Take Two: Esther 2, Proverbs 29

Ch 2 begins with the king sobering up. The party is over and he pops some excedrin and says, "what did I do with my wife?" (v.1). Now, historically speaking...what had occurred with banishing his wife from the kingdom could not be undone, because it had been written in the law of the Medes and Persians (1:19). Now that the king has realized his sin and poor judgment, he has two choices: He can repent and admit his error (like any human) or he can call for a meeting of his smart guys...who will offer alternatives. He opted for #2.

In v.2-4, the plan to find the king a new wife was being unfolded. They would seek after all of the attractive virgins in the kingdom and bring them into the harem. Then the king would "interview" them one at a time until he found one that pleased him (v.4).

In vv.5-7 we meet Esther, a beautiful young woman (a teen girl by today's standard) who was an orphan and was being raised by her uncle.

In vv.8-11, we see that Esther was taken into the harem with the other women. She does not disclose that she is a Jew (according to her uncle's directive). She also demonstrates a unique characteristic which pleased the harem keeper and she gets some special consideration.

vv.12-16 explains that the preparation process for getting ready to "interview" with the king took a year. A year of skin care, mineral baths, cosmetics and perfume. This may sound like a year at the spa...but remember the outcome. These women were being prepared for the king (because without this kind of preparation, they were unworthy of coming into the king's presence.) Each woman was granted a wish on her way to the palace. She could carry one item (which would serve as her retirement in the harem of the concubines if not selected). I am not certain what all this would have looked like. I picture in my mind some girls taking pictures, some gold hairbrushes, some DVD players.... In actuality, it was probably a choice of clothing or jewelry so as to make herself as attractive as possible. She would have only one shot to win the king over.

Notice now the insight into Esther's character which was hinted at previously. She kept her identity a secret because her uncle told her to. She was humble under leadership. God gave her favor with the chief of the Harem and he suggested to her what to take with her for her night with the king. (We are not sure exactly what it was). She humbled herself and accepted this man's counsel as well. It worked and she earned favor with the king and was selected to be his wife and queen (vv.17-19).

Esther's uncle, Mordecai, had checked on her daily all throughout this process. Now that she was queen, their contact would be more strained. However, he was a man of risk as well. He overheard of a plot to kill the king from among the men in the Susa (v.21). He sent word to the queen who related the information to the king on Mordecai's behalf (not her own...and this is another indicator of her character). The plot was uncovered and now...not only is Esther in good graces, but Mordecai is gaining credibility as well.

Applying this for me has two primary focuses. First...the humility to accept authority and counsel is amazing. I am not certain, but a year of being waited on hand and foot at the spa might go to a person's head. Not Esther. She never forgot who she was...who her authority was (Mordecai) and who the key influencers/counselors in her life were (Hegai).

Second, Esther is not working for a "microwave" solution to her troubles. We will see that more as the book progresses. She is working the "long game." In relationships in the family, among co-workers, in finanical decisions, and in making disciples...we would all do well to remember that we are to work a "long game" solution...not try to fix everything at once. When we shoot for immediate fixes...sometimes we incur a "body count" that is otherwise unnecessary.

A couple of quick examples: You can tell your kids what to do until they grow up and leave the home. This way, you insure they act properly and experience minimal pain while living under your roof. But, you never teach them to choose for themselves. You never help them learn from mistakes. You never get to teach them about the realities of life...that we all fail and fall. It is tough to let them (as they grow up a bit) make mistakes...but it is better to allow it while you still have influence in their lives to put the pieces back together...than to shelter them until college. At that point, some sixth year sophomore will be speaking wisdom into their lives. Ugh!

Not every sin in a person's life must be addressed on the first meeting. If a friend is not a Christian...the fact that he/she is sleeping around, drinking like a fish, and dressing weird is not your first concern. Helping him/her find a reference point in God is the first concern. Some people have asked me why I would let people who are obviously lost participate in the assembly of Christians. My answer is...because they need the influence of people with a God-reference in their lives. Once they get the God-reference figured out and solidified, the rest will fall into place. If I am able to convince them to leave unhealthy relationships, stop getting drunk and dress "less weird", but the God isssue is unsettled...they go to hell sober. That is unacceptable.

Proverbs 29:11 is the takeaway today. "A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back." Both the fool andthe wise man experience the same emotion. The fool is ruled by his. He acts out according to his emotions while the wise man acts out according to principle. Emotions are a real part of our being...but they are intended to be kept in check by our wisdom (application of God's word.) Our emotions make us human...our yielding to them as controlling factors...makes us fools.