Day 112 – Esther: Queen or Jew

“And the king loved Esther 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.” Esther 2:17 NLT 

Reading Esther 1:1 to Esther 4:17

Esther is the last of the historical books of the Bible and is named after its main character, meaning  “morning star” –  which sheds its light after all the other stars have ceased to shine, and while the sun still delays rising. Thus, the deeds of Queen Esther cast a ray of light forward into Israel’s history from a dark time.

Queen Vashti was deposed as queen to make space for Esther. The purpose of the harsh treatment of Vashti was to ensure she would not set a bad example for the other women of Persia. Ahasuerus wanted to reinforce the idea of a man’s leadership in the home. His counsel feared that Queen Vashti’s actions would serve as a precedent for wives to “despise their husbands…” and that there would be ” excessive contempt and wrath;” therefore, they sought to ensure that “each man should be master in his own house.”

Esther obtained favour with Hegai, the man in authority over her. In this, her godliness ensured the fulfilment of Proverbs 3:3-4: ” Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favour and high esteem in the sight of God and man.” Esther’s life so far has been remarkable. She was the child of Jewish exiles, who both died; she was raised by her cousin in a foreign and often hostile land; she was taken by compulsion into the king’s harem; she found favour with all whom she met; and she was finally selected to be the queen of the realm.

Up to this point, the story of Esther also shows us that in the outworking of His plan, God can use the evil of man. God did not make Ahasuerus drunk or force him to demand that his queen present herself in an immodest way before the lords of the kingdom; yet God allowed this wicked action of man to fulfil a purpose in His greater plan. We find assurance in the truth that no other person, no matter how evil they may be, can defeat God’s plan for our life, regardless of what they have done to you or will do to you.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, that Your plan prevails over the evil of men. You, O Lord, always have our futures before You, and Your thoughts towards us are beautiful. Give us the courage to accept the situations where You position us for Your will. Amen.