#627 Plaster and Paint

After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.

5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. 11 And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women—13 when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15 When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 And when 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, 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.

Mordecai Discovers a Plot

19 Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. 20 Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. 21 In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king. Esther 2

So let's have a pageant across the land, and some think that this is following a failed attack on Greece. He remembers the insult to his ego and what must be done against Vashti, but this will also be prescribed to cheer him up. It is like that horrid show the Bachelor, only Josephus thinks there to be about 400 women in the finale. They are to be put in custody of a eunuch, for they have been made trustworthy in this sense, geldings that go about their master's business, without the equipment to act against their master's harem.  

There was a man named Mordecai who had taken in the daughter of his dead uncle. Her name was Hadassah which means Myrtle, but the Persians would call her Esther which means Star. She was of rare beauty, the Hebrew usage meaning of form and appearance. Esther was taken into the custody of Hegai, who found her so pleasing that he advanced her to a more prominent seat. She was his first choice, what he found to be the greatest chance at a "best in show." They are given beauty treatments, which I looked up and take to mean extensive scrubbing, plucking of hair, the application of ointments and a sort of make up that removes blemishes in the skin. They were all competing to be trophy wives, but with out the boob jobs or butt implants that we have access to today. These were all beautiful women but apparently not in their natural state or without a lot of work. There was an image they needed to conform to in this culture, but lost was the image of God. The whole of this process took a year and some writers think it in part to go through each and also to make certain that they were not already pregnant before they got here. If the king slept with them and was impressed then they might receive a call back for an encore performance, otherwise they were left in the harem, a state of perpetual widowhood, as property, married yet not made one. It is a far fall from the Creations original design, where He made them male and female, the two becoming one flesh. 

Mordecai has also told her to remain silent about her heritage, and this is not for our shame, not for us to lie when asked, but rather not to give ammunition to those who it would matter to. There are some things as an employer that will be kept from you upon hiring. Some things cannot be hid, but we speak against those who would discriminate against another's birth, handicap, age, sex or color, unless these things pertain specifically to the job. I know it's shocking and I bring up a relatively new idea when I say this, but not everyone has your best interest at heart. 

Esther is made queen, and some time after this, now this is important to the rest of the story, that Mordecai discovers a plot against the king, and get's word through Esther. Mordecai is not a Persian, but he is captive and yet treated well, so that he has a place and job in this land. He could think to care less about someone who is of no relation, and if the Septuagint is correct, married to the one he was raising to be his own wife, making him still a better man. He does not leave the king to his own, does not wish ill against this foreigner, but rather protects him from assassination. He works for this government, lives in this place, so does his duty as a citizen. Think about it in retrospect from here to David walking past a sleeping Saul, and also in the New Testament where we are told to pray for those who have rule. Much can be seen that is the result of a fallen nature, but that is true of all man kind. The Jews that were here are there because they wanted to live like the rest of the world, not as set apart or humble before God. God in His mercy has brought Vashti down and lifted Esther up, in the midst of their trouble He has yet provided a way, a deliverer. 

Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.

7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you[a] of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 1 Peter 3:1-7