Esther - Chapter 2

“…this pleased the King.”  Well, DUH!

Esther – Chapter 2

Review

1. History Review
1. When : Time – Some say 486-465 B.C or 464-415 B.C.  Few say 135-104 B.C., during Maccabean period, but that disclaims/discredits the historical value of the story and assumes it’s a allegorical story.
2. When : Relative to Daniel – After.  Daniel was Babylonian to the start of Persian Empires. Esther is entirely within Persian Empire.
3. Who : about – Esther.  A Jewish girl.
4. Who: wrote it – Unknown.  A palace slave?  Mordacai?  Nehemiah?  Jew or Gentile?  Probably Jewish.  Probably Nehemiah.
2. Chapter 1
1. Potential sympathy for Vashti
2. No deep OBVIOUS theological message in Chapter 1 (yet).

Introduction

1. How did you all do this week reading Esther?
2. What’s your opinion of Esther (thus far)?  Easy, hard, straightforward, confusing, basic, advanced, etc?  Compare it to Daniel or Romans, etc as well as your impression of it on its own.
1. Chapter 2 is still easy to read, but has more jammed into it than Chapter 1.
2. More development of the character of Xerxes, especially.
3. What is your opinion of this chapter?  Easy or lots of questions, difficult and convoluted?
1. As above.
4. Can you group any of these chapters together?
1. Not yet.  Chapter 2 is largely a continuation of Chapter 1, even though there are some significant time breaks in it.

Lesson

1. vv. 1-4 [READ – Est 2:1-4] …and this pleased the King.
1. “after a time” – Eventually, King X chilled.  Then what?
2. He got board, lonely, in need of some “lovin’”, etc.  What to do?
3. He’s obviously thinking about Vashti, so why a decree to bring all the virgin girls to the King?  Why not just Vashti?

                                                               i.      King’s cannot rescind their decrees.

4. “things for purification” – Cosmetics?  Sure.  Clothes?  Definitely.  What else?  Likely some means to control (or at least know the timing of) menstrual cycles (since it was considered unclean).
5. All of this pleased the King.  Again, SURE it did!  Just wait.  It gets better for him.
1. vv. 5-7 [READ – Est 2:5-7] Some guy, Mort…
1. Blah blah blah, family line…  blah blah blah, taken captive.  Blah blah blah, Esther’s an orphan and Mort’s her uncle.  So?

                                                               i.      This does a few things: Establishes the Jewish line (now we know Esther is Jewish) and tells us something of the relationship between Esther and Mort.  Understanding the dynamic of this relationship can be very interesting.

3. vv. 8-16 [READ – Est 2:8-16] The King Xerxes’ Queen selection program and Esther
1. Esther instantly finds favor and receives the benefits.  Why?  ‘cause she’s smart?  No.  ‘cause she’s a self-assured woman?  No.  She’s pretty.  REALLY pretty.  Pure and simple.
2. Esther didn’t tell of her Jewish heritage.  Why?

                                                               i.      Because Mort said not to?  True, but why?

                                                             ii.      Because Jews were slaves in a Persian city/empire.  So?

                                                            iii.      She might not have a chance to gain access to the King?  So?

                                                            iv.      She might be abused, raped, or killed.

                                                             v.      Might they be able to tell that she’s Jewish anyway?  Aren’t there some (granted, stereotypical) features you might notice?  Especially, if the Persians were used to being around Jews, you’d think they’d know.

3. V 10-11 – what do you learn about Mort and Esther’s relationship in these few verses?

                                                               i.      Esther obeys Mort’s wishes.

                                                             ii.      The previous passage SAYS he took her as his own daughter.  Now he’s acting like it too.

4. V 12 – We get some additional details about the King’s Queen Selection program.

                                                               i.      “Purification” lasts 12 months.  6 months to get soft and supple skin and 6 months to smell pretty.

                                                             ii.      The “candidate” takes whatever she wants (although many probably don’t have many treasured belongings) before she pays the King a visit.

                                                            iii.      Visits to the King last from evening until morning.  Hmmm….what do you think they do all that time?  Can we say “Test Drive”?

                                                            iv.      Then they go to the concubine club until the King requests them by name.  If they made no lasting impression, perhaps they never get called?

                                                             v.      Esther took what Hegai the eunuch advised her.  What might that have been?

                                                            vi.      Esther goes to the King in the 10^th month of the King’s 7^th year of reign.  Thoughts?

1.        When was “The Vashti Incident”? King’s 3^rd year.  So 4 years have passed.  The last year, the girls have been getting “purified”, so the suggestion to find a Queen must have been made in his 6^th year or thereabouts.  So, is that when the King started thinking about Vashti?  It took 3 years for him to miss her?  Did he miss HER or “her services”?

4. vv. 17-18 [READ – Est 2:17-18] A Queen is chosen.  Guess who?
1. Esther finds favor again.
2. Esther is made Queen.
3. Esther gets her own banquet.
4. The King is generous with gifts.
5. vv. 19-23 [READ – Est 2:19-23] Our man, Mort…
1. What is the significance of sitting at the gate/King’s gate?
2. Esther still didn’t speak of her heritage, at Mort’s request.  Now, if it was discovered, it might be that she’d be killed for “tricking” the King.
3. The Plot

                                                               i.      2 guys, ticked off, what to “lay hands on the King”

                                                             ii.      Mort finds out.  Tells Esther

                                                            iii.      Esther tells King and credits Mort.

                                                            iv.      Investigated, found true, 2 guys swing, documented appropriately

4. The Brilliance

                                                               i.      Mort positions Esther for looking good (and probably finding more favor) with the King

                                                             ii.      Esther, by crediting Mort, helps him out too by proving Mort’s allegiance, etc.

Summary

1. What’s your key verse? V 17
2. Thoughts on the King?  Still a softie, missing Vashti?  Or is he just a dope looking to get some women in the sack with him?
1. Does the 3 years between the event and remembering Vashti matter?
3. What do you think about the “not telling the King we’re Jewish” thing?
4. What is the deep theological message of this chapter?
1. Like Chapter 1, it’s difficult to see at this point.  But, also like chapter 1, it’ll be clearer further along the road.

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