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There was once a young Jewish girl
around 500 years B.C.
Who had courage, faith and strength
and desirable beauty ~
From the citadel of Susa
the place that was her home
The girl whose name was Hadassah
as Esther she was known.
She had lived a quiet life
with her cousin Mordecai
Who had taken care of her
after her parents had died ~
A beautiful young girl
with hair of ebony
And enchanting opal eyes
that made her so lovely.
One day the King of Persia
had banished his royal queen
And so an order was posted
under his decree ~
To gather all the young girls
and prepare them for the King
In the palace harem
until summoned by him.
At once she won the favour
of Hegai, their overseer
And he gave to her the best rooms
for the twelve months she'd spend here ~
She was given beauty treatments
of oils and perfumes
And seven maids to ready her
for her royal duty soon.
But Esther had not revealed
that she was a Jew
For her cousin had instructed
and had forbidden her to ~
While every day Mordecai
strolled by the harem's gate
For news of his dear cousin,
wondering of her fate.
As the time drew near for Esther
to go before the King
She could choose whatever she wished to take
for the special evening ~
But she asked for nothing
when her time had come
And Esther, just as she was
won the admiration of everyone.
The King fell in love with her
as she stood before his eyes
Her beauty was far greater
and had come as a surprise ~
For she had strength and spirit
of that he could truly see,
And placing a crown upon her head
Esther became his Queen.
One day while Mordecai was by the gate
he heard a plot to kill the King
So he summoned for Queen Esther
who then told the King ~
When it was investigated
and then confirmed as true
The men were hung upon the gallows
of the Court in full view.
Then there was a man named Haman
of the king's high government
And everyone bowed down to him
under royal commandment ~
All except Mordecai
who refused to bow to him
And this had angered Haman
so he set out to destroy him.
Selecting a day and a month
Haman chose to kill all Jews
Then he went before the King
to share with him his views ~
"There are a certain people
who won't obey the king's laws
Why not issue a royal decree
that says to detroy them all?"
The king took the ring from his finger
and gave it to Haman
For him to do as he chose
with his permission ~
So then the order was issued
under the king's command
That all Jews, young and old,
will be killed throughout the land.
When Mordecai learned what had been done
he went into the city
Wearing only sackcloths and ashes
and crying bitterly ~
No one, not even Queen Esther,
could stop him from wailing,
So she sent a eunuch to find out
what was troubling him.
When Queen Esther heard the news
she told him to say to Mordecai
"Anyone who goes before the King
unannounced, will surely die ~
Go and gather all the Jews
from the city they live in
Then fast for me for three days
and I'll go before the King!"
Esther dressed in her royal robes
when the three days had passed
Hoping that the King's favour
and love for her had last ~
She took position by his throne
in the palace's inner court
And the King asked "What's your desire?
Ask and it is your's!"
Touching the golden sceptor, she said
"If it pleases the King,
Let the king come with Haman
to a dinner I've prepared for him" ~
So they joined Esther for the feast
and as he was drinking wine
The King asked "What is it that you want?
Half this Kingdom of mine?"
Esther answered, "Here is what I want
if the king is pleased to do
Come tomorrow for another feast
and I will answer you" ~
When Haman left he was beaming
and bragged to his family
While planning to build a gallows
to hang Mordecai on it.
That night the king could not sleep
so he asked someone read to him
When he heard the story of Mordecai
exposing a plot to kill the king ~
He asked, "What honour has been given
to this man Mordecai?"
"Nothing" replied his servant
"he was not recognised."
So the King asked for Haman
and inquired of his view
Then commanded him to go do it
and honour Mordecai, the Jew ~
So upon a horse with royal robes
clothed for him to wear
Haman led his enemy
through the city square.
Then the time had come once again
for dinner with the Queen
That had been prepared for them
just as Esther deemed ~
While he feasted and drunk the wine
the King asked her once more
"Queen Esther, what do you desire?
just ask, and it is yours!"
Esther fell to her knees and said
"If I've found favour in your eyes,
If it pleases you to give me my life,
don't let my people die!
We've been sold to be destroyed
though not like slavery,
Please, if I ever found your favour,
set my people free!"
The King was enraged and so he asked
"Who is this? Who is he?"
"The man who sits before you now,
an evil adversary" ~
Angered, the king stalked from the palace
as Haman stood before the Queen
And pleaded with her for his life,
which she refused to deem.
When the king returned he saw Haman
just in time, it seems,
Upon Esther's couch, so then he roared,
"Will he even molest the Queen?"
As the blood drained from Haman's face
the King ordered him to die
Upon the very gallows he had built
to hang Mordecai.
But the fight was not yet over
for the order by royal decree
To kill all the Jews in the land
could not be released ~
It was the king's law
and could not be taken back
So then Esther and Mordecai
planned their line of attack.
They then posted an order
issued by royal decree
That the Jews may fight with any weapon
to set themselves free ~
And so in the 12th month of Adar
upon the thirteenth day
The Jews fought and overpowered all
those who stood in their way.
This victory is now celebrated
during the feast of Purim
When the beautiful young girl Esther
won her favour with the king ~
And as her final definitive word,
"No matter how many more you kill,
You can never eliminate God's people,
they will remain forever still!"
© Christina
24th January, 2003
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"The Biblical story of Esther is one of hope for a people hated and condemned for none other than their religion. It tells of the story of a young Jewish girl, who rises to power and the King's favour, from her home in Susa to the king's harem and then as his Queen. It tells of a violence directed against God's people when a plan is derived in the mind of one of the king's officials, the highest ranking of them all, to massacre the Jews and destroy them all, if only to get to one man ~ Mordecai, Esther's cousin, and the man who refused to bow down to Haman. It tells the story of Esther's strength and courage to go before the king, even though it is strictly forbidden and those that do so unannounced die, to plead for the lives of her and her people. Esther's own nationality and religion is kept secret until this point, and by then it doesn't matter to the King that his Queen is a Jew, for Esther won the love and admiration of everyone who knew her. The courage Esther had to go before the King unannounced, even though she may die, she risked her own life to appeal to him and rescued her people. This is seen within this story. It shows her strength when she and Mordecai derive a way to overcome the royal decree already set down by Haman....and in the end, they succeed. Though in the end, Esther's words are unchanging as she continues to speak the final and definitive word ~ You can't eliminate God's people, no matter how many of them you kill. You can't get rid of the communities of God-honouring, God-serving, God-worshipping people scattered all over the earth. This word remains final and definitive still.
The story of Esther and the rescue of the Jews is celebrated annually during the Feast of Purim, when the entire book of Esther is read out loud. This is a story of a woman with character, strength, courage and faith. May she be an inspiration to everyone who reads her story."
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