Filed under: esther, god, hadassah, hegai, mordecai, nebuchadnezzar, vashti, xerxes
1. So…um…does the king forget things when he’s mad?
2. I love how the wise men don’t help him find a solution to his “queen problem.” Instead, his attendants (who are probably young guys) make up their mind. Throw a beauty contest! Typical.
3. So, Hegai is going to be intrusted to take the most beautiful women in the province under his care. Hmm…he must be really loyal…
4. Does the king have his own opinions?
5. OK, so then we meet Mordecai; and you get some of the history. Mordecai was one of the Jews who were taken away by Nebuchadnezzar. He has a cousin named Hadassah (she’s later be known as Esther), who is apparently quite the looker. Mordecai raised her because both of her parents had died. Nice guy.
6. OK, so the guy in charge liked Esther…that’s good. He hooked her up with all kinds of stuff. Yet again…good.
7. Mordecai thought it best not for Esther to tell anyone where she was from. Probably a good idea. And he also kept close tabs on her.
8. Let’s not overly spiritualize this: when the girls went in to see King Xerxes, he could do whatever he wanted with them. You do the math. Can you imagine being dolled up with oil and myrrh for 6 months and tehn being dolled up with cosmetics and perfumes for another 6? Whoah. Anyway, I’m sure these girls looked their best.
9. OK, so understand that these meetings with the king were overnight. And, um, afterwards, they were taken to be concubines. Yet again…you do the math.
10. If the king liked the girl, he’d call for her again, “OK, who was that girl from last Tuesday?”
11. Esther was smart. She went to the king with what Hegai (who probably knew the king better) suggested. And from there…well, Xerxes wanted her. He was attracted to her, and he made her queen.
12. Then he threw a party. That Xerxes…
13. So…Esther is still keeping her heritage on the down low. It’s cool to know that she was obedient to her cousin (parent-figure).
14. So…a couple of guys decided they wanted to take Xerxes out, but Mordecai heard the whole plan. He told Esther. Esther told the king (giving Mordecai the credit).
15. Key plot point, after those guys were killed, everything was written down in the annals of the king.
So…any thoughts about this story? I mean, are we to assume that the king wasn’t gentlemanly when he was “checking out” Esther? If so, how does that make you feel about this heroine?
