A deeper perspective of normal life, from observations touching vast topics and issues that are important, giving a better outlook on life.
Hello!
(This is the third announcement I mentioned in the previous announcement)
The Queen Esther series has now been compiled.
The Deborah Series will be started on 13/2/2022.
If you were unable to follow with the Queen Esther series, now you can simply download the pdf and read through it. It has been modified and is slightly different from the blog version.
You can access it:
Thank you.
Stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
I needed to write this part.
This series lasted longer than expected but it finally ended on the 31st of October 2021.
Taking this series helped me to appreciate the book of Esther more and most importantly learn from the characters of Esther and Mordecai.
There is another Bible character I hope to have started by now but I will postpone that until the appropriate time.
In the meantime, you can try to guess the character.
Kindly take advantage of all the posters on this blog, they were created for your consumption.
This series may be compiled in a pdf format. It is a possibility.
Until then, thank you for being here.
Stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
Hello!
Welcome to the sixth part of this series. I am so glad to have you here.
If you are new, it would be lovely to have you return frequently.
Let’s ride in…
Mordecai was called before the king after Haman was dragged outsude.
The commotion that had ensued after was no small one.
Mordecai stood before the king and queen, his head bowed down.
“You may lift your head” the king said stretching his sceptre before Mordecai.
“My queen told me that you are her cousin. Is that true?”
“Yes, oh king”
“And it was you who saved me for the ambush of my former chamberlains”
“Yes, oh king”
“You are the same man that Haman wanted to kill but instead he has died in the gallows he prepared for you”
“Thank you for your kindness”
“You may now have this, it was on Haman’s finger but he is no longer here. His position now belongs to you. You have proven to be more loyal to me” King Ahasuerus said as he pulled out his signet ring and gave it to Mordecai.
Esther knew that the battle for her people was not yet over and could not allow the momentary signs of wininng becloud her.
She fell at the king’s feet “I beg for the lives of my people. I beg that the king will reverse the letters that Haman wrote against the lives of my people”
The king held his sceptre towards her and with that she arose.
“I cannot bear to see this great evil done against my people” Esther continued sobbing.
“I have given you and Mordecai all that Haman has. Now, write for the Jews and seal it with the king’s ring for that is the king’s seal and no man can reverse it”
The King’s scribes were called in. It was the month of Sivan, that was the third month and that day was the twenty third day.
Mordecai immediately began to give orders to the scribes, they were to write that the King had granted the Jews the permission to defend themeves against anyone who had been sent to kill them on the designated thirteenth day of the the month of Adar.
Mordecai sealed the documents and the posts were sent to all the provinces from India down to Ethiopia, seven provinces in total.
Mordecai clothed in royal garment left the palace to meet a crowd of happy people cheering him. The new decree had caused parties to erupt all over the city of Shushan.
The month of Adar had come.
The thirteenth day had come.
All the Jews were well armed and ready to defend themsleves.
The city officials had decided to join them because they feared Mordecai. Within the short time he was in authourity, he had led such an organized format that everyone who worked with him knew to do the right thing. Mordecai commanded so much authority by his name and presence.
The attacks came but the Jews were well prepared and defended themselves.
Their enemies fell before them and among them, the companions of Haman fell as well.
Queen Esther did not leave any stone unturned and requested that the king make the fate of Haman’s sons as their father.
The victory was sure for the Jews, after which they celeberated and rested.
The fight had lasted for two days and the second day which was the fourteenth day of Adar was converted to a holiday.
The name- Purim. A day that their sorrow was turned to victory.
The holiday was to be celebrated yearly and meant to be a day of rejoicing and sharing gifts with the poor.
Queen Esther by wisdom had delivered her people.
Mordecai by humility had gained a position which kept him as a confidant of the king, his name and presence commanding respect.
Narration was taken from Esther Chapter 8 to 10 and was fictionalized for the sake of this post. Kindly read the Bible for the original format.
Your battle has ended
Esther knew that killing Haman was not the end.
Haman had started an evil trend that outlasted him and Esther knew that without revoking it, nothing different had changed.
Esther knew the battle for her life, and her people was not completely won and had not ended.
By her intervention the king went further to overturn Haman’s decree.
For
Mordecai was ready for his new position.
He was the man fit to replace Haman.
He had the right interest for his people and at the time when someone like him was needed, he was available.
If Haman had succeeded in killing him, his space would have been vacant causing a slower progress to the completion of the battle.
Don’t die before your time
Restoration and Recovery are not easy to obtain.
The decree and support from the king was enough to give the Israelites courage to face their enemies.
The backing of the king was the support that was needed.
The truth is that to recover God will use instrumental people.
The truth is that to be restored God will use instrumental people.
….And sometimes they may not even understand that they are instrumental.
God restores us in full
God does not do half jobs.
God does His work well
When it was time, God made a way for the Israelites to be restored.
It is God’s nature to recover well.
The presence of the Jews in Babylon now ruled by the Persian empire was a result of their long term disobedience, however even in a land that was not theirs and in a place they were subjected to suffering, God did not abandon them.
God sent Esther to the palace and placed Mordecai at the gate, both of them at strategic positions for the sake of the restoration ahead.
God is able to restore even the things we lost in disobedience.
God is able
God is able to restore the things that were wrongly taken from us.
God is able
God is able to restore the things that are forcefully being taken away from us.
God is able
God is able to restore the things we thought we lost.
God is able
God is able to restore the things that were stolen from us.
God is able
Confidently.
After receiving the backing of the king, the Jews did not remain in fear. They went out with the confidence they had received.
God restores that we may receive.
Restoration is not for waste
When God has your back, you stand on that confidence.
When: because you need to believe God first, then you have to involve God next, then you believe God again
When God backs you up, restoration is assured.
A promise kept
Do not waste your recovery
On the day that was to be their death day, God turned it to be for their victory.
There was recovery from death to life.
There was restoration from fear to boldness.
It happened like a dream.
One day they were crying, the next day they were dancing.
One day Mordecai was a gateman, the next day he was a prince wearing the king’s seal
One day Esther was scared to approach the king, the next day he was offering her his kingdom
It is easier to read these stories than to understand the magnitude of the situation they were in.
However, it is only wise to receive the depth of the revelation in them to appropriate to our lives and situation.
One day meant years. It meant months but when restoration and recovery came, the next day arrived.
Your recovery.
And your restoration
On the day the alternative decree was released by Mordecai in the name of the king, there was celeberation.
From mourning they began to dance.
When God restores us, we need to celeberate it.
Stop hiding the testimonies
Stop stifling the celeberation.
Stop rejecting restoration and recovery.
Embrace it with your full chest
The victory of restoration
Purim was established to remember the experience of being delivered from death at an unexpected time.
Choose to remember
The holiday was meant to serve as a reminder and history to those who were alive when it happened and for those who would come afterwards.
You are restored to restore another
When God restores the purpose is to create a rippling effect.
The deliverance they had received was huge and they knew how to keep it preserved.
Preserve your recovery and restoration
Purim represented a good history.
A history of fresh air
It represented a journey to deliverance.
It represented a journey of courage and hope in the face of enemies.
It was a holiday worth celeberating.
The seal of the king represented his power and authority and by it decrees were made according to the rules of the Persian kingdom.
Haman’s position became vacant the moment he died and replacing him was not a hard decision to take.
It was not made clear if the king had realized that Haman was not a man with a clear agenda, however Esther in process of delivering her people helped clear Haman from the way.
Mordecai who served the king in quietness and had shown a sincere heart of service was the man put in to replace Haman.
Mordecai did not struggle to get the position, the position came to him.
Purim, the holiday initiated by Esther served a reminder of great intervention. This was a usual custom amomg the Isrealites. They marked experiences with holidays expressed through symbolic communion.
This brings us to the questions for this part:
I enjoyed this part the same way I enjoyed the previous parts.
I wrote out the first section of this part almost a week before completing it and in all, I am deepely grateful to the Holy Spirit for the help and inspiration.
A concluding part of this series will be shared soon.
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Stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
Hello!
Welcome to the fifth part of this series. The story is gotten more intense and we are reaching the peak of events.
If you are new, I welcome you warmly and if you have been following, thank you.
Let’s ride in…
Haman got the invitation and was elated. He was always ready to be invited to anywhere important.
