Upon My Honor - Introduction

INTRODUCTION:  Probably many of us have seen the movie, “One Night with the King.”  I enjoyed the romantic spin that the writers tried to create but my interpretation from the book of Esther is somewhat different.  The thought of being brought to the king so that he can spend the night figuring out whether he likes you enough to make you queen, isn’t my idea of anything romantic.   Now don’t get mad at me for stating the facts… and don’t get mad at God either for allowing and even using such a thing.  He always meets humanity where humanity is; and for that we all should be grateful.   God shows up and works with people where they are and it’s never His fault when we end up in a less than ideal situation.   Earthly kings and earthly kingdoms were never God’s idea.  He warned man about the behavior of kings from the very beginning. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the story of Esther, let’s recap its beginning.   She was a Jewish girl who lost her parents at a young age; therefore, she was brought up by a relative named Mordecai.  It was a time of displacement for a lot of God’s chosen people because of their sin and disobedience.   The setting is around the Persian Empire where many of the Jews had ended up.  The story begins with the king (Ahasuerus) who orders a great feast with many dignitaries invited to show off some of the great splendor of his kingdom.  After feasting and drinking for a few days, the king sends for his queen (Vashti) so that he can show off her beauty to all of his male guests…   The only problem is… she’s busy giving a feast for the ladies and refuses to come at his request.  He was furious at her refusal and then later determined to take vengeance.  The king’s advisors suggested that he quickly remove her crown to teach her a lesson (not only her but to all women alike).

Their advice… Let young beautiful women be found and brought into the kingdom and then choose one to be your new queen.   So the king’s workers began selecting eligible women to be brought in and of course, Esther was found and added as a part of their collection.  This story is not about a king falling in love with a fair maiden.   Nor is it about a young maiden falling for a handsome prince.   Really, the sweetest emotion that is felt is the wonderful attachment that God feels toward His people and how He refuses to give up on us, no matter where we’ve ended up.   God can save a family or an entire nation just by saving one person who chooses to obey Him; and in this story of Esther becoming queen, that’s exactly what He did.  

Funny… most people think of Esther’s beauty as being her greatest asset but I always point out that all of the women who were brought into the kingdom were beautiful (I don’t care who you are; please don’t ever think that "pretty" is enough, lol).  Because of the hand of God being upon her, Esther was able to offer something more significant than beauty to the king and his kingdom.  A woman’s attractiveness might get her noticed for a few seconds but it will always be the women who know AND show honor that will win and keep positions.  Log in next week and find out just what I mean.

Loving U Like a Sister,

Regina