Esther 2:5-11 — Standing Out!
READ THIS: Esther 2:5-11
5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.
10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?
The moment you’ve been waiting for is here: we finally get to meet Esther! She also goes by Hadassah, but for the rest of the book, you’ll likely only see her called Esther. In this passage, we see Esther is chosen among lots of women in the citadel of Susa to be taken in as a possible candidate for the open queen position. We learn in this passage that Esther stands out among the crowd, not only for her beauty but because of her demeanor as well. She stands out so much that Hegai, one of the king’s attendants, rewards her with attendants to take care of her! Personally, this reminds me of other Old Testament characters such as David, Daniel, and Joseph. Something about who they were naturally made them stand out in the crowds they were a part of… and I think that something was likely God at work in and through them!
But let’s not forget the other important character in this passage, Mordecai. Mordecai is Esther’s relative and guardian, and both Mordecai and Esther are Jewish. The Jews were God’s chosen people, but because they continuously disobeyed God they found themselves being ruled over by other nations, such as Persia during Esther’s time. Jewish people were often persecuted by the nations ruling over them, so Mordecai told Esther not to reveal that she was Jewish when she was taken in as a candidate for Queen of Persia. We see Mordecai shows the love of God toward Esther throughout this passage, constantly checking in on her during her time in Hegai’s care. As you’ll see in future passages, both Mordecai and Esther certainly have a love for God that flows out into their actions!
THINK ABOUT IT:
1. How can living like Jesus does make you stand out in the crowd in a good way?
2. How can other ways of living make you stand out in a bad way?
TRY THIS:
Today, your challenge is to stand out, wherever you are! BUT… we want you to make Jesus stand out where you are! Do your best to be a great example in how you care for others today, and if someone notices, give the credit to Jesus before you give the credit to yourself!
SONG OF THE WEEK:
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