Queen Esther, Episode 2, "Favor and Grace"
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Queen Esther, Episode 2, Transcript, "Favor and Grace"
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Favored and highly favored. God's favor toward Esther compelled everyone in the king's palace to show her favor. This favor strategically positioned Esther to be the king's choice to become one of the most influential queens in the history of Persia and the Jewish nation. Thank you for joining us today for Episode 2, "Favor and Grace" in our Queen Esther series. My name is Stephanie Wright. Let's get started. We are
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continuing in our study of Esther. We are going to be talking about a book that took place in 480 BC, 480 years before Christ. This is when the Book of Esther would have been occurring. So, thank you again for joining us. This Book of Esther took place as we studied last week, 480 years before Christ, but we're going to try to make it contemporary. It was in the Medo-Persian empire, one of the most powerful empires of that time. And we've talked about that last week. Today, it is modern-day Iran. Although Iran, as we know it today is not as expansive as it was back in 480 BC. This is the biblical, historical account of a woman named Esther who becomes queen of Persia and saves her nation from being destroyed by an evil man named Haman. Here is a summary of what we're going to study today.
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As I prepared for this lesson, by listening to chapter two of Esther, as I listened to it over and over, I realized this book is about favor and obedience, and conversely, or the flip side, it is about disfavor and disobedience. Disobedience of the children of Israel brought them into bondage, slavery into this Medo-Persian empire. Esther was an obedient daughter to Mordecai. Esther was favored by the king's servant before she became queen. Esther was shown favor from all that looked upon her. Mordecai sat in the king's gate and was in the palace at the right time. He heard about the conspiracy to kill King Ahasuerus who was the reigning king at that time. And we also learned that his name was Xerxes. And eventually, as we will discuss later, Mordecai was shown favor. Esther was favored with the authority to certify, or confirm, this conspiracy that had happened to the king, to tell the king what Mordecai had done.
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So, this book is about favor and it is about disfavor and it is about obedience and disobedience. Starting at chapter 2, in verse 1. "After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her." Now, Vashti displeased the king, as we learned in chapter one, and because of the displeasure that the king had in her for not coming to his banquet, as he had requested, she was to never be seen by the king. Again, her crown was taken away to be given to another. Verse 2. "Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:" So, after four years - and we know it was four years because if we read down in verse 16, it says that this was the seventh year of Xerxes or King
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Ahasuerus' reign and Vashti was dethroned in his third year - so, it was three years before they even started the process to look for a queen to replace Vashti. So, virgins were to be brought to the king. One of those virgins was Hadassah or Esther. Esther was also known as Hadassah. Verse 3. "And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women: (There were different chamberlains.This chamberlain was the keeper of the women.) and let their things for purification be given to them:" So, here we have, again, the word virgin is mentioned. If Esther had not been a virgin, she would not have become queen.
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This speaks to young men and women today. Let's keep it real. This speaks to young men and women today to keep themselves pure before the Lord. This society's morals have been lowered to where it is acceptable to engage in premarital sex, thinking that there are no consequences. There are always consequences for choosing to disobey God's command to lead a life that is clean before him. Now, let me say this. This is not intended for those young women or young men for that matter, whose virginity was stolen from them through sexual assault. Know that when you give your life to Jesus, whether your virginity was stolen from you or you relinquished it by your own choice, that Jesus washes you clean. And what he makes clean is clean and no one can make it unclean. We are washed in the blood and we are washed whiter than snow
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when we give our life to the Lord. Verse 4. "And let the maiden, which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so." Now speaking of morals, it was acceptable for the king in that day to have what is known as concubines and to have more than one wife. He could have as many women as he wanted, but that is not how God intended it from the beginning. If you read in Matthew, when you read the section about putting away of the wife, Jesus even said that is not God's intent. Verse 5. "Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;" Verse 6. "Who had been carried away [we're talking about Mordecai] who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away."