He picked one of his many elaborate attires.
The banquet hall was ready with enough wine, meat and food. The King and Queen were both on their royal seats with their respective chamberlains.
In the middle of eating and drinking, the King asked “What do you want to ask me? Even if it is half of my kingdom, you will get it”
“What I would to ask the King is this: if it would please the King to come to the banquet I would prepare tommorrow and invite Haman as well. I promise to answer the King’s question tommorrow”
“Okay then. Haman you heard the Queen. You are invited tommorrow”
Haman was hearty and drank more wine while Queen Esther watched him gloating in the pleasure of being in their presence.
When he reached the gate, all the servants there bowed to him except for Mordecai who maintained his sitting posture.
Looking at him with disgust, Haman became angry and clenched his teeth then walked away to his house.
When he reached home, he met his servants engaged in several chores. His wife was not outside. He looked around and called one of his servants. “Call my wife and my friends who ate here last night. If you have forgotten those who ate here then forget about having meals for a week. I do not feed useless servants”
The servant he called scurried away, he was not waiting for any rash comment again. Haman had the tendency of being rash with brutal decisions.
Haman looked scornfully at the remaining working “Peasants! Useless! I need some wine! And meat! Someone should set that at once! Some of you here will die as servants so do what I order you. Some of you can never even in your dreams reach the position I have obtained” he spat and walked into his chambers.
Minutes later, the court house was steaming with roasted meat, wine and chattering. The people he had sent for were all waiting for him.
Haman who had remained inside until they had arrived, walked into their midst majestically.
When they saw him, they made obeisance. This made him swell more and grin ear to ear.
“You can all sit down. You are privileged to be in my presence. You are in the presence of the most honoured man in the whole of Persia. The one loved and respected by the King. I was promoted by the king above other princes to become his right hand man. By my word, anything can happen because the king trusts me. My ten sons are the most prominent men in the whole region of Persia. What of my wealth? The servants I command? My wife? She is one of the most respected women in the region and one of the wisest if not the wisest. You are all privileged to be in my presence” he gulped some wine then dropped the cup roughly causing it to fall to the ground.
“I need another cup! Do you know that cup is coated with gold? However I have more. Get me another cup! Also, the queen Esther did not invite any other person to the private banquet she made for the king except me. Yes, me! Tommorrow is another day to enjoy the feast. None of you here can even dream of that” he continued merrily.
The people he called friends were used to his egostically behaviour and rather than allow it bother them, they encouraged him by cheering him on. The meat and wine were surplus and that was enough for them.
“Despite all these great things I have accomplished there is someone who I hate so much yet have to still see anytime I get to the palace gate. That man Mordecai, I hate to see him and he sits at the king’s gate and is always there whenever I come. I really want to get rid of him”
“Why don’t you build gallows? And tommorow you let the king know that you want Mordecai hanged on it. After that you can enjoy your banquet with the king” Zeresh his wife said.
Haman’s countenance changed, his eyes glistened with excitement “Wow! My wife is the wisest woman ever. I said it! Yes, I love that idea. What do the rest of you think?”
“We agree. It is a great idea” they replied in unison.
“Okay then, begin the preparation now. I do not have the time to waste”
More meat was added to the table and wine into the jugs as they continued merrily.
The sound of hammers banging on wood resonated in the background.
King Ahasuerus was restless. He could not sleep. He kept hearing the words “Records” resound in his ears throughout the night.
He finally stood up from his bed and ordered for the records to be brought out so he could read them.
Then he got to the part where Mordecai had reported Bigthana and Teresh, his former chamberlains who had planned to murder him.
“What has been done for Mordecai?”
“Nothing” the servant that ministered to him replied.
“Nothing? Who is in the court?”
Another servant went out to check and met Haman who had come early to tell the king about his plan to kill Mordecai.
“Haman is the court. He wishes to see the king”
“Okay let him in”
Haman strode in, he had come early to get the opportunity to tell the king about the gallows he had made for Mordecai. He wanted that sorted out before the banquet.
Without waiting for his obeisance, the king asked “What should be done for a man who the king wants to honour?”
Haman unable to contain his excitement smiled widely, he had only come to place a request. He did not expect the king to give him more honour. Moreover who else was the king planning to honour, if not him?
“For the man whom king the wants to honour, let the royal apparel which the king wears be brought out and the horse he rides on be given to the man and the royal crown be placed on his head. Then let a noble prince be made to escort that man on the street and loudly proclaim that he is the man the king delights in”
“Okay. That is great. Immediately do all that you have said for Mordecai the Jew that sits at the king’s gate. Do exactly as you have said” the king said standing up and withdrawing into his chambers. He needed to catch more sleep.
Dumbfounded, Haman stood shocked at what had just happened. All he had said was not for him? But for Mordecai? Mordecai? Who he had planned to kill? Mordecai the Jew?
He was still standing when the items were brought before him.
“The horse has been set and Mordecai is outside”
Mordecai was still meditating on what Esther had told him. He was praying that her plan would work out. They had until the end of the year to save themselves and yet he could not stop serving the king. He always found himself returning to the king’s gate.
“Mordecai you have been choosen by the king” a chamberlain interrupted his thoughts.
“Me? For what?” Mordecai replied, startled by the interruption.
“For saving him from the plot of Bigthana and Teresh. Prince Haman will serve you”
“Me?”
“Yes. You may follow me to the king’s stable. You will ride on the king’s horse, wear his apparel and have his crown on your head”
Mordecai was speechless but he could not reject the king’s favour. What shocked him the most was that Haman was going to serve him or was he imagining things?
He was not. Haman stood before him boiling with rage, the king’s royal robe in his hand.
Without saying a word, Haman wore the robe on him, and put the crown on his head. Another servant helped him to climb the horse while Haman held the strap of the horse’s bridle.
The gate was opened and they both went into the street.
Haman was so ashamed of himself. He was boiling with rage yet he could not disobey the king’s order. How could the king disgrace him this way?
“This is the man whom the king desires to honour. Mordecai is his name!” Haman shouted as they moved on the street.
After spending hours riding through the town, they returned to the palace.
Mordecai returned to the king’s gate while Haman covered in shame went home immediately.
His friends had slept off in the courtyard. They were eating when he came in.
“What happened my husband? You look so terrible. What did the king say about your proposal concerning Mordecai?” Zeresh, his wife asked.
“I went to the courts because of that but the king ordered me to parade Mordecai throughout the town”
What? How?” Zeresh asked, her hands covering her mouth, her eyes widened in disbelief.
“When I got there, the king asked me what should be done for the man he delights in. Who else wòuld I think of if not myself? So I said that the king’s royal apparael, his crown and horse be given to such a man and that a prince be made to proclaim in the streets about the man. After my suggestion, he commanded me to do it for Mordecai. I am so ashamed and full of more hatred for that man”
The mummurings among his servants increased, they were pleased that for once Haman felt belittled and suffered from what he constantly did to them. His friends on the other hand were not very sympathetic.
“This is bad. This is a bad sign. If Mordecai is a Jew, then all these that has happened is a bad sign that you will never overcome him” one of them said as he casually put roasted bread in his mouth.
“I agree. This is a bad sign. Very bad” Zeresh added.
They were still speaking when the queen’s servant passed the message that the banquet had started.
Haman hurried out, his acquaintances watching him with pity.
Queen Esther and the king were waitìng for him. The table was set with every good food and as usual, the best wine.
“You look haggard Haman. You should have changed your robes” the king said lightly, his attention shifting from Haman to Esther.
“I am sorry my king. I had to hurry from the duty you asked me to do”
“Oh.. anyway take your seat. The queen asked that we wait for you”
Esther in her full regalia maintained a poised posture in the couch which she could recline on as well. Haman paid her obeisance to which she only nodded her head before averting her eyes from him.
She had heard of what happened with Mordecai but little did he know what was coming next.
“So my queen, what do you want me to do for you? Make your request and even if it is half of my kingdom, I will give it to you”
“If it pleases the king, I want to beg for my life and that of my people”Esther had knelt to the ground, her head bowed.
“What threatens your life?”
“I and my people have been sold as slaves destined for death. I would have said something all this while even though the enemy cannot do anything about it again” she had risen up and rested back on the couch.
