When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

–Parallel verses:
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭3‬-‭7‬
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

Esther was wise in her approach to the king and his administrators. Instead of bitterness, envy, or selfish motives, she resigned herself to rely on the Lord and make favorable impressions on those who served the King.

We see here, she only took what the head eunuch advised her to take. She was humble and accepted advice and insight from others. She was also of Godly character and this character combined with her beauty is what I believe the king found attractive.

The Proverbs cross-reference is one that I think matches Esther’s approach to this situation: she showed love and was faithful and loyal to those whom God had surrounded her with. She was faithful and loving to her older cousin Mordecai. She was faithful and loving to the head eunuch. And she won the favor of God and man. She did not lean on her own understanding, but instead submitted her will and rights to God. And he honored her by going before her and helping her win favor with the king.

She also listened to her older cousin and followed his wisdom about not revealing her ethnicity. So she applied the final instruction of this section of Proverbs — do not be wise in your own eyes, but fear the Lord and shun evil.

What situation(s) are you in today where you need to trust the Lord to carry you through?
How can you lean not on your own understanding, but instead lean on God’s understanding?

Are you shunning evil and fearing God in your behavior so you may gain his blessings?

Lord, thank you for this reminder in the behavior modeled by Esther of how love and faithfulness to you pays off in life. Help me to keep my courage up, humble myself before you, walk in your ways, seek wisdom, and let you direct my paths!