Scripture Thought (What I Learned):
Chapter 1: Royal Feasts of Ahasuerus
Esther is the last of the
historical books of the Bible, so its main character is named Esther -
that is, Venus, the morning star, which sheds its light after all the others
stars have ceased to shine, and while the sun still delays to rise. Thus the
deeds of Queen Esther cast a ray of light forward into Israel’s history from a
dark time.
In the days of Ahasuerus (this was the
Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India
to Ethiopia), sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan
the citadel.
In the third year of his reign he
made a feast for all his officials and servants; the powers of Persia and Media,
the nobles, and the princes of the provinces before him; when he showed
the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty
for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all. And when these
days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the
people who were present in Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the
court of the garden of the king’s palace. There were white and blue
linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver
rods and marble pillars; and the couches wereof gold and silver
on a mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and white and black
marble. And they served drinks in golden vessels, each vessel being different
from the other, with royal wine in abundance, according to the generosity of
the king. In accordance with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so
the king had ordered all the officers of his household, that they
should do according to each man’s pleasure. Queen Vashti also made a feast for
the women in the royal palace which belonged to King
Ahasuerus.
On
the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded
Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven eunuchs
who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the
king, wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the
people and the officials, for she was beautiful to behold.
But Queen Vashti refused to come at
the king’s command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the
king was furious, and his anger burned within him.
Then
the king said to the wise men who understood the times (for this was the
king’s manner toward all who knew law and justice, those closest to him being Carshena,
Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of
Persia and Media, who had access to the king’s presence, and who
ranked highest in the kingdom): “What shall we do to Queen Vashti,
according to law, because she did not obey the command of King Ahasuerus brought
to her by the eunuchs?” And Memucan answered before the king and the
princes: “Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes,
and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.
For the queen’s behavior will become known to all women, so that they will
despise their husbands in their eyes, when they report, ‘King Ahasuerus
commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.’ This
very day the noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to all the
king’s officials that they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there
will be excessive contempt and wrath. If it pleases the king, let a royal
decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and
the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more
before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who
is better than she. When the king’s decree which he will make is proclaimed
throughout all his empire (for it is great), all wives will honor their
husbands, both great and small.” And the reply pleased the king and the
princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan. Then he sent
letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province in its own script, and to
every people in their own language, that each man should be master in his own
house, and speak in the language of his own people.
Chapter 2: Ahasuerus Appoints Esther to be
Queen
When the wrath of King Ahasuerus
subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed
against her. Then the king’s servants who attended him said: “Let beautiful
young virgins be sought for the king; and let the king appoint officers in all
the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young
virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of
Hegai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be
given them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen
instead of Vashti.” This thing pleased the king, and he did so.
In
Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai
the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had
been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with
Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried
away. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther,
his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely
and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own
daughter.
When the king’s command and decree
were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the
custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the
care of Hegai the custodian of the women.
Now
the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave
beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice
maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and
her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.
Esther
had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to
reveal it. And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the
women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
Each
young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed
twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for
thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of
myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women.
Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given
whatever she desired to take with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s
palace. In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second
house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the
concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in
her and called for her by name.
Now when the turn came for Esther
the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his
daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s
eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the
sight of all who saw her. So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal
palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the
seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women,
and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he
set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then
the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and
servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according
to the generosity of a king.
When virgins were gathered together
a second time, Mordecai sat within the king’s gate. Now Esther had
not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for
Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him.
While
Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and
Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther
informed the king in Mordecai’s name. And when an inquiry was made into the
matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written
in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
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