Esther Chapter 2
Please read: Esther 2 –
The events that take place in this chapter sound like something out of the pages of modern USA. The story revolves around a young lady named Esther who was raised by her relative Mordecai because her parents had passed away. Mordecai was a Jew that had been taken captive by the Babylonians and Esther herself was a Jew. They were living in a dangerous part of the world where there would soon be uprisings against the Jews. They were not wanted in the country of the Persian empire.
In what may seem like an odd plan, Mordecai saw a way to ensure the safety of his beloved Esther. He entered her in what we might call a beauty pageant. Only the prize of winning this beauty pageant meant becoming the queen to King Ahasuerus. But Mordecai was never far away, he did all he could to keep a protective eye on her.
Let's Reflect
1. Who came up with the idea of holding a beauty contest to select the next queen?
2. What were the contestants given to help them look even more beautiful to the king?
3. There were probably thousands and thousands of women who came to get the chance to become the queen. They had to eliminate some, based on the opinion of the king’s men, those most pleasing to the eyes were advanced to the next round. What does verse 9 tell us about how Esther did in this beauty contest?
4. There is one very important fact that we need to know, that is written in verse 10. What is that fact?
5. How long did Esther have to go through a beautifying program before she could be seen by the king himself?
6. When Esther had her turn before the king, it seemed that she was the most favored by the king. What does it say that the king gave to Esther?
7. In the last few verses, we read that Mordecai had discovered a plot against the king by his own men. What did Mordecai do with this important news?
