Click above to watch video.
OR
Click below to play audio and read along.
Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Have you ever found yourself pacing back and forth in deep contemplation, trying to make sense of a situation, trying to evaluate your options and discern what your next best action steps should be? Yesterday I left you watching a man do exactly that. His name is Mordecai and he’s pacing back and forth outside the palace harem in the great city of Susa about 2400 years ago.
Why? Because his orphaned young cousin Hadassah had been taken into that harem of the king! Do you remember the story?
His majesty King Xerxes, emperor over the entire Persian kingdom, which stretched over most of the current middle east of our day, had banished Queen Vashti and a new queen was being sought. The vetting process was not background checks or interviews but rather pleasing the king as a member of his harem! The primary qualifier for consideration was not education or family pedigree, but beauty!
Yesterday we learned that Hadassah’s Persian name was Esther and once in the harem she had found favor with Mr. Hegai the administrator of the King’s harem. She was assigned seven special attendants to teach her about the king and oversee her preparations to be with the king. For one full year Esther was prepared in every way imaginable.
Of course, Mordecai was very concerned for the safety of his young cousin whom he had adopted and raised as his own daughter since her parents both died. Thus, Mordecai came daily to possibly catch a glimpse of Esther or hear any news.
I doubt Mordecai knew much about what took place inside the harem or what they were preparing Esther for, but the record says this: “Before a young woman’s turn came to go into King Xerxes, she had to complete 12 months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics. And anything she wanted was given to her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In the evening, she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem… She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.” (Esther 2:12-14) Now I wonder what all you women are thinking as you read that, regardless of your age or where you live in the world? I also wonder what you men are thinking.
What a remarkable process of preparation! What pressure of expectations! It seems probable many women in the king’s harem only saw the king one night in their entire lives! Can you imagine living every day with one purpose… being ready should the king desire to have you with him, and call your name?
Now move that into the spiritual realm for a moment as you consider Jesus, the King of kings and His desire for a DAILY relationship with you and me. Think about this reality: we don’t clean ourselves up to be attractive to or acceptable to Jesus, He went all the way to the cross so you and I could be forgiven of our sin and filth, so we could spend the rest of our lives in relationship with Jesus, as adopted sons and daughters of Almighty, Holy God!
But now that we’ve been redeemed by Jesus and adopted by God, how much effort are we investing in our character development or living a lifestyle that honors God, and being continually available to a fresh encounter with God?
So eventually the day, or should I say evening came for Esther. The record says: “When the turn came for Esther to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence…” (Esther 2:15,16)
Of course, we have no record of what took place in the palace private residence that night, but I simply ask this question: what do you suppose caused Esther to win the favor of all who saw her? We know she had already won the favor of Mr. Hegai and so respected him that she sought only his advice in preparing for her night with the king.
The record of Esther next makes this statement: “Now king Xerxes was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So, the king set a royal crown on her head and made Esther queen instead of Vashti!” (Esther 2:17) Wow! Now we need to pause and ponder this for a moment or two.
Let’s remember this king had available to him any one of hundreds of beautiful women at any time and he could expect anything of them for his pleasure. Yet this young orphan girl, raised by conservative Jewish Mordecai, ‘won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins.’ How did that happen?
What did she do or say that captured his heart? May I suggest it was not a sexual or physical performance, but rather God was working in the king’s heart to awaken an affection for her, a favor and maybe even a tender love for Esther, unlike anything the king had ever had for any other woman!
WHY would God do that in the life of a temperamental, arrogant, egotistical king who had no interest in God? Oh, my friends, that is the remainder of the story which we will see over the next few days. It’s a remarkable story that is celebrated to this day all around the world by Jewish people. It’s called PURIM. But may I urge us to personalize this today with several questions:
* How do you and I win the favor of people our lives touch, especially people very different from us, including people who have political views or religious views different from ours?
* How much do we depend on cosmetics or perfumes or wardrobe or jewelry to make ourselves attractive, or how much do we focus on having character, integrity, humility and gentleness of spirit which is attractive? Remember 1 Peter 3:3,4?
* When preparing for that special moment with someone… like a business interview, or a family reunion or a date with someone you are gaining an affection for, how do you prepare yourself?
* Finally, when considering the opportunity, you and I have to enter the throne room of the King of kings, Almighty God, at any time, or join with others in a worship time with God, how do we prepare ourselves and with what attitudes do we enter for an encounter with God?
I urge us to watch them, as best we can imagine, Mordecai and Esther in their two situations. Both trusting God in this totally unexpected turn of events.
Here’s a song that seems to fit perfectly, so let’s worship, and I’ll meet you back here tomorrow, for there is much more.
Today’s Scripture: Esther 2:12-17.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.