June 2, 2025, Ester 2:1-18
2 After
these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered
Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then
the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be
sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint
officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young
virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the
king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given
them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be
queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.
5 Now
there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of
Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who
had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with
Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried
away. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is
Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother.
The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her
father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So
when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young
women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also
was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of
the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and
won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her
portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and
advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther
had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to
make it known. 11 And every day Mordecai walked in
front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening
to her.
12 Now when
the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being
twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular
period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with
spices and ointments for women— 13 when the young
woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to
take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 14 In
the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second
harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the
concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in
her and she was summoned by name.
15 When the
turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who
had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing
except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised.
Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 And
when 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, 17 the
king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his
sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on
her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then
the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was
Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave
gifts with royal generosity.
These verses share
Esther’s background and how she came to live at the palace along with other
virgins. Great care was given to these ladies as prospects to become the future
queen. Esther was groomed well and when sent before the king, caught his favor
followed by her selection as his wife and crowned queen.
In our society this seems extremely odd. Yet, we see God’s perfect purpose from
the beginning. Do you seek God’s purpose in your life?
How can you know his will
and purpose? Don’t neglect the Word, wise counsel and prayer as you seek your
purpose and God’s will.
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