The king could not forgive Vashti, even when his wrath had subsided. His pride was dented. Four years passed between chapters 1 and 2 and the king had unsuccessfully attacked Greece. History indicates that he returned a defeated man. He remembered Vashti and the law he had decreed, so to satisfy his depression he went to his servants for advice (v1-4). They suggested that beautiful young virgins be brought to the capital in Shushan, into the women’s quarters. Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the women was ordered to pamper the girls and make them acceptable for the king and choose the most beautiful for the king to be queen in place of Vashti. History tells us that 400 women were chosen. It was like a beauty contest. Once again, he accepted their advice.
Enter Esther, a Jewish girl also known as Hadassah, who had been orphaned when her parents had died. She had been brought up by Mordecai, a Benjamite, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish. Kish had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Mordecai was Esther’s cousin, and he had cared for her as his own daughter. Esther was very beautiful and lovely – one can safely assume, to look at and in character (v5-7). It was, therefore, little wonder that she was taken into the king’s palace and put into the care of Hegai (v8).
Esther was so beautiful that she didn’t need beauty preparations, but he gave her more than the others (v9). Hegai was obviously a shrewd judge, and seven choice girls were given to Esther, to look after her, and he moved her to the best place in the house. Hegai did not know that she was Jewish, she hadn’t told anyone as Mordecai had instructed her not to. Every day, out of his care and concern for Esther, Mordecai walked in front of the women’s quarters to inquire of her welfare (v10,11).
Mordecai realised that it was better for Esther not to reveal who she was at that time. This was clearly God working to bring good out of a difficult situation. It would arise very soon, when it would be necessary to speak out.
Sometimes, it is prudent for us not to say that we are Christians, but at some time we must confess it. Jesus said, (Matthew 10:32,33) “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” We must never be ashamed of who we serve, but sometimes, we need to listen first before we speak, but we must never deny Him.
Then came the time, after twelve months preparation, for the young women to go, in turn, into the king. They would go in the evening and, in the morning return to the second house of women’s quarters (v12-14) where Shaashgaz, the eunuch kept the concubines. Each woman would not return to the king unless she delighted the king, and he called for her.
It might seem to be a wonderful life of preparation with the best of perfumes and other pampering, but after one night with the king, he might never call for her again. Each one had been intimate with the king for that one night. They would spend the rest of their lives living as a concubine with the others, deprived from being another man’s wife. Some might ask, ‘was it really worth it?’ I suppose having the chance to be queen might seem to be, but if one did not come up to what the king wanted, it was a price to pay.
Esther’s turn came (v15-18). She had obtained favour of all who saw her, and she was taken to the king in the seventh year of his reign in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth. The king loved Esther more than any other, and ‘she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins’. He set the crown on her head and made her queen. He made a feast, the Feast of Esther and proclaimed a public holiday.
God gives some people beauty and some wisdom, some do not have so much, some may even have both, but God will use all of us if we are submitted to Him. Esther was a humble person, and this is shown by her requesting nothing to take into the king but what Hegai advised. Do not think that if you are not beautiful, that you are useless. She was very similar to Joseph (see Genesis 37 onwards) in that they both obtained favour because of their behaviour. These things were no accident or stroke of fortune, they were both in difficult circumstances, but their trust in God shone through. God can use the evil plans of men to bring about His will.
Mordecai had been promoted to sitting in the king’s gate which indicates that he was now among the wise men who made decisions as we see often that justice was administered at the gate of the city and important official business was transacted there. It is possible that Esther, the new queen had used her influence to get him the position. Meanwhile the virgins were gathered together for a second time (v19,20). It is not clear why this was in view of the fact that Esther had been chosen to be queen. It appears that neither Esther, nor Mordecai had divulged their Jewish nationality and that presents us with some problems as to how they had kept it secret. We are not told how they lived as Jews without being found out.
The simple answer is, ‘I don’t know’. All I do know is that God is at work even behind the scenes. I guess that there are some Jewish rituals which were not absolutely vital but some which were. In the book of Daniel, we see Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel, himself, who rose to prominence in the country they were taken to, but one thing was clear, they would not bow down to idols, nor obey commands that they were not allowed to pray to God. In 2 Kings 5 we have Naaman, the leper, the Syrian, who was healed by Elisha. He had come to believe in The One True God, but he asked Elisha would The LORD pardon him when he went to the temple of Rimmon with his king. Elisha did not give him a direct answer but seemed to leave the matter between Him and The LORD and said, “Go in peace”. It was probably one of his duties back home in Syria, but he left him to make his decision and examine his conscience before God.
We know that God is at work because, very soon, while Mordecai is in the king’s gate, two of the eunuchs Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became angry with King Ahasuerus and planned to kill the king. Mordecai became aware of it and told Esther who told the King of the plot which he had told her (v21-23).
The matter was investigated and proved to be true and both men were hanged on the gallows, which is thought to be a stake on which they were impaled and left to die a cruel, excruciating death.
Being a Jew, Mordecai could have been unconcerned about Ahasuerus, but he was loyal to the king, even in a foreign land. He stood for justice and honour to the king, as we are all called to do. Peter says in his first epistle 2:17 that we are to ‘fear God and honour the king’.