“Who is the person that dares to threaten your life? Who dares even think it in his heart? Tell me”
“The enemy I speak of is right here with us. He is this wicked man Haman” she said pointing her finger at the trembling Haman.
“What?!” the king shouted before standing up from his seat and went to the outer court pacing to and fro.
Left alone with the queen, Haman stood and begged “Please spare my life. I did not know you are a Jew. Spare my life”
Esther did not say anything then Haman proceeded to fall on the couch where she sat, his tears wetting where he put his face.
The king returned and saw Haman on the couch “Will he force himself on the queen in my presence in the house?!”
The personal guards who had stayed with them throughout immediately covered Haman’s face.
“Haman built gallows in his house for Mordecai who saved the king’s life” Harbonah one of the chamberlains who stood with them said.
Haman could be heard struggling beneath the cover over his face.
“If he built it then he can use it. Hang him on it” the king said and sat on his seat.
All the while Esther who was shocked by the news she had heard, held her hands to her chest. She had thought the death decree was the only concern she had, not knowing that Haman was going to go further to hurt Mordecai.
The king held her hands “Its okay. He is gone. He won’t harm you again”
Esther placed her hands over his and smiled. This was only the beginning, there was more concern ahead but for now, Haman was not around to cause more harm.
This narration was taken from Esther 5:6 to Chapter 7 and was fictionalized for the sake of this post. Kindly read the chapters in the Bible for the original format.
Esther was careful and meticulous in executing her plan. She did not rush to tell the king her concern, instead allowed Haman to become very comfortable in her presence.
While the king was eager to hear what she had to say, Esther was not in a haste until she had built enough suspense.
Also, the time she took was symbolical. It was a way of expressing to the king that what she wanted to share with him was heavy on her mind.
Haman only needed his ego to be fed.
He was the only one invited to a banquet organized by the queen with whom he had never had a previous interraction with- yet he was very relaxed to participate.
The god of his life was pride, therefore whatever would feed it was always welcomed
Haman was a wicked foolish man.
An unfortunate combination
He was not only invited once but twice yet he did not question the banquet.
You are not meant to be in every gathering including some that you are invited to.
Worse, to the ones you are not invited to
In Haman’s mind, he was the only one who deserved certain things.
Every other person was to remain under him
With his high and lofty mind, he prescribed what he expected to be done for him and this showed how vain and rotten his thoughts towards himself was.
It also showed that he desired the king’s crown and position.
It was only a matter of time before he made plans to overthrown the king if a possibility arose.
Haman by his request also believed that he could do as he pleased when it concerned making decisions with the king. It showed the level of respect he had for the king. It showed the level he had placed himself :a position exempted from being under the king’s rule.
He had started to see himself as a king
If he could make an eratic decision to kill people he never knew and got permission from the king then he never expected that getting permission to kill one man was going to be a difficult process.
Unfortunately he entered the court at the wrong time
There are certian individuals who believe good things should only happen to and for them. When good things happen for other people, they are upset.
They are only elated by their success and never the success of people around them because they always want to be ahead of others.
Haman never thought anyone aside himself could recieve certain favours from the king even less someone like Mordecai. In Haman’s dictionary it was impossible.
But that was an illusion
God used Haman to exalt Mordecai.
Mordecai did not have to bribe or lobby his way to get favours from the king. Haman, his enemy did it without a single cent from him.
Suddenly the king could not sleep soundly because Mordecai’s time to be blessed had come and Mordecai did not have to do anything except be at the gate.
The same time Haman came to discuss Mordecai’s death was the same time the king was planning on what he could do for Mordecai.
The same timing. Different plans.
God used the King’s carefree nature to exalt Mordecai.
The same king who had carelessly signed away the death warrant of thousand of people asked his right hand man to parade a gatekeeper on the streets.
One medicine for one is same medicine for all
Mordecai was a man who knew his position and who knew how to remain there.
Despite the decree that had been passed against his life and that of his people, he returned to work.
He remained where he was supposed to be and got the blessings for that day.
However, after he had worn the king’s crown and rode and had rode on the king’s horse, he returned back to the gate.
Maybe if he was modern, he would have taken selfies
Mordecai always returned to the gate because it was his position.
The good and the bad
Among the people who had witnessed the creation of the gallows was a person who was going to report it.
Unknown to Haman, he had been watched all day. He seemed to have more enemies within the palace than he thought.
The gallows he had prepared for Mordecai was exposed and instead was killed in them.
Somebody is watching you
That is reality.
Somebody is watching your pattern.
You cannot do much about it
Somebody is watching your consistency.
The same way you are watching someone else
The most unlikely person had prophesied to Haman-his wife.
The way he chased and hated Mordecai was the beginning of his fall.
The same man who he had wanted dead became the cause of the beginning of his death.
Why are you so insistent on causing a person to fall?
It is sad that certain persons who have already attained relevant heights are threatened by people who are way below and will do anything to keep them below.
Haman despite his position wsas deeply threatened by Mordecai and that hatred was the cause of his death.
God can overturn.
God can intervene.
God can change decrees.
God can.
God prepares our table in the presence of our enemies and causes them to watch while we eat.
Mordecai did not need to defend or fight for himself. God did.
Haman was a prominent man and this also meant he could also make decrees. His wife and companions who were wiser than him were his counsellors and he took their word.
Despite Haman’s position, he was monitored as well. This showed the extent of the king’s involvement in the life of his subjects.
With a decree from the king, he lost his life in an instant.
This verse explains it well:
Ecclesiastes 8:4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? (KJV)
At the end of the day, it was the king who still had the final say regardless of his weakness.
This section is for asking you questions and here they are:
Some of these questions are quite personal, however if you want to share, kindly do that in the comment section or send me a private message using the Contact button.
This part came later than usual.
I am grateful for the opportunity to still share.
Your comments are welcomed.
Subscribe. Like. Share.
Stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
Hello and welcome here.
This is the fourth part of this series.
The previous part of this series has been a ride and today’s part intensifies part 3.
If you are new, kindly check the previous posts to get the flow.
Let’s ride in….
Esther was in her chambers when her maids rushed in.
“What is the fuss about?” Esther asked.
“It is Mordecai, the Jew is in sack clothes”
“What?Why?What happened?” Esther panicked and she dropped the bracelet she wanted to wear.
“Well….the information is very hazy to me but the whole city is in mourning. It has to do with the Jews and the King”
“Okay, quickly get some rainments and send to him. Quick!” Esther stood up and went the balcony from where she often viewed Mordecai. She stood there until she saw the maids she sent return, the rainments still in their hands.
“What happened? Why are the rainments still in your hands?
“He refused to collect them”
Esther was silent.
“Call me Hatach” Esther said standing up then began to pace the room.
Hatach was the King’s chamberlain specially assigned to her.
“Yes my queen. You called” Hatach came in and paid courtesy.
“Hatach, go to Mordecai the gate keeper. He is in the street of the city. Go ask him why he wears sack clothes and refuses the clothes I give him”
“Okay, my queen”
Hatach met Mordecai still in sack clothes, ashes on his head. The old man was on the ground wailing with others who had joined him.
Hatach tapped his right shoulder and whispered in his ear “Mordecai, the queen has a message for you”
Mordecai startled by the touch, turned to see Hatach standing behind him.
“The queen?”
“Yes. She sent you rainments yet you refused them. She wants to know why”
“Are you not aware that Haman incited the king to cause the death of all Jews? People who have never done wrong to him. I know it is because of me. It is because I did not bow to him but why include my people? The king sent out a decree that every Jew, old and young should be out to death in the month of Adar on the thirteeneth day. This decree has been sent to every province and we are not safe anywhere. Nowhere….. and all of this is for ten thousand talents of silver. Here is a copy of the decree. Give it to the queen and tell her to go to the king on behalf of her people” Mordecai said handing a soiled paper to Hatach.
Hatach recieved the paper and walked away. He was aware of the decree but he was only realizing that the queen was also a Jew and possibly was related to Mordecai. That could explain the way she had treated him in the past; with extra care and respect.
Esther rushed to the door as soon as Hatach entered.
“What did he say?”
“He gave me this” Hatach said handing the paper to Esther. He watched the expressions on her face change from concern to fear. Her hands were shaking.
