The “Holy Women of Israel” – Esther

The “Holy Women of Israel” – Esther.

“Many daughters have done nobly, virtuously, and well, with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness, but you excel them all… A woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord in wonder and awe, she shall be honored and praised!” (Proverbs 31:29-31, Amplified Version).

Did you know that the Talmud, the official rabbinic source for Judaism, includes a “Hall of Fame” that includes seven women? These are the prophetesses, the “Holy Women of Israel,” who hold places of honor and are of central importance in biblical history. These women are: Sarah (Genesis 11-23); Miriam (Exodus 2,15); Deborah (Judges 4-5); Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2); Abigail (1 Samuel 25); Huldah (2 Kings 22); and Esther.

In some cases, the Hebrew word for woman prophet, “nebiah,” was used in Scripture, which was an official title of sorts for an accepted spokeswoman for the Lord, a proclaimer of God’s word. But in other cases, the term prophetess included a woman who was divinely inspired, able to receive divine messages about the present or the future, as well as divine interpretations of the past. Prophets male and female were those who spoke what was on God’s mind, and often held up as models of personal sanctity and intimacy with God. In one way or another, during one time or another, the biblical prophetesses were honored as mouthpieces of God and vital to the history of the Jewish people.

There were other inspired women in the Hebrew Bible that deserved “Special Mention” and thus were included in an unofficial list of the Holy Women of Israel:

*The wife of Isaiah in Isaiah 8:3, for the significant name she gave her son that was actually a divine prophecy of Judah’s future;

* The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-10, for being inspired to provide housing and food for the needy prophet Elisha, an example of divine hospitality;

* Rachel in Genesis 29-35, the long-suffering wife of Jacob for giving inspired names for her two sons,  including Joseph (“May He add More”) and Benjamin (“Son of my Sorrow”);

* Leah in Genesis 29-35, the wife of Jacob who bore him six sons and one daughter, and was inspired to name one of her sons Judah, “This time I will praise the Lord,” who provided the lineage for Messiah Jesus.

* Ruth, in the book in her name, a Gentile who remained faithfully loyal to her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi when they traveled to Bethlehem; she was a direct ancestor of Jesus.

It is logical to consider that Solomon had women like these prophetesses in his mind as he wrote Proverbs 31, as he stated that “many daughters have done well and were noble and virtuous.” But at the same time, as we read this passage, it appears that Solomon considered an unheralded woman in private life to be on a higher plane than these heroines of the faith. What makes his Proverbs 31 woman his ideal woman, “far more precious than  jewels and her value far above rubies or pearls.” As impressive as this unnamed woman’s accomplishments, professional  gifts and personal qualities might be, the fact is that this woman has now been renowned through the centuries for “reverently and worshipfully fearing the Lord in wonder and awe.” This anonymous woman is honored above all for her spiritual devotion to God in all the practicalities of daily life. Undoubtedly, Solomon held up all the holy women of Israel as he should. But here he is, claiming that this woman who combined impressive accomplishment with fervent and inspired faith tops all the rest of them!   We will certainly witness bits of pieces of this Proverbs 31 super-woman in the lives of our seven prophetesses, and there is much we can learn from them as we study each holy woman in some depth.

THE STORY OF ESTHER.

Persia. The story of Esther and Mordecai takes place in Persia around 480 BC. The ruling king was Xerxes, who had inherited everything from his father Darius, including 127 provinces that stretched from India to Africa and everywhere in between. During this time, there were still many Jews who had remained in Persia, even after they were allowed to return to their homeland in Israel. The Jews in Persia during Esther’s time had assimilated into Persian culture, were comfortable and settled, and they didn’t see the need to return.

A Shy God, Behind the Scenes. The story of Esther is unique in Scripture because it doesn’t once even mention the word “God.” Apparently, the writers (there are three versions of Esther) reflected the fact that the Jews in Persia had grown distant from their God of Israel, and so they didn’t identify with what was once so central to their belief in Yahweh. So the readers of Esther will discover that there are no religious terms in the book, such as God, Temple, sacrifices, Torah, or even the traditional word for prayer. We may not literally read the word “God” in Esther, but we nonetheless see God’s fingerprints all through the story. God is not mentioned, but He is everywhere assumed. His divine Providence is the driving force in the plot. It seems obvious that God is hidden in the storyline, behind a curtain, yet creating just one too many “coincidences.” The fact is that Esther is a story about God’s faithfulness to His covenant people, to His promise to Abraham long ago, that He would sustain His people in order to do His will of blessing the world through them. Faith is the art of seeing God even when He is not visible. Readers of Esther need that kind of faith as they read the story and its more hidden version of divine intervention.

