Esther 2:1–18 (May 13, 2025)

Esther Chosen Queen

2 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king[a] be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.

5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8 So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. 9 And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. 11 And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women— 13 when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15 When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, 17 the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown[b] on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.

“The Rise of a Hidden Queen”

A Five G’s Meditation (ESV)

Esther 1 ended with Queen Vashti deposed and a royal edict issued across the vast Persian Empire. Now, in chapter 2, the king seeks a new queen. On the surface, it looks like a beauty contest. But under the surface, God is positioning Esther for a far greater purpose than royal glamour—she is being placed for redemption.

1. GOD – The Lord Positions His People for His Purposes

Esther 2:5–7, “Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.”

Though the chapter begins with royal politics, the true focus shifts to a young Jewish orphan—Esther. God is quietly at work through ancestry, exile, and adoption. The Lord is not absent; He is moving His covenant people into position. In a godless empire, His silent sovereignty is placing Esther for a moment that will save a nation (cf. Acts 17:26–27).

2. GUILT – The World Exalts Beauty, But Ignores the Soul

Esther 2:2–4, “Then the king’s young men who attended him said, ‘Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel... and let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ This pleased the king, and he did so.”

The search for a new queen is driven by appearance, not character. The empire objectifies women, treating them as interchangeable and disposable. This reveals not only the moral emptiness of worldly power but also a deeper human guilt—we prize outward beauty but neglect the heart. Unfortunately, it is a recurring pattern of sin since Eden, where sight overruled trust (Genesis 3:6; 1 Samuel 16:7).

3. GOSPEL – God Uses the Lowly to Accomplish His Plan

Esther 2:8–9, “So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.”

Though Esther’s entry into the harem was likely involuntary, she receives favor and elevation. The gospel often follows this pattern—God lifts the humble, places the lowly in positions of influence, and works through those who seem insignificant (cf. Luke 1:52–53; 1 Corinthians 1:27–29). Esther’s beauty is not the point—her God is.

4. GRACE – God’s Favor Prepares Us for His Greater Calling

Esther 2:15–17, “When the turn came for Esther... to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace... the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”

Esther enters the royal palace with humility and discernment—and wins the king’s favor. While the world sees her rise as luck or charm, the eyes of faith see grace. God is preparing her for a task she does not yet know. In the gospel, God’s favor often precedes clarity; we are called before we fully understand our mission (cf. Romans 8:30; Ephesians 2:10).

5. GRATITUDE – How Is God Preparing You in the Shadows?

• Do I believe God is actively working—even when He seems silent or distant?

• Am I more shaped by how the world defines success and beauty, or by how God defines worth?

• How might God be positioning me—even through trials or obscurity—for a greater purpose than I currently see?

• When I experience favor or open doors, do I see them as random or preparation for Kingdom work?

• Can I trust that God uses orphans, exiles, and nobodies to fulfill His redeeming purposes?

  
  

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” (1 Peter 5:6, ESV)

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Lord, thank You that even when I cannot see You, You are working.

Thank you for the hidden ways you prepare your people for your purposes.

Thank you for choosing what is weak in the world to shame the strong,

for lifting up the lowly, and for calling us into Your greater story.

Help us to trust your providence, walk in humility, and give You glory—

even when the path is unclear. In Jesus Christ's name we pray.