“He said that you should go and petition before the king”
“But you know that.. nobody whether man or woman can come into the king’s court who has not been called. There is a law that will put him or her to death except the king holds out his sceptre and spare his life but I have not been called to see the king for thirty days. How can I just go to the court without permission?” her hands were still shaking.
“What should I do?”
“Go and tell him the law of the court. I do not know what to do”
Hatach returned to Mordecai and told him.
“Tell the queen that she should not think she can escape this judgement just because she is in the king’s house. If she decides to ignore her people in this time and God raises another, she and her father’s house shall be destroyed. Who knows that the reason she was made queen was for a time such as this?”
Hatach could see the desperation in Mordecai’s eyes. His words were going to move the queen.
Ignoring Hatach, Mordecai continued wailing with those he was with. More people had joined him.
Hatach passed the message and he had done before, he watched her facial expression. She appeared to be in deep thoughts, her hands clasped together as she paced the room.
“Go tell him to gather all the Jews in Shushan and fast for me. They should not eat or drink for three days and night. I and my maids will fast as well. I will go before the king which is not according to the law. If I perish, I perish”
Hatach could see it, the determination her eyes. The queen in her simple gown which she often wore in her chambers stood majestic before him. The courage despite the shakiness of her body struck him deeply. Without wasting more time, he hurried out and passed the message to Mordecai.
Mordecai after hearing Esther’s decree, stood up from the ground and called others aside then passed the message to them.
For three days, Esther, her maidens, Mordecai and the Jews in Shushan fasted.
On the third day, Esther without food told her maidens to prepare her royal regalia.
Her court was sensitive, everyone spoke in hushed tones. The atmosphere was tensed. There was no certaintity she was going to return.
Her bathtub was prepared with scented leaves and perfumes. Her maids scrubbed her gently, applied myrrh oil and frankincense scents then dressed her in her royal apparel. Her eyes were touched lightly with khol, her face powdered and rogue was applied to her cheek and lips.
Finally, her crown and jewellery was placed on her body.
Smiling wryly, Esther admired her reflection then breathed out slowly. She looked around her chambers, it was possible she was not going to return. It was possible she was walking into her death. Her king was a volatile man and it was possible that she was going to get herself killed. He had not sent for her in thirty days and to her it meant that probably he had gotten tired of her already.
“If I perish I perish. At least I will die standing up for my people” she muttered for herself.
“My queen” her maiden who had put her crowned said tearfully.
Esther could see tears spilling from her eyes and she was not the only one. Some were already crying. Esther touched her shoulders and smiled.
“Prepare to introduce me” Esther said to Hatach.
“Yes my queen” he bowed. He too was touched by the scenario before him.
Esther walked to the door slowly, she picked her steps.
The door was opened and she was on her way to the king’s court.
She could see the door, she was either going to come out alive or dead. It depended on the King’s sceptre.
Hatach opened the door and Esther walked in.
She watched as the King lifted his head from his royal table and noticed her.
His countenace brightened as soon as he saw her. She could sense it, it was as if he wanted to run straight into her arms. Her heart began to beat faster.
He raised his sceptre which laid on the royal table before him.
Her life was going to be spared
She increased her steps and touched the top of the sceptre.
“What brings you here Queen Esther?” he was smiling so wide. He was excited to see her.
“Even if it is half of my kingdom, I will give it to you. Ask anything you want and I will do it”
Half of his kingdom?
Esther could not believe what she was hearing. “If it is okay with the king, I want to invite the king and Haman to a banquet that I have prepared”
“Right now, tell Haman to hurry up and come to the banquet the queen has prepared” King Ahasuerus commanded, his eyes resting fully on Esther.
“Thank you my king. I will take my leave to prepare the table well” Esther bowed before taking her leave.
Esther left the court and met Hatach waiting for her outside.
“My queen”
Esther smiled at him and walked back to her court. Her maidens leaped for joy as she walked in.
“Now, let us prepare the table. The king and Haman are coming for a banquet today”
She knew her enemy and she knew she needed wisdom to approach the matter. A banquet was the best cover for her to use.
A befitting banquet.
This part was taken from Esther 4:4-5:1-5 and was fictionalised for the sake of this post. Kindly read it in the Bible for the original format.
Esther did not plan to be chosen as the queen. She did nothing special to become queen but the crown was now on her head and a need for the crown arose.
It was in the moment of decision that Esther realized being a queen meant much more. She tried to evade the dangerous request by bringing up a law that could cost her her life but she could not deny the reality of her existence and her people.
She was a queen but she needed to be more than that.
Esther had to face her fears. She had to make a choice. She had to make a point. She had to rise up.
Even if it meant losing her life
She knew that hiding away was not going to protect her. It was a matter of time before she too lost her life. She had a choice to choose how she would end.
Either as a brave woman or a coward
The truth is that being a coward is because being brave cost too much.
Being brave can cost your life
However, Esther came to the realization that whether she hid or stood up, death was not far. She could hide and delay the time but it was emminent. If she faced her fear, she had the chance of gaining her life.
She decided to choose brave
Mordecai was the prophet over Esther’s life.
At the time when Esther would have withdrawn to her chambers and hide away, he reminded her of who she was.
He reminded her that her position had a purpose.
He reminded her that her position could be replaced.
He reminded her that if she decided to not use her position for what it was meant for, another would replace her.
He reminded her that she did not put herself on the throne and therefore could not shy away. She needed to face and confront the situation at hand and do something about it.
Mordecai was the catalyst that helped Esther stand up to the challenge.She was made a queen because its situation was going to come up.
Mordecai was quick to recognize the importance of Esther’s position at the times they were in.
He could discern
Esther knew that the battle ahead was a matter of life and death.
She did not have weapons to fight neither did have an army.
She was a queen who was supposed to dress prettily and make her husband happy
Esther knew that the stake was high and she needed a higher help.
Confronted at her vulnerable state, Esther knew that without weapons or armies she could conquer spiritually.
She made sure to ask for reinforcements. She was going to put her life in danger and she needed the support of everyone around her.
Spiritually
Esther was covered.
She had prepared.
She had conquered before she met the king.
The king saw her and he broke protocols.
Once again, favour covered Esther.
The king raised his sceptre and Esther’s life was spared.
Not every battle is won with weapons
Esther knew she had to wisely get to Haman and she did so by creating an environment that could give her more advantage.
Esther did not have weapons or an army but she had wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. (KJV)
Esther approached the king covered in prayers and presented with wisdom.
She was the queen, the king needed to have.
She was a kind of queen
Esther came with kind words and as she presented her request, she laced her words with reverence for the position he held.
Even though he had spontaneously promised her half of his kingdom, Esther was focused and pursued her mission.
Relating Esther’s experience to the situation of a believer in relation to the word and to God, it is important to note that one cannot keep one’s life.
There are two options: Pick the life of Christ or pick ours.
Both of them involve sacrifice. For to pick one is to sacrifice the other.
When we give our lives to Christ, it means we gave our lives to Christ.
Gave is the past tense of give
Esther had lost her life before coming before the king.
This meant that the highest consequence for her proposed action was death unless there was an intervention.
Which she had
Giving our lives to Christ means we are ready for the results of doing so.
Esther came with the weapon of words backed up by fasting.
As believers, we have weapons of warfare which we use to fight.
However, these weapons are not against people, they are against the forces that pushes people.
Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; (KJV)
The attack first comes to our spirit and the devil uses people.
The sceptre was Esther’s only hope to save her life. There was no guarantee the king would raise it towards her but it was the only thing she hanged her life on.
All the king had to do was raise it and she would be spared
That brings me to say here: JESUS IS THE SCEPTRE of our lives.
What does the sceptre mean?
It means:
The sceptre was Esther’s only escape route from the law of death just as Jesus is our only escape route from the law of death.
The life Esther gained by touching the king’s sceptre was not eternal but the life we get from touching Jesus is eternal.
The laws of Medes and Persia could be quite extreme and most of the punishments ended in death.
The law of the land was made to put the fear of the king in all his subjects, and whoever disobeyed was at risk of losing his or her life.
For the king to lift his sceptre towards Esther meant that he was willing to spare her. However his desire to give her half of his kingdom if she wanted, showed that Esther had won his affection. The king was a volatile man but in this case God used it to redeem Esther.
Today’s questions goes as thus:
You can choose to reply in the comment section or send it privately or simply keep it to yourself.