Xerxes. This king was a two-fisted drinker who loved to party at every opportunity. It was no surprise that he always seemed to party at the wrong time, since political leaders of that time, according to the historian Herodotus,  thought liquor had a “spiritual effect” that enabled them to make effective official decisions and issue royal decrees. They thought that “spirits” actually put them in better touch with the “spiritual world.” Starting with a 180-day binge that concluded with a seven-day party of monumental proportions, we notice that in the first ten chapters of Esther, there were seven parties!

Vashti. It was during one his infamous parties that the Queen Vashti refused to be paraded in front of all his drinking buddies. Perhaps she refused the king’ s request out of modesty, or maybe she was simply fed up with his demanding her presence as if she were some servant of his. Maybe Vashti put her foot down because she was the granddaughter of the great Nebuchadnezzar, and she thought it was beneath her to submit to her husband in such a demeaning way. At any rate, Xerxes was publicly humiliated by her refusal to be unveiled, and he angrily banished her. We don’t hear from her again in the story.

Beauty Pageant. So Xerxes decided to build a first-rate harem by summoning all the most beautiful women in Persia. This was a kingdom-wide search, and all those who were “invited” came to the king’s palace for his approval. Xerxes was convinced that he would be able to choose his new queen from his new harem. One of the women selected was an orphaned Jewish exile named Hadassah, which means myrtle. She was evidently quite attractive, poised and intelligent, and it soon became quite clear that this young woman pleased Xerxes more than any of the other “nominations.” He changed her name to Ishtar to honor one  of the Persian goddesses. We know her as Esther, and her new name meant “star.”

Haman. Here we see Hitler before there was a Hitler. He was from the line of Amalekites, who were ancient enemies of the Jews. He was thoroughly pagan, and so full of himself that he commanded everyone to bow down to him in homage when they see him in the street. One day, a faithful Jew named Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman, because that act certainly had idolatry written all over it. Haman was “filled with rage” at Mordecai’s disrespect, discovered that Mordecai was Jewish, and vowed to direct a pogrom against all the Jews of Persia. He was determined to annihilate every Jew living in a Persian province if it was the last thing he ever did. He had some influence with Xerxes and convinced Xerxes, after a few cocktails of course, of the worthiness of conducting this ancient version of the Holocaust. So Haman cast lots, an old form of dice, to determine the date this massacre would be conducted. The Hebrew word for lots is “purim.”

Mordecai. Here is the other hero of the story… A faithful Jew, a government official, and known everywhere for his integrity and wisdom. His relationship with Esther is uncertain, since some scholars claim he was Esther’s adopted father, others say he was everything from Esther’s uncle, to cousin, or even her husband. We do know that Esther was raised by Mordecai and she answered ultimately to no one but him, that’s for certain.

Esther. Xerxes named Esther his new queen, and she accepted her impressive position without telling anyone that she was in fact Jewish. People didn’t notice that she was not Persian in the least, because everyone  was so impressed with her. Esther was respected by all in the palace, including Xerxes himself. After a full year in this royal position, a banquet, of course, was planned in her honor. But before the festivities of her banquet, Mordecai discovered Haman’s plot and quickly got word to Esther about Haman’s bloodthirsty plan to exterminate the Jews, which of course would include Esther as well. Mordecai then challenged and inspired Esther with these words that have come down through the centuries:

“If you keep quiet at a kairos-time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and the rest of us will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a kairos-time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Kairos. The Greek version of the Hebrew Bible made use of the term “Kairos” in this passage to put a fine point on what kind of time it was. KAIROS (Greek, kahee-ros) is an ancient Greek term for “time” that has been defined and described in many ways. New Testament Kairos means time, the right time, not just any time. The other Greek word for time is chronos, which is simply the linear measurement of time, as in the word chronology. Chronos has to do with quantity of time, while Kairos has to do with quality of time. Chronos refers to the sheer presence of time, but Kairos refers to the presence of timeliness. There are two angles of Kairos as we look at Esther’s “Kairos-time”:

1. Kairos means a timely opportunity; the fitting time for action; the right time to get involved; the proper time to act or decide something; a moment whose time has come; a time to respond because things have come to a head (kairos is related to the Greek word for head, “kara”); a particular time when a crisis has created an opportunity.
2. Kairos is God-time; the appointed time appointed by God; a sacred time for God to act; the opportune time when the Holy Spirit is moving someone into action; the moment of truth when the Spirit of God is inspiring the right word or action for the occasion; the right, fitting time to accomplish God’s will. One sacred example would be the Judeo-Christian believer honoring the Sabbath as God’s appointed time once a week, which sanctifies the day and enables the believer to experience Kairos time.

Perhaps we see in the book of Esther the central importance of being sensitive to a kairos-time in our lives. Maybe this is something all followers of Jesus could be praying about… Is it a kairos-time for me, Lord? Just like Esther and Mordecai and the Jews, invite God to reveal your kairos-time in fervent prayer and dependence upon His guidance.

