Finding the King's Favor

INTRO

This is the beginning lesson on the final historical book. This is our 332nd lesson this year. Esther is an exciting book. The one word for the book of Esther is The Despised One. Mordecai was a Jew and was the despised one. Ultimately, that will bring a picture of the Messiah who became The Despised One.

Only the books of Esther and Ruth in the Old Testament were named after women. There are no quotes from Esther in the New Testament. This is also true with Song of Songs, Obadiah, and Nahum. Esther’s name in Hebrew was Hadassah (Esther 2:7) which means “myrtle” or “myrtle tree” and possibly came from a Persian word for “star” or a Babylonian love goddess called Ishtar.¹

Scholars do not know who authored the book of Esther, although Mordecai, Ezra, and Nehemiah are all possibilities. MacArthur notes, “Whoever penned Esther possessed a detailed knowledge of Persian customs, etiquette, and history, plus particular familiarity with the palace of Shushan.”²Further, the author understood the Hebrew calendar, Hebrew customs, and Jewish nationalism, and so was possibly a Persian Jew who later returned to Israel. The book closes out the historical books, and only Ezra 7—10 and the books of Nehemiah and Malachi are placed later historically. The Book of Esther ends around 473 BC during the Persian period of history from 539 BC to 331 BC and before King Ahasuerus was assassinated. Ahasuerus ruled from 486–465 BC. The Book of Esther covers the years 483–473 BC. It’s important to note that Ahasuerus also went by his Greek name, Xerxes, and was the father of Artaxerxes who allowed Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem. The events documented in Esther took place after the first group of Jews, led by Zerubbabel, returned to Jerusalem following 70 years in Babylonian captivity, and before the second group of Jews led by Ezra returned.³Zerubbabel led the Jews to rebuild the temple, then the events of Esther took place. The second group of Jews returned to rebuild the city, and then the third group under Nehemiah returned to rebuild the city wall.

Some consider Esther to be a controversial book. Within the book of Esther, the name of God is never mentioned. However, Esther is included in the Megillah, along with Song of Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, and Lamentations. These five books are the Megillah, and they are read in the synagogue during five special celebrations. Esther is read during the celebration of Purim.⁴

Esther’s uncle Mordecai was from the tribe of Benjamin, and Haman, the man who became his enemy, was an Agagite (3:1). One thousand years before these two met, the Israelites had left Egypt (1445 BC) only to be attacked by the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8–16). Although King Saul was told to kill all the Amalekites, he allowed King Agag to live. The prophet Samuel later killed Agag with the sword (1 Samuel 15:32-33). Because he was a descendant of Agag, Haman hated the Jews. In Esther, Mordecai and Haman continued to live out the battle of Exodus 17. MacArthur describes the book of Esther as a chess match between God and Satan, using Mordecai, Esther, and Haman as the chess pieces.⁵When we talk about the despised one in the book of Esther, we’re talking about Mordecai, who was the foreshadow of the coming Messiah (Psalm 121:4).

In Esther 1:1–12, Queen Vashti refused to appear before the king. The king was furious and consulted with his wise men to decide what to do. They counseled him to remove Vashti from the king’s presence and that her crown be given to another (vv. 13–22). Chapter 2 presents the king’s plan to find another queen.

TEACHING

Esther 2:1–4: After the king had cooled down from his anger and embarrassment of Vashti denying his request, the king’s assistant suggested they make a nationwide search for beautiful young women for the harem at Susa. While in the harem, the young women received beauty treatments in preparation for meeting the king, and the king would choose the woman who pleased him (vv. 1–4). This was no beauty pageant, because the women did not come as volunteers and they had no choice about their futures. The women who were not chose to be queen would have spent the rest of their lives in the harem. They existed in the harem only “to bring pleasure to the king.”⁶

Esther 2:5–11: Mordecai was a descendant of Shimei, possibly the man who yelled curses at David and those who accompanied him (2 Samuel 16:5–13), and Kish may refer to Saul’s father (1 Samuel 9:1). Mordecai had been taken into captivity in Jerusalem and then taken to Babylon (vv. 5–7) and he was the legal guardian of his orphaned cousin Hadassah (or Esther) whom he had adopted as his daughter (v. 7). Nelson’s Commentary explains that those in captivity or just dwelling in foreign lands usually had two names, their Hebrew name, which was considered sacred, and their secular name, which reflected their adopted culture.⁷Esther and other young women were taken to the harem and placed under the supervision of Hegai (v. 8). Esther impressed Hegai and gained his extreme favor. Hegai sped up the beautification process for Esther, chose seven female servants to serve her, and gave her and her servants the best quarters in the harem (v. 9). Esther did not tell anyone that she was Jewish at Mordecai’s request (v. 10). Meanwhile, Mordecai walked by the harem’s courtyard daily to check on her (v. 11).

Esther 2:12–20: The women went through an entire year of beauty treatments before each one went before the king (v. 12). Each woman was given whatever she wanted to take with her to see the king (v. 13). The woman went to the king in the evening to have sexual relations, and in the morning, she was taken to a second harem under the king’s eunuch, Shaashgaz. The woman never again saw the king unless he requested her by name (v. 14). Nelson’s Commentary explains that these women were “destined to live as though they were widows for the remainder of their years.”⁸When Esther’s turn came, she brought with her only what Hegai suggested. She won approval in the sight of everyone who saw her, including the king who loved her more than any of the other young women (vv. 15–16). The king crowned Esther queen and held a great banquet for her, inviting his officials and staff (v. 18). No one knew Esther’s background (vv. 19–20). “Both Josephus and the Jewish Rabbis exaggerated the beauty of Esther and elaborated on her virtues and piety. The Rabbis held that Esther was one of the four most beautiful women in history along with Sarah, Rahab, and Abigail. Josephus maintained that Esther ‘surpassed all women in beauty’ in the entire habitable world.”⁹

Esther 2:21–23: Mordecai was given the responsibility of sitting at the King’s Gate. There he heard two of the king’s eunuchs plotting to kill the king (v. 21). Mordecai told Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai’s behalf (v. 22). The eunuchs were found guilty and hanged (v. 23). These three verses set the stage for all that follows in this book.

CLOSING

God used a queen to put her cousin in a place of authority, allowing him to hear about a potential assassination, which would then radically change the direction of the people of Israel. God continually put people in place, for His time and for His purpose, which was to save His people.