Was Queen Esther ....

[ktn4eg]

.... "unequally yoked" to the King of Persia when she became his wife? (See Esther 2:17.)

If one should state that when the Holy Spirit directed the Apostle Paul to command God's people not to marry an unbeliever (as in II Corinthians 6:14ff), I would remind that person that God commanded His people to not marry an unbeliever in Deuteronomy 7:3ff.

Now, I firmly believe that no part of God's Word will never contradict itself. OTOH, I am having some difficulty trying to reconcile why God allowed Esther to "violate(?)" this principle when she married the King of Persia. [As a matter of fact, it would seem that God actually used Esther to preserve the Jewish people by marrying the King of Persia.]

Please help me to understand why God seemed to "approve" of Esther's marriage to the King of Persia. IOW, why would God permit Esther to marry the King of Persia when He told Moses to not have His people marry someone who was not a Jew.

Thanks in advance for any assistance that you may be able to give me in this matter.

 

[beameup]

The fact that she was a Hebrew was not known to Xerxes. Add to that that she probably had no option other than to submit
to become part of his harem or be put to death. Should Daniel have been a loyal and trustworthy servant to several pagan kings?

BTW, Paul was addressing the Body of Christ (sealed by the Holy Spirit), a unique and special group of "believers" in all history.

 

[ktn4eg]

Thanks for your information.

I suppose that I wasn't as clear in my OP when I asked about this.

Maybe my question should have been why Esther's uncle Mordecai (whose geneology is listed in Esther 2:5) would not have been familiar with what God's Word commanded the Jews in Deuteronomy about not marrying some one who was not a Jew.

Sorry if I wasn't as precise in my OP.

 

[OldRegular]

.... "unequally yoked" to the King of Persia when she became his wife? (See Esther 2:17.)

If one should state that when the Holy Spirit directed the Apostle Paul to command God's people not to marry an unbeliever (as in II Corinthians 6:14ff), I would remind that person that God commanded His people to not marry an unbeliever in Deuteronomy 7:3ff.

Now, I firmly believe that no part of God's Word will never contradict itself. OTOH, I am having some difficulty trying to reconcile why God allowed Esther to "violate(?)" this principle when she married the King of Persia. [As a matter of fact, it would seem that God actually used Esther to preserve the Jewish people by marrying the King of Persia.]

Please help me to understand why God seemed to "approve" of Esther's marriage to the King of Persia. IOW, why would God permit Esther to marry the King of Persia when He told Moses to not have His people marry someone who was not a Jew.

Thanks in advance for any assistance that you may be able to give me in this matter.

I could be cynical and say that Jews are opportunistic but that would not be fair. Of course God calls them a "stiff-necked people" and more than once!

The Redeemer was promised through the Tribe of Judah. It was necessary, therefore, that these people prevail and be returned to the Land of Promise. I believe God used Esther to accomplish His purpose.

I would also note that the Name, God, is not mentioned in the Book of Esther.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

It does not say that God approved. Perhaps he didn't and used the bad decision anyway much like how he used Judas betrayal of Jesus to bring forgiveness of sin to fallen men.

 

[convicted1]

I once preached a sermon about this book and used it showing that women have a place in the church, and it wasn't the lunchroom, either. Esther is a type and shadow of Jesus Christ, imo.

 

[Scarlett O.]

It was God's plan all along to used Esther in the manner that served God and His people.

Kind of like how Joseph found himself in a pit - a place he didn't want to be - but yet later in life he understood and told his brothers, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." Genesis 50:20

God had every intention that Joseph be in that pit. If he weren't .... well, he would have never met Pharoah. And just like Joseph found favor with one of the Pharoah's servants who eventually recommended Joseph to the Pharaoh, Esther found a very special favor with the eunuch who tended to the women and he made sure the king's eye was on Esther.

God had every intention for Esther to be in that palace.

Mordecai did NOT want her there. The Bible in Esther 2 that the King commanded that these beautiful young women be "rounded up". Neither Mordecai nor Esther had a choice.

He charged her NOT to tell she was a Jew.

And also in chapter 2 - it says that Mordecai "paced back and forth in front of the women's quarters everyday". He was worried sick.

Both Mordecai AND Esther had a revelation just like Joseph did.

In chapter 4, Mordecai realized that Esther could NOT keep silent about anything, including her ethnicity, and he told her this, "Don't think because you live in the king's palace that you will escape anymore than any other Jew. If you keep silent, deliverance will come from somewhere else, but you and your family will die. Who knows? Perhaps you were put here in the palace for such a time as this."

He finally got it. Esther was put there by God.

She got it too. She said to Mordecai, "Tell all the Jews in Susa to fast for me. I'll fast too and so will my servants. After that, even though it's illegal - I'll go to king. And if I die ..... I die."

Neither Mordecai nor the king nor Esther herself were ultimately responsible for Esther being where she was.

It was all God's plan before Esther was ever born. And just like Joseph - Esther found herself facing death in a place she didn't really want to be - so that many people would live.

 

[Amy.G]

Esther did not marry the king. He "took" her as his wife. Mordecai was her cousin, not uncle. And the Jewish people would have been exterminated if not for Esther.

Look at all the things in the Bible that people did that God did not approve of. Abraham had his half sister as his wife, plus concubines. Solomon had something like 700 wives!! But God uses sinners for His purposes. He has no other kind of people to work through! :laugh:

 

[convicted1]

Esther did not marry the king. He "took" her as his wife. Mordecai was her cousin, not uncle. And the Jewish people would have been exterminated if not for Esther.

