This is the third message in our Esther series called [A]part of HIStory. This message is called The Beast and The Beauty. We will look at the way that King Xerxes treated his first wife Vashti and how he got rid of her. We will look at how Xerxes wanted to parade his wife Vashti in front of all of his guests at his banquet and how she refused. We will also look at the beauty pageant that he threw as a means of finding a new wife and queen. We will look at how common it is in our culture to parade, use and exploit other people for our own benefit and pleasure. The content of this message may not be suitable for children younger than grade five.
The book of Esther recounts the story of the Jewish people near the end of their exile, while facing the threat of extermination. Esther is the Persian name for the Jewish woman Hadassah. Esther is one of only two books in the Bible where the Name of God is not mentioned, yet God’s sovereignty and providence are incredibly woven through it.