Day 2 of Reading Through the Bible
Esther Chapter 2
Scripture is from New King James Version via BibleGateway.com
Definitions are from Dictionary.com
The following is not my SOAP, just some verses/phrases that stood out to me as I read through chapter 2.
From verse 7: "The young woman was lovely and beautiful."
Lovely:
1. charmingly or exquisitely beautiful:
a lovely flower.
2. having a beauty that appeals to the heart or mind as well as to the eye, as a person or a face.
3. delightful; highly pleasing:
to have a lovely time.
4. of a great moral or spiritual beauty:
a lovely character.
1. having beauty; possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind:
a beautiful dress; a beautiful speech.
2. excellent of its kind:
a beautiful putt on the seventh hole; The chef served us a beautiful roast of beef.
3. wonderful; very pleasing or satisfying.
From a quick glance at the definitions, it seems lovely may be more character related. Beautiful seems to be more related to the senses. But they both clearly are related. Esther had both. At first reading I thought, wow, God really wants us to know she was quite the looker! Ha. But, reading the definitions, she was more than that.
9 Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.
I copied this verse because after learning that she is both lovely AND beautiful, beauty preparations were still given to her. She received 7 "choice" helpers and was in the "best place in the house" of women. This may be off topic, but I'm getting the idea that in the eyes of people we can never be lovely or beautiful enough...this concern will find its way in my prayers today.
12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women.
A year's worth of beauty treatments? Six months of oil and six months of perfumes. I just copied this verse on here because it made me go "wow." I wouldn't mind researching this a bit, but I'd need to make the time for that and I'd just be getting sidetracked. This won't be in my SOAP notes, but someday I will look this up...
14 In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.
This just made me sad. In the evening she went to him and in the morning she returned.
15 Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.
We see here she was politically minded. She requested nothing but what the king's eunuch advised. Because of her political savvy, she obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. (In addition to her loveliness and beauty she was politic also.
17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
It worked. He LOVED her. She received grace and favor from this king who loved her. She became his queen.
18 Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.
She received her own holiday! "according to the generosity of a king." (Think back to chapter 1 in case you're wondering about his generosity during a feast, ha.)
20 Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him.
She was obedient.
21 In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
I just added this because I found it shocking. For some reason I tend to think as eunuchs as peaceful. I don't think of them as getting furious and certainly not murderous!
22 So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.
Esther informed the king, but made sure to mention Mordecai's name.
23 And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
We will find later the importance of "it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king." Believe me, this is important. :)
Okay, these are some notes on Esther chapter 2. I will be SOAPing later today.
Be blessed as you read through the Bible where we are just learning, word by word.
Cindy
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