The Story Of Esther - Chapter 2

In Chapter 2 - Esther is made Queen and Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

** Esther 2:16 indicates that there was a four-year span between chapters one and two. During that time King Ahasuerus made his great, unsuccessful invasion of Greece and he came home a defeated man, wanting to cheer his heart through sensual diversions.

"Esther 2 

New International Version (NIV)

2 Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it. 5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin[a] king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. 8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her. 12 Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. 13 And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. 15 When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. 19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. 21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana[b] and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king."

Question... What are some things we learned about Esther from this passage of scripture?  

She was the child of Jewish exiles, who both died...

Her Hebrew name is Hadassah...

She was the  cousin of Mordecai who raised her as his own - she was an orphan.

Esther was beautiful! And, not only is she beautiful, but we see that she is also wise. She does only what Hagai suggests since he probably knows the kings likes and dislikes better than anyone else.  

She is able to win over people easily - she finds favor.

(Esther, remember, is her Persian name, and it means “something hidden” or "star.") 

 **Mordecai, however, didn’t tell the king about a major detail—

He counseled Esther to not reveal the fact that she was a Jew, because Jews were still held in some suspicion throughout the Persian Empire.

...Esther’s Jewish heritage...

**Esther is ordered to hide something very core to her identity—her ethnicity. 

Something to ponder.....

When have you been expected or inclined to hide something about yourself? 

How did this impact you?

 ****I read this interesting commentary and just had to share it........

Once the party is over and the lights are out... 

 Esther 2:1-4  After these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.  (2)  Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.  (3)  "Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given them.  (4)  "Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti." And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

 The passage starts off ‘after these things..’ and from Esther 2:16 we find out that it is about 4 years on from the events of chapter one. So the extravagant party-banquet of chapter one is well in the past and the king is feeling sad. You see, things aren’t going well for the king. History records for us that the king had recently returned from a failed military mission against Greece. On top of that, He misses queen Vashti. Nothing is going well and nothing can cheer him up. There is no joy at home and he can’t even get some pleasure from beating up on the Greeks. What can you do for such a man? Clearly there is nothing that can please a man in such a state. Well, apparently almost nothing. The wise men of Persia have one little suggestion. How about a ‘Miss Persia’ contest they ask with smiles on the faces. There is of course a small twist. The winner of this contest becomes the new queen! To this our once-sad king agrees and the contest begins!"

Pleasing God brings God’s Favor

When the king started looking for another queen to replace Vashti, he loved Esther above all other women and she obtained favor before him and she became Queen Esther (Esther 2:9-17). Her godliness ensured a fulfillment of Proverbs 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 

In Esther 2:21-23 another incident is recorded. Mordecai learned of a
plot to kill King Ahasuerus and so he made it known to the king

through Esther and the two men were hanged.

(This will become a very important fact later ) but for now, 

the lesson is that when God’s hand is on

someone because their ways are pleasing to Him, He gives them favor

in the sight of all, whether it’s a pagan king and his court or not! 

Proverbs 16:7 

“When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

Side Note...........The scripture tells us that ‘exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.’ (Psalm 75:6-7) 

This remarkable course of events in Esther life wasn’t an accident.  It wasn’t just because of luck or Esther’s beautiful looks or sparkling personality. 

God had a plan -  and Esther was part of it!

Esther found grace and favour with the king because God was working behind the scenes to move the chess pieces into place for the challenging events that were still to come in this story.  

Esther, though a foreigner to the kingdom, rose from complete obscurity to be queen alongside her king. Behind all the preparation and events occurring on the natural level was a God working in providence to arrange all the actors and participants that would grace the stage for the unfolding of a truly historic story.

In exactly the same way, we have a place in God’s plan.

 Wherever you are at right now, God has a purpose for it – 

maybe a short purpose,

 or a long one;

 perhaps a large purpose 

or a small purpose,

 but God has a reason.!

Lastly, for now, the story of Esther also shows us that in the outworking of His plan, God can use the evil of man.  God may allow wicked actions of man to fulfill a purpose in His greater plan. Therefore, we can find assurance in the truth that  - no other person, no matter how evil they are, can defeat God’s plan for our life, no matter what they have done to you or will do to you.