N.B Sharing may encourage a reader.
I am grateful to reach this part.
I am seeing this story in a deeper light and I am having a unique journey with Esther.
I am sure that deeper revelations can be gotten from this book and I am excited to experience that in future studies.
Your comments, questions and observations are warmly welcomed.
Do not forget to subscribe if you have not and to share to others as well.
Until next part, stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
Hello!
Welcome again.
This is the third part of this series and I am excited to have you here.
Do not forget to subscribe to keep up with this series if you haven’t.
Do not forget to leave your comments in the comment section, I will love to hear your thoughts and questions.
Kindly share to others as well.
Let’s ride in…..
Mordecai’s job was at the gate. He was a gateman.
One of the days he was doing his job, he overheard two of the king’s chamberlains Bigthan and Teresh planning to carry out a murder plan against the king.
They held grievances against him and since they had access to him without questioning, carrying out the plan was going to be easy.
Unfortunately, they were not aware that Mordecai who had hidden in the shadows of the wall had heard them clearly.
Without allowing the day to break, Mordecai requested for Queen Esther’s presence and passed the message to her.
Queen Esther sent the message to the king stating it in Mordecia’s name. An investigation was carried out and the report was found to be true and the weapons they had planned to use were also discovered.
Their sentences were passed and they were hanged on a tree and the records were written in the book of chronicles for the king.
Not long after, Haman the man who was from Agag was promoted by the king to the higehest place above all princes.
The man loved praises and raised his shoulders and head high whenever he passed by and the king’s servants bowed to him.
This made him to frequently visit the palace even if he had nothing important to discuss, the praises whether they were fake or not did not matter to him, he loved it and relished in it.
However, Mordecai did not follow the rest.
Haman observed this and did not say a word. He called one of the gatemen and asked him about Modecai.
“Who is that gruffy old man at the gate and why does he not bow down when I pass?”
“That is Mordecai. He is a Jew”
“A Jew”
“Are they many here?” Haman asked as turned the rings on his left hand.
“His people?”
“Yes”
“Well..they are. They are everywhere”
Haman did not say another word and walked away, his gown sweeping the ground behind him.
“Mordecai why do you refuse to reverence Haman?”
To this question, Mordecai would only change his sitting or standing postion without saying a word.
“Why don’t you stop your headstrong behaviour before it lands you in trouble. Haman is not a man to joke with. He is very viscious” the servant whom Haman spoke to said.
Despite the warnings, Mordecai did not heed to them.
Haman had had enough of Mordecai and with time he had come to despise the Jews. His hatred for Mordecai had been transferred to his people.
It was Nisan, the first month. The month they casted lots for events that were to occur by the decree of the king and Haman decided to seize the opportunity to lay his plan to the king.
“There is a certain people in your kingdom whose laws are diverse from all people. They do not keep the king’s laws and therefore it is unnecessary for the king to take note of them. They are completely useless to this kingdom and are not worth our resources. I want to request that the king would write out a decree to wipe out these people. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to those who will carry this out; the king does not need to bother about using his army for such a meanial task. I only need your permisson”
The king removed his signet ring and gave to Haman. “Do not worry about paying the silver. Do as you will with these people”
“Thank you my lord. I have chosen the month of Adar which is the twelfth month. Exactly twelve months from today”
King Ahasuerus waved his hand “Join me in my chambers when you are done”
The scribes got to work immediately and wrote out the decree to every province and Haman quickly stamped them with the signet ring.
After the decree had been sent out, Haman joyfully joined the king in his chambers, both of them drinking wine merrily while the city of Shushan was in turmoil.
Modecai read the decree. It read that every single person who was a Jew was meant to suffer the fate of death on the same day.
The town was in turmoil. People were crying and gnashing their teeth. The stores were closed and those who worked stopped working.
Mordecai in grief, tore his clothes and put on sack clothes and went to the city, weeping with his hands on his head.
It was forbidden to come to the king’s gate in sack clothes so he stayed outside.
He did not expect that his singular act would cause the proposed death of all his peope…
Story was taken from Esther 2:21-4:1-3 and was fictionalized for the purpose of this post. Kindly read chapters for full context.
This is the enemy you know as a friend or even family. The least likely person you will suspect to be an enemy but ends up being one.
They are close enough to be considered as family.
But they are not
This close proximity gives them access to the most vulnerable parts of your life. They know the best places to strike and the casualities they can cause by harming you.
One of their strongest weapon is their knowledge of you
Micah 7:6b a man's enemies are the men of his own house. (KJV)
Your vulnerability and openeness with them leaves you at risk of easy attack from them and because they know you are at ease with them, they easily make moves without breaking much sweat. Sometimes, you may have caught them in a dangerous act but an excuse or explanation from them was enough to wipe off your suspicions.
These enemies are one of the most deadiliest because they do not give you the opportunity to prepare before they strike.
One big strike. The end.
Psalms 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. (KJV)
These are group of people we call ‘betrayers’
There is an enemy you are not aware of.
You don’t know them but they know you
You met them before and never took notice of their presence but they took notice of yours.
It is possible you don’t even know them at all
Maybe they carried over their greviances against you from someone else.
But you don’t know of their existence. Yet they are your enemies
You are fully aware that they are your enemies.
They either told you to your face or you already sensed it from their actions.
The enemy is not hidden. You know their faces. You know their names.
There was a reason the enmity began.
You know your enemy seeks your downfall so you are careful of your movement around them. You do not carelessly let go of whatever you hold precious to them.
You are always in a defensive and protective mood around them
Because you know their stand, you also know your stand and that helps your interaction with them.
Help. Protect. Guide.
How?
You can have enemies because of:
What else am I missing?
Mordecai sat at the gate.
Stayed at his position, remained and was consistent
It may have looked like a lowly position but it was a place that one could know all the inside information.
Mordecai was an attentive man who did his job dilligently. With Esther around, he did not have to go through protocols. He went straight to Esther who quickly let the king know about the treacherous paln against him by his servants.
He knew how to maximise Esther’s position
Mordecai was not yet in a royal position but was able to carry out a royal decree indirectly, by his noble action.
Mordecai had a well constructed perspective about himself. He did not seek for Haman’s favour by pretending to honour him.
He was recently promoted by the king yet demanded for the respect accorded to the king.
He was a small minded man who felt belittled by the actions of an elderly man.
Rather than punish Modercai, he transferred his agression to people who had never met him before.
Maybe some of the people who had bowed to him were the same people he was going to kill for the sake of another man
From a singular enemy, he became a general enemy.
Don’t be like Haman
Some of us have tranferred greivances from a person to their tribe or race.
For example: We met a person who hurt us and instead of dealing with them individually, we classify everyone from their region together.
We are behaving like mr Haman the hater
Judging people first from where they come from without relating with them first is small minded.
Haman was manipulative and that may have been the way he was able to climb the ladder of success. He knew that the king was careless and capitalized on it with his well planned words.
Sweetened evil words
In other words, he was a very crafty man.
The day set for death
Enemies have a proposed time they seek to finish the destructive mission they have started.
For Haman, the month of Adar was the ‘perfect day’.
This day is the day that the best strategy for destruction is implemented.
The enemy looks forward to this day and is eager to have it in full dimensions.
2D? 3D? 4D? 5D?
For Haman, it was like his second birthday and he gave 11 months as a space for preparation over a grievance that was personal.
aka the king
Once again, the king showed his talent of being oblivious and careless.
He did not pay attention to details neither did he ask discerning questions but carelessly gave away the lives of people he did not know about, all on the words of a man who had decided to eliminate them based on a personal grievance with one of them.
The same way he had done with Vashti was the same way he signed away the death warrant of all Jews and without thoughtfulness, the declaration was spread abroad.
King Ahaserus was a dangerous man. His complacence was cancerous.
The same way many leaders in our days are
The king and Haman sat down to drink wine while thousands of people were grieving for their proposed death
Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. (KJV)
In every generation there are people whose only joy is to make others suffer.
They can do anything to assert dominance. Any minor resistance is met with a full violent force.
They are quick to seek for grievances because it fuels their blood thirsty heart.
They have simply sold their heart to the devil and are willing to be used to bring doom to others.
It is a choice.
As believers, we do not make enemies. We do not seek out people to become their enemy neither do we desire to have them.
