Esther Becomes Queen

“Esther Becomes Queen”

Esther 2:1-23

We sometimes hear statements like; “As fate would have it” or “It just so happened” but in reality they reveal a basic lack of under-standing about the sovereignty of God. God is at work in every area of our lives; without violating our ability to choose and without interrupting the ordinary flow of human affairs. To truly under-stand that God controls all things; will deliver us from worry and fear.

In chapter one, we took note that the Book of Esther has much to teach us about the amazing providence of God. The word providence is made up of two Greek words: (pro) with means “before” and (video) which means “to see.” Therefore pro-vidence speaks of foresight or the ability to see something before it happens. Our sovereign God not only sees what is ahead but He also takes action in relation to what He sees. God is behind the scenes directing the ordinary events of life to bring about His predetermined plan. He had promised to preserve Israel and the book of Esther demonstrates how He controlled events to accom-plish His purpose. God worked no miracles but worked through the seemingly unremarkable circumstances of life to accomplish His extra-ordinary purpose! There are no outward miracles in Esther just a series of seeming coincidences.

In Chapter two we begin to see God’s provid-ence at work – working his purpose behind the scenes. God’s providence is when He works through the timing of situations to bring about His purposes and also meet people’s needs and bring them to Him.

I believe that nothing happens in our lives as a result of coincidence. God has a master plan that He is working out in the world and in our lives, and every single situation that occurs happens for a reason. The people we meet and run into, the things we experience, etc., all are working accord-ing to God’s plans. Even when men are wicked and refuse His will in their lives, God is still working His plans out in the world in spite of them. You will remember from last week that we were introduced to King Ahasueras (Xerxes) who was the tyrannical leader of Persia. He gave a 6 month long feast for “the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces (1:3) to showcase his great wealth and to solidify support for his impending military campaign against the Greeks.

At the end of the six month feast that the king then held a one week long feast for the inhabitants of the capital city. On the final day of the feast after the king has been drinking for seven days and is now intoxicated with his own pride and was “merry with wine” – under the influence of alcohol. The inebriated king decides to display his beautiful queen to his guests and sent a command for Queen Vashti to leave the feast she is hosting for the women and come over to his feast and display her beauty. Scholars have debated the meaning of the king’s command. Some suggest it simply meant that Vashti was to come unveiled with would have been scandal enough in a Persian Court. But other suggests that she was to come wearing only her crown. But whatever he meant she said no! The next day the king asks his advisors what they think should be done because of the queens’ refusal of his request. Fearing that it set a bad example for the women of the kingdom who may now not show proper respect for their husbands, they advise that the queen be removed as queen and some else found to take her place.

The kings attention now turned to his mili-tary campaign against the Greeks (481-479) he gathered one of the greatest armies ever assembled (in fact Xerxes spent four full years in collecting his army and making sure that everything his soldiers would need was ready) however in spite of his careful planning and in spite of the fact that he fielded an army of some 200 thousand men and fleet of many hundreds of ships, the Persian were soundly defeat.

First, The Sadness of the King. (2:1)

“After these things, when the wrath of King Ahas-uerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.”

So “after these things” means that these events took place after Xerxes led his expedition against Greece and came home in defeat. Four years have elapsed between (chapter one) Vashti’s removal and (chapter 2) Esther’s selection. When it says the king “remembered Vashti” - “remember” carries the idea of remember with affection. The king now has had time to consider the rashness of his decision to have Vashti removed as queen. Now that the king is back at the palace and he is depressed and lonely.