, have charge of, protect and save their lives if needed. “Esther” was among all the young maidens who were gathered.

Can we not see the mighty hand of God working through difficulties at this point in the story? Did it really just so happen that the king held a feast? Did it just so happen that the queen refused his request to appear? Did it just so happen that she be banned from the throne, and did it just so happen that there needed to be a search throughout the kingdom for a new queen? Did it just so happen that Mordecai was exiled to a new country and was chosen to be the one who raised Esther? Did is just so happen that Esther is gathered among the group of fair young maidens? If we ponder these questions for a while, we may begin to look at our own “just so happenings” and conclude that if God had a plan for Mordecai and Esther, perhaps He has a plan for the events occurring in our lives as well.

Next time we see the favor Esther gained with Hege, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.

Esther - Esther 2:7 - Equipped for Battle

The scene has been set, and now the plan of God for the children of Israel is coming more and more to light for their salvation. King Ahasuerus has been embarrassed by Queen Vashti for her failure to respond to his request to appear at his feast with the royal crown upon her head. He was advised by one of his seven princes, Memucan, who knew the Persian law, to banish her from his throne forever to prevent chaos from occurring throughout the empire. This edict was carried out and now King Ahasuerus was lonely. At the suggestion of one of his servants, a search for young maidens has begun throughout all the land, and they were to be under the tutelage and care of Hege who is the king's chief eunuch chamberlain. Mordecai, a captured Jew, was introduced to us in our previous verse, and in chapter two and verse seven we understand more about him and his cousin Esther. We read:

And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.

The verse begins, “And he brought up Hadassah, that is Esther,...” The word “Hadassah” means “myrtle tree” which was changed to Esther which means “a star”. We shall see just what a star she is in our story as we continue.

The verse goes on to say, “his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother,...” Let us notice the relationship between Mordecai and Esther. She was his cousin, and because she was without father and mother, Mordecai began to raise her.

We continue, “and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.” Let us keep in mind this description of Esther: she was “fair and beautiful.” These are God given traits that are used for His Divine purposes later on, and although Esther was as an orphan, God was still behind the scenes and ready ahead of time for the difficulties that Esther would have after losing her dad and mom. Mordecai was her older cousin, and rather than simply leave her to the care of others when her parents died, Mordecai took her in as his own daughter.

If we think about this for a few moments, we may ask, “What was it like for Esther to lose her parents?” “Where they somehow killed in the deportation, or was there some disease that took them away?” “How did Mordecai know that Esther needed adoption? Was there a funeral for her parents and was he was the only one left to care for her?” We may not know the answers to those questions, but we do know that for whatever reason Esther's parents died and she went to live with her older cousin Mordecai. This must have been quite the adjustment for both she and Mordecai, and perhaps they wondered if God really saw the blight they were experiencing. But alas, for us, we know more of the story, and though they did not know it at the time, God was using all these things for His Divine purpose and plan. If He was able to do this for Mordecai, Esther and the children of Israel, is He not just as likely to use the events in our lives for His purposes and plans as well?

Next time we see the beginning of Esther's preparations for the king, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.

Mordecai Carried Away Esther 2:6 - Equipped for Battle

We have been introduced to a new character in our story named “Mordecai”. He was a Jew from the linage of Benjamin and plays an intriguing role throughout this book. In chapter two and verse six, we learn that Mordecai's life was not filled with ease. We read:

Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

This verse begins with a daunting phrase, “Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity...” When Jerusalem was taken captive, Mordecai was among them. We might imagine the horror of being taken unwillingly from our homeland to a place we had never seen before, and should we dare place ourselves in Mordecai's, we might gain some insight into this man's behavior forthcoming. Because there were three deportations of the Hebrews from their homeland: 597 BC, 587 BC, and 582 BC, respectively, we know that Mordecai's was in the first group because we read “which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah,” who was captured in 597 BC.

We learn more as this verse continues, “whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.” God told the children of Israel they would endure seventy years of captivity because they failed to keep the sabbath years for four hundred and ninety years. Mordecai was part of the group who were captured, placed into another country, and taken from their homeland. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was the agent who filled the prophecy of God. Israel was now captive, and the will of God was being implemented.

It is good for us to pause and meditate upon what happened to Mordecai at this point in the story. When we give time to really imagine the difficulty and challenge that Mordecai endured as he was captured, we may understand more about what he does in the rest of this story. As we think about these very difficult times for Mordecai and the length of them, perhaps we will come to greater understanding about our own. Let us keep in mind that God has a plan, and even through the current situation may be more troublesome than what we ever thought possible, God is able to use it for His Divine purposes.

Next time we are finally introduced to Esther, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.

Mordecai Esther 2:5 - Equipped for Battle

After giving the approval to the suggestion of his servants to search the Persian empire for “fair young virgins”, King Ahasuerus now waited to discover which one of them would be his new queen. In chapter two and verse five, our story introduces a new main character with whom the will of God will be fulfilled. We read:

Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;

Our verse begins, “Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai,...” It was important to the writer of Esther that we know where this new character was located, “in Sushan the palace” because it shows the proximity that he had to the throne. We remember that Sushan was the winter residence of the kings of Persia. We learn also that this man was a “Jew” (this is the first time this word is used in the Bible and means “of the kingdom of Judah” named “Mordecai” which means “little man”. We shall see that regardless of his name, Mordecai was anything but little in his manner of living.