The only enemy that is of great concern to our walk with God is the devil
The devil is the source of any other conflict we will experience from others.
An individual can make themselves easy to be used for evil when they give themselves continually to evil.
Harboring hate is cancerous to the conscience. With time, all that is left is fury that consumes.
The Bible did not give the reason for Mordecai’s decision to refuse giving reverence to Haman but based on the first commandment:’Thou shalt have no gods before me’, a better understanding can be made over the reason for his refusal to bow down.
However, he did not know that his personal declaration would cost the lives of all his people.
He was simply living according to his principles but got the lives of his people in the web.
His personal matters became a general cause of tears
There are certain decisions that we will make that will not only affect us but many others who will have a contact with us.
It is not a situation that we have multiple options to pick from.
It is either good or bad
The important question to ask is: Why am I doing this? What is motivating me? Who is guiding me into this decision? Can I face the ripple effects?
In certain cases, the ripple effect is not felt by us directly but those who are dear to us.
For Mordecai, he and his people had the same fate and rather than resign to fate, he picked up his sack cloth and wept openly.
The month of Nisan was the first month on the Persian calender and Adar was the twelfth month.
The day the lot was casted was on Pur.
The day the decree was passed was on the thirteeneth of Nisan against thirteeneth of Adar.
When the king gave Haman his signet ring, it meant that whatever Haman decided to do with it was sanctioned by the king and even the king could not reverse it.
The reverence accorded to Haman was as a result of his very close relationship and position to the king. He was literally the right hand man of the king.
Asserting dominance was very important to him and he decided to do it ruthlessly.
That brings me to ask:
Thank you for being here.
Your comments, questions and observations are welcomed.
Stick around for the next post and continuation of this series.
Kindly share to others.
Stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
Hello!
Welcome to the second part of this series.
Glad to have you here.
Let’s ride in…
Vashti had left the palace.
The morning Sun had risen.
The king had sobered up.
“Where is Vashti?” he asked when he had sat down in the court with is counsellors and princes.
The place was quiet.
“Call her for me” he said waving his finger at the messenger at the entrance of the court.
The messenger looked confused.
“What is going on here? Why does everyone look morose? Where is Queen Vashti?”
One of the wise men brought the signed scroll and presented it to him.
“She is gone…” the realization of his decision the night before struck him hard and he knew he could not reverse his decree.
“There is a clause” one of the counsellors chipped in.
“A what?”
“A clause. Let young and fair virgins be selected from all the provinces and be brought to Shushan and put in the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of women and let them be purified and then out of these women let the king select a woman that pleases him and put her in the place of Vashti”
The countenance of the king changed. From looking downcast, the redness of his cheek returned and his eyes sparkled then he smiled.
“Good. Good” he said nodding his head.
Immediately, the officers who had been designated for the mission went out to the different provinces.
Hadassah had finished tending to her cousin’s goats and was planning to sew some clothes when she heard the large commotion in the neighborhood.
Only yesterday, she heard that the queen had been disposed and another woman would be put in her place.
Maybe an announcement regarding the new queen was the reason for the commotion. She peeked from the small gate that fenced the house she shared with her cousin and saw the royal messengers entering a neighbour’s house. She shrugged her shoulders and picked the linen material she wanted to sew.
The gate opened and Mordecai came in.
“Abba”
“Hadassah, the King gave a decree and you may be taken from me. Do not let anyone know who you are. Leave the house and go get me some grapes from the market”
“But…”
“Leave now. Take these” he said handing her a package wrapped in wool.
Before she could protest further, he pushed her lightly out of the house.
Hadassah could see the carriages with young beautiful women.
They looked happy as opposed to how Hadassah felt; confused.
Before she got to the market, she was stopped by of the royal messengers.
“Have you seen the royal decree?”
Hadassah stared at him without replying.
“Are you a virgin?”
She nodded her head in the affirmative.
“You look like one and you have our descriptions perfectly. Enter that carriage, you will be the last one picked. What is it you hold?” he asked reaching for the parcel in her hands.
Hadassah’s heart was beating fast, she did not know what was inside.
“Oh you are Esther. That is a beautiful name. You can keep the bracelet but you don’t need the veil” he said handing the bracelet to her and gave the veil to a stranger.
Hadassah collected the bracelet and quietly walked into the opened carriage. Her uncle had intentionally gave her the parcel and had indirectly given her a new name.
In the palace, they were ushered into the courts prepared for them by Hege.
They were placed in a straight line and Hege looked at them individually.
“Take this one out. Her teeth are crooked. Take this one out, her eyes are weak. Take this one out, she looks ambitious. We don’t want to repeat a mistake. Take this one out, the blemishes on her face are too much. She is not clean. Take this one out, she stinks and I don’t think she can maintain herself. Take this one out, her fingers are crooked”
The young ladies that were picked were taken out while he continued to inspect the ones left. When he got to Esther, he paused and stared at her for a longer time. He eyed her and moved to the next person.
“You all are among the most luckiest women in the land because none of you will be ordinary again. Whether you are picked as the queen or not, you will become a royal by the reason of this selection. However out of all of you here, only one will be crowned queen. You have twelve months to purify yourself and learn the customs of the palace before the king meets you. Do well to learn as much as possible. You may leave except for Esther”
Esther wondered what he was going to tell her.
Was she already displeasing him?
“I like you a lot already. You have what it takes but before I say too much, I will watch you” he clapped his hands and immediately seven women dressed in the same robes came out.
“Make sure you care for her well. Her suite is the myrtle room. What special comfort would you desire?” he asked, smiling at Esther.
“Whatever you consider would be good for me for you know more than I do” Esther replied gently.
“I no longer like you. I love you. Okay, you” he said pointing to one of her maids. “Bring out the box I kept in my room. It is on my reading table”
He walked round Esther, inspecting her height. “You need something distinguishing”
He clapped again and one of the maids brought a bundle of silk, linen, and wool in different colours. He took Esther’s measurement and asked for a dress to be sewn for her immediately.
The maid he had sent out returned with a beautifully wrapped golden box.
“Very good. Here you have my favourite spices and perfumes. They will show you how to use it and will also use it for your regular treatment. Okay, that is it for now. Go and take a bathe and come out for a meal”
Esther was astounded at the special treatment she just received. Still in awe, her maids gently led her to her special chambers.
It was decorated with the finest lights and materials. The incense sticks burnt with the finest fragrance Esther had ever smelt. It immediately calmed her nervousness.
“My lady, it is time for your bath” one of the maids said to Esther.
“Oh..okay..”
At the table, Esther and her servants were given the biggest portions to the envy of the other women but Hege did not mind. He seemed to enjoy giving Esther the attention more than she recieved it.
Mordecai walked everyday in the courts of the women house to know how Esther did and what would happen to her.
Esther often got a glimpse of him as she walked down the hall or through the window but he was unable to see her as face was covered and not allowed to see another man’s face except those inside the court.
Twelve months had passed. Six was spent in using mrryh oil and six using perfumes.
Many of the women had gone in and none had pleased the king enough to be given the crown.
The day to enter the king’s chambers was aproaching and Esther was wrapped up in the unknown. Women more refined and beautiful than her had entered and come out as concubines. What would make hers any different?
Hege the chamberlain for the women was unpertubed and only increased certain treatments for her. His bubbly personality encouraged her.
Before the women went, they had the opportunity to ask for something, anything they wished to wear to impress the king. Many had applied for the finest perfumes, others the rarest jewelleries and some the most unique attires.
Esther felt that she did not have any unique thing to ask again.
Finally her day had come and she did not ask for anything.
“My lady, you did not ask for anything?” one of her maids asked.
“Yes. I will abide by what Hege says. He has been here before me and knows all that is needed. Moreover most of the things I would have asked for have already been given to others and I have undergone too many treatments for my body to make it more attractive. What more? At the end of the day, the crown will still rest on a head”
“Yes Esther, you do not need anything else. The only thing a queen will need now is the king to choose her. Only go and be as gracious and confident as you are. Be gentle and delicate. I still have something for you” Hege said as he opened a small box.
“In here I have a scented oil the king loves so much. I kept it until today to give it to you” he said handing it to her.
Esther received it and stared at its unique packaging and small size.
