Esther 1-3: A New Queen

Thoughts

Esther 1

We are now back in the reign of King Xerxes (Ahasuerus), who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush (Ethiopia). This happens in between/during Ezra/Nehemiah.

In the third year of his reign, Xerxes holds a lavish banquet in the fortress of Susa. The feast lasts 180 days. Afterward, he holds a seven-day banquet in the enclosed garden of the palace for all people in the citadel.

The palace is described in detail: white and blue linens, marble pillars, gold and silver couches, and goblets of gold. Meanwhile, Queen Vashti also holds a banquet for the women in the royal palace.

On the seventh day, when Xerxes was “merry” from wine, he commands seven eunuchs (Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas) to bring Queen Vashti before him to look upon her beauty. Queen Vashti refuses to come, making the king furious and burn with anger.

Xerxes consults his wise men- Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memukan.

Memukan warns that Vashti’s disobedience will become known to all women in the empire. He says wives everywhere will despise their husbands, causing disorder throughout the kingdom. He advises that Vashti be removed from her position as queen. A royal decree should be written in the laws of Persia and Media, declaring that every man should be ruler in his own household.

Letters are sent to every province in the empire, to each people in their own script and language, announcing the decree. Queen Vashti is banished.

Esther 2

This chapter takes place 4 years later.

King Ahasuerus’s attendants propose gathering beautiful young women from all provinces.Women are brought to the citadel of Susa and placed under Hegai, the king’s eunuch, for preparations.

Esther (Hadassah) is a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai. She is taken to the king’s harem but Mordecai instructs her not to reveal her people.

Esther wins favor with Hegai, receives special care, cosmetics, and the best place in the harem. She goes through a year of beauty preparations (oil of myrrh, perfumes). 

When her turn comes, Esther asks for nothing beyond what Hegai advises. She wins the king’s favor above all others and Ahasuerus crowns her queen and holds a great banquet. This is called Esther’s feast, granting gifts and remission of taxes.

Mordecai sits at the king’s gate and discovers a plot by Bigthan and Teresh, two palace eunuchs, to kill the king.  He reports it through Esther. After investigation, they are executed, and the event is recorded in the royal chronicles.

Esther 3

King Ahasuerus promotes Haman son of Hammedatha, a descendant of Agag (the Amalekite line, long hostile to Israel). The king commands all royal officials to bow down and pay honor to Haman. However, Mordecai refuses to bow or pay homage. 

The royal officials question Mordecai but he continues to stand firm. They report him to Haman. When Haman learns that Mordecai is a Jew, he is enraged and plots to destroy all Jews throughout the empire.

In the first month, the month of Nisan, Haman casts Pur (lots) in the presence of the king to determine the best time to carry out his plan. The lot falls on the twelfth month, Adar, about a year later. 

Haman tells King Ahasuerus that there is a certain people scattered among the provinces whose laws are different from everyone else’s and who do not obey the king’s laws. He claims it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.

He offers to deposit 10,000 talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out the destruction.The king gives Haman his signet ring. 

On the thirteenth day of the first month, royal secretaries are summoned to write out the decree in every language and send it to every province.

The decree orders that on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (Adar), all Jews  are to be killed and their goods plundered. The decree is sealed with the king’s ring. 

The city of Susa is shocked.

Questions

What was full story of Vashti? Was she asked to be immodest? Was it a honorable refusal? Was she refusing for other reasons?

What happened to Vashti afterwards? Was she exiled?

What happened to Esther’s parents?

How did they enforce the law to make wives honor husbands?

Application

God’s hidden hand. God isn’t mentioned once in Esther, but we see Him at work. From Vashti’s removal to Esther’s rise, what might seem ‘random’ is all a part of God’s plan. It wasn’t random that Esther was chosen to become queen, it wasn’t random that Mordecai overheard guards plotting to kill the king, and it wasn’t random that Haman wasn’t given the bow he thought he deserved. Even if God’s name isn’t spoken, He is still sovereign, and always moving behind the scenes. What might seem random or hidden today could mean something big for tomorrow!

From https://crossroadsbible.net/2019/01/18/esther-chronology/