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So, we said, the book of Esther was about obedience and disobedience. In this, verse 6, here, the children of Israel were carried away into captivity because of their disobedience to God. Now we know the history. It was just a natural part of the history of the children of Israel to always fall into sin. God forgiving them and they fall into sin again. They refuse to heed the warnings from the prophets. And eventually they are brought into captivity and into bondage. And it's no different for us today. You know, we're so quick to jump back and talk about, you know, what people did in the Bible. You know, Eve sinned, Adam sinned. You know, we would have probably done the same thing. If we do not hear the warning from God, when we are disobedient, we will be in bondage. Satan will put us in bondage and keep us in bondage
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until we make up our minds that we don't want to be in bondage anymore. God is going to stop hearing us when we start crying wolf and running back and saying, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Lord, forgive me, forgive me," and really there's no true repentance in our hearts. So, we need to check ourselves daily and repent. If we have sinned against God, if we have sinned against God's people, if we have sinned against others, we need to check ourselves and repent and don't keep falling back into the same sin over and over and over. And you know, I believe that when people repent, that at the time, they really do want to, they really are sorry, but they are just in bondage. And I'll tell you now, if there is something that has you in bondage, that keeps you from fulfilling your calling, you need to really seek God. Go before God, put your face to the wall, and get yourself on a good fast. And learn how to fast the right way,
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please. I don't have time to go into all of that, but there's a right way and a wrong way to fast. Do it the Bible way. And be sure that it is a God-given fast. Amen. There is no need to be in bondage. There is no need to be on this merry-go-round of sinning and sinning and, "Oh forgive me, forgive me." You're just bound. You need to get unbound. If you're doing the same thing over and over again. Hey, the message is to me too. You know, we have to search ourselves. If there's something that's keeping us from moving forward in Christ, we need to search ourselves and ask God to help us out. Amen. Verse 7. We're talking about Mordecai still, this wonderful God-man, Mordecai brought up Hadassah - we're in verse seven- "And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter." So, Esther was Mordecai's cousin, but he raised her as his own daughter. So, Mordecai was a surrogate father to her. So, I will refer to him as her father. Verse 8. "So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women." Verse 9. "And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women."
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Again, favor. Esther was shown favor by Hege, the keeper of the women. He speedily gave her, her things for this process called purification, which the maidens had to go through before they would be presented to the king. So, why did he speedily give her, her things? I believe it is because God had a work to do. He had a work that needed to be done for his people. Everything with God is about time. He is a right-on-time God. Things had to move speedily because his people were going to be in trouble. God controls time, not the devil. God is always ahead of Satan. God controls time in your life and in my life. And we need to be patient and wait on him, not jump the gun. We have to trust him and wait on him and be obedient. And he will show us favor
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and grace. Verse 10. "Esther had not shown her people nor her kindred: [she had not shown who she was] for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it." So, we discussed Esther's obedience to her father, Mordecai. She kept herself clean and she was obedient to her surrogate father, even when she was about to become a queen. Unlike some children today, she remained respectful and she listened. Even when she became queen, she was still obedient. And I'm going to skip down to verse 17 [verse 20] to emphasize what I'm saying here about her being obedient. "Even when she became queen," verse 17 [20] says, "Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him." So, as when she was a child, she still respected him as her father. All that power and wealth
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and she still respected Mordecai, her surrogate father. The Word of God says to honor your father and mother, that your days maybe long. Exodus 20:12. So, as an aside here, I believe that when people do not honor their father and mother, they shorten their years. If they are disrespectful and do not repent, they may think they have gotten away with something. But, this is what I believe. And this is just me. I believe that if a person was supposed to live to be 80, because they did not repent of their disrespect, their years are shortened. They may only live to be 70. I don't know if you understand what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, if you are not respectful to your parents, you need to repent of that and show them respect. I don't really care how bad you may think your mother and daddy are.
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You nevertheless have to show them respect. Amen. I will say this. I will share this because I have shared this with others. My father was an ex-convict. Now, a lot of people don't know that, but I don't have a problem with sharing that because people need to know, especially young people. I had the opportunity to speak to a group of young people years ago. I think they were like third graders or fourth graders. I was talking to them about becoming an attorney, becoming lawyers or whatever. And this one little girl, bless her heart, she, she just out of the blue, made a comment about her father being in prison. So, that was a moment for me when I had to make a decision. Do I just let this little girl think that I'm all that, you know, "I'm an attorney and I'm this, that," or do I tell her my daddy was an ex-convict?
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My daddy was in prison too. So, I made that decision right then and there. Yes, I'm going to tell this young lady that. I spoke to those young people and I told them, what your father and mother were doesn't mean that's going to be you. Okay? That does not have to be you. But, nevertheless, you respect your parents. And I respected my father, despite the things that he had experienced and gone through. So, respect your parents and don't judge your parents, you know, eventually one day, especially you young people, you will grow up and you will be a parent. And you will find out that you're going to make mistakes too. You're just not going to be perfect. So, amen. Respect your parents. Esther respected Mordecai even when she became queen. Verse 11. "And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her." Verse 12.