“Yes, it looks small but it has a strong potency to last long and give a very unique relaxing sense. It is my secret scent for queens and I give it to you”
“Hege..”
“I am sure you will be queen, so do not fret. Go as the queen you are” Hege said smiling.
After he left, Esther released the deep breath she had been holding. She was going into the king’s chambers in the next hours. Her maids scurried to prepare her for the last time.
“Esther!!” her name was called…
Picking herslef up and walking towards the kings chambers, she realized that everyone she passed by looked at her lovingly and with so much admiration. Whatever would happen after would leave her a queen or a concubine.
She entered and the gate was shut.
The king was smitten by Esther. Something about her was so different from the other women. She exuded so much grace and she smelt very nice.
Something about her made her feel so familiar even though it was the first time he had met her.
The next morning, the crown was on her head
The crown had found the rightful owner and it was on Esther’s head and as the king’s custom was, he made a great feast for all the provinces.
But….
No-one had known where Esther came from because her uncle and father figure had told her not to tell anyone…..
N.B This was fictionalized for the sake of this post. Read Esther 2:1-20 to get the original context.
Means myrtle.
She had lost her parents and was under the care of her cousin.
She was fair and beautiful.
This made her easy to notice
Hadassah was in the prime of her youth and had a future ahead of her even though she may have never thought of the life she was about to encounter.
Esther is the Persian version of her name and it means the same as Hadassah.
She was selected because she met the criteria.
Young. Beautiful. A virgin
If she had missed any of them, she would have not made it into the palace.
Meeting these criteria meant she was in a proper position to be selected.
Selection is dependent on what is at stake.
For Esther and the other women, it was the queen’s crown. This meant that she was not the only one that was fair, young and a virgin. Every other woman who was selected had met the criteria as well.
You are not the only one striving for the things you are striving for.
With selection there is competition
Replacement is not always easy but it is possible.
When replacing, what is sought for should be better than what was lost or given away. In this case, a better woman was to replace Vashti meaning that the stake was high.
Esther knew she was not the only beautiful woman in the palace.
She had many competitors who may have been qualified than she was and they may have done many things to get the attention of the king when it was their time to meet him.
However, aside from being beautiful, Esther was a wise woman.
She knew how to maximize her opportunities
She also knew her limits and accepted help when she needed it.
She may have not been born into a royal home but she had the mindset of a queen.
There was no need for her to be arrogant or ignorantly foolish. She knew when she needed help and used it when presented to her.
This wise pattern distingushed her from others because she got what others did not get as a result of her allowing the Hege to pick the necessary items she needed.
To strenghten the previous heading, in accessing help Esther knew she needed people and in her case, a person with a unique experience.
She did not know the way of the palace and the only way she could learn was through people who had been in the palace before her.
Her ideas and perspective were not as important as theirs because they knew more than her.
The meaning of her name could be summarised as Favour and it worked from the first day she stepped into the palace.
Everything about her became likeable and desireable
She became the special one who received special treatments.
Something about her was more attactive than her face or physical features.
Favour perfume
Esther radiated favour and it was her advantage.
She accessed priviledges and opportunities others did not have because of favour.
She became a favourite of Hege who gave her access to a unique environment and possibly secrets others were not opportune to get.
Esther had something other women did not have and it was Favour.
Esther had Mordecai.
He was more than a cousin. He was a father figure that provided structure to Esther’s life.
He was her biggest supporter and encourager and even in the palace he made sure to look out for her welfare.
He was closer to her than others and his actions proved it.
When the king met Esther, in her, he found a replacement for Vashti.
He loved her more than all the maidens he had met because in Esther he found a Queen.
Esther was not born into a royal family but she became one.
Esther had entered a new level that would define the course of her future.
God’s face exudes favour.
God’s countenance upon us bring us into a level of continuous favour.
With God’s blessings and favour there is peace.
God’s graciousness suppases favour from man and from it favour with man is also established.
N.B This verse came to mind and I will add that listening to it before writing this article influenced its usage.
The Blessing by Elevation church featuring Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes will be beneficial.
Esther was from the tribe of Benjamin. She was an orphan under the care of her older cousin.
From her attitude in the palace before meeting the king, she was a modest individual who did not push herself on anyone. She was content with what she was given in the palace and this set the tone to the level of her ambitiousness.
Her cousin told her not to reveal her name and this may have meant that they lived with other nationalities or she was taken in an environment that was not close to home and her people.
Living in a strange land, she was now exposed to the customs within the palace, a situation she may have never dreamt of.
However, Esther was able to manage this transistion and this showed her level of maturity to adjust to sudden events in her life.
This brings me to ask:
Mordecai’s actions were prophetic and this will be explored in subsequent chapters.
I will apologize for sharing this a day later than the proposed day. Circumstances leading to this development were partly my fault and due to other unavoidable situations.
I sincerely did not want to put anything out for the sake of meeting up with the proposed day (which should be Sunday) and I am grateful to God for the grace to put this up.
I often meditate and create a study before I start writing but the body, posters and fictionalized story are done when I am typing it on this platform. This often takes me take time and I have to start preparing properly during the week before I share.
If I miss another Sunday, then I would share it on the nearest day possible but I will not rush to post anything.
Your comments, questions and observations are warmly welcomed.
Kindly share to others and subscribe if you have not done so.
Until next post, stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
Hello!
Welcome to the start of this series.
While preparing for this series, I came across certain commentaries that were in line with the theme I had written out and it was interesting to make that observation.
It is not my first nor fifth time, neither is it my sixth time reading this chapter aside other encounters with this book in conversations and peripheral studies but this time I was able to look at this chapter without bias.
N.B This series will not be according to chapters but according to the flow of themes.
If you are new, kindly subscribe to keep up and share this to others.
Your comments and questions are warmly welcomed.
Let’s ride in….
King Ahasuerus, the King who ruled from India to Ethiopia organized a magnanimous feast to celebrate his rule. The feast was in two sessions; one was for the powers that ruled Persia and Media under him and the other was for everyone in Shushan.
The first feast lasted one hundred and eighty days, approximately six months and during this time he showed the extent of his great wealth.
The second feast lasted for seven days with enough meat and wine to go round more than twice.
The blue, green and white hanging on fine linen and purple cords attached to sliver rings, pillars of marble. The beds were made of silver and gold on a pavement of red, blue and white and black, marble.
The utensils were of gold, wine in golden cups. Anyone could drink as much as they wanted. The drums overflowed with plenty.
The king was in a good mood “More wine! Give everyone as much as they want. Be merry” he was cut short by a burp that escaped from his mouth. He raised his hand and the closest servant to him brought him water.
He gulped it and continued merrily chewing on a huge chunk of roasted mutton.
In the other hall, separated by walls was Queen Vashti with her maidens and eunuchs. She too had organized a party for herself and other royal women in the court.
Unlike the king and his court, the queen’s court entertained more dignified activities.
It was the seventh day and the king had drunk more wine than he had drunk the days before.
“I summon Queen Vashti, the Queen of my kingdoms to come before me for I seek to have her adorn and close this feast” he said estastically.
The enunch entered the queen’s court and sought her audience.
“Yes, what do you want to say?” She said as she delicately placed her feet on the golden stool covered in wool and silk.
“The king demands your presence in his court”
“In front of his guests?”
“Yes”
There were mutterings from the women around her.
“Does he understand the gravity of his request? He did not send for me when the princes of Persia and Media came. Now he sends me to come before just anyone?”
“That was the order”
“What does he take me for? I am his queen not a concubine” she had not lifted her legs from the stool and had maintained a calm posture despite the anger and contempt in her voice.
“Are you coming?”
“I did not hear what you said, therefore I do not have a response for you”
“Are you coming?”
“I do not respond to such request. I am not coming” she removed her feet from the stool and entered into her private chambers leaving the women with their hushed speeches.
The enunch returned without the queen.
The queen had refused his request. Though drunk, King Ahasuerus could understand the weight what had happened. His beloved wife had openly refused his command in the presence of everyone
He turned his head to his sides in confusion. He did not know what to do at that moment. Then he became angry, he had just been humiliated. He was the king of many kingdoms and a woman had defied his order.
Turning to the wise men in his courts “What shall be done to Queen Vashti for this that she has done?”