Mordecai was a descendant of the tribe of Benjamin, and came through “Jair” which means “he enlightens”, “Shimei” which means “renown” and “Kish” which means “bent”. Some may remember that King Saul in Israel came from Kish as well. The idea here is to allow us as readers to know a little background on Mordecai as he enters the story. We can keep in mind that all of these things are not just incidental accidentals, but rather that God Almighty is involved well in advance of Mordecai's necessary part in this story. Mordecai's proximity to the throne and his perfect linage put him in the exact place and purpose for God to fulfill His plan.

As we read about Mordecai, we may wonder, who is in our lives at this point that God may be using to direct or save us? Is their proximity to us something that God may use? Is their background and past part of His master plan for fulfilling the purpose in our lives? Perhaps we are as Mordecai and have proximity and background for someone else's plan and purpose. As we continue our story in the days ahead, let us not forget the Divine hand and ways of God that go well beyond our own understanding. As we do, we will trust Him more and more with the direction of our lives as well.

Next time we will learn more details about Mordecai, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.

The Maiden which Pleases the King Esther 2:4 - Equipped for Battle

The servants of King Ahasuerus have noticed his sadness since the edict was given that Queen Vashti should be banished forever from the throne. They have offered the suggestion that a beauty contest be held with all the fair young virgins within the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the Persian empire. These young ladies would be placed in the charge of chamberlain Hege who would put them through an extensive spa treatment, and their care would be second to none. In chapter two and verse four we read more of their suggestion:

And let the maiden which pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

Perhaps King Ahasuerus was slumping on his throne as he listened to the servants present this beauty contest idea, and after hearing some of it he sat upright and tuned in more closely especially when this was said, “And let the maiden which pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” In other words, they were going to find a replacement for Vashti. Sure the king's heart was sad from his separation, but he was king. He could have a beauty contest and replace Vashti any time he desired. Instead of moping around and sulking, he could do something about this situation. He would find another “maiden which pleases the king” and he could make her the queen. Vashti was out, and a new one would be in.

The verse continues, “And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.” We can almost imagine the smile upon King Ahasuerus' face as he heard this idea. Rather than despair, he now had hope. Rather than gloom, he had excitement. King Ahasuerus was joyful and glad when he heard this suggestion, and “he did” what the servants told him to do.

Isn't it amazing how moods change so quickly? One minute King Ahasuerus is so sad that everyone around him is greatly concerned for his well-being, and within a few moments of time, exuberance is in the air, and everyone is excited. That is the way it is for us sometimes. One minute we are down because of circumstances and the next we are excited because something new entered the picture. Emotions are very much like that, and even though they are, we must keep in mind that the natural plans we have are being weaved into the sovereign plan of God. What seems to be bad may work its way to being good, and that which seems good, may be working its way to being bad. Regardless, the Almighty is in charge, and as He saw His plan unfolding well before King Ahasuerus did, He sees our plan as well. May we evermore submit to His plan without overindulging in the emotion of the moments in between.

Next time we will be introduced to a new character in the story, Mordecai, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.

Instructions for a Queen Esther 2:3 - Equipped for Battle

After finding King Ahasuerus sad and remembering Queen Vashti and her banishment from the throne, his servants have suggested that “fair young virgins” be sought throughout the entire Persian kingdom to replace her. In chapter two and verse three we see further instructions for those young ladies who are found. We read:

And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given [them]:

The verse begins, “And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women,...” This Cinderella like venture would include a massive effort by “officers in all the provinces”. Let us remember there were one hundred and twenty-seven of them, and that there was no television, radio, telephones, emails or other technological advances to communicate this. We can imagine this as quite the governmental undertaking. Regardless, their mission was to bring all the “fair young virgins” to the winter palace “to the house of women” located at “Shushan” where the feasts and banishment of Vashti was in the beginning. This “house of women” was like an elaborate spa and beauty salon which would not only attend to cosmetic and physical refinement but would also bring elaborate provision for the young ladies.

The verse continues, “unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given [them]:” “Hege” which means “eunuch” was one of the king's chief eunuchs who was responsible to oversee the women in the palace. Tradition holds that the eunuch in this position was usually a “repulsive old man” who cares for the palace women's needs and with whom they desire favor. His entire function is to “let their things for purification be given them:” The idea of purification includes “scraping, rubbing, remedies for injuries, and cleansing”. In other words, this spa includes an entire makeover if necessary.

Can we imagine all these operations just to satisfy Ahasuerus' loneliness? It seems to be quite the undertaking, and yet all the while, we must keep in mind that the complexities of Almighty God are only so because of our limited capacity to know. The Divine Master Weaver is at work, and although the ideas of man like finding a new queen for Ahasuerus seems difficult and challenging, they are as nothing for the one in whom we have to do. As He governed over this proposition, we are reminded that he certainly will govern over ours.

Next time we will see even more instructions pertaining to these young women, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” and the new marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.