Esther 2:1-4 – Not a Cinderella Story

It’s a well known and well loved story: a poor, downtrodden girl with a heart of gold auditions to become a princess. She meets her prince charming, is plucked from rags to riches, and they both live happily ever after.
That’s the story of Cinderella. It is not the story of Esther. Sure, there are some similarities, at least on the surface. But if we allow the story to be “Disney-fied”, we’re going to miss one of the key lessons of Esther: God works in our awful circumstances.

Chapter 2 picks up the story 4 years later. We know from history that Ahasuerus had suffered a humiliating military defeat, so perhaps he was feeling sorry for himself. Perhaps he remembered the times that Vashti was able to cheer him up…and then regretted his rash, wine fuelled decision.
So, after sitting down with his advisors, he had a new plan: Vashti couldn’t come back, so he’d better get a newer, better model.

So the word goes out: the King is looking for a wife! The qualifications? Beautiful. Young. Virgin. Doesn’t that tell you all you need to know?

Don’t let Disney cloud your vision: this isn’t Prince Charming looking for a Belle of the Ball; this is Hugh Hefner, with his sneering grin, looking for his latest playboy bunny. These girls weren’t met by a fairy godmother with a shiny glass slipper; they were met by soldiers with pointy steel spears. These teenage girls were ripped away from their families and forced into the clutches of a monstrous pervert; doomed to become real life barbies, taken from their box when the king wants to play.

I promise, we’ll see a glimmer of hope tomorrow. But for now, we need to see just how sleazy this contest was. This true story tells us us something about God: he is with his people in the midst of pain and despair. It’s not a Cinderella story; it’s something so much better.

Questions
1. How would you feel if God only ever worked in ideal circumstances?
2. Can you think of ways in which God has brought you comfort in the midst of your pain?

Prayer Points
1. Pray for Christians who are going through really hard times. Pray that they would know God’s presence and that he would uphold them in the midst of their pain.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.