article from WINTER 2004
BIBLE PERSONALITIES:ESTHER
A Lesson In Selflessness
The book of Esther tells an exciting story of how one woman changed history. It is a study of courage-of how one woman's selfless act saved a people-of how one woman did what was best for others regardless of what may have happened to her.
BY CHARLES E. HERZOG
The book of Esther opens by telling the story of the dethroning of Persian King Ahasuerus' wife, Queen Vashti. Having been summoned by the king to appear before his guests, she refused to obey him.
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The king then conferred with his wise men and counselors as to how to deal with the disobedient queen. The consensus was for the king to put her away and to choose another woman to sit as queen in her place. The king's servants then set out to find a new queen for the king.
The Mordecai Connection
The story shifts to a Jewish man named Mordecai, whose great grandfather was one of the captives brought to Persia by King Nebuchadnezzar almost 100 years earlier. When Mordecai's uncle died, he became the guardian of a young and beautiful woman named Esther. A decree was issued, summoning all the unmarried women of the kingdom to appear before the king. Esther was one of the women among them. But because she was a Benjamite of the Jewish captivity, Mordecai told Esther to keep her family heritage a secret.
Esther was shown preferential treatment by the king's chief custodian of the women. She was given the extras that the other women in line did not receive. After a year of preparation, the women were to appear before the king. If the king showed a special interest in any one of the women, he would then request, by name, another "viewing." The king did show an interest in Esther and, over time, chose her to be his new queen. He then made a feast to honor his new queen and proclaimed a holiday calling it the "Feast of Esther."
Assassination Plot Fails
During the process of choosing a new queen, Mordecai overheard two of the king's servants plotting to kill the king. Mordecai relayed this information to Esther, who then told the king in Mordecai's name. An investigation took place. The information was found to be true and the two servants were hung. Later, we will see how this event worked to the advantage of Mordecai and Esther.
As time passed, the king promoted a man by the name of Haman (an Agagite-an Edomite or Amalekite-who felt strong hatred toward the Jewish people) to be in charge of all the princes of the land. This was a very high office and Haman demanded all the servants to bow down in reverence. However, Mordecai refused to bow down to this man. This angered Haman and filled him with wrath. He sought to get even with Mordecai and at the same time eliminate the entire Jewish community living in the kingdom.
An Attempt to Destroy the Jews
Haman reported to the king that there was a people in the kingdom who had different laws than those of the king and refused to obey his decrees. He also stated that the king should not allow these people to remain in the kingdom. The king, not knowing who these people were, agreed. He issued a decree and gave Haman the authority to carry it out.
Haman planned a coordinated attack against the Jews to take place on a specific day throughout the entire kingdom. Every Jew-every man, woman and child-was to be killed. There was great anguish among the Jewish people throughout the land. They fasted and prayed to God for deliverance.
Unaware of Haman's plans, Esther's maids came to her and told her that Mordecai was in the square in front of the king's court in sackcloth and ashes (a sign of humility). She sent one of her servants to inquire why Mordecai was doing this. He explained the situation to the servant and gave him a copy of the decree to show Esther.
Esther wanted to do something-anything-to save her people. She wanted to go straight to the king and plead with him to reverse the decree. But she was in a very sensitive position. She knew that it was against the law, punishable by death, to appear before the king uninvited. If she did appear uninvited or unsummoned and unless the king held out the golden scepter, as a sign he would hear her petition, she would be put to death. She told the servant to tell Mordecai this. Mordecai replied that she should not expect to be saved just because she was the queen.
Three Day Fast
She sent her servant back to Mordecai and told him to pass the word throughout the kingdom for all the people to fast and pray for three days straight. Afterwards, she would go to the king. She stated, "If I perish, I perish!" (Esther 4:16).
After the third day, Esther dressed in her royal robe and stood in the inner court of the king's palace until the king noticed her. She found favor in his eyes and he held out the golden scepter. He said to her, "What will you, Queen Esther? And what is your request? It shall be even given you to the half of the kingdom." Esther replied, "If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him." So the king ordered Haman to come to the banquet with him (5:3-4).
While at the banquet, the king asked Esther what he could do for her. Her response was for the king and Haman to come again the following day to another banquet she is preparing. (Keep in mind that Esther's family heritage had not yet been made known to the king or to Haman.)
When Haman left the banquet, he went home and called for all of his friends and his wife. He told them of all his riches and how the king had bestowed on him promotion and glory. He bragged about how the queen had invited no one but himself and the king to a banquet and that he would be attending another one the next day. But one thing continued to eat at him-Mordecai!
His family and friends encouraged him to get rid of Mordecai. "Let a gallows be made.and tomorrow speak you unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go you in merrily with the king unto the banquet" (5:14). This pleased Haman very much, and he had the construction of the gallows started immediately.
Honor Comes to Mordecai
During that night, the king had a bit of insomnia. He called his servant to read the book of the records of the chronicles to him. During the reading, it was found written that Mordecai had previously warned the king of an assassination attempt. He remembered this well and asked what reward Mordecai had received for warning the king. The servant replied that nothing had been done-that no reward had been issued.
The king then asked his servant, "Who is in the court?" It just so happened that Haman had come into the court to ask the king's permission to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had ordered built. But before Haman could ask, the king spoke first. "What shall be done unto the man whom the king delights to honor?" By this time, Haman's head was swollen with pride. He thought to himself, "Whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?" (6:4, 6).
Thinking the king was asking what honor he, Haman, would like, he responded, "Let the royal apparel be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: and let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delights to honor, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, 'Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor'" (6:8-9).
The king thought this was a great idea. He then told Haman to do to Mordecai all that Haman had just suggested. What a shock to Haman! He had to do what the king commanded, to a man he despised-loathed. Now Haman had to lead a horse through the city streets with Mordecai sitting on it, and proclaiming out loud, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor" (6:11).
After all of this, Haman and the king went to the second banquet that Esther had prepared. On the second day of this banquet, the king asked, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? And it shall be granted you: and what is your request? And it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom" (7:2).
God Shows His Hand
"If I have found favor in your sight.let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request" (7:3). Esther then relayed the story of how her people had been singled out to be destroyed. The king was furious and demanded to know who was responsible for such a heinous act.
Fingers were pointed at Haman. The tides had turned! All the plotting that this wicked man had done was now coming to haunt him. One of the servants said to the king, "Behold also, the gallows.which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king." Then the king said, "Hang him [Haman] thereon" (7:9).
Because all decrees issued by the king were irreversible, the king then issued a new decree stating that all Jewish people may defend themselves if attacked. Because of this new decree, the Jewish people fought off and overpowered those who attacked them and were saved from certain annihilation.
Even though God cannot be seen, we do know that He was working behind the scenes for His overall purpose. What must have seemed like an impossible situation to Esther turned out to be the complete opposite.
No one-not even the queen-was allowed to approach the king without first being summoned. Doing such was a virtual death sentence. By agreeing to intervene on behalf of her people, Esther put her life on the line. This took tremendous courage.
Though she became queen, she remembered her heritage, remaining loyal and faithful to her people. She did not become proud-"lifted up"-by her position.
But above all, she trusted God to deliver her and her people. Notice the following scriptures: "Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their TRUST in Him" (Prov. 30:5). "For you are my hope, O Lord GOD: you are my TRUST from my youth" (Psa. 71:5).