Oct. 23, 2017
Esther 2-Part 3
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 2:17
LET IT GLOW
They say some opportunities only come around once. We call it a chance of a lifetime. Have you had any come your way? I can think of a few-some I let pass my by and others I took; some with regret and some with satisfaction. Esther had a chance in a lifetime. does she blow it or take it?
There must have been a lot of maidens brought to the palace for the queen's contest, after all, there was 127 provinces in Persia. Esther was one of those beauties chosen. In preparation, each girl was given beauty treatments for 12 months. Each girl was then assigned a night to spend with the king. When her time came, she was given whatever clothing and jewelry she wanted. Afterwards, she was transferred to live in the permanent harem of the king. Unless summoned by the king, she would not see him again. Every girl desired to be the queen, yet only one would win the position.
Here was a chance of a lifetime. Esther remained true to what she was taught and obedient to Mordecai's counsel, believing he knew what was best for her.
Esther was deeply loved by her cousin Mordecai, who adopted her as his daughter. He would daily walk by the courtyard of the harem to find out how she was. (Remember, he was some kind of Jewish official and could do that.) What a guy! He was the only close family she had, evidently.
Are we showing our children and grandchildren how much we love them by being involved in their lives? Sometimes a listening ear is all they need. Going to watch them play sports, enter contests, perform in programs at school, doesn't cost much, except our time. Our involvement is what makes lasting memories for them later in life. And they will in turn do the same for their children. How can we show love this week? Shall we extend it to the children in our church? They need to feel loved and important, also.
LET IT GROW
(Reading the key verse above, we know how this contest turns out.)
And then the night came for her to spend time with the king of Persia. From among the hundreds of beautiful young women Esther was chosen to be his queen. Undoubtedly, her qualities beyond beauty attracted the king. Her real beauty arose from within, from a gracious, lovely spirit, and a strong character. A star shown out among the hundreds. A Star named Esther.
What traits did Esther have that caused her to stand out and shine?
The Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible suggests:
- First, she pleased Hegai and King Xerxus. This points to the traits of kindness, graciousness, humility, and love. Can we see God's providential control here?
- Second, Esther was a woman of wisdom. Keeping her nationality a secret demonstrated wisdom. Esther knew that if her neighbors were aware that she was a Jew, she would be persecuted and become the object of prejudice and discrimination.
- Third, the reference to Esther's being an obedient child (verse 20) demonstrates that she was trustworthy, dependable, faithful, and loyal.
- Fourth, being chosen by King Xerxus to become the queen points to her being an intelligent and industrious woman. Xerxus must have detected these traits, for he knew that she would be capable of handling the official duties of the queen, which were bound to be many.
kind, gracious, humble, loving, wise, virtuous, obedient, trustworthy, dependable, loyal, faithful, intelligent, industrious?
So much money is spent on the beauty products industry. And think of the time spent using them. It is understandable since our society's emphasis in one the outward beauty of women.
So many Scriptures guide us in this task. Romans 12:9,10; Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 18:4, 22:39; Proverbs 10:4, 11:16, 15:14, 29:23; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5; Titus 2:3-5.
LET IT GO
Trust God with the events that come into my life to be for my best.
Focus on my inner beauty today.
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