Five-year Bible reading plan for 28 August 2024

King James Version (en)

Esther, Chapter 2, verses 1-11

¹ Out of the choice of virgins a queen is to be chosen, ⁵ Mordecai the nursing father of Esther, ⁸ Esther is preferred by Hegai before the rest

¹After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

²Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:

³And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:

⁴And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

⁵Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;

⁶Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

⁷And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.

⁸So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

⁹And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

¹⁰Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.

¹¹And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.

NOTES

A key moment in the narrative at the beginning of the second chapter of Esther is Mordecai’s statement that Esther should not...

FAQ

I have a question: if it is written, "do not lie," yet in other places in the Bible there was lying (for example, the Jewish queen did not say that she was a Jew, Jonathan lied to his father to cover for David....), then what does this mean? Is this wisdom, or a lie for a good cause? Even if it is, is a lie for a good cause permitted? And if parents (or a spouse) are unbelievers and forbid going to church, is it permissible to lie and say that you are going to a friend's house... And since we must honor our parents (as it is written in the Bible), does that mean we can no longer lie to them?

By no means can all the actions of people described in the Bible serve as a model for us to imitate. The Bible is a profoundly realistic book; it tells the truth not only about God, but also about us and our history. Alas, people often behave in the most inappropriate ways, even the best among us. This is precisely what explains some of the unseemly actions of biblical characters. Because the authors of the Bible did not set out to embellish reality and paint everything in a rosy light, they tell us the truth about their heroes. Yes, some of them lie. But there is nothing good in this. At the same time, we must remember that they were people of their time, and the understanding of what is permissible and impermissible in the Old Testament differs significantly from that of the New Testament. Humanity was by no means immediately ready to accept the fullness of moral requirements, and even now we cannot say that we are completely ready for it.

As for a "lie for a good cause," one can say that it is not permitted, but nevertheless it occurs. God is able to turn the results of our bad actions toward good—however, one must not presume upon this. There are situations when a person is unable or lacks the opportunity to act as they ought. It is precisely regarding such situations that Christians pray, saying, "lead us not into temptation."

Finally, it is impossible to give a general answer to the question "is it permissible to lie if..." without delving into the specific situation. Generally speaking, it is not. But the Apostle Paul has a remarkable expression: "Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves." In each specific case, a Christian can bring their problem of moral choice to God and receive help.

And lastly: to "honor" someone by no means implies giving them the right to dictate one's spiritual life. Unbelieving parents cannot permit or forbid their children who are of a conscious age, much less adults, to attend Church. However, in such situations one must always pray and seek ways to avoid conflict and to not give people, including parents, a cause for stumbling. With spouses it is not as simple, but one can also say that the primary spiritual weapons here are love and prayer.

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