Inspirational Women of the Bible: Queen Esther Part 1

Inspirational women of the Bible

Queen Esther

Part One

In part one of this four part series on queen esther, we will dig into who esther was, the history of the book of esther, The cultural, social, and political happenings during this time, and real talk about what happened in Esther Chapters 1-3. 

Who was Queen Esther?

• Queen Esther wasn't born a queen, and she actually wasn't born with the name Esther. Esther 2 explains that she was born with the name "Hadassah".
  • ​​In Hebrew, Hadassah means "Myrtle", which Merriam Webster describes as "a common evergreen bushy shrub (Myrtus communis of the family Myrtaceae, the myrtle family) of southern Europe with oval to lance-shaped shiny leaves, fragrant white or rosy flowers, and black berries"
• Esther lived in the citadel of Susa [Esther 2:8] the capital of the Persian Empire at the time, in Persia [modern day Iran].​
• She was Jewish and came from a long line of Jews; her family descended from the tribe of Benjamin [Esther 2:5]
• Her parents died, and she was raised by her cousin Mordecai.
  • Mordecai's exact job title isn't spelled out, but later in Esther 2:19-23, Mordecai is at the entrance to the King's palace is able to freely roam about, which indicates he had more power. ​​         -Ruth 4:-14 is an example showing the palace gate may have been a place where meetings             were held and business was done.
  • 2 Kings 24:12-14 describes that Nebuchadnezzar only removed the skilled workers, artisans, and men who could fight from Jerusalem. Daniel 1:3-5 discloses that the Babylonians had used the Jewish foreigners in the King's service, and many Biblical scholars believe that the Persians may have followed similar practices, explaining why Mordecai had such a high ranking, official position in King Xerxes' palace.
  • In 596 BC, Mordecai had been exiled with thousands of other Jews from Jerusalem by the Babylonian emperor, Nebuchadnezzar.

What's happening in the book of esther?

Culturally, Politically, Historically:

• The book of Esther takes place around 55-66 years after the Babylonian exile of the Jews ended. 
• The book of Esther takes place at the same time in Biblical history as the middle of the book of Ezra does.
  • In Ezra, the second temple in  Jerusalem had already been dedicated [in 516 BC], but Ezra had not yet led the group of exiles back to Jerusalem [in 458 BC].
  • Bible scholars can place the timeline of the book of Esther accurately with the help of the book of Ezra and descriptions of the different festivals mentioned in the prologue of Esther.
• King Xerxes was ruling in Persia.
  • Xerxes was the son of Darius I [Ezra 4:5; Nehemiah 12:22]
  • At this time, he was a successful military leader who ended rebellions in Egypt and Babylon [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Xerxes-I]
• Throughout the book of Esther, there's a lot of apparent cultural and social tension surrounding race and ethnicity.
  • In Esther 2:10, Esther chooses not to disclose that she was Jewish
  • Ezra 4:6-12 also gives some insight to the prejudices the Jewish people in Susa were facing
  • Esther 3:1 reveals another point of contention as the text explains the racial history between Haman and Mordecai's ancestors
  • In Esther 3:6, Haman refuses to even touch Mordecai because of his Jewish heritage
• The religion practiced in Persia during Xerxes reign was Zoroastrianism, although religious freedom was allowed throughout the kingdom. 
  • Ancient Zoroastrianism, under Xerxes reign, was a religion that worshipped a god, Ahura Mazda and other deities. Ahura Mazda had an evil counterpart, Ahriman. In this religion, people had the free will to choose between good and evil. It was believed that you if you gave into Ahriman and his evil ways, you would go to the Zoroastrianism version of hell. If you followed Ahura Mazda and chose to do good works, you could earn the reward of immortality in the next life. 

Esther in the Bible

Esther 1

• In Esther 1, the story opens when King Xerxes is having an elaborate, seven day banquet [possibly to celebrate a military victory], showing off his riches, wealth, and palace [Esther 1:1-9].
• On the seventh day, Xerxes is drunk and calls for his wife, Queen Vashti to come to his banquet [Vashti was having her own banquet for the women] to show off her beauty [Esther 1:10-11].
• Vashti refuses to come and the King is furious. He asks his royal officials, wise men, and eunuchs how he should proceed, and he is told in order to set a standard for his palace and the people of Persia, he needs to make a royal edict exposing Vashti and forbidding her from ever seeing the King again. [Esther 1:12-20]
• The King makes the edict and Vashti is removed as queen. [Esther 1:21-22]
  • Some scholars over the years have thought Vashti could be the Persian Queen Amestris, but there's no conclusive connection.

Esther 2

• The King's servants suggest to Xerxes that he find an attractive, young new wife by gathering all the young, beautiful virgins, giving them beauty treatments, and then letting the one the King finds most attractive take Vashti's place [Esther 2:1-4]. Xerxes makes the edict official and young, attractive virgins are gathered, and Esther is one of them.
  • In Hebrew, the word used for "beauty treatment" means "scrape or rub", which indicates some types of exfoliation treatments
  • In Esther 2:16, it's gathered that about a year takes place between Vashti's removal as queen and Esther being gathered in the King's harem.
• Esther makes friends with Hegai, who was in charge of the women, and he moves her to the best part of the harem, provides for her beauty treatment, food, and gives her seven maids [Esther 2:9].
• Because of Mordecai's position at the palace, he was able to walk with Esther and catch up with her daily [Esther 2:11]
• The women in the harem are treated for a year with beauty treatments, perfumes, oils, and cosmetics [Esther 2:12]
  • Esther still does not reveal her religion or background [Esther 10]
• King Xerxes spends one night with each girl. If he liked the girl, he would send her to Shaasshgaz to live with his concubines. If Xerxes didn't like her, she wouldn't come back. Esther spends the night with Xerxes and he falls in love with her, more than any other woman. Xerxes makes Esther Queen in place of Vashti and throws her a banquet. [Esther 2:12-18]
  • It's obvious that the nights spent with the king are sexual encounters. The women arrive to see the king at night and leave the next morning. Also, if the King liked the women, they were moved from the group of virgins in the harem to the concubines. 
  • Esther 2:13 points out that if the King liked a women and made her a concubine, she received any clothing or jewelry she wanted so she could beautify herself for the King
• While working outside the gate of the palace, Mordecai overhears two of the King's eunuchs plotting Xerxes' assassination. Mordecai tells Queen Esther who tells Xerxes. The conspirators are hanged [Esther 2:19-23]

