Esther made Queen- Pt. II
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
The Selection Process
The Selection Process
Last week we started to look at the selection process to replace the rebellious Vashti as queen.
All beautiful young women sought (Est2:2)
Provided everything for beautification (Est2:3)
The one who pleases the king will replace Vashti (Est2:4)
Esther taken with the others (Est2:7-8)
Now our passage tonight has three parts to it.
Esther preparation and presentation to the king (Est2:9-16)
Esther finds favor with the king, made queen (Est2:17-20)
Mordecai saves the king (Est2:21-23)
Esther Preparation and Presentation to the King
Esther Preparation and Presentation to the King
9 Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known.
11 Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared. 12 Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women—
13 the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Last week we already looked at and answered questions on this part of the passage, so we will not get into that unless something stuck out to you tonight in it?
Joseph found favor in Egypt; Daniel in Babylon, now we have Esther who finds favor in Shushan.
God used Hegai to prepare Esther to be presented to the king. Esther started with finding favor with Hegai.
By finding favor Esther received above and beyond the normal treatments, she also received seven choice maidservants.
Esther by direction of Mordecai concealed her “kindred” (v.10)
I believe last week we discussed briefly about concealing, hiding the identity (heritage) but if not, this is not the norm, nor should it be the norm for us. There may be a time not to reveal until the right opportunity given by God arises and Mordecai was waiting for “a time such as this.”
Mordecai had deep love and concern for Esther and checked on her daily (v.11)
Beautification process and presentation explained (vv.12-14)
Six months oil
Six months perfumes
Presentation with gifts for the king
Transferred then to the king’s harem, his concubines.
Persia was well known for its aromatic perfumes and customs of beautification. It was a lengthy process with two parts, perfection and protection. Needed to make sure they were really virgins and no pregnancies among the women.
Presentation before the King (vv.15-16)
Esther had discernment and asked Hegai what to take in to please the king and that is what she took.
Having had favor with Hegai, now was the time, to be presented to the king and we have a time marker there (v.16)
This would be Dec-Jan of 479-478, 4 years after disposing of Vashti and the failed attempt on the attack against Greece.
Esther finds favor with king
Esther finds favor with king
17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.
19 When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care.
Does anything stick out to you in these verses?
What facts do you find in (vv.17-18)?
King loved Esther more than all others
He crowned her queen
He gave a great banquet and gave gifts
Now, moving on, what facts do you find (vv.19-20)?
Virgins gathered together a second time.
Mordecai was sitting in king’s gate
It was said again that Esther still did not make known her kindred as commanded of her by Mordecai
Having already had favor with Hegai, she now is before the king and finds favor with him. She is crowned queen.
Thinking about Esther’s life to this point, Barclay said:
“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 favor with all whom she met; She was finally selected to be the queen of the realm.”
God had a plan, God was orchestrating his plan, Esther was a part of God’s plan.
God can use unlikely people, even evil people, to work His plan for the good.
God has a plan for our lives. Whatever situation we are in, God has a purpose for it.
The King invited all to another feast, another celebration to see the new queen (vv.18-20)
Before with Vashti it was a command that she appear, some believe in an immodest way. Here it is to celebrate a new queen. She was the purpose for the feast. It was even made a holiday and gave gifts.
Some believe this would be like the “year of jubilee” for the Jews, debts canceled, slaves set free, workers get vacation. - the King wanted everyone to rejoice as his choice (yeah, right, God orchestrated this) for queen.
We need to see one more thing before moving on (v.19), look where Mordecai is sitting. He is in the kings gate. Does this mean he is a man of authority now? It is in the kings gate where court was held, official business was conducted. Could it be that the new queen got him into this position?
We can see the province of God even without then name of God being used. God was using Mordecai a man who has not revealed his heritage, was not honoring the God of Israel, He is in the likes of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea who were secret disciples.
Mordecai was exactly where God wanted him to be do be used as his instrument of peace for the king and for the Jews.
Mordecai saves the king
Mordecai saves the king
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 But the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
23 Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.
Anything stick out to you in these verses?
What was the plan about king? How was it made known (v.21-22)?
Mordecai heard it, told Esther, Esther told the king (in Mordecais’ name)
What are the facts you find in (v.23)?
The plot was investigated
Bigthan and Teresh were hanged from the gallows.
This was written (recorded) in the book of the Chronicles, these chronicles were in the kings presence
If you are wondering why did they want to kill the king, scripture does not tell us but there are some theories.
They were people who were behind Vashti and did not like the kings choice, Esther.
It was common in that culture in that area that a queen would be a noble, a local, not an outsider, a foreigner. It was believed at that time that marriages happened within the seven noble families, Esther was not one and the king knew it, hence they were angry.
It would be 14 years later that the king would be assassinated by his Prime Minister.
One more point of reference before closing out tonight. It say hanged on a gallows. Maybe your version says something different, but this not what you think of as a gallows and a noose. Gallows the word used here means “tree.” It was believe that they were impaled by a sharp stick of a tree.
“A pointed stake is set upright in the ground, and the culprit is taken, placed on the sharp point, and then pulled down by his legs till the stake that went in at the fundament passes up through the body and comes out through the neck.” (Clarke)
OK, one more thing, I found this interesting from Wiersbe:
“Mordecai received neither recognition nor reward for saving the king’s life. No matter: God saw to it that the facts were permanently recoreded. And He would make good use of them at the right time. Our good works are like seeds that are planted by faith, and their fruits don’t always appear immediately. ‘Evil pursues sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid,’ (Pro13:21). Joseph befriended a fellow prisoner, and the man completely forgot his kindness for two years (Gen49:23, 41:1). But God’s timing is always perfect l and He sees to it that no good deed is never wasted.”
(Prayer) (Exit)
