I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Esther 1-3.

The Book of Esther is in many ways a perfect model for storytelling.  Each of the first three chapters is a self-contained story which sets up the one which follows.   Each one of them contains lessons we can learn from.  The first chapter can be used to illustrate many mistakes which can be made in a marriage relationship.  However, I believe that only one of them was put there on purpose by the writer.  Herodotus wrote that when the Persians had a big decision to make they would get drunk and debate what should be done.  Then when they sobered up they would review their decision, and only if it still seemed like a good idea would they implement it.  In this story, King Xerxes and his advisers made a decision while they were drunk, and immediately implemented it.  The decision making process described by Herodotus may have some merit, if used carefully.  The decision making process described here will lead to many regrets, as we see in the next chapter.

The second chapter builds upon the first.  King Xerxes came to regret his decision to depose Queen Vashti.  His advisers came up with a plan to avoid losing their position for giving him advice he regretted.  Again, there are many lessons which this passage can be used to illustrate, but there are only two  to which I want to pay particular attention.  When Esther was brought into the king;s harem, she was humble and friendly.  She acted in a manner which earned her the friendship of the eunuch in charge of the king’s harem.  She could have been haughty and dismissive of the eunuch as many beautiful women would have done.  Or she could have been resentful and angry towards him, as many other women would do in a similar situation.  (Note: I am not saying that these are failings which are unique to women).  Instead, Esther acted in a way which earned the man’s friendship.  Then when she was called to the king’s bed, she took the eunuch’s advice.  She did not connive or scheme how she could manipulate the king.  Once gain she displayed humility and friendliness, which earned her the king’s favor.

The first two chapters were introduction.  They set the stage.  Here in the third chapter the story actually starts.  The chapter begins by introducing the last of its characters, Haman.  The first thing we come across is that Mordecai got away with not obeying the king’s command to bow to Haman, which brings us to the second lesson from the second chapter.  Mordecai could do this because he had demonstrated his loyalty to the king by revealing a plot to assassinate the king.  If Haman had tried to punish Mordecai, he would have been revealed as the petty man that he was and because Mordecai had revealed his loyalty to the king previously doing so might have also cost him his postion.  So, when Haman realized that he could not make a direct example of Mordecai, he sought another way to make him pay.  And Haman had the power and cunning to pull off this plan.  He was able to convince the king, through slander and bribery, to allow him to order the death of all of the Jews, which only “incidentally” included loyal Mordecai.  Which gives us a fourth lesson.  Standing up to powerful people may cost us a price we did not anticipate.