Memucan, one of the the wise men spoke “What Queen Vashti did today is not only against the king but against all the princes and all the people in the provinces of the king. For she will lead other women to disrespect and despise their husbands when they hear that she openly refused the king’s command. Soon this will become the beginning of the spread of contempt and wrath in the land. With all these stated, let the king give a royal decree that cannot be changed, to strip the queen of her title and position and let her seat be given to one who is more worthy than she is. The king should make this a public decree so that every woman in the land may know they need to honour their husbands”
King Ahasuerus nodded his head, he loved what he heard and immediately ordered that the decree be made and he stamped it with his signet ring. Immediately, the decree was taken to all the provinces of his kingdom and placed in strategic positions in all the languages that was spoken in each of them.
Queen Vashti was still in her room wondering if there would be a repercussion for her actions.
Maybe death
When her personal enunch entered the room crying.
“What is it? Has there been an order to take my life?” she had managed to still maintain her composure.
“No…”
“What could be worse than that? Why do you weep bitterly?”
She was still asking when more of her servants entered her chambers in tears.
“What is happening?” she asked perpelexed at the outbursts from the women who had served her for years.
Still in her confused state, one of the king’s enunch came in with a scroll in his hand.
“By the order of King Ahasuerus, the king of all of India up to Ethiopia by the rule of Persia and Media has ordered that Queen Vashti be stripped of her title and her position and is hereby banished from the royal court. She is no longer the queen and holds no power in the land. Her royal seat will be given to another better than her so that all women may know to respect and honour their husbands. This is the decree and it cannot be altered. It cannot be changed”
After he read the scroll, her servants went into another round of wailings.
Queen Vashti was perperlexed. If she had been killed, she would have died a queen but now she had been stripped to the bare. She was no longer a queen.
Still in shock of the judgement that had been passed to her, she watched as her crown was taken off her head and her royal gown was stripped off her body.
Her possessions were taken out of the chambers by the enuchs who had been ordered to do so. Her servants helpless, could do nothing but wail. They could not follow her for they belonged to the palace.
Before the night became alive, Vashti no longer queen was outside the palace walls. The only companion she had was the servant she had had gotten from her parents on her wedding day, other servants were not allowed to follow her.
In tears, Vashti looked regretfully at the palace as the carriage moved away ……
N.B This was culled from Esther chapter 1 and was fictionalised for the purpose of this post. Check your Bible for the original format.
King Ahasuerus was the ruler of Persia and Media, Egypt, Ethiopia, Babylon and other smaller provinces under these regions including the different nations that were held captive under his rule.
He held power because that is what a king is supposed to hold.
The presence of a king signifies power
O.R.A
He had gained these provinces as a inheritance from his father, grandfather and great grandfather. They were not as a result of his direct rule but he had the responsibility to maintain what he had gained.
The presence of a king signifies authority
O.R.A
As the king he had the authority to make decisions and they would stand.
As the king, all he had to do was to say a word and it became a decree.
The presence of a king signifies direction
O.R.A
The king decided to hold a banquet that lasted for more than six months.
It was not a strange event. Kings held banquet. Kings held banquets with unique intentions.
This king held a banquet to show off his wealth.
This was not strange for kings to do but….time..
This king was entertaining people for longer than usual. After entertaining people for six months, he entertained more for seven extra days.
This showed that pleasure meant so much to this king.
A matured king knows when it is time to call of pleasure.
The presence of a king signifies order.
O.R.A
He also gave the rule that there should be no measure to the amount of wine available. This showed how loose and carefree the celeberation was. There was no boundary indicating lawlessness.
The oppposite of what a king represented
In these moments of disorderliness, the king requested for his wife to parade herself in the presence of his subjects including commoners.
He asked for her when he was drunk.
In a poor state of mind
The presence of a king should signify right judgement
O.R.A
The king wanted to show off his beautiful wife while he was drunk.
A drunk king parading his beautiful wife in the presence of his subjects
Ecclesiastes 10:16-17 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!(KJV)
The queen most probably came from a royal home. She knew what it meant to be a queen. She knew what it meant to be honoured.
She organized her own side of the party. She did not feel bad that her husband was having a wild party for months, instead she set up her own.
Independent woman
When her drunk husband asked for her presence, Vashti must have felt insulted. She saw it as a high form of disrespect to her position as a queen.
She refused to be insulted by refusing to respond to the king’s request
Vashti was a queen to her bones. She understood what it meant to be a royalty and to be treated as such. She most probably had grown up to be treated as a princess.
A princess is treated like a princess
She was not going to let her husband disrespect her crown.
So she stood up to his antics.
It may have not been the first time he had behaved disrespectfully towards her publicly and she decided to prove a point by refusing to do his bidding.
Hey man! You have a boundary, don’t cross it…
Vashti means excellent woman/the best of women.
As a queen, Vashti was an institution. She was a system. She represented something more than her personal likes and dislikes.
She represented the value system of every woman under her husband’s kingdoms.
She was a model.
To married women, single women and young girls, she represented what a woman should be like.
If the queen does it, so can I
Vashti was a leader because of her position.
She became a role model without wanting it.
A queen is a role model
Vashti was not a woman to drop her pride because of a crown.
She may have been taught to value her pride above anyone but she did not handle the situation before her with wisdom.
Her refusal to obey her husband was not only against him but was against the kingdom where she was a queen. It was against the family structure, a system which was held in high esteem. It was a system higher than her personal reservations.
Her refusal signified a future revolt against the family structure where the husband had no authority.
It was her system against another.
She had picked a battle that could cost her her crown and even her life.
Vashti may have had a strong sense of importance. She may have stood up to her husband’s childish antics but she was not wise.
She knew her husband had affection for her.
That may have been the platform of confidence for her
Unfortunately she did not know how to yield the affection her husband had for her wisely.
As a queen, she must have had advisors yet she did not seek their counsel. Instead of consulting them, she consulted herself.
A question such as “What do I do?” would have made more difference.
Therefore while Vashti decided to uphold her pride, she did it unwisely and it cost her her crown.
The king had acted childishly. He had failed to understand the difference between displaying his love for his queen and displaying her carelessly for the sake of pleasing himself and his guests.
However, despite his act of childishness, he knew he needed help to run his kingdom.
He had men wiser than him who he could ask for help.
Therefore even if an individual understands and knows yet cannot ask for advice, he or she is worse than an unwise person who asks for help. For the foolish will become wise when helped and he that thinks he knows will fall into a ditch.
As believers we are not isolated.
The Holy Spirit is God’s help to you.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.(KJV)
John 16:13 Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.(KJV)
Self-reliance is not God’s pattern for us. We do not have everything in ourselves. We have limits.
God does not
Asking for help is not weakness.
It is wisdom
Depending on the Holy Spirit is not weakness.
It is wisdom
It means you are able to utilise available resources to move you forward.
You do not know everything.
You do not know many things
It is counsel that will give you leverage.
According to the law of the land Queen Vashti was a subject of the King.
However, by refusing to obey the King’s command she showed autonomy from his rule.
An interesting arguement would be that she was protecting her pride as the queen but then the aspect worthy to note was: she was first his subject before his queen.
Understanding heirachy is important for any insititution to function accordingly.
This story does not necessarily generalize her behaviour as inappropriate but it was unwise for this situation.
Back to heirachy, it is important to understand:
Different heirachies exist and they all have their structures governed by their rules unique for the environment they operate in.
Distorting this operation only causes more chaos than productivity.
The themes discussed in this post have been discussed before but there is still a uniqueness to this version.
Your questions and comments are welcomed.
Kindly share to others.
Until next post, stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
Hello!
Welcome to another series on this blog.
For the next few weeks, the character of Queen Esther from the Bible will be taken.
I will mention that this was a suggestion by a reader and after taking time to meditate and pray over it, I was led to take it. I could see the beautiful transition from Ruth to Queen Esther and I trust that the themes that would be shared in the coming posts will be impactful.
The pattern would be similar to how the Ruth Series was done. However, as the Holy Spirit inspires there may be extra features which will mark it differently.
Therefore in the weeks that this will be taken, I hope to have you participate and it would be lovely to have you as a subscriber if you have not done so.
Kindly share this to others as well.
I am intentionally excited to begin this journey🥰.
Remain updated and until then
Stay safe and God bless.
#daughterofabba
Deeperlook 