The book of Esther: A study of God in
action when nothing appears to be happening!
by Patsy Norwood (c) 2023 All Rights Reserved
We ended chapter one in our last lesson with a drunken king, a
deposed queen, and an opening at the top.
This week we’re going to watch as plans begin to unfold to fill that opening
at the top.
Before we get started unpacking today’s verses though, I want
to share this excerpt from one of the commentaries I’m using in researching this study. This will help
drive home the kind of ‘situation’ Esther is going to find herself in shortly.
From Coffman Commentary (regarding chapter 2):
This chapter takes us into the seraglio of Xerxes, an ancient Persian
ruler, most certainly one of the vilest cesspools of immorality selfishness,
greed, hatred, wickedness, lust and shame that existed in the ancient pagan
world. (page 261, Coffman Commentary on Esther)
Reminder: King Ahasuerus and King Xerxes are the same person.
That’s quite a summary of his life isn't it and sadly, it fits with the research I’ve been doing from other sources as well.
Chapter 2: 1 – 4
Verse 1: After these things, when the anger of
King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and
what had been decided regarding her.
‘After these things’ would include 4 years and the failed/failing
war with Greece. The king has returned
home to an empty palace bereft of the companionship and ear of his wife.
From the same Coffman commentary mentioned above, … After Xerxes’ return to Shushan, Herodotus
tells us that he consoled himself over his shameful defeats by sensual
indulgences with his harem. (page 262,
Coffman commentary on Esther.)
Reminder: Shushan and Susa mentioned elsewhere in today's lesson, are the same place.
With his anger no longer controlling his decision making, he
remembers Vashti, what she had done and what had been done to her. Also, if his son was born right before or
shortly after Vashti was deposed, he, Artaxerxes I, was now 3 – 4 years
old. Do you think the king realized what
he had thrown away? One has to wonder if
he had any regrets. If so, could there
possibly have been a reconciliation if the king’s wise men/counselors had
stayed out of it?
Bible Markings and Notes: I underlined ‘After these things’ and wrote
out to the side in the
margin: 4 years
later and a failed war with Greece.
Given what we’ve read about King Ahasuerus/Xerxes just in
today’s lesson alone, this verse just makes me cringe! With no regard to these young teenage
girls/women, a decision was made that would change their futures forever.
The king’s attendants/counselors plant another idea into the
king’s mind that’s even worse than the one they came up with to get rid of
Vashti. Do you think they could have
been thinking of themselves? I wonder if
they were considering the fact that the king and queen could be reunited? If so, then the queen could have had an effect
on their positions and power. We’ve
already seen that getting ‘revenge’ was not new to her. Were the attendants/wise men/counselors
looking out for themselves more than they were looking out for the king? To me, it looks that way!
Also note that ‘beautiful and young’ were specified. Both of these stipulations are focused on the
outward appearance, were they not interested in inward beauty?
Regardless of the motives, the wise men/counselors seemingly
recognize that the king needs a wife, not a harem, and that they must act.
Bible Markings and Notes: I underlined ‘beautiful young virgins’ and out
to the side in the margin wrote, most likely teenage girls.
Verse 3:
And may the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom,
and have them bring 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 to them.
This plan just gets more unbelievable! Selfishness screams from every pen stroke of
their plan! They are reaching out to every single area of the king's empire. Remember how large, vast, and massive it was at that time?
“every beautiful young virgin” –
‘every,’ meaning ALL of them … they, nor their parents, nor their guardians had
a say in this.
“to the citadel of Susa, to the harem” – not
only were these young ladies being taken from their homes and families, but
they were being taken to the king’s harem.
One has to wonder if they even knew what a harem was and what this would
mean for their lives.
“into the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who
is in charge of the women” – did they comprehend any of this?
“and let their cosmetics be given to them” – this
might have seemed fun for a moment, but did they realize that they were being
groomed and pampered for a reason?
It was all about their outward appearance and about what
pleased the king, it had nothing to do with the person of each young lady.
Verse 4: Then let the young woman who pleases the
king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the suggestion pleased the king, and he
did accordingly.
This was going to be a beauty pageant like no other, for sure!
The goal of each of these young ladies was to be chosen as the
next queen. Did they comfort themselves
with the mistaken idea that they would be chosen, that this was their ‘and they
lived happily ever after’ moment?
Can you see the strong potential for problems among the girls themselves? Were there some dirty
dealings and underhanded shenanigans?
Did ‘clicks’ form? Given human
nature and the sheer number of young ladies there were, you have to assume that
there must have been.
What would happen when the reality of their situation sank
in? There would have had to been a lot
of heartache and moving into pure survival mode as one of many in the king’s
harem once their destiny was known.
The last sentence in this verse says so much about the king …
And the suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.
Let’s close this lesson by looking at the future of
these young ladies who were most likely in their teens …
They would have no choice in the matter!
They would be forcibly taken from their homes!
They would be taken to the king’s harem and put under the care
of a stranger; a eunuch named Hegai!
They would be secluded from the rest of the world for life
among the king’s concubines!
They would be prepped, prettied, and pampered for a night with
a lustful king!
They would be returned to the harem as the king’s property!
They would have no rights of their own!
They would never be able to escape!
This was their future for all of them except one!
Is there any indication of God working providentially behind the scenes in today’s lesson?
I saw God working through the king’s loneliness for a wife,
not a harem and the fact that his ‘advisors’ recognized this.
What about you, do you see God providentially working behind
the scenes in today’s lesson?
Next week we will look at verses 5 – 7 and get introduced to
the heroine, the one the king picked and the one for whom this book was named.
I hope you have enjoyed today's lesson, what are your thoughts on it?
Don't forget to leave a comment and if you're enjoying this
class, please share the link with other ladies who you think might enjoy it as
well.
Links to previous lessons:
Until the next class ...
patsy @ From This Heart Of Mine
(c) 2023 by Patsy Norwood ~ All Rights Reserved.
What an awful situation for those girls and their families!
ReplyDeleteLana, I agree!
DeleteI wondered about the King's intelligence, that he would go along with the schemes of his "advisors". Most girls and woman led sheltered lives and considering Persian law that said that they did not appear before men, it must have been a situation that caused great anxiety for both daughters and parents, or maybe pride that their daughter was chosen to be presented to the King and therefore might be the future Queen of the realm. As for the requirements for the woman, young, beautiful virgins -- didn't we see this same scenario play out when the then Prince Charles was encouraged to take a wife and Diana fit the requirements that were laid out for him? I thought, hmm, some things never change even thousands of years later. I just have to share with you the good laugh I had when a thought popped into my head that a variation of this scheme is the basis for the TV show The Bachelor. Cookie
ReplyDeleteCookie, I've wondered a lot of things about the king as I've researched these lessons. I've never watched The Bachelor, but from what I've heard about it, you're right, there is nothing new under the sun!
Delete