Old Testament: Esther 1 & 2
Poetry: Psalm 26
New Testament: John 6
I wanted to focus on Esther chapters 1-2 today, since that section makes us think about some important and difficult things. If you’re not an adult, you will be soon, and reading the bible as an adult means you notice things that your younger, more innocent self didn’t notice. And once you notice things, you can’t un-notice them. Instead, you will have to think about them and try to sort them out. You could call them the “seriously-why-is-this-in-the-bible” moments, and the bible offers so many of them. I’ve found that you really get the value out of them if you awkwardly lean into them rather than ignore them. So let’s get uncomfortable for a few minutes.
The context is that King Ahasuerus is on the hunt for a new queen after removing Queen Vashti from her position for not obeying his command. He orders that beautiful young virgins be gathered up (by force) from his entire kingdom, and he would pick his favorite to be queen. This is basically an ancient version of “The Bachelor,” but the women had no say in whether they would participate or not. After going through a year-long intense beauty regimen (like a spa day, but for a year), each woman would have her turn to spend the night with the king. The morning after, she would be moved to a harem of concubines, to be called upon whenever the king wanted.
It is more than clear that when the women have their night with the king, his expectation is a sexual encounter. Given that the women have no say in this, they are essentially prisoners, and that makes the king, well, a serial rapist. Like so many kings we have heard about, this king is a tyrant and is abusive of his power. He is accountable to nobody, does what he wants, and treats people like things for his own gain. In this case, being a candidate for queen is not a privilege, it is a terrifying situation. Each of the women now belong to the king forever whether they like it or not. Not cooperating would probably mean death for them.
It is sometimes difficult to know what to do with an unpleasant passage such as this. It’s not the kind of thing that causes you to feel inspired or connected to God, but we’re able to learn something from it.
Beware of power. The king is a great example of how having power can corrupt you. When there are no checks or balances, and your word is the law of the land, you can have whatever you desire, even if your desires turn dark. Unfortunately, the church is not immune to this danger. There is something that tends to happen when a church becomes a mega-church and the pastor attains celebrity status. Narcissism takes over, and some pastors or leaders commit terrible abuses of people. We need to put systems of accountability in place to help prevent this. Also, we need to lean on the example of leadership that Jesus gave us. It was never about using power for his own advantage, but about serving people (see Philippians 2:5-8).
Do not take advantage of people. At one point in time it may have been culturally acceptable to own people as property. That time is long gone. There is a reason why the practice of slavery is illegal in every country of the world. Treating anyone like they are property or like they are worth less than you violates their status as the image of God. It is easy to love things and use people. Do the opposite. Love people and use things.
Real-life ethics are hard. The right path through our circumstances is not always clear. Esther faces some tricky ethical dilemmas in this story. Should she cooperate with the king, or should she risk harm or death and resist him? What would be more right? Should she tell the king about the plot to assassinate him? After all, allowing him to be assassinated could be a quick solution to some of her problems, but on the other hand, it could invite equal or worse troubles. Esther opts for the long game, telling the king of the assassination plot, which shows her loyalty and gains the king’s trust. Having the king’s trust proves to be crucial later on in the story.
There is hope. Esther is not in a great situation, but (spoiler alert) we know from the rest of her story that God is able to use her in powerful ways to bring about something good. This doesn’t mean that God causes the bad circumstances we find ourselves in, but he is always working to make the best of them. Partner with God in that mission.
-Jay Laurent
Hi, I’m Jay. I’m a nerd by trade and passion. I enjoy consuming, playing, and creating music whenever I can. I’m a big fan of books and coffee, especially together. My wife, Lauren, and I live in Illinois, and love to play board games, watch shows or movies, or go on a good hike together.
Reflection Questions:
1. What power do you have? What can you do to put checks on it so that you won’t abuse it?
2. What troubles are you going through? How might God be working in your life through (or despite) them? Who is God shaping you to be on the other side of them?
Seek Grow Love 