“The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him than did any of the other young women. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. The king held a great banquet for all his officials and staff. It was Esther’s banquet. He freed his provinces from tax payments and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.” (Esther 2:17–18, HCSB)
A beauty pageant with a purpose – that is the theme of Esther 2. The king has decided to replace the queen. In order to do this, he asks for the most beautiful women in the kingdom to come to him. They were given one year to get ready. During this time, they would get beauty treatments. The point of all this cosmetic work is to win favor with the king.
The story introduces us to Mordecai – Esther’s uncle. He becomes her mentor. Why does he show up? Again, we see the hand of Someone guiding the entire process. Mordecai is introduced at a crucial time in this story. The king is not pleased with Queen Vashti, so he replaces her. He accepts Esther as the new queen. This leads to tax relief for the people.
Most beauty pageants are just that – a showcase of beautiful women. In this case, God uses the beauty pageant as a means to an end. He uses a beauty pageant with a purpose – to put His person Esther into a place of influence for His people. God uses events in our lives for a purpose. It can be a beauty pageant, an election, or a new job. God can use events in our lives for us to be used by Him. If we would look at events in our lives as an opportunity for God to use us, we might not get so discouraged in the situation we are in.
What events is God using in your life to prepare you to be used by Him?
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