Esther 2-3, Esther Becomes Queen

Esther 1:

·       1:1: Ahasuerus is Xerxes.  There are 2 other Persian kings named Ahasuerus (Dan. 9:1; Ezra 4:6).  The writer is careful not to confuse him with the other two.

·       1:2-5: There were 2 feasts.  First, one for 180 days for the leaders of the empire.  Then one for 7 days for all the people at the palace at that time.

·       1:8: Drinking was according to the law: every man drank only if he wanted to.

·       1:9: A feast was given by Queen Vashti, for women only.  She was not dependent on the king financially.

·       1:10-12: Vashi refused to be made a public spectacle.  She was a heathen in religion but her morality was commendable.  She refused properly.  The king was drunk.  In Persia women were to be veiled in public, especially the Queen.  The king was making an indecent and illegal demand.  She was the queen and it was beneath her dignity.  Vashti was right in her position.  King Ahasuerus was wrong in every way, nevertheless she was removed from the office of Queen. 

·       1:13-22: Ahasuerus was a law unto himself.  He could break the law if he wanted to; he dared to do things that other Persian monarchs wouldn’t think of doing.  He was often sorry for it.

Esther 2: Esther is made queen.

·       Four years elapsed between the feast and the selection of Esther (1:3/2:16).  Ahasuerus was at war during this time.

·       2:1: He remembered what had happened to Vashti and he wanted a new queen.

·       2:10: Esther kept quiet about her race so that it couldn’t interfere with her becoming queen.  Esther was obedient to Mordecai.

·       2:11: Mordecai could no longer communicate with Esther now that she was in the harem.  He had to go through a messenger.

·       2:15: Esther did not require anything (jewelry, etc.), but let the king’s servant choose for her.  She knew that he knew the king's tastes and what the king would like.  She was naturally beautiful.

·       2:15-20: Esther was chosen queen.  The second time the virgins came before the king was when he chose his harem.  Again, Esther continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions. 

Esther 3: Haman’s decree against the Jews.

·       3:1-2: Haman was set in a high position and reverenced by all except Mordecai.  This reverence had religious significance.  A Persian ruler was supposed to be a form of deity.  Mordecai was loyal to the law of Israel.

·       3:4: Mordecai was forced to reveal his race to explain why he would not bow down to Haman.  Jews were exempt from worshiping rulers.

·       3:6: Haman was one of the smallest great men in history (he was a despicable little man; he would kill a whole nation because he hated one man).  Haman was an Amalekite; Mordecai was a Jew. (Ed. note: from 3:1.  Agag was the king that Samuel hacked to pieces when Saul disobeyed the LORD, 1 Sam. 15:8.  Also cf. Num. 24:7 in the third prophecy of Balaam.)