let's Talk Esther Chapters 1-2

Esther is a WILD BOOK. It's a soap opera-esq story that has the drama level of an episode of Season 17 of the Kardashians. Reading Esther is like watching an episode of the Bachelor, except this time it actually is the most dramatic rose ceremony ever. It tells a story that is very unique to the Bible and is filled with crazy irony. Here's an interesting fact about Esther you might have notice while reading: God is not directly named one time. I think it's obvious to see God's deliverance, presence, and redemption in this story, but many Bible scholars find that to be a very odd piece of information and another unique quality about the book. I also find that this scripture is packed with lessons about leadership, character, and trusting God.

When you start the book of Esther, it feels like you're jumping into a book that's already a couple of chapters in. The successful King kills it in another battle and is having an elaborate, week long party in his beautiful, huge palace, which he appears to hold in his own honor. From the outside, Xerxes looks like his life is completely perfect. But, Xerxes' lack of impulse control and immaturity is shown when he calls for his wife Vashti, after partying and drinking for a week, and she refuses to come. Vashti doesn't want to show off her beauty and nice figure to her drunk husband and all of his, most likely also drunk, friends. Xerxes, impressionable, angry, and intoxicated, asks his servants what to do and immediately agrees to their plan to banish Vashti from the palace. 

Imagine being Vashti for two seconds: You're the queen of Persia, you live in a palace with all of your needs met, married to a king, and ten minutes after you tell your husband you don't want to come to his party, he agrees to grant a government document that dethrones you as queen, boots you out of the palace, and states that you'll never see your husband again. This is SERIOUSLY CRAZY. 

Then, Xerxes orders all of the young and beautiful virgins to move into his harem so they can get beautified for a year and then he can pick his favorite one [It seems like an episode of the Bachelor because it is] . If you watch the Bachelor you're familiar with the next part of the story: Xerxes takes alllll these young beautiful virgins to the "fantasy suite", aka he sleeps with all of them and then sends the girls home in the morning if he's not into them. The girls he likes move on to be one of his concubines, i.e. moving on to the final rose ceremony. 

Esther, a young, beautiful orphan is chosen [and literally could not turn down the opportunity] to undergo the crazy process to possibly become the queen. Esther finds favor with a lot of people: the eunuch, Hegai, who was in charge of the young virgins prepping for Xerxes, literally everyone who saw her in the palace, and with the bachelor himself, King Xerxes.

Back up and think about how wild her journey has been: She's a Jewish virgin, hiding her identity, doing spa treatments for a year to possibly become the queen of Persia, which is incredibly ironic because of the racial tension  and discrimination between the Persians and the Jews at this time. Esther is well liked, is given special privileges, and gets to see her cousin/guardian every day since he works at the palace. Then, the crazy part happens: Esther spends the night with the king. Let's not dilly dally: they have sex, which according to the Old Testament, would technically make her married to Xerxes. Esther technically marries this man, sans the ceremony, and extra wild points because she didn't even know if he would choose her to be his wife in the end! [I'm feeling extra vibes from Peter's season of the bachelor] 

Xerxes falls head over heels for Esther and, in what seems to be a few moments after their late night date, decides to make Esther his new wife and queen. She gets a crown, a party, and the King makes the day a holiday.

Esther becoming queen of Persia  is only the first five minutes of the dramatic soap opera, Mordecai overhears two of the King's officials detailing Xerxes' assassination plot. Mordecai tells his cousin the queen who saves Xerxes life by sharing the conspiracy with her husband. Read that all again because this. is. wi. ild.

Let’s talk about Xerxes: 
 Xerxes banishes his wife from their home because she rejected him. He feared disappointing his servants and officials, so he did exactly what they said without a raise of an eyebrow. This happens throughout Esther a lot: Xerxes doesn't take the reigns or responsibilities to lead well. He doesn't ask questions and think of his people, he seems to be afraid to disappoint so he agrees to everything. Historically, we know from other historical documents that he was pretty foolish, impulsive, and often succumbed to the pressure of those around him.
Xerxes agrees to his servants’ idea to hold a beauty pageant to find his wife. He doesn’t want to be alone. Xerxes sleeps with who knows how many women vying to be his queen. If they’re not wife material, they’re just added to his group of concubines. It seems like all these things are telling us something:  Xerxes wants love. He wants security, validation, and friends. Throughout Esther, it looks like Xerxes is doing what a lot of us do: he’s trying to fill the need for God in his heart with things that aren’t God. Xerxes tries to use wealth, acceptance from people, love, sex, and beautiful women to be his security and satisfy the desire only God can.
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I think if we judge Xerxes without realizing a lot of the same traits we share or have shared with him, we are being majorly hypocritical. We all want to tell ourselves we are always the heroine of the story, Queen Esther, but sometimes we really are Xerxes; we want acceptance or love or friends so we do anything to get them. We aren’t seeking God to satisfy our desires, so we try the counterfeit, human versions.

Reflection Questions:

What are the counterfeits in your life? What do you try to use to satisfy your need for God? How can you seek God to satisfy your heart, desires, and needs?