Day 174: Esther, a QUEEN
Esther, a young Jewish orphan, raised by her older cousin, Mordecai - who worked in the kings house, ends up being the king’s second wife. His first wife, Vashti, publicly humiliates him — by guy standards and a week’s worth of wine drinking, which is why she didn’t want to go in to a room full of drunken men.
Vashti must be punished for this insubordinate response to his request for her to come to their party room, so he can show her off to all his friends, for she has beauty. The men concur that she not only humiliated the king, but all of them because they were all dignitaries, of some sort, from all over. Their wives were there and witnessed this act of the queen. The men were afraid that they would spread this insubordination to women, all over, and they would lose their control.
King Ahasuerus banishes her from his palace, and takes all her property away. Now he needs someone new for his wife. He has all the beautiful virgins gathered and held at his palace while he choses one for the wife and new Queen. To prepare for this “interview” the women are massaged, with fragrant oils, until they smell good to their bones, before they see the king. He falls in love with Esther, immediately, and crowns her, right then and there.
He doesn’t know she is a Jew, and he doesn’t know she is cousin to Mordecai.
The king promotes a man named Haman to be his empire’s top official. It’s a high title, and servants and others bow to him — all except Mordecai. That infuriates Haman. So much so that he plots to kill all the Jews to pay for this horrific sin of Mordecai not bowing to him. A Holocaust is coming. Haman presents his idea to the king, allowing ‘patriotic’ citizens be allowed to kill ‘this group’ and take over their possessions. The king doesn’t know its about the Jews, as that part was left out in the request from Haman. Plus, Haman offers the king a large contribution of silver, to sweeten his request.
Mordecai is mortified that there will be a holocaust, and he pleads with Esther to talk to the king that it will include her and Mordecai in the killings. The king is angry when he finds out what Haman’s plot was about. Not to mention, when the king went outside to think in his anger, Haman is justifiably fearful and begs Esther for his life. In his anxiety, he falls and ends up falling on top of Esther, looking like he was already claiming his prize, the queen. So the king believes he is leading a coup, including taking the wife. There is strict and proper ways you can approach the king’s wives, especially the queen.
Haman had made a very long, pointed spear that he was going to impale Mordecai with. But, karma has a way sometimes of coming immediately. The king says to impale Haman with it, and they do. The Jews are saved from slaughter because of Esther, who literally had the power of all of them in her hands.
Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrating that they DIDN’T die in a holocaust. It has similarities to Mardi Gras, without all the immorality that happens at Mardi Gras. Kids dress up, the story of Esther is told, when the name Haman comes up in the story, the kids all scream to drown out his name.
