Esther Chapter 1 Verses 13 – 15

· Law was, no matter who you are, you’re dead…. And, while this shows political prowess, this exhibits a lack of leadership.

Esther Chapter 1 Verses 16 – 22

· Tradition in the Jewish culture says that she wasn’t just exiled but that he had her killed. Xerxes uses this insult against him in the only way a pride-filled carnal man knows how…, to turn it around to further his own ego.

· Jesus takes the transgressions against Him and He forgives, He pays the price Himself for His bride, a picture of strength and honor…, but Xerxes, a picture of the flesh, takes the transgression against Him and positions for the upper hand…, a display of weakness, insecurity and childishness… And yet, mysterious, past rational thought and consideration, unknowingly to Xerxes, God will use even this king’s carnality to accomplish something. This will create the vacuum that pulls Esther into the story…

Esther Chapter 2 Verses 1 – 4

· What we find out later in this chapter is that it’s actually been four years since chapter 1. That’s how long it has taken Xerxes for his wrath to subside! This should be a clear marker of difference between the kings of this world and the kings of the Kingdom of God!

· As a Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit, being filled over and over, day in and day out, not just once and that is key…, being filled with the Holy Spirit, under the authority and dominion of Jesus, LOVE covers a multitude of sin! 1 Peter 4:8! And forgiveness is a fruit, a manifestation of love! What happens when you squeeze love? One of the juices that gets squeezed out is forgiveness! Forgiveness isn’t forgotness! It’s a subsiding of wrath. It is a replacement for offense…

· This should be a very clear, very easily seen difference between a person that walks with Jesus and a person that just simply doesn’t. Colossians 3:12-14 says, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection!”

· Check this out, the Bible actually links forgiveness with worship. To the point that, and maybe you’ve never considered this, you can’t have one without the other! Matthew 5:23-24, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift!”

· Xerxes is nothing but carnal. Nothing but self-absorbed…, he was able to do it in four years… We got some Christians holding onto past hurts their whole lives… According to the Bible, that’s a crooked path life but I even know some would rather a cooked path, dissatisfaction of soul, slow or no growth, frustration of spirit, limitation of walking in pride…, all of the reverse benefits that come from a life lived outside the dominion of the King of kings, some would rather that than forgive and each of you has that personal right. I just don’t want that for myself and the Lord doesn’t want that for me either!

· According to the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus, this process of selection resulted in 400 women being brought to the citadel into the women’s quarters!

Esther Chapter 2 Verses 5 – 9

· With these verses we begin to see some of the characteristics of Esther and what made her so beautiful. No doubt and first of all we are told that she was lovely and beautiful but tell me do you know that outward beauty is important but how much more when that outward beauty is matched with inward beauty? Depth of character and a lovely heart? Esther is going to stand out clearly in the ranks of hundreds of others in terms of her beauty… How?

· Well, we are told here that she pleased Hegai. She was no doubt pleasant to be around. A heart of hospitality and service even towards the king’s eunuch. And I want you to see…, this afforded her benefit that others did not get. Understand, the most important enabler to our testimony of Jesus, the most effective tool for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God through us, the most significant work product we can produce in our places of employment is our brand. Reputation is one thing, but brand is everything. Reputation is what they say when you aren’t around. Brand is what they feel when you are around!

· I often say and truly mean it, for those that seek to see Jesus glorified in their lives, for those thatare ambitious to move up in their career and increase their authority, span of control and responsibilities, be the person that everyone wants to be around and work with. You will be inundated with opportunity…, and oh by the way, everyone will bless you! Everyone will make YOUR day better!

· Notice, Esther gets, through earning the favor of Hegai, beauty preparations that no other gets. She gets the BEST accommodations…, she gets advantage and that, aside from her physical beauty, makes all the difference in her becoming queen AND saving her people! Her beauty got her there, but her character made her successful!

Esther Chapter 2 Verses 10 – 11

· For Mordecai to have access that he had he must have been someone. An employee, a dignitary, something. Every day he visit’s the court of the women’s quarters hoping to hear something about Esther. And we have another clue as to Esther’s character. Mordecai had given her direction and we are told that she is wise in that she is willing to yield.

· James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” That phrase, “willing to yield,” in the Greek is a single word, used only once in scripture, and it literally means easily obeying and compliant. Almost bad words in our culture and doesn’t that just make sense!? But, that is wisdom.

· You’re justifying and arguing in your mind with me right now aren’t you? “Well, I am not going to listen to someone or some government that tells me to do something that’s just stupid.” But that’s not what I said at all. What if its right? What if what he or she is directing you to do is just fine, just not what you want to do…? Are you one who is wise and easily obeys and is compliant? If not, it’s not because you aren’t smart…, it’s because you aren’t working on your own purity of heart…, because the wisdom that is from above is first pure… Forget peaceable, gentle…, FULL of mercy and good fruits…, but yea, we’ll just chalk it up to being smart so we can sleep better…. Esther shows wisdom in her character…

Esther Chapter 2 Verses 12 – 18

· Lovely, beautiful, compliant, wise, brave, humble (she requested nothing but what was provided to her) and chaste. And it says here that she gained favor in the eyes of all that saw her, which means, just taken literally here and reading no further into it, she was given preference because she was so pretty. Listen, that is reality and that happens. How you present yourself is a great way to gain advantage and I’m not sure I hear anyone talk about this…

· It’s true that beauty is only skin deep… That’s completely true, but the point I want to make for consideration is why so many beautiful people waste their advantage by being prideful or unpleasant or rude or careless? I just think it’s foolish…

· Consider, right, wrong or indifferent, that folks are pleased with well kept, well groomed, well presented, pretty and handsome people… AND when that combines with wisdom and virtue and humility, you get a discount on everyone’s trust…, on everyone’s affections, on everyone’s courtesy…, it costs you far less than others! It’s ok if you don’t want that or that turns you off but that kind of advantage is utilized in the life of the wise. We even read of Jesus in Luke 2:52, as Jesus made Himself subject to His parents that, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men!” Now that verse becomes even a bit more understandable!

Esther Chapter 2 Verses 19 – 23

· Ok, final revelations about Esther for tonight. She is wise, we have already established that. Her wisdom matches her incredible beauty. And now we learn that she is savvy, opportunistic, and loyal. Xerxes by this time was losing steam as a ruler. He had been beaten back in his expedite to Greece. Alexander the Great wouldn’t come for some time but for Xerxes to not win every battle and to return home not the victor, in that time and culture, terrible…

· And so, all this hub bub about finding him a new wife and boy did this, specifically this event, probably change everything mentally for him, personally. Why? He didn’t just find a wife. With this action she has unlocked a part of his heart that a man desperately desires to be fulfilled. He has found a protector. Esther is messaging to him, communicating to him, something she could never accomplish with words or just her presence. She has showed him that he is safe because she is there… That “watch my back,” “ride or die,” is absolutely everything to a man because it is respect in the tangible.

· This was so life-changing for Xerxes that he had it written into the history of his empire, that he has found a wife that would preserve him… Esther stands out as an example on so many levels and planes and it is no doubt that God would see fit to use her mightily in her life and in the history of millions of lives!