Blenders are designed to take independent foods and integrate them to create something new, bigger and better than any one item could be on its own. What a housewife does in a kitchen when she mixes the batter for a cake, God does with the Universe. (BRING A BLENDER, show an tell...) God is the consummate blender. His ability to take unrelated things and come up with something bigger, better and more beautiful than what He started with- it’s amazing… No story in the Bible illustrates God’s ability to do that like the book of Esther
Esther is the only book of the Bible where God’s Name is not found. When you stop reading the last verse of Esther and put the Bible on your desk, you realize it. Also you will not see people sacrificing to God. You’ll not have in it any reference to the Law of God or other parts of God’s Word. But while the Name of God is not present in the b of E, His fingerprints are everywhere. There is a word for this, in theology - the word is PROVIDENCE.
"Providence is the hand of God in the glove of history" (Tony Evans- Urban Alternative Ministry). It is the work of God whereby He integrates, blends events in the Universe, in order to fulfill His original plan for which He has created. It is God sitting behind the steering wheel of time.
Providence refers to God’s governess of all events so as to direct them toward an end. It is God taking what you and I will call luck, chance, mistakes, happenstance and stitching them into achieving His program.
One of the reality of the Providence is – often God providential dealings are done behind the scene. Behind the courtain.You actually don’t see God – you just see stuff happening. Sometimes it’s happening and it doesn’t look like it ought to be happening - it looks like it was a mistake, it looks like chaos and out of order… When it’s realy invisible hands pulling strings to bring up His prophetical plans.
During one Bible study I was asked about this paradox – the absence of God’s Name in the b of E. God’s people were living outside of God’s will. God had told them to go back to Israel from Babylon, but many of them did not go back – they stayed. They had become comfortable in what is now Persia, that took over Babylon.
They felt there at home, but out of the will of God. Yes, you can be at home and out the will of God, like Jonah, asleep… You can be so comfortable being out of the will of God that .. is too much trouble to get back in it…
This is the background of E – God’s people living outside of God’s will – and it’s here in the middle of our Bibles, in order to teach us something through the life of a diva. Through the life of a young lady who is described in Esther 2:7 READ…
It was one think about Esther (named STAR)… she was beautiful, prettier than a Hollywood star. She didn’t need doctored photos. Photoshop... She didn’t ask to be filmed from a certain angle only. She was just beautiful.
The story of 2nd chapter is another strange smoothie in God’s blender – the way she was pulled from the modest home of Mordecai, her adoptive father, to the royal palace… Esther, the Star, becoming the star of Persia… The Esther show. Let’s take a closer look on how God used what He had, blending them in a reverse of fortune as only Him can do. Fruits and nuts (mostly) and leaves… The partying King Ahasuerush, the virtuous queen Vashti, the royal advisers who pushed for an impeachment, a poor orphan girl, a low rank officer from the palace… Mixing them in His blender called PROVIDENCE…
Do you remember the wise man worrying about what their wives may do, when they’ll hear that queen Vashti refused to dance before a gathering with drunk people? Said oh no, no-no-no, I am not going to degrade myself and also to degrade my husband…
And the man said – King, if your wife can say no to you, and get away with, then the word will spread out that the king’s wife is in control, and see, we will have a problem with ours. If the king cannot control his house, well… it will be a bad situation for the rest of us, men.
After hearing that, the king decides to get rid of his wife. The pressure of his position, the influence of his counselors. And not counting that he was the king and could do anything he wanted… He got rid of her. And then he got sober.
Chapter 2 verse 1 READ… AFTER… This was not next morning… It was after 4 years… After losing a wife, he lost a war with Greeks… And got really sober. And lonely… Missing his wife. Her words of encouragements, her smile, her presence, her elegance, her… oh she missed her so much.
But to call her back could be considered an act of weakness. And also, according to the the law of Meds and Persians, once a law was signed, no one could invalidate it. When he signed the decree for Vashti to be expelled, that’s it. Nobody, not even himself, could change it. And now he is depressed. Going from alcohol to Prozac… So the same worried men about their roster attitude, came with an idea to make him happy – a beauty contest.
