Summary of Esther 2:1-18
After Vashti, King Ahasuerus’s servants gathered beautiful virgins for a new queen from all over his kingdom. They are to be placed under the care of the king’s eunuch, Hegai, and given makeovers. Esther, a Jewish orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai, was taken to the palace. She wont he favor of Hegai and was provided for. She concealed her identity, won the favor of all, and after 12 months of preparation, the king loved her most and crowned her queen. A banquet was given and a holiday proclaimed.
BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 4: Esther 2:1-18
10) King Ahasuerus’s servants gathered beautiful virgins for a new queen from all over his kingdom. They are to be placed under the care of the king’s eunuch, Hegai, and given makeovers. Then, the one who pleases the king the most will be made queen.
11a) Mordecai is introduced. His ancestors had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Mordecai’s cousin was Esther, whom he had raised since she was an orphan. She was beautiful.
b) No doubt she would have been excluded if it had been known she was a Jew, since they were technically servants in the Persian kingdom and discriminated against. Mordecai likely advised secrecy for protection and strategy. Revealing her Jewish identity could have exposed her to prejudice, disqualifying her or endangering her. It also allowed her to gain influence impartially, positioning her as a “sleeper agent” who could later save her people without the king suspecting her agenda.
c) She pleased Hegai and won his favor. Immediately, he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem. In sum, she got preferential treatment!
12) The king 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 he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen.
13) My job. Coaching. Saved from unruly situations. His hand has been on my life in many ways.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 4: Esther 2:1-18
Love how we see God at work! This shows us that we all have a place in God’s plan for our lives. There is a purpose for all of us. Great stuff!
End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 13, Day 4: Esther 2:1-18
History tells us that this takes place 4 years after Esther 1. Xerxes had recently been defeated by the Greeks and is now looking for a new wife.
Xerxes planned to assemble a harem and choose his most favored one to be queen. Historians estimate there were 400 women chosen from all over his kingdom.
Esther and Mordecai did not return with Ezra.
Esther means “star” and her Jewish name (Hadassah) means myrtle.
None of the women had a choice to go to Xerxes.
We should not normally hide the fact we are Christians; yet, there are times when it is prudent.
The 12 months preparation time was to ensure the women were not pregnant because the King did not want a child not his.
The fate of those not chosen was grim. They would be banished to the harem, rarely see the king, and could not marry another.
Beauty does gain attention and should not be shunned.
God had a plan, and Esther was a big part of it. None of what happened to her was happenstance.
God uses the evil of Xerxes ousting his former queen for good.
No one can defeat God’s plan for our lives, no matter what they do to us.
END NOTES SUMMARIZED
This passage details the providential rise of Esther. After King Ahasuerus’s anger subsides, a search is launched for a new queen. This search is a systematic, state-run operation to gather beautiful virgins for the king’s harem.
We are introduced to Esther, a beautiful Jewish orphan, and her cousin Mordecai, who raised her. Esther is taken into this system, where she wins the “favor” of Hegai, the eunuch in charge. On Mordecai’s orders, she conceals her Jewish identity. Following Hegai’s advice, Esther captivates the king, who loves her more than any other woman and makes her queen in Vashti’s place.
Conclusion
Esther 2:1-18 demonstrates God’s hidden hand at work. In a story defined by pagan power, lust, and human scheming, God strategically places his own person in the highest position of power in the empire. Esther’s concealment of her identity and her obedience to Mordecai are the very factors that make her available for this role, setting the stage for her to become the savior of her people.
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