Chapter LXXXI.
ESTHER.
[Book of Esther.]
AS the government of the kings of Persia was exceedingly mild, many of the Jews remained in the kingdom of Babylon. God permitted this for the spiritual good of the Gentiles, so that the latter, being brought into daily contact with the Jews, might more easily arrive at the knowledge of the true God, and be instructed in the promises made concerning a Saviour to come.
It happened, by a special dispensation of God, that many of the Jews, like Daniel and his companions in former years, were in high favour with the kings of Persia, and made use of their influence to protect their countrymen and to propagate the true faith. At a certain time it pleased Divine Providence to employ in this way a pious Jewess, named Esther.
She lived in the reign of Assuerus, in the house of Mardochai[1], her uncle, who had brought her up from her infancy. Assuerus, having seen her, was pleased with her beauty and virtue, placed the crown upon her head, and made her his queen. But she, by Mardochai’s advice, left the king in ignorance concerning her nation. And Mardochai who loved Esther as his own child, came every day and sat at the gate[2] of the palace (Fig. 58, p. 352).
Now it came to pass that two officials of the palace had conspired together to kill the king. Mardochai, having discovered the plot, revealed it to Esther, who immediately told the king. The affair being examined, Mardochai’s statement was found to be true. The two conspirators were hanged, and the facts recorded in the annals of the kingdom.
Some time after, Assuerus raised a certain Aman[3] to the highest dignity in the empire. All the king’s servants bent the
- ↑ Mardochai. She had been left an orphan in early life, and her uncle, Mardochai, who lived at Susa, the Persian capital, adopted her and brought her up. On account of her beauty, modesty and innocence, Assuerus chose her to be his queen, out of all the ’maidens presented to him for choice. Assuerus is known in profane history as Xerxes I., the celebrated king of Persia, who reigned from 485-465 B. C.
- ↑ At the gate. He held an office about the court.
- ↑ Aman. He was a Mede, and was raised by the king to the post of GrandViiier, which was the highest in the kingdom after the king.