All the beautiful virgins from the entire kingdom being brought before the king and you can choose another fine lady. Don’t get depressed about your former wife, let’s parade the most beautiful virgins - they hundreds of them around… Just say a word…
And the Bible tells us that Esther was poor, and orphan, but pretty. And virgin. Read verse 8… When reading the story of E it is important to understand that the authors had to be extremely careful with their words and account of events—considering that the Jews were still under Persian rule. As such, many aspects of Ester’s story – specifically those that would reflect badly on the king or empire – were included in a very veiled manner.
The Book of Esther says, "And he adopted Haddasah, i.e., Esther...and when her mother and father died, Mordechai took her to him as a daughter." (Esther 2)
There are three apparent snags in this verse.
1. First, since the verse says that Mordechai "adopted Haddasah," why does it seem to repeat the fact that he "took her to him as a daughter?" Isn't that the same thing?
2. Second, there is no legal status of "adoptive parent" in Judaism; that is, you raise an orphan girl in your home, but you don't "take her as a daughter."
3. Finally and most notably, "took her to him" is always used in the OT to refer to engagement, waiting for the wedding.
Esther 2:7- Esther means "STAR". Stars shine at night. The darker the night the brighter the stars. Esther lived in a wicked heathen land but her light was brilliant. Notice the timing of her birth and physical maturity. She became a young woman in 478 BC, at just the right time to be used in God's master plan. Only God knew of the impending extermination of His people. Esther was a key player in God's plan. God has a master plan for each of us also.
God makes provisions for impending disasters long before they happen. The Whale was waiting for Jonah. The Ram was waiting in the thicket-Genesis 22. The jaw bone of an donkey was at the right place at the right time-Judges 15. Esther was born on God's schedule.
Esther 2:2 the search was on for the most beautiful girl in the world! Xerxes had divorced Vashti. Mordecai had a wild idea. Why not enter pretty Esther in the competition? She was lovely in both form and features - 2:7.
FORM - She had God given natural facial and bodily beauty.
FEATURES - Her personality was warm, virtuous & magnetic.
Like Daniel, Esther was taken from her home and made to live in the presence of foreigners. Notice that like Daniel, Esther was given special food-verse 9. She was favored in the Harem because she was special. Sweet, kind, courteous, unselfish, obedient, God-fearing… Esther was like Moses. He was born in captivity; he was a beautiful child, he was instrumental in delivering his people. Esther 2:8 - Esther was taken to the harem parlors where she would be spruced up for one whole year.
Apparently beauty can be enhanced. The preparation was fascinating. For six months she was treated with oil of myrrh followed by 6 more months of spices. She was then soaked in expensive perfume… After the year was over, it came time for her turn to go into the king.
She could have the use of any jewelry or decorations she wanted to enhance her impression. Esther 2:15 indicates that she "asked for nothing". She is so unselfish and undemanding. This must have shocked everyone who heard about it. To dress for success you do not need to be a walking jewelry store.
Beautiful Esther went in before the king with, in the words of 1 Peter 3:4 – 5 READ The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the Holy Women of the past (Esther) who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful." Beauty is more than smooth skin and a nice look. Beauty is gentleness. A kind spirit. True beauty is Jesus living inside the heart.
Esther 2:17 - The result of Esther’s beauty was dramatic. She found favor with the king above all the women in the whole world. When she went in before the king his mouth fell open and he could not believe that such a beautiful courteous and nice person existed! That is the character God wants every Christian women to possess today. Such beauty is unfading. The older you get the more your true beauty should shine forth. Wrinkled skin might be fretted over, but an old wrinkled dried up heart is a heavy weight for any marriage to bear.
Esther wore the crown. Queen of the world. From an orphan to a queen! God will bless the faithfulness of His people. When you place God first you will be blessed. Esther was. Daniel was. Joseph was. All three were exiles in a heathen land. All three were exhaulted to high places...The Church … pure without wrinkles… EXTRAPOLATE…
Appeal - You too can be part of the Church described in Revelation 12 virgin, pure, Jesus' bride.
