Esther and the King Esther 2

Esther 2:17 "And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti."

Esther's Hebrew names was Hadassah. Hadassah means myrtle. Esther means star. She was of the tribe of Benjamin, an orphan and adopted by her cousin Mordecai.

Esther did not go to the palace to be crowned queen so far as those who took her were concerned. She was one of many who were kept in a house for the king's pleasure. However, she found great favor with the king and was made queen.

v3 "And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:"

Mordecai taught Esther well. She was fair and beautiful v7. She found favor with Hege and he gave her 7 maidens and the best place in the house v9.

v10 "Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it."

So Ester did not tell them she was Jewish. She waited her turn to be called by the king and no doubt she was very afraid. After all, she was there against her will and in our day would have been considered kidnapped.

The decree to gather the young women was in the kings ( about the) fourth year of his reign and Esther went to him in the seventh year of his reign. v16. There is a greater purpose in all this but Esther did not know it at the time.

v18 "And the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces and gave gifts according to the state of the king."

The king had found his queen.

Mordecai stayed around the gate to see if Esther was alright. He irritated the guards but managed to stay anyway. He discovered a conspiracy against the king and told Esther saving the kings life. Mordecai was not rewarded then but the event was recorded and will show up later.

v23 "And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree; and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king."

The stage is set now and a new name will appear in the next chapter. He is a power seeker and has a big ego. His name is Haman. He and Mordecai become foes.

v14 "And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her."

Psalm 147:6 "The LORD lifteth up the meek; he casteth the wicked down to the ground."

Esther becomes queen.

Ester Intro