Before a girl’s
turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty
treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with
perfumes and cosmetics. And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she
wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. In
the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the
harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the
concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and
summoned her by name.
When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail ) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. (Esther 2:12-18)
When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail ) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. (Esther 2:12-18)
After
spending six months being soaked in oil, and six months being taught how to
look and smell good and having everything you needed (except freedom) provided
by the king, the girls were permitted to take whatever they wanted with them
when they went to the king’s palace. Different time, difference culture. I
wonder what the options really were and whether that was part of the test. The
whole purpose of their being there was to please the king, so if a girl took
things to please herself, did that show she wasn’t doing her job? Looking at it
from the girl’s perspective, a year earlier, she had lost everything to be
taken into the harem. I can understand why it might be hard to part with everything
again. Keep in mind, however, that when she’d had her night with the king, she
was taken to another harem, where her needs would once again be provided.
Whether from her own wisdom or because Mordecai told her, Esther went with only what Hegai suggested. Drum roll please. Yes, we all know the story. She won. Did you notice the date? I had to go back to look. The six-month banquet at which Queen Vashti said, “Uh, no, I don’t think so!” took place in the third year of Xerxes’ reign. Esther was taken to the king in the tenth month of the seventh year of his reign. This travesty took four years to plan and implement. We don’t know where she was in his year-long list (perhaps more than year-long). Was there more than one round? Did girls given three stars and up get a second round of inspection? We aren’t told how it worked, just that she won.
I have to wonder how she felt. “Esther, you won!”
“Great, that means it’s likely that I’m going to have to spend more nights entertaining the ham-handed lout.” Or… “Great, think of what I can do for my people if I work it right.” Or… “Great, because I really liked him.” Again, we don’t know.
I can’t help but think about a spiritual parallel. Oil is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. As we go through our lives, we spend a lot of time facing difficulties that either produce beauty or ugliness in our lives. For those who are Christians (according to Scripture), God applies the Holy Spirit, and ultimately, that is the only thing we need when we stand before the Lord for our “one night” of judgment. Those who please Him are taken to a place where we may encounter Him again, often. Those who don’t please Him are sent to a part of the harem from which they are never called again.
Could the chief eunuch, Hegai represent religion? He could produce no life of his own, he can only advise those entrusted to him on how to please the king. “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul?” What does it profit to take all your toys and trinkets with you when you leave this world, and end up sent off where you’ll never see the king again?
Whether from her own wisdom or because Mordecai told her, Esther went with only what Hegai suggested. Drum roll please. Yes, we all know the story. She won. Did you notice the date? I had to go back to look. The six-month banquet at which Queen Vashti said, “Uh, no, I don’t think so!” took place in the third year of Xerxes’ reign. Esther was taken to the king in the tenth month of the seventh year of his reign. This travesty took four years to plan and implement. We don’t know where she was in his year-long list (perhaps more than year-long). Was there more than one round? Did girls given three stars and up get a second round of inspection? We aren’t told how it worked, just that she won.
I have to wonder how she felt. “Esther, you won!”
“Great, that means it’s likely that I’m going to have to spend more nights entertaining the ham-handed lout.” Or… “Great, think of what I can do for my people if I work it right.” Or… “Great, because I really liked him.” Again, we don’t know.
I can’t help but think about a spiritual parallel. Oil is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. As we go through our lives, we spend a lot of time facing difficulties that either produce beauty or ugliness in our lives. For those who are Christians (according to Scripture), God applies the Holy Spirit, and ultimately, that is the only thing we need when we stand before the Lord for our “one night” of judgment. Those who please Him are taken to a place where we may encounter Him again, often. Those who don’t please Him are sent to a part of the harem from which they are never called again.
Could the chief eunuch, Hegai represent religion? He could produce no life of his own, he can only advise those entrusted to him on how to please the king. “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, but lose his soul?” What does it profit to take all your toys and trinkets with you when you leave this world, and end up sent off where you’ll never see the king again?
Comments
Post a Comment