This is an excerpt from Esther Bible Study from Kelly Minter.
Esther’s Hebrew name is Hadassah and means “myrtle.” Oftentimes, Israelite women in the Old Testament were given names of plants, so Hadassah is not unusual. In Isaiah 41:19 and 55:13, God promised the myrtle would grow in the wilderness, replacing thorns and briers. The symbolism in these prophecies foreshadows God’s forgiveness and acceptance of His people. Jews today still carry the myrtle in processions at the Feast of Tabernacles, signifying peace and thanksgiving. (I suddenly have the urge to find myrtle-print wallpaper for my guest bath. Apparently, I’ve been in the book of Esther a wee bit long.)
I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive trees in the wilderness. I will put juniper, elm and cypress trees together in the desert,
Isaiah 41:19 (CSB)
Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up, and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up; this will stand as a monument for the Lord, an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.
Isaiah 55:13 (CSB)
Esther’s possession of two names, each from different cultures and backgrounds, “implies a person’s moving between two worlds.” The name Hadassah anchored the queen to God’s promises to Israel; the name Esther allowed her to move inconspicuously about the culture in which she found herself. This tension—feeling as though you embody too much of the culture you were born into for the one you’re living in and vice-versa—isn’t just the plight of foreigners; it’s the status of the believer.
The word favor or kindness in Esther 2:9 is translated from the Hebrew word hesed. It’s an important biblical word that often expresses God’s covenant love for His people. This same word is used throughout the Old Testament, notably in two other similar and significant stories where God’s people find themselves as foreigners in faraway lands.
The young woman pleased him and gained his favor so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters.
Esther 2:9 (CSB)
In Joseph’s and Daniel’s stories we can readily see both their courageous obedience and God’s unmistakable hand of hesed or favor on their lives. However, in Esther’s story, the favor she receives can’t be directly connected to any faith-act on her part, nor is God explicitly mentioned.
What I want you to see today is that both Esther and Mordecai appear to be somewhat assimilated into the Persian culture. Esther was a Persian as far as anyone was concerned. However, the lack of an explicit stand for her faith doesn’t mean her heart wasn’t there.
At the same time, we can still note the differences between Esther and people like Joseph and Daniel. As Bible students, we easily expect God’s hesed to show up for the overtly faithful and courageous. We don’t as often look for it to be poured out on the vulnerable, the scared, perhaps even the weak in faith. It turns out that complicated isn’t too much for God’s hesed.
Let’s fast-forward about five hundred years to a message Jesus gave His disciples early in His ministry. In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus calls his followers to be salt and light:
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:13-16 (CSB)
In antiquity, salt was used to heal and cleanse, but one of its main purposes was to preserve meat by slowing down decay. Followers of Christ are to be people who push back the decay in our world. At the same time, we are to dispel the darkness with the light of the gospel. Salt is defensive, and light is offensive, but both are distinct from their surroundings!
Mordecai and Esther’s decision for her to blend into the Persian culture and to conceal her Jewish identity in the harem was complicated at the very least. It’s unlikely any of us will ever face anything close. Today, our call is much clearer. We are to openly bear witness to Christ, to spread the good news of His gospel even when it costs us.
Much like Christ followers today, Israel was to be set apart from the world. They were to be a distinct people for God’s renown. No matter where they found themselves living, God’s people were to infiltrate and impact their surrounding culture, not in spite of their different way of life but because of it. Neither biblical accounts nor history tell us much about what religious life looked like for the Jewish population in Susa. Yet, Esther’s account tells us that God had not forgotten His people. Today we can bear witness to a Jewish woman named Esther, in a faraway fortress, whom God is about to call out from among her peers in unmistakable fashion. May He do the same for us.