Scripture Focus (Esther 2:1-9) – “After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. [2] Then the king’s young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. [3] And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. [4] And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so. [5] Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, [6] who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. [7] He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. [8] So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. [9] And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.”
I. Xerxes the Carnal King (1-4)
A. A man without a woman (1) – “After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.”
B. A man without a watchman (2-3) – “Then the king’s young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them.” The king had no man who cared for his soul, nobody to warn him, nobody to moderate him. He had no accountability for his actions and no guide to help him aspire to better living.
C. A man without a worry (4) – “And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.”
ZERO CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO WHAT ANY ONE OF THE WOMEN
MAY HAVE WANTED OR NOT WANTED
II. Mordecai the Exiled Jew (5-6)
A. He was part of an unbreakable covenant (5a) – “Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai…”
B. He was from a royal line (5b) – “…the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite…”
C. He was part of a troubled generation (6) – “…who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away.”
III. Esther the Beauty Queen (7-9)
A. Broken in her circumstances (7a) – “He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother…”
B. Beautiful in her appearance (7b) – “The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at…”
C. Beloved by her cousin (7c) – “…and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.”
D. Blessed with favor (8-9) – “So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king’s palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.”