Thinking Out Loud?

[airIam2worship]

I couldn't sleep so I'm back. 

Notice too the not once in the Book of Esther is God mentioned.

We see here that the book begins with king Ahasuerus celebrating a feast that lasted 180 days in all

Es 1:3 that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants-the powers of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the provinces being before him-
Es 1:4 when he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor of his excellent majesty for many days, one hundred and eighty days in all.
Es 1:5 And when these days were completed, the king made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in Shushan the citadel, from great to small, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.

The purpose for this feast was to show off his great riches. Here was a man who had rule over 127 provinces and yet had no rule over his own soul.

[nChrist]

Sister Maria,

I'm thinking about some rest, but I think that I want to stay up for a few more minutes. I was just thinking about how God might fit in for Esther. We see throughout the Old Testament times where Israel disobeyed God and were out of fellowship for the things that God wanted for them.

Think about this for a minute. For Esther, maybe God was out of sight and out of mind, but is the same true in reverse for God? NO! God is ever faithful. Is this one of the things that God wants us to see about Esther? I think so.

[airIam2worship]

God had a purpose for Esther, she was chosen by God to save the Jews from genicide at the hands of Haman. As we continue the study we will find out all that God had planned and prepared o spare His people. Our God is ever faithful and never goes back on His Word, it is impossible for God to lie, but that's another Bible study topic.

[airIam2worship]

Think about this for a minute. For Esther, maybe God was out of sight and out of mind, but is the same true in reverse for God? NO! God is ever faithful. Is this one of the things that God wants us to see about Esther? I think so.

Mordecai had apparently been raised with some knowledge of the One and Only True God, and seemingly raised Hadassah in fear of the Lord, for they knew to fast and pray to the True God. So perhaps God was not totally out of the minds of the Jews, thoguh they may have been living in Susa. I believe that it was Mordecai who told Hadassah to call herself Esther ( meaning hidden; secret) to keep the king and his servants from knowing she was a Jewess

[Soldier4Christ]

Sister, I think that you hit the main point here. If Esther maintained her original name or the Jewish life the King would have known that she was a Jewess. This then would not have met the desires of God to have the Jews saved from complete destruction. This also was sufficient to maintain the blood line to Jesus.

[airIam2worship]

Acoording to research I did in MH Comentary, Mordecai asked Haddash (Esther) not to reveal her kindred; probably because the Jewish people were in captivity.

MHC

  Here is an instance of Esther's obsequiousness to Mordecai, that she did not show her people of her kindred, because Mordecai had charged her that she should not, Es 2:10. He did not bid her deny her country, nor tell a lie to conceal her parentage; if he had told her to do so, she must not have done it.  But he only told her not to proclaim her country. All truths are not to be spoken at all times, though an untruth is not to be spoken at any time. She being born in Shushan, and her parents being dead, all took her to be of Persian extraction, and she was not bound to undeceive them.

cont.

[airIam2worship]

Esther was shown favor by the king's chamberlain.

MHC

 Her preferment. Who would have thought that a Jewess, a captive, and orphan, was born to be a queen, an empress! Yet so it proved. Providence sometimes raiseth up the poor out of the dust, to set them among princes, 1Sa 2:8.

 The king's chamberlain honoured her (Es 2:9), and was ready to serve her.  Wisdom and virtue will gain respect. Those that make sure of God's favour shall find favour with man too as far as it is good for them. All that looked upon Esther admired her (Es 2:15) and concluded that she was the lady that would win the prize, and she did win it.

The king himself fell in love with her. She was not solicitous, as the rest of the maidens were, to set herself off with artificial beauty; she required nothing but just what was appointed for her (Es 2:15) and yet she was most acceptable. The more natural beauty is the more agreeable. The king loved Esther above all the women, Es 2:17. Now he needed not to make any further trials, or take time to deliberate; he is soon determined to set the royal crown upon her head, and make her queen, Es 2:17. This was done in his seventh year (Es 2:16) and Vashti was divorced in his third year (Es 1:3); so that he was four years without a queen. Notice is taken,

[airIam2worship]

So far I believe God used Esther for His purpose that was to deliver His people, not necessarily from Susa or captivity, but from certain death, total annihilation, genecide. God had promised Abraham by Himself, (because there was no one greater) that His covenant would last forever.

If the Jewish nation had been annihilated, than God's covenant with Abraham would not have held up. It is impossible for God to lie, and every word that proceeds out of His mouth shall come to pass. His Word is Immutable, it can never be changed.

So God's purpose for Esther was to use her as His tool to save the Jewish nation. Now think about it; the size of this kingdom was extremely large 127 provinces, if all the Jews had been slaughtered as was Haman's intention, would any Jews have escaped?

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen sister. God is wonderful and nothing not even the devil can come in the way of His plans.

[airIam2worship]

Brother, God used Esther and Mordecai both to deliver His people. Notice, Mordecai according to Jewish tradition had every right to take Haddasah (Esther) as his wife, but instead he chose to raise her as his own daughter.

So tender were his affections towards Esther that he spent day and night outside the gate.

MHC

 How tender he was of her, as if she had been his own child (Es 2:11): he walked before her door every day, to know how she did, and what interest she had.  Let those whose relations are thus cast upon them by divine Providence be thus kindly affectioned to them and solicitous for them.

By thus doing Mordecai was able to find out about the plot against king Ahasuerus' life. And he was able to deliver a warning to the king. This put him in a position to be highly favored by the king later on.

[airIam2worship]

If Mordecai had chosen to take Esther as his wife, she would have not been taken to the king to take for a wife. For only virgins were being chosen.

Note too that after the king's anger he seemed to want a reconcilement with Vashti

MHC

 The extravagant course that was taken to please the king with another wife instead of Vashti. Josephus says that when his anger was over he was exceedingly grieved that the matter was carried so far, and would have been reconciled to Vashti but that, by the constitution of the government, the judgment was irrevocable--that therefore, to make him forget her, they contrived how to entertain him first with a great variety of concubines, and then to fix him to the most agreeable of them all for a wife instead of Vashti.

Es 2:1 ¶ After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

[airIam2worship]

 
By thus doing Mordecai was able to find out about the plot against king Ahasuerus' life. And he was able to deliver a warning to the king. This put him in a position to be highly favored by the king later on.

Es 2:21 ¶ In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

Es 2:22 So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name.

[airIam2worship]

If Mordecai had chosen to take Esther as his wife, she would have not been taken to the king to take for a wife. For only virgins were being chosen.

Note too that after the king's anger he seemed to want a reconcilement with Vashti

MHC

 The extravagant course that was taken to please the king with another wife instead of Vashti. Josephus says that when his anger was over he was exceedingly grieved that the matter was carried so far, and would have been reconciled to Vashti but that, by the constitution of the government, the judgment was irrevocable--that therefore, to make him forget her, they contrived how to entertain him first with a great variety of concubines, and then to fix him to the most agreeable of them all for a wife instead of Vashti.

Es 2:1 ¶ After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

Es 2:3 "and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women's quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king's eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them.

Es 2:4 "Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This thing pleased the king, and he did so.

Es 2:16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

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

[airIam2worship]

Can I get some feedback???