Today is a beautiful fall day, its a Saturday, the leaves are turning colors, its going to be warm and sunny all weekend. I just love the beauty of God's handwork this time of year. There is comfort that the harvest is in, and we are prepared for the coming seasons.
Today we continue with the amazing story of Esther! I attended a bible study with Beth Moore and we talked about how exciting it would have been to spend a year in a spa becoming beautiful to meet the king. And then we talked about what a lonely life this must have been. One of hundreds of women for one man. This is not a normal life for a woman. Yes, we would be well taken care of, but we would be just another pretty face. If the king liked you you may see him more than once. If not, one night with him and you are done. Women desire more than this, we want a husband and a family to care for, or have a career. A life of our own. So lets read the developing story.
Chapter 2 verses 1- 4. Four years later .... King Xerxes misses his queen and may have realized what foolish thing he did banishing her from his courts. So he makes this decree that a search go on in his providence's for a beautiful young virgins. He may have selected 400 women. Its kind of sad to think that a man focuses on a woman's beauty alone.
I am reading George MacDonald's book the Highlander's Last Song. And in the first chapter of the book, he describes 4 daughters. The first daughter is very pretty and the second daughter is very plain. He writes that a man will be wise to pick the plain girl if she looks lovely in his eyes - for she has not yet matured into a woman, and her loveliness from with in will be more beautiful than the pretty sister. That comment has really stuck with me. We cannot judge a book by its cover - we need to "see" the real person behind the face. Somewhere in 1 Samuel there is a verse that says man looks upon the face but God looks upon the heart. I think this is what the author is saying too. We can fleetingly look at something beautiful but there is no substance to it. What men/women really desire is a soul mate if you will. Someone they can love, cherish, and share their life with for life is empty without it. And lets talk about sex for a moment. Sex between a man and a woman is very private precious gift one gives to one another. Once you experience the pleasure of sex you desire it over and over. But how can you really enjoy sex with a new partner over and over again. Once the initial passions subsides people move on because the physical spark seems to be gone, but they are missing the fact that the best that is yet to come. I am talking about forming the emotional bond that comes with a committed relationship. You can have all the sex you want but in the end will feel empty because you really haven't connected. Solomon writes about this too, to love the wife of your youth. He writes this when he is old. He also has had many wives but he still yearns for his first love. My guess is this is where King Xerxes is at. He misses the queen - his lover and his confidant. And God will provide in a most unusual way.
Verses 5-7 Now we learn about Esther and her family. Mordecai is a Jew from the line of Benjamin. His family had been banished to exile when King Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) when he defeated Jehoiachin, king of Judah. He is the cousin of Esther. We don't know what happened to Esther's parents but she is an orphan. the bible says she is lovely in form and in features.
Verse 8 Esther is taken to the palace, and was entrusted to Hegai, who took care of her. We can assume she had no choice in this matter.
Verse 9 Hegai was immediately pleased with Esther, so he moves her to the best place in the harem, gives her 7 maidservants, and begins a year of beauty treatments and fine food.
Verses 10-11 Mordecai warned Esther not to reveil her Jewish heritage, and he daily watches from afar at the gate, to know how she is doing.
Verses 12-14 describes what happens to prepare the women in order to spend the night the king. They spend a year having beauty treatments, then when she was ready to see the king, she was allowed to take anything she wanted. After a woman spent the night with the king she went to a different part of the palace, under care of Shaashgaz, and wait until the king asked for her again. For some this never happens.
Verses 15-18 Now it is Esther's turn to meet with the king. She takes nothing with her but what Hegai advises. She goes to him in the 7th year of his reign. The king was attracted to her more than any other virgins and makes her the Queen. They throw a big banquet in honor of the new Queen.
Father God, we read today about this amazing story of a young Jewish woman who wins the favor of a King. She is beautiful on the inside and the outside. We ask today that we remain faithful to our spouses if we are married, when we quarrel, seek to resolve our differences. The loss of a spouse is a very lonely road, and if we are there Lord, we ask that we seek a new spouse in a way that is pleasing to you Lord. Help us not give into the temptation of sex, but seek a lover to last to the end of our days in marriage. We also ask for character and beauty on the inside because this is most important in a relationship. In Jesus name we pray, amen.
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