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

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The first two chapters of the Book of Esther set the stage for the rest of the book.  That doesn’t mean that we cannot learn from them.  In the account of Esther’s behavior towards Hegai, the eunuch put in charge of the women before they were presented to the king, there is a hint of humility along with a strong suggestion that she treated him with respect and dignity.  Whereas, the passage hints that the other women treated Hegai as beneath them, as a mere servant.  The suggestion is that she won the king’s favor because of her personality traits.  The text clearly states that she was beautiful, but implies that she did not think that her beauty, or her heritage, made her special.  I really think that the writer is contrasting Esther’s humility with Haman’s arrogance.  Haman wanted to be seen as special and above others.  Esther’s humility led to her rise.  Haman’s arrogance led to his fall.

Let’s look at this a little closer.  Esther thought well of servants and took their advice.  Esther did not make known the the court that she was a Jewess or that Mordecai was her cousin who had raised her.  Yet, the court servants would have known there was some sort of relation between them, even if they did not know that fact (and they very well may have known that as well).  The servants would have known because Mordecai came by daily for news of Esther.  Additionally, when Mordecai learned of the assassination plot against the king, he passed the news along through Esther.  So, if Haman had thought to speak to the servants about Mordecai, he would have learned that Mordecai was related to Queen Esther.  He might have even learned that Mordecai had revealed a plot to assassinate the king.  Esther did not see anyone as below her.  Haman looked down on those he considered beneath him.

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