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“What a
Woman” Our history books are filled
with great women with tremendous influence who made an impact on their
generations: women like Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, Madame
Curie, Clara Barton, Helen Keller, Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks, Margaret
Thatcher, and Golda Meir, to name only a few. There are women
who have been ministers of the Gospel, athletes, musical greats, leaders
of governments, and military heroes who stand out continuously throughout
the pages of history. I recently read the story of Susanna Wesley,
mother of Charles and John Wesley, the founders of the Methodists, great
women of perseverance, dignity, and fortitude, strength of character. When we open our Bible we find
in it great women who stand out and make a difference in their generations:
women like Eve, Sarah, Jochebed (mother of Moses), Hannah, Abigail,
Deborah, Ruth, Elizabeth and Mary, Martha and Mary, Eunice and Lois,
Priscilla, Lydia, Phoebe. Each of these women of the Bible played
a major part in God’s plan and left a mark on the world. One of these remarkable women
of the Bible is, of course, Esther. Esther, a Jew, whose Mom and
Dad had passed away, whose cousin, Mordecai, had taken her in and raised
her as his daughter. The Jews were in captivity to the Persian
Empire at this time. The king had returned from war, defeated,
lonely, and in need of affection and long-term companionship.
His counselors advised him, “Let’s find every possible available,
beautiful young woman in the Persian kingdom and let’s bring them
here and let you take your pick.” Let’s have a beauty contest
and see who wins. Est 2:8 When the king's order had been
publicly posted, many young girls were brought to the palace complex
of Susa and given over to Hegai who was overseer of the women. Esther
was among them. Esther was a Jew. Esther
was taken (I believe by force) to the king’s palace to participate
in this context. Josephus says that as many as 400 women were
chosen to compete. Can you just imagine the fierce competition
between the ladies that took place? Esther had something that the
other ladies did not have: inner strength and godly dignity. 5 characteristics
of Esther
Est 2:9 “Hegai liked Esther and took
a special interest in her. Right off he started her beauty treatments,
ordered special food, assigned her seven personal maids from the palace,
and put her and her maids in the best rooms in the harem.” Literally, “She lifted up
grace before his face.” Though she was brought to the harem
and participated in these things reluctantly, Esther did not display
a sour attitude. I believe she sensed the hand of God in all this.
Esther modeled grace in a tough situation.
Est 2:10 “Esther didn't say anything
about her family and racial background because Mordecai had told her
not to.” Esther could keep a secret.
Verbal restraint is fast becoming a forgotten virtue. Thanks to
tell-all tabloids and hide-nothing television talk shows, nothing is
restrained. Learn to keep confidences, especially the confidences
of your husband, your family, and your friends. Come to be known
for keeping secrets! It is part of having character marked by
strength and dignity.
Est 2:20 “All this time, Esther had
kept her family background and race a secret as Mordecai had ordered;
Esther still did what Mordecai told her, just as when she was being
raised by him.” Even becoming a finalist in
this frenzied competition, or later, becoming queen, did not cause Esther
to flaunt her independence and strut her stuff. Not this lady!
This lovely, dignified, wise woman was still willing to listen and learn. “Education is going from
an unconscious to conscious awareness of one’s ignorance,.”
Est 2:12-15 “Each girl's turn came to
go in to King Xerxes after she had completed the twelve months of prescribed
beauty treatments — six months' treatment with oil of myrrh followed
by six months with perfumes and various cosmetics. When it was
time for the girl to go to the king, she was given whatever she wanted
to take with her when she left the harem for the king's quarters.
She would go there in the evening; in the morning she would return to
a second harem overseen by Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch in charge of
the concubines. She never again went back to the king unless the king
took a special liking to her and asked for her by name. When it
was Esther's turn to go to the king (Esther the daughter of Abihail
the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his daughter), she asked
for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the
harem, had recommended. Esther, just as she was, won the admiration
of everyone who saw her.” Think of it: no job, no responsibility,
no cooking, no clean-up, no washing, no ironing, no errands, no budget-watching,
no holding back in any area. Imagine! Pampered and indulged,
in this self-centered harem of Persia, all of the emphasis rests upon
her becoming a woman of greater physical beauty. Jewelry, clothing,
perfumes, cosmetics, whatever she wishes are hers. The only thing
on everyone’s mind is to win the contest—to please the king and
gain his favor. She does not succumb to the
temptation around her—the superficiality, the selfishness, the seduction,
the self-centeredness. In 1977 a survey was done. The percentages may have changed a bit from then: 15% of the women tinted their
hair; 22% wore false eyelashes; 38% sometimes wore wigs or hairpieces;
80% wore rouge or some kind of facial cosmetics; 93% used nail polish;
98% wore some kind of eye makeup, and 100% voted in favor of a resolution
condemning any kind of false packaging. I believe that Esther went
into the king unafraid because she had no driving ambition to be queen.
I believe she just wanted to go back to her home to Mordecai.
But I also believe that the greater driving faith of Esther was also
a burning desire to please the king of kings, to obey Jehovah.
I believe she knew the hand of God was on her life and her life did
not revolve around physical appearance or making an earthly king happy.
She knew from whence she came, who she was, and in whose hands her life
rested. God’s pleasure, God’s plan, God’s purpose is what
she wished for. 5.
Esther displayed a humble respect for authority. Esther continued to obey the
voice and instruction of Mordecai. Even after being chosen as
the queen and exalted to such a high position in the vast Persian empire,
she remained humble and respectful of authority. Can women of today exhibit
all these qualities? It can happen. Yes! God does
not mock us by requiring things of us which we cannot obtain and which
we cannot obey. God does not give me strength to overcome temptation
and not make available to you that same source of strength. God
is no respecter of persons! There are no unreachable challenges
in the Christian life that you cannot overcome. You can conquer!
You can be delivered! You can overcome! However, you cannot become
a great woman of God by taking your cues from the world. That
will only bring defeat and frustration. You, as an individual,
have your own pressures, your own difficulties, your own unique circumstances,
but God offers ways to handle them and become His special person He
has designed for you. The question
is how? First, ASK GOD! Ask God
to cultivate character within you! Ask Him to give you a discontent
for the superficial and a deeper desire for the spiritual. Make
yourself available to His strength, His reproofs. Seek His counsel
for the things you lack. Allow Him to help you set reasonable
goals. Record them in your journal so you will have a written
account of your prayer to Him. Place more emphasis on what
is happening deep within your heart and less emphasis on the externals,
the superficial, the temporary. Second, TRUST GOD! Trust
Him to control the circumstances around you. Don’t wait for
your circumstances to become perfect (they never will be). You ladies are special.
You are unique. Much to the false claims of men, we, as men, cannot
live without you. You are our strength. Mothers to their
children, wives to their husbands, and made by God to strengthen the
household. Ladies, mothers, women of faith—God
has given you special abilities often not found in men:
Qualities that women, mothers
have: Pro 11:16 A gracious woman attains honor. Pro 12:4 An excellent wife is the crown
of her husband. Pro 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a
good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. Pro 19:14 House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers. But a prudent wife is from
the Lord. Husbands and children alike: Have you told your wife/mother
that she is a gift from God to you? Husbands, do you help your
wife to reach her long-term goals? Children, are you giving the
honor and respect you should to your Mom? How much comfort to your wife,
to your mother, or the mother of your children do you give in her times
of need? Wives and mothers, we salute you. We bless you in Jesus’name. |