King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows. Now write another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king's signet ring—for no document written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked." Esther 8: 7-8
Today’s Reading: Esther 9-10; Acts 7: 1-21
So Esther came up during the time of Xerxes. You might remember him for this ridiculous depiction in the movie 300.
Yeah that guy.
Anyways… Xerxes previous queen disobeyed him so he had her banished. So obviously it was time to find a new queen. Esther’s guardian, Mordecai, volunteered her for the job thinking that she had a chance since she was one of the baddest virgins in the land.
In the end she proved to be the baddest and was named queen.
Some time after that a dastardly fellow named Haman took a disliking to Mordecai and used it as an excuse to try to exterminate all of the Jewish people. No one in the royal palace knew that Esther was Jewish. So coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, she was in the right position at the right time to save her people.
She steps up and has Haman killed and saves Israel
Wrong…
Did anyone else catch the problematic terribleness of her life?
She was essentially whored out as a virgin to be used at the disposal of the king in the off chance that he’d take a liking to her. And it was in this position as queen/slave that she was fortunate enough to be the savior of Israel
Women sure have come a long way.
Maybe it’s that I am a man of the 21st century but good grief… I don’t see much happy in this story.
Esther takes one for the team and Israel
I guess all of that didn’t matter during the time of Xerxes.
Having said all of that… she sure was gangsta with the power that she did have. Nothing but all the props in the world should be given to her.
Living a life of sacrifice ain’t easy.
Nope, being used as a pawn is not easy. Even if being done so improves the life of ones self and others. Cuz at the end of the day, you are still JUST a pawn. Not breaking under having this knowledge takes strength.
ReplyDeleteEsther maintaining strength through such trials is a testament to the ability of women. The marriage, her being a Jew and saving them, her standing behind her dude...
Sadly, women still play the role of the "pawn" today. Women have come a long way. Some of the men who run our society though haven't. In ways its worse now for women than it was 50 years ago. What's worst of all, a lot women don't understand this.
In what ways is it worse now than 50 years ago for women? Just curious where you are going with that.
ReplyDeleteIn current times, we have gained position socially, within the workforce, and financially.
ReplyDeleteRelationship wise we have suffered great loss.
In relationships, we are no longer reveered for our strength of mind and will or giving our support, it's by becoming helpless and "not acting or speaking against anything". Essentially, women have grown to play the pawn and for many, willingly. For benefits like not working, a nice car, and house, more women than ever before will pawn themselves off to any man they feel is "accomplished" to the point of sharing him happily. There was a time when women had more dignity. Where men worked to achieve their company. Now men feel, why work? You may have accomplished all you have, but that lil broke down girl over there requires far less work to maintain. Your strength is great. She though doesn't have anything to say about anything. She's easy. I'll take easy. Hence leaving many accomplished women to belittle themselves to achieve relationship satisfaction.
By no means would I trade places to go live in days past. I'm just saying in women's many gains we have lost and continue to loose the essentials of what makes us women vs. a pawn, as you stated, our hopes, dreams, personal satisfaction, and in some cases our respect and dignity.
Like Esther, we win freedom for our people at a huge cost.
At what cost exactly, Alegria? It seems you have only listed descriptions of people from a generalized community.
ReplyDeleteWould you agree that, regardless of the time period of when or whether feminism began and how far we've come to what brought us to that point and this, it's inter-related?
Since the Equal Pay Act, in October 2009, women comprised about 50% of US payrolls- with two thirds of that population belonging to families with children.
It can be said that either women are driving the world, if it is driven by money, or that we've somehow been subjugated to grabbing our ankles in spite of such demand.
Clarence, I don't believe the ideas of modesty, love and honor compliment the nature of the message here.
While the gene pool of a single specimen is divided equally by the egg and the sperm, they must collide to make a fetus. Typically (not including seahorses, where the males give birth) the female will house the growing life.
This is a wonderful story of just how great an impact the female presence has on not only to many civilizations but to societies of them as well.
To the betterment of us all, via women- of course!