Storyline: Queen Esther, #1

As I begin to write about Esther, one phrase stands out to me (used three times), which I’d like to settle on in today’s thought.  First let’s see that phrase in context:

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 was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.  And the young woman pleased him and won his favor… (2:8-9).

When the time 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. (2:15)

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. (2:17) Emphasis Mine.

There are so many characteristics to comment on regarding the woman, Esther (who couldn’t have been even 20 years old), yet this one phrase printed in bold grabbed my attention.  In the Hebrew text, it literally reads “She lifted up grace (also be translated kindness, or pleasantness) before his face.”  We’re talking about a woman who had been ‘carried away’ (2:2-3, 6) – first from her homeland, her culture, and, then, ultimately, from her only remaining family.  Not only this, but she was removed from her religious upbringing and placed in a heathen court that emphasized nothing but worldliness:  power, prestige, prettiness, and seductive persuasion.   When the Scripture talks about being taken away, the word used refers to a forced movement.  She may have gone willingly, trusting in God’s sovereignty, but with each transition, she found herself in a place that was uncomfortable, difficult, and painful.  Esther didn’t respond as I would.  There in this unfamiliar world, she looked her difficulty in the face, and smiled.  She kept her composure, and she treated everyone around her with a pleasant kindness that turned their heads, and caused them to respond to her with respect, admiration, and love.  Whining and complaining were not in her vocabulary.  Anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness were absent from her heart.  Seduction and people pleasing were games she did not play.  Self-centeredness and competition were far removed from her mind.  She lived the quote: “Pain is inevitable; but, misery is optional.”

What else can I say?  Not much.  Esther was a godly woman of virtue, who lived a life of grace in the face of adversity.  May I so rest in the sovereign goodness of God, that my life follows her example!