The orphan’s name was Hadassah. She was a Jewish orphan living in a foreign land. The name of the land was Babylon in the region known as Persia. It was situated in central Mesopotamia on the river Euphrates approximately fifty miles south of the modern capital of Iraq, Baghdad. It was a glorious city in Hadassah’s day. Its hanging gardens were known in history as one of the seven wonders of the world.
This nation and this city were known for far more than beauty. It was also known for its military might, commerce and wickedness. This kind of power played itself out through kings and leaders who had insatiable desires to conquer and annihilate other peoples.
Down in Israel everything had been going fine until the Babylonians came to town. The northern part of Israel had been taken captive by this warring nation. Families, including Hadassah’s had been ripped out of their own homes and displaced into the pagan Babylonian culture. Although a Jewish person could become very influential and wealthy in Babylon, all Hadassah’s Jewish friends and neighbors lived in fear of their captors. They had to do exactly as they were told or terrible fates of death or torture could await them.
Hadassah was just a young girl when her parents died in that land. Hadassah looks a lot like Joseph, whose story we find in Genesis. Joseph was one of her ancestors. When we first meet Hadassah several centuries have passed since Joseph saved thousands from a massive famine and the Israelites had long before congealed as a large and prosperous nation.
Despite the fact that Hadassah was an orphan, she was not left alone. She had a kind relative who took her and treated her as his own daughter. His name was Mordecai. There is an ancient account written of him and it goes like this:
Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. (Esther 2:5-7)
That ancient account is from the Old Testament. It is in this book that we see a young woman come into a great and grave understanding of the purpose for her life. When we talk about such a purpose-driven life we are talking about a moment of understanding. This is a movement from selfishness and ignorance into selflessness. It is a movement toward understanding that God has something far greater to accomplish through us than just what we might think. I believe that God has a purpose for each one of us. And God certainly had a far-reaching purpose for this girl named Hadassah, who was also known as Esther.
Meanwhile back at the palace, King Xerxes—the king of Babylon—was throwing one of his more lavish parties. In Esther 1:4-8 we get an amazing picture of this party.
For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king's palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa. The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king's liberality. By the king's command each guest was allowed to drink in his own way, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.
King Xerxes was feeling good about everything including his lovely Queen Vashti. Vashti’s beauty was remarkable. She was his arm-candy. He loved to show her off. She was in another room giving a banquet for women and Xerxes commanded that she come into the men’s banquet so that he could display her beauty.
As wonderful as it might be to be queen, you just don’t do what Vashti did next. She refused the King’s command! I don’t know about you, but if you kind of knew who Xerxes was and if you kind of understood that he was volatile, I don’t think that you would want to refuse him or embarrass him in front of his kingdom.
Xerxes immediately becomes enraged and gathers his advisors to find out what to do. And they gave him so very specific advice. (1:17, 19)
“For the queen's conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, `King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.' . . . Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she.
And so he did. Vashti was kicked out of the palace and shamed in front of her entire nation.
A while later Xerxes started to miss old Vashti. She was beautiful. But he had made a decree which could not be revoked, so he gathered his advisors around him again. And they made a wonderful suggestion! Search the entire land for the most beautiful women, bring them all to the palace, give them one year of beauty treatments and anything they want, then the king can pick the one that pleases him.
Suddenly young women from all over Babylon were yanked out their homes, stuffed into a palace harem and separated from everyone they loved. Esther was one of those young women.
Mordecai was astonished that she had been taken so quickly. Just before she was taken, he warned her sternly not to tell anyone that she was a Jew—one of God’s people. He worried about her day and night. In 2:11 we read how he paced near the courtyard of the palace waiting to find out what happened to her.
A year later Xerxes started his selection process. No, not that one. No, not that one. Hold this one aside, she might be it. It was kind of the reality show The Bachelor Babylon-style, except with the startling reality that if he was not pleased they could die or be banished. No rose ceremony here.
Esther was a lot like her ancestor Joseph. She was as lovely as he was handsome. She was a kind as he. She was as humble as Joseph eventually became. And that made her physical beauty all the more appealing. Xerxes chose her. One year after being yanked out of Mordecai’s home she stood with a golden crown on her head, seated at another massive banquet the king was throwing on her behalf.
Through all of this Esther retained her faith and her principles. She continued to do as her uncle Mordecai had taught her. She was a woman of integrity and goodness who followed God no matter what.
