There’s much richness in the stories of Queen Esther including the keen eye of her “uncle-fatherlike” cousin Mordecai, who adopted her and took care of her. His EAGLE EYE saw both an opportunity to get her into the king’s favor and saw opportunity for her to serve her people (their ancestry being Jewish from exiled Judah) but for which she had NOT revealed to the king or his attendants that she was of the Jews. Mordecai knew best, keep it a secret for now… We must guard our hearts. (But be totally in conversation WITH God about everything, but guard our hearts.) They kept it a secret most likely because of the many people (outside the king) who were not favorable to the Jews as a captured people.

Mordecai kept an eye on Esther’s position and on God’s fruitfulness in her life. Mordecai also knew of God’s promises to their people, even in exile. 

Esther not only was already beautiful, she gained favor to become Queen, especially since she didn’t OVER demand anything. Importantly she listened to Mordecai’s “instructions” and even got word of a plot to kill the king… you guessed it, because of Mordecai and his sharp eye (and ears). God put Mordecai in the right place at the right time.

Sometimes we get a glimpse of something that God intends to use for His purposes by just you seeing it – sometimes we are to act upon it, or just know to keep it quietly. Always we are to ask God “why?”.

When can we be a Mordecai? Looking out for kings and others foreign to us except that we live in this exiled land. When can we be satisfied with our status, even hide certain things when necessary for the GREATER good of God’s people and plan? When can we trust in His Plan when we only see one step ahead of us. What if our heritage as God’s children is to be HIS in a humble way – and watch what we say?

And who are the earthly Mordecai’s with discerning eyes in our lives? Who is looking out in front of us, keeping tabs on us, giving us advice? And when God gives us advice, looks out for us, goes before us, do we listen then act in Esther-like fashion? Can we be brave in a situation new to us? One we asked for or even didn’t… Can we also give credit where credit is due (to God) when it works out?

Perhaps Esther only knew piecemeal steps of God’s plan for her, and for her people. God only tells us bit by bit so that we rely upon Him more and more. Gratefully He knows the future for us and His Kingdom… Let us trust Him! One step at a time. 

Trust the eye of Mordecai.

And for the benefit of all – trust the Lord most of all.

Amen

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Esther 2

Esther Made Queen

Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered [former deposed Queen] Vashti and what she had done [not come when he called] and what he had decreed about her [to be banished].  

Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

 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, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. 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.

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. 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.

Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 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.

Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.

When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

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Psalm 34:17-20

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;  he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;  he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.