Before we start, I’ve got a question. We’re talking about God’s providence, and how thing’s really just work out according to His will, but here’s a hypothetical question.
Okay.
So, there are three things already which needed to occur for this whole thing to take place. First there’s Vashti (and her being beautiful). Second was Vashti’s refusal to obey and finally His decree against her banishing her from his presence. So, my hypothetical question is this, what if the decree was not irreversible?
Well, the way the text reads, I would suggest with almost complete certainty that Ahasuerus would have “re-crowned” Vashti, for he remembered her (especially her beauty). But then he also remembered her disobedience and his decree, which was “written in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed” If the decree could have been reversed, the events of the rest of chapter 2 most likely would not have transpired. Esther, a Jew, would not have been lifted to a position of prominence and influence.
It’s the small details right. He could have simply kicked her out, and then invited her back when He had calmed down, but no, he wrote it in the laws of Persia and Media, and so it could not be repealed.
It makes you think: What little details or circumstances are or are not occurring in your life that might have a significant impact on your future? Anyways should we continue on the Babylon Next Top Queen Search?
Sure.
So to make things even easier for himself, Ahasuerus decided to go on the road, holding auditions at every province in the kingdom. The best of the best would get fast-tracked to the next stage of the process. And in the end, the last woman left would become Ahasuerus’ next queen.
The original season of The Bachelor.
And we’ve got a great season ahead of us.
Episode 1 begins with Esther making an amazing first impression. She needed to. These were people who could help or hurt her fate.
8 So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. (Esther 2:8-10).
“We cannot commend Mordecai for putting his adopted daughter in competition for the monarch’s choice — it was contrary to the Law of God (Deut. 7:1-4) and dangerous to her soul in the highest degree. It would have been better for Esther to have been the wife of the poorest man of the house of Israel than to have gone into the den of the Persian despot. The Scripture does not excuse, much less commend, the wrong doing of Esther and Mordecai in thus acting, but simply tells us how Divine Wisdom brought good out of evil, even as the chemist distils healing drugs from poisonous plants.” (Spurgeon)
I think it’s clear that Mordecai had a strategy, and that Esther was there to win. All she had to do was show up, let her beauty speak for her, and not let anyone know that she was an Israelite. If they found out, her stay in Susa would be brought to an abrupt end, and so she listened and found favour with Hegai, who not only provided her with the best location, cosmetics and food, but would later give Esther advice in her quest to secure the bag king.
In the post credits scene, we find Mordecai.
11 Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.
Episode 2. A year has been given to Esther and all the other bride hopefuls to prepare themselves in the harem, with every possible form of beauty treatment available in that day.
12 Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women
Each woman spent 6 months in each beauty regimen, but we have learnt from the previous episode that Esther has found favour with Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the women.
What was the result of Esther finding favour?
Provision of cosmetics, food, maids and best place in the harem. Is this a coincidence? Of course not. As alluded to earlier, clearly God is behind the scenes providentially orchestrating the events of this great drama. After all it was the Creator Who had formed Esther in her mother’s womb and made her beautiful of form and face (Esther 2:7).
The 12 months of preparation have concluded, and we reach episode 3: The Introduction.
It’s time for Esther to make her presence known to the king…
My Sunday Skl 