Banish the rebellious womoan and replace here with one more obedient and compliant … younger and more beautiful wouldn’t hurt either… 20] And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small. 21] And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan: 22] For he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people. A command of the king would be written in all the languages and scripts used throughout his 127 provinces from Ethiopia to India. It would be carried by ‘pony express’, read and posted in every province. Once signed and seal with his signate, it could not be rescinded or altered. Not even the king could change his own laws and proclamations. He had to ‘obey’ himself…not a good thing for a drunk with power and authority. Esther 2 A Call for a New Queen Xerxes invaded Greece with an army of more than 2,000,000 soldiers. Only 5,000 returned with him. Xerxes’ immense fleet defeated the Greeks at Thermopylae but was defeated disastrously by Themistocles at the famous Battle of Salamis in 480 BC and the Battle of Plataea in 479. He had to retreat home. It was after his return from this disastrous invasion that he ‘remembered’ that Vashti wasn’t at home waiting – he had banished her for life. Esther was chosen as his queen. (478 BC) He will live another 13 years.
Every maiden brought to the palace for the King’s review went through a 12 month preparation process – in the pre-review harem. They had one night with the King – to impress him with themselves. All beautiful – all given 12 months to prepare – all given everything they could want of need to make themselves desirable to the King, each was given the choice of taking something with them into the King Once they had their ‘meeting’ with the King, they went into the second harem under the Chamberlain Shaashgaz to await the King’s decision. Esther Obtains Favor 15] Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. Esther didn’t decide what to take – she took the counsel of Hegai – someone who knew the King and what impressed him very well. 16] So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Tebeth – Tevet the 10th month of the 7th year of Ahasuerus reign. (The great feast was four years earlier.) 17] And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18] Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king. Contest over – meet the new Queen Esther She ‘captured’ Ahasuerus – mind and body… There was a great feast – a party. Gifts came from every corner and every politician in the kingdom.