Good old Esther! She really was a bit of a babe, not only did she was she totally faithful - she was also beautiful! I love the story of Esther, it's such an encouragement to women and she is definitely one of the leading ladies in the Bible. I think she can be such an inspiration for women everywhere, through her we can understand God's love and sovereignty over all circumstances.
So lets get the main story to start off with; Esther was chosen from a load of woman - pretty much hand-picked by the king to be his queen. This doesn't seem like that much of a big deal, but understand that Esther (otherwise known as Hadassah - Esther is definitely easier to spell) was the cousin of Mordecai (who was a Jew). The king decided to throw this beauty pageant (when reading this I can't help but picture a royal, much older version of Toddlers & tiaras - minus Honey Boo Boo). He saw Esther and fancied her straight away and made her his queen. A bit later on Esther's cousin uncovers a conspiracy in which two of the King's guards wanted to kill the king. Mordecai told Esther, who promptly told her new husband - giving the credit to Mordecai (of whom Esther had not mentioned being related to). The King was obviously thankful, impaled the conspirators (Biblical kings definitely knew how to get their own back) and noted Mordecai's help. (I hope you're keeping up!) As the new queen seemingly was settling into her new position she discovered that one of the king's favourite guys, Haman, wanted to kill all the Jews (especially Mordecai - who had not bowed before him). Of course, this put Esther in a tricky position, Haman had already okayed it with the king (who, in his defence wasn't really aware of what was going on so it seems) and was getting himself ready for this mass killing. Mordecai told his young cousin that basically she wasn't safe for she was Jewish and she needed to get this sorted. So Esther went ahead, risking her own life, held a banquet (inviting both the king and Haman - (this he loved and enjoyed boasting about)) and, in the style of the best soaps, revealed her Jewish identity and Haman's wicked plan. The king was outraged, impaled Haman and decided to make Mordecai his right hand man - in the place of Haman. The Jewish faith and people were celebrated and protected by the king. Pretty awesome, right?
I know that was a lot to sink your teeth into (to be honest, when I started writing it I forgot how intense and dramatic it really was - as well as all the impaling going on). But as a basic outline I think we can appreciate just how incredible the story of Esther is. Esther came from a Jewish family, her mother and father had died and she was raised by her cousin. She had no royal heritage, but was beautiful; "This young woman was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful" (Esther 2:7). Esther was picked out for being beautiful, she won over the heart of the king purely for being attractive. This concept is a bit of a tricky thing to grasp - the king saw Esther, fancied the pants off her and married her - none of this 'beauty on the inside stuff' - which sucks. But get this, Esther was noticed for being a woman - a beautiful woman - but a woman nonetheless. She embraced her womanhood, she loved her beauty treatments (the king provided her with such things) and was pretty much a Biblical pin-up girl (like the ancient world's answer to Kate Middleton). I think this part is vital to remember. Esther was picked by the king for her womanly looks - she was put into this position as queen for the reasons that followed. She saved the Jewish people because she was queen. God enabled her and blessed her with her attributes to ensure her in a position of power. It also proves that God doesn't just pick the men. Moses, Joseph, Joshua...the list could go on, they're all great men of God - but God picked Esther and she was pretty much the girliest girl going - that's just a little bit encouraging! Embrace your womanliness, God has made you a woman for a reason - do not feel less because you are not a man. Women are incredible, and God delights in you. We can be used by God in the same way he uses men, we have different attributes and skills to men and this is something we can use in our serving of God. No matter who you are, where you've come from, what you've done - God can and will use you.
God's reign overall is prominent throughout this story. He put Esther into these circumstances and protected his children through her. She was made queen and had one of the biggest impacts in the Bible. She may not have been rich and she had no parents yet she managed to save a whole group of people. God had a purpose for her life and used her, even though she was also young. She was given the courage and the wisdom to talk to the king, even though it meant risking her own life and prevailed. God's reigning power rules overall and wins. Although God is not properly mentioned throughout this book it is clear that He is in the background working. He always is, He constantly works in our lives and changes us and prepares us for the challenges we are going to face. Although we may not notice it God is constantly doing work. He would never put us into situations we cannot handle, we are constantly being prepared - just as Esther was. The way in which we can prepare ourselves and allow God to really do work in us is by reading our Bible, and having an actual relationship with God. It's something we are told to do - but sometimes we fail to do it (you're not alone in this, it's easy to talk about, but doing it is something completely different!) Having time with God is vital for our relationship with Him and our attitudes toward living a Christian life - so we have to work at it. Like with any relationship, communication is vital. (Quick story: I'm in a long distance relationship - I love my boyfriend, but when we don't communicate and we fail to talk to each other we struggle as a couple). If we want to move forward with our faith and prepare ourselves to do God's work and for God to use us we have to make sure we spend time with Him.
Esther wasn't an accident. She had a purpose. She was a beautiful woman of God, but her looks and physical attributes were not what made her famous. Her courageous, loving and faithful heart was the thing that people remember. She obeyed God and lived for Him. She was made to be the queen at that time, she was made to save people. We must remember that we are made for His purpose, made to serve Him and part of His plan. We are not accidental and we are being prepared as we walk through life. God is constantly working in the background, even if we can't see it straight away. His love prevails.
Blessings.
May
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