That’s what made what happened next all the more alarming. There are some people who hate Jews. Sometimes there seems to be a reason for it, sometimes there does not. Hitler, of course is one of those who jumps to our mind immediately. But there are others that we see on the news every now and then. Hatred just seems to boil out of their heads.
There was once such man in the days of Xerxes. His name was Haman. The king had made him a high official and had ordered that all the people bow to Haman everywhere he went. Mordecai would not bow. He lived the principles of the One, true living God and God had commanded that he not bow down to or worship anyone or anything else. So Mordecai would not bow—and Haman hated him for it. In 3:5-6 we read a story of hatred.
When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
This kind of hatred, coupled with his kind of power, sets the stage for a horrifying possibility. Haman goes to the king and begins to describe a group of people in the kingdom presenting a very real and present danger—at least that’s how Haman wanted the king to understand the situation. Read 3:8-11.
Then Haman said to King Xerxes, "There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king's laws; it is not in the king's best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business." (That’s 375 tons of silver!)
So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. "Keep the money," the king said to Haman, "and do with the people as you please."
As soon as the edicts were announced and the bulletins distributed every Jew in the kingdom of Persia was deeply distressed. In 4:3 it says, “In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing.” They were crying out to Jehovah God to save them. They were giving up meals to be on their knees pleading with God to preserve them from this horrible act of genocide.
And God heard them. For you see, a young Jewish woman was queen of this kingdom. Her husband did not know she was Jewish, but she did. When she heard the terrible news sent by a messenger from her Uncle Mordecai she was shaken to the bone. These were desperate times and they also required desperate measures.
In 4:8-11 we read can read the next riveting scene in this story.
He (Mordecai) also gave him(Hathach—the Esther’s attendant) a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
Hathach went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, "All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."
Esther’s heart was probably pounding in her throat. What was Mordecai asking of her?! She could die! How could he ask her to do this?
There are times in our lives when we are asked or compelled to do things that seem to be far beyond our capacity or even our desires. But at these times what is at stake is far more important than our one little life. A purposeful life is driven by the Giver of life. He is the One who calls us to greater good, despite the cost it may be to us. Mordecai was more mature and more unselfish than Esther was at this point. And he sends back a message that would shake the foundations of her young life.
Read 4:12-17.
When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
For such a time as this. Suddenly the future is more important than the present, her people’s lives are more important than her personal comfort, her position and influence far outweigh her fear.
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions.
Somewhere in the dark night of her soul, she wrestled with the meaning and purpose of her life. What was she here for? Why had she been put into this position of great influence and power? What was most important? What did God, her wonderful, loving, compassionate God want of her?
The Spirit of God, the same Spirit that was found in Jesus, the same Spirit that abides with us today, was calling a young Jewish orphan made queen to a far greater purpose than she had ever imagined.
Esther emerged from that dark night of the soul with a true purpose.
Read 5:1-4.
On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
Then the king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you."
"If it pleases the king," replied Esther, "let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him."
When Haman got the invitation he was so pleased with himself. He told everyone how special he was to the king and queen. In his pride he could not have even anticipated what happened next. Two private banquets later the three of them were in the dining room.
Read 7:1-8.
So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther, and as they were drinking wine on that second day, the king again asked, "Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted."
Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king."
King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, "Who is he? Where is the man who has dared to do such a thing?"
Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman."
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.
The king exclaimed, "Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?" As soon as the word left the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.
Haman was quickly executed. Esther pleaded with the king to make a new edict that all the Jews in the kingdom could arm and defend themselves. In Chapter 8 we read how there was great rejoicing by all of God’s people throughout the kingdom. And in Chapter 9 the people of God gained a mighty victory over all their enemies. All because one woman understood her purpose in life.
Commentators in The Tanach: The Stone Edition summarize the outcome in this way: “The Jewish people suddenly realized that nothing had been left to chance, that God had been watchful all along, and that all that was wanting for their salvation was for them to recognize the Source of their existence.”[1] The reason for their living and the purpose for these events was God’s all along.
What is the purpose of your life? Are you avoiding the deeper meaning to life—a life with God through Jesus Christ whose plans are to prosper you and not to harm you? (Jeremiah 29:11)
In Luke 10:27 Jesus repeated the ancient commands that Esther and Mordecai had known, "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, `Love your neighbor as yourself.'" That’s what he did. That’s what Esther did.
What is God calling you to do—great or small—for such a time as this?
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