Under construction 5 Beautiful Purpose
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Men often boast, drink excessively, and belittle others as they see themselves as rulers of their homes. However, true beauty comes from living with purpose rather than outward appearances as beauty is subjective to each individual. A purposeful life focused on higher values can help overcome sins that damage relationships and society.
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Under construction 5 Beautiful Purpose
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Editor's Notes
- The genre of the book of Esther is Narrative History. Its author is anonymous however; some believe Mordecai, (Esther’s cousin and guardian), wrote it. It was written approximately 470 B.C. in Persia. Esther became queen in 479 B.C. The key personalities are Esther, Mordecai, King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes), and Haman. Esther is the only book in the Bible not to mention the name of God. (See more at: http://www.insight.org/resources/bible/esther.html#sthash.AU82ww2M.dpuf)
- A Mans World The Book of Esther opens with a description of an enormous 180-day party thrown by King Achashverosh in his 3rd year as king of the Persian Empire, ruling over 127 provinces. As the days of feasting draw to a close, he summons his wife, Vashti, to show off her beauty (by appearing wearing only her crown!). But Vashti refuses to come and the king, following his ministers’ advice, has her banished. Est 1:1 These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. :2 At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. :3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. :4 The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty :5 When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. :8 By edict of the king, no limits were placed on the drinking, for the king had instructed all his palace officials to serve each man as much as he wanted. Est 1:10 On the seventh day of the feast, when King Xerxes was in high spirits because of the wine, he told the seven eunuchs who attended him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas— Est 1:11 to bring Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and all the other men to gaze on her beauty, for she was a very beautiful woman. Est 1:12 But when they conveyed the king's order to Queen Vashti, she refused to come. This made the king furious, and he burned with anger. Belittle – Sex sells is a lie. What sells is to men is the idea that men are sexual subjects, men are in control and women are objects they are to be beautiful to have power. Caroline Heldman at TEDxYouth “Sexy Lies” Est 1:22 He sent letters to all parts of the empire, to each province in its own script and language, proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases.
- The reflexive use of the Hebrew word “LaKaKH” is constantly applied to her. She is “taken” in by Mordechai as a foster daughter, “taken” to the king’s harem, and “taken” before the king.
- Esther 2:1-18 As time passes, Achashverosh realizes the consequences of his actions and misses his queen. The deed, however, is done. Seeing that their ruler regretted the action that they suggested, the ministers propose that he find a new queen via an elaborate beauty contest of all the kingdom’s beautiful maidens. From all over the 127 provinces, beautiful women are brought to the palace for the king to select his new queen. In Shushan, the capital city, lives a beautiful Jewess named Esther (also called Hadassah). She is an orphan who was raised by her uncle, Mordechai, one of the leaders of the Jewish people in exile. When they come to take her to the palace, Mordechai, insightfully instructs her not to reveal that she is a Jewess or who her family is. Needless to say, after a 12 month process, Esther is deemed the fairest of them all. “The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she carried charm and favor before him more than all the other virgins, so he placed the royal crown on her head, and made her queen in place of Vashti”(Esther 2:17). While Mordechai does not reveal his relationship to the new queen, he frequents the palace gates to hear news of Esther’s well being. One day he overhears two men plotting to murder the king and he quickly sends word to Esther, who reveals the plot to the king in the name of Mordechai. The plotters are caught and executed, and Mordechai ‘s name and deed are written in the king’s Book of Chronicles. This orphan girl that has been at the mercy of others her whole life, told by others what to do, taken from place to place now finds her purpose. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: It would be easy to react to the over emphasis on external beauty by going to the other extreme and to completely decry beauty. But God is the author of beauty we must just learn to see beauty as He see’s it. In a world without God or a world were God does not define relationships between men and women we end up in the curse of Genesis 3:16 “And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” With God we live in a world were he is the subject of the the sentence and we are the objects i.e.. God created men and women. God defines beauty. Beauty relates to purpose in that beauty speaks to design and order. Beauty is a result of living according to God’s order and fulfilling His purposes inwardly and outwardly. 1Pe 3:3 Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 1Pe 3:4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. In the flat two dimensional world of media beauty is reduced to what we can see we are attracted to visual stimulus, but in real life beauty is about what we experience and we are attracted to that which makes us feel goodness. Esther was placed by God with a purpose, it was this purpose that gave her beauty not her beauty that gave her purpose. It was this purpose that gave her power not beaty that gave her power. She stood out because she lived for a higher purpose. She lived a life in line with God’s will, her life was in order and that made her beautiful. Are you beautiful in the eyes of God? Are you pursuing God’s purposes for your life?