Esther lived in the days when the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. Ahasuerus was king and the Media and Persia was the main empire in control. Vashti was the king’s wife. The king sent for her, to show her beauty and royalty to his princes and people. But the queen refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains. The king was angered by this disrespect. She was rejected from being the queen anymore. The king now needed a new wife. A search started all over his kingdom to gather all fair young virgins, from amongst one would be made queen. (Esther 1:1-2, Esther 1:10-12, Esther 1:19-20, Esther 2:1-4)

There was a Jew called Mordecai who was carried away to Babylon during the captivity of Nebuchadnezzar. He brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter: she had neither father nor mother (an orphan). She was fair and beautiful. When she was orphaned, he took her in and raised her as his daughter. She was chosen as one of the fair virgins gathered together from where one of them will be the new queen. But Mordecai instructed her not to disclose her Jewish heritage that may cause her disqualification among the screeners. (Esther 2:5-10, Esther 2:20)

The virgins selected went in before the king and when the time for Esther came she went in before the king. And the king loved Esther above all the  women, and she obtained favor in his sight (an act of God for a purpose), more than all the other virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti, (Esther 2:12-17).

Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, hated the king and plotted the king’s death. Mordecai knew of it and informed the queen. The queen informed the king and after investigations it was confirmed and the two men were hanged on a tree and documented in the book of the chronicles before the king. (Esther 2:21-2)

Haman was promoted by the king above all the princes. All the king’s servants that were at the king’s gate bowed and reverenced Haman, for the king so commanded. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did reverence. The Jews only bowed and reverenced the God of Israel only. This provoked Haman and he started to plot how to destroy and exterminate the Jews. Many of the Jews in the kingdom of Ahasuerus heard of the king’s decree. There was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing: and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. (Esther 3:1-15, Esther 4:1-3)

Queen Esther, heard about the plot and that Mordecai was in sackcloth and refused to change the raiment sent by Esther. Esther heard of the full plot and deadly plans of Haman in place with the king’s permission unknowingly. Mordecai requested Esther to speak to the king. But the queen could not go in to the king unless invited by the king. But the situation was urgent else the Jews would be exterminated. Esther sent a word to Mordecai that for about thirty days the king had not allied for her. Mordecai sent her a serious message, that she herself was not safe as a Jew. But she should consider that maybe God put her in such a position at this time to save her people, the Jews, (Esther 4:14).

Esther requested that the Jews in Shushan fast for her for three days or night for favor as she goes in on her own to the inner court of the king’s house; “And if I perish, I perish.”. After the fast she went into the king’s court and found favor with the king. Haman hated to see the Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate and would not bow to him. Ester invited the king and Haman to her banquet and they both attended. Meanwhile Haman already prepared  a gallows where to hang Mordecai. And it pleased Hamon.The night before Esther’s banquet the king could not sleep, and commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles: and they were read before the king. It was found that Mordecai saved the king from assasination. The king asked, saying, what honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai. The servants said there was nothing done for him. (Esther 4:4, Esther 4:11, Esther 13:14, Esther 4:16, Esther 5:1-2, Esther 5:4-5, Esther 5:14, Esther 6:1-3)

At that moment Haman arrived and the king said to him, what shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor. Haman in his heart thought that he was the one the king wanted to honor. Esther 6:8-10 outlined all the recommendations for a man the king delighteth to honor. To Haman’s shock the king told him to go and honor Mordecai, like he said and let nothing fail of all thou hast spoken. Haman did all that he told before the king, honoring Mordecai. After that Haman hastened to his house mourning and covered his head. The king’s chamberlain came to get Haman Esther’s banquet. (Esther 6:4-6, Esther 6:8-9, Esther 6:10-11-14)

At the banquet the king asked Esther about her petition and said it shall be granted thee. In her petition she requested for her life and the life of her people. For we have been sold, and my people to be destroyed. The king demanded to know who was responsible for such, where was he to presume such in his heart to do so? Esther answered and said it was Haman standing right there. The king was angry and walked away briefly only to come back and saw Haman fallen on the bed where Esther was and the king was more angry, saying will you force the queen also before me in this house?  And the king ordered Haman to be hanged in the gallows he had prepared to hang Mordecai. The king was pacified. Also the king wrote a new decree with his seal reversing the order to destroy the Jews. The Jews flourished in the land because of the faith of Esther, the guidance of Mordecai and the favor of God, who also answered the fasting and prayers of the Jews. These were acts of God, through faith. (Esther 7:2-10, Esther 8:7-8, Esther 8:11-12, Esther 8:16-17, Esther 9:20-22, Esther 9:28)

Esther was an orphan raised by Mordecai, her relative, she became queen but hid her Jewish identity. At the appointed time the purpose of God in her life came up. She bravely revealed her Jewish heritage to the king to save the Jewish people from extermination plans by Haman. Her life story showed confidence, courage, predestination, purpose and God’s divine hand in her life to stand in the Gap for her Jewish people in captivity, as God elevated her as queen for this mighty deliverance. This led to the Purim, which was a decree to destroy the Jew that was reversed and the Jews were saved, and led to the annual Jewish celebration Purim to commemorate their miraculous rescue. (Esther 2:7, Esther 2:10, 20 Esther 4:14, Esther 7:3-4, Esther 8:1, Esther 4:14, Esther 2:17, Esther 9:20-22, Esther 9:26-28)