The Fast. And in response to Mordecai’s revelation, Esther showed her true colors… She asked Mordecai to gather the Jews who live in the royal capital of Susa, and have a three-day fast before the banquet. An idea was forming in her nimble brain, and she wanted all of her people to engage in a prayerful fast, asking the God of Israel, in so many words, to intervene and guide all that happens. This is the hinge of the story, when everything started to change and God started conducting some of His renowned great reversals. One wonders what might have happened if Esther hadn’t declared a fast. Perhaps, as Mordecai said, someone else would have risen to deliver God’s chosen people. After all, God had promised a covenant of faithful love ever since Abraham, and He’s not about to let a murderous idiot like Haman to trash His plans. At any rate, Mordecai and Esther realized it was Kairos-time, and they dived into it with all their heart. It was during this time that a divine “coincidence” occurred as Xerxes had a sleepless  night. He asked to review some of  his royal records, and noticed that Mordecai had never been honored for saving the king’s life earlier by foiling an assassination plot. It was at this time that Haman was brought to Esther’s banquet.

The Fateful Banquet. Esther waited to discuss Haman’s plot with Xerxes until the third day of the feast, when everyone, including Xerxes, had had more than enough to drink. Knowing his love for the bubbly, Queen Esther put the king through two days of merriment before asking if the king could give a formal invitation to his friend Haman to attend the banquet, and of course Xerxes complied. Esther risked her life by asking for her surprise appearances before the king, but she bravely proceeded with her plan, saying, “If I must die, then I will die” (4:16). Right there in the presence of both Xerxes and Haman, Esther disclosed Haman’s plot to destroy herself and all her people.

The Execution of Haman. Xerxes was aghast that Haman would attempt to destroy the Queen and her people, so in another of his rages, he ironically sentenced Haman to die on the very same 75-foot-high pole that Haman had intended for Mordecai. Persia was famous for its public impalings on high poles. So in this case, Haman was impaled on the executioner’s pole for all to see instead of Mordecai. Xerxes didn’t stop there, though… He also impaled Haman’s ten sons. Unfortunately, later on the Romans picked up on this macabre idea, and adopted it to begin their tradition of public crucifixions.

Self-Defense. Naturally, the King knew he couldn’t revoke his earlier decree, and so decreed this time that the Jews could defend themselves against all their enemies who still looked forward to the massacre of the Jews. The Jews rightfully assumed that God would not be there to defend them this time around. Jewish self-defense resulted in a carnage that amounted to 75,000 Persian deaths. This is instructive to us, is it not? The Jews were not passive onlookers to God’s intervention. They were cooperative with God’s Providence, they felt responsible to participate in God’s promises and took action to defend themselves against their evil enemies. We all have a part to play in the accomplishing of God’s will, even if it’s not killing 75,000 enemies. Esther reveals that our part to play may be in simple steadfast faithfulness, or in fasting and prayer, or clever planning as we use the wits God gave us, or timely and brave assertiveness, or defending the vulnerable innocent which may include ourselves.

Happy Ending. If Xerxes had any wits at all about him after that bizarre chain of events, he would have promoted Mordecai to the position of Prime Minister, which is just what he did. I’m sure that Esther often added helpful reminders to Xerxes, in particular  to follow the example of Mordecai, his right-hand man. Esther 10:3 states it clearly: “Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfare of all their descendants.”  Mordecai has earned the honor of being a Christ-figure down through history, but let’s not forget that Esther was also a Christ-figure herself. Throughout her ordeal, Esther was brave, faithful, and clever as a snake, as innocent as a dove.

Purim. This word commemorates the “lots” Haman used to decide the date he would conduct his unsuccessful pogrom of the Jews. Ever since Mordecai declared a holiday (in Esther 9) to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews from their Persian enemies, Purim has been a yearly two-day festival in early spring for all the Jewish people. It is the only Jewish holiday that isn’t declared in the Torah, and is a time of raucous celebration. People dress in costumes, make lots of noise, carouse around town, and clearly intend to celebrate in keeping with Mordecai’s instructions…. “Celebrate these two days with feasting and gladness, by giving gifts of food to each other and to the poor” (9:22). Sure enough, Purim is dominated by a party atmosphere as the Jews celebrate their historical salvation from their Persian enemies. In honor of Esther’s declaration to fast, the day before Purim is highlighted by a nation-wide fast. And then, it’s time to “let it loose.” The book of Esther is chanted on both days, and every time Haman is mentioned there is a boisterous round of boos. And every time Mordecai is mentioned, cheers are all around! It appears that it is sinful to be serious during Purim.

Passover. A delicious irony in this story is that the very date that Haman decided to destroy Israel was actually the eve of Passover! The villain was Haman and not Pharaoh, but the result is the same… God faithfully provided another Passover in Esther, a way of salvation and deliverance for His chosen people!