Look at all the things in the Bible that people did that God did not approve of. Abraham had his half sister as his wife, plus concubines. Solomon had something like 700 wives!! But God uses sinners for His purposes. He has no other kind of people to work through! :laugh:

You're correct that Mordecai was her cousin. I thought she was his niece, but, she was Mordecai's uncle's daughter.

Hmmmmph.....a woman can actually teach me something!!!! Miracles DO happen every day. :laugh:

 

[OldRegular]

Esther did not marry the king. He "took" her as his wife. Mordecai was her cousin, not uncle. And the Jewish people would have been exterminated if not for Esther.

Look at all the things in the Bible that people did that God did not approve of. Abraham had his half sister as his wife, plus concubines. Solomon had something like 700 wives!! But God uses sinners for His purposes. He has no other kind of people to work through! :laugh:

God will accomplish His purpose!:godisgood::jesus:

 

[convicted1]

But God uses sinners for His purposes. He has no other kind of people to work through! :laugh:

Nope, you're wrong again. There's sinless babies that He can use. See, not everyone's a sinner, ya know? :laugh: j/k...

 

[Amy.G]

Hmmmmph.....a woman can actually teach me something!!!! Miracles DO happen every day. :laugh:

Yes, it's a miracle that I don't smack you upside the head! :laugh:

I mean is that any way to talk to your elders??

 

[Amy.G]

Nope, you're wrong again. There's sinless babies that He can use. See, not everyone's a sinner, ya know? :laugh: j/k...

Oh yeah, I forgot that. :laugh:

 

[Judith]

Just because God used her through the marriage does not mean His approval was on it. Also as far as her uncle it should not be surprising what he did since most Jews failed to obey the Lord.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

.... "unequally yoked" to the King of Persia when she became his wife? (See Esther 2:17.)

Yes, of course she was, but as her uncle told her, there was a reason behind it.

Esther 4, (NASB)
10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai:
11 "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days."
12 They related Esther's words to Mordecai.
13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews.
14 "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"​

You are quite right, that the men and women of Israel were not to marry outside the nation. Nonetheless, it happened. Esther was obviously placed in a position to save the nation of Israel by being the wife and queen to the king of Persia. There's unequally yoked, but there's also God's plan. Rahab and Tamar in the line of Christ are prime examples.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Yes, it's a miracle that I don't smack you upside the head! :laugh:

I mean is that any way to talk to your elders??

Here. Borrow my :tonofbricks:

 

[Baptist Believer]

I sincerely doubt God approved of the whole scheme where Xerxes decided to ”audition” hundreds of women in his bedchamber – one at a time – to select a new wife*. Moreover, Esther didn’t really have many choices in this story – she could have resisted unto the point of death – although that could have had very serious consequences for her family even before the whole issue with Haman. In this day and culture, women were treated as sexual playthings and servants by many men (just like today) and Esther had to live in that reality. Therefore, I would not assign sin to Esther for making the choices she had to make. I’m thankful that God is the judge and not me or anyone else on this board.

*I get both irritated and amused every time I hear a beauty pageant contestant testify that they entered the pageant to be just like Queen Esther. (They entered unwillingly and were “auditioned” in the bedchambers of the judge(s)? Really?)

 

[Scarlett O.]

I sincerely doubt God approved of the whole scheme where Xerxes decided to ”audition” hundreds of women in his bedchamber – one at a time – to select a new wife*. Moreover, Esther didn’t really have many choices in this story – she could have resisted unto the point of death – although that could have had very serious consequences for her family even before the whole issue with Haman.

Did God approve of Joseph being sold by his brothers and living in a pit?

No. But He allowed it to happen. Otherwise Joseph would have never been in the position to save countless lives with his God-given intellect.

Did God approve of Esther and those other women being treated the way they were?

No. But He allowed it to happen to put her in the place to be able to save countless lives with her God-given words.

 

[convicted1]

Did God approve of Joseph being sold by his brothers and living in a pit?

No. But He allowed it to happen. Otherwise Joseph would have never been in the position to save countless lives with his God-given intellect.

Did God approve of Esther and those other women being treated the way they were?

No. But He allowed it to happen to put her in the place to be able to save countless lives with her God-given words.

I see Esther and Joseph as both being types of Christ...yes Esther, too. If that's the case, God placed Jesus here to do the work He commanded. The same with Jospeh and Esther. God placed them there, Himself, imo.

 

[agedman]

Scarlett, I often find myself in agreement with your statements, but this post has some thinking in which I would disagree.

Did God approve of Joseph being sold by his brothers and living in a pit?

No. But He allowed it to happen. Otherwise Joseph would have never been in the position to save countless lives with his God-given intellect.

Joseph stated to his brothers:

But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive..."
​

Certainly, this statement by Joseph shows that God both approved and ordained Joseph's selling.

Did God approve of Esther and those other women being treated the way they were?

No. But He allowed it to happen to put her in the place to be able to save countless lives with her God-given words.

It would be hard to separate what God "approves" and what God "allows" when it comes to matters such as Esther.

Esther was (as often in the Scriptures) selected by God for a specific reason and appointed to that position by God. Hard to be consistent with how God allowed but didn't approve when taken in that light.

Did God allow and approve the murder of the Egyptian by Moses?

Does God work on the premise that the "ends justify the means" or is He righteous in both the ends and the means?

These are definitely hard questions, and for me personally, I have come down on the side that God will use whatever God uses irregardless of what humanity might construct as contrary to some law God gave for humanity to live by.

God is not submissive to the law; He is the law giver.

He can manipulate the laws of nature and man as He decides.