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"Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)" Verse 13. "Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house." Verse 14. "In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name."
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So, in verse 11, we see Mordecai is checking up on Esther. He is making sure and asking about her. He's not having direct contact with her, but he's checking up on her because he cares for her. He loves her still as his daughter. Verse 12. And they're talking about this purification, verses 12 through 14. It took a whole year before these virgins would be presented to the King. They were not just going to be coming to him any kind of way. So, that speaks to us. How do we come to the King when we go before God? Are we clean? Have we purified ourselves? Or, do we just come to God any kind of way? Or, do we just not even come to him at all until we get in trouble? Do we just come to him raggedy? Well, you know, this king is, was no greater than our King Jesus.
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When we come to him, we need to come to him with a heart that loves him and is pure before him. We want him to do things for us, but we just come to him, any old kind of raggedy way, or we don't come to him at all. We put off prayer for however many days. Do we daily come before him? You know, this king had certain standards. King Xerxes had certain standards and you just weren't going to come before him any kind of way. So, we need to think about how are we coming before our King. Is he precious to us? How do you approach King Jesus? Amen. Verse 15. "Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her."
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Here we go again, favor again. Everything Esther needed. She required nothing more than what, Hege, the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women gave her. Now, let's talk about how we treat people. Whether they are a lowly servant, like Hege, or the king, like Ahasuerus, be careful how you treat people. I believe Hege had the inside track on what Esther would need that would please the King and would make her queen. Don't ever look your nose down on people, no matter how lowly they may seem. Give respect to the person who cleans the toilet the same as you would the person who preaches the word. Esther was this kind of person because if she were not, she could not have obtained as it says, "favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her." Verse 16. "So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign." Verse 17.
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"And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti." Grace and favor this time in verse 17. This book is about favor. Verse 18. "Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king." So, this king named a great feast after his queen, Esther's feast, he made a release to the provinces. And my research shows that there were certain things in different provinces. And last week we learned that this king was over 127 provinces. It was a lot of territory. This was the most powerful kingdom in the earth, at that time, the known world. Forty-four percent of the population of the world was under the Medo-Persian empire.
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So, what he did for this feast was he gave certain releases to the people and they were not required to do certain things. In other words, I guess he gave them like a holiday from what they normally do. Verse 19. "And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate." Verse 20. And we talked about this how Esther did not show or tell the people who she was because Mordecai had commanded her not to do so. And she was obedient to him. Verse 21. "In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth [they were angry, they were upset, they were mad about something] and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus." In other words, they wanted to kill him. Verse 22.
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"And the thing was known to Mordecai," [Mordecai found out that these two chamberlains were going to kill the king and Mordecai got word to Esther, the queen] "and Esther certified the King thereof in Mordecai's name." So, basically, what this is saying is Esther vouched for what Mordecai had learned about this conspiracy by these two chamberlains that kept the door. So, these two chamberlains, they had access to the king, so they could have probably killed the king if they wanted to. Nevertheless, Esther was the one who revealed to the king this conspiracy and she said that this man named Mordecai - she still didn't reveal to the King, that it was her surrogate father who found this out. In verse 23, it says. "And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king." Mordecai was not rewarded right then and there.
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And we'll learn later that he was, of course, rewarded in a very magnificent way and yet a very humiliating way for his enemy, Haman. Rewards are not always immediate. Sometimes they are late. Sometimes you never get rewarded. You never get appreciated. You're never shown appreciation for the work that you do. But with God, there is always a reward, some way, somehow God rewards us with his joy, his peace, his protection. You know, so, don't always expect your reward here on earth. In fact, the Bible lets us know if you're going to get rewarded here on earth, why do you even need to look for a reward in heaven? Be careful when men speak good of you, speak well of you, and always want to heap praise on you. Be very wary of that. We just thank God today for blessing us to go through chapter two. God bless you, everyone. Join us next time for episode three,
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"Obedience or Obeisance" in our Queen Esther series. We will be introduced
to one of the most evil men in Bible history and we will learn how Mordecai's refusal to bow down to this man led to a proclamation to annihilate the Jews in Medo--Persia. My name is Stephanie
Wright. Thank you. And we'll see you next time.
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