May 27
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HADASSAH BECOMES QUEEN ESTHER
A poem by ILMA
Hadassah, who was also called Esther was adopted by Mordecai
When the king deposed the queen, all the young women were brought in
Esther was among those who were brought to the king’s harem in Susa
The one in charge to get all these young women prepared was Hegai.
Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly
He quickly ordered a special beauty treatment for Esther
He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the palace
Then he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.
Esther hid her nationality and family background as Mordecai directed her
Each day, Mordecai took a walk to ensure about his daughter’s welfare
That evening, she was taken to the king’s private rooms then to the second harem
She asked for nothing except what Hegai suggested and she was so much admired.
Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter
The king loved Esther more than any of the other young women
He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head
She was declared queen and the king gave a great banquet for her.
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MEMORY VERSE
And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. – Esther 2:17
Read: Esther 2
Though you may think this was a shallow story of how Esther became crowned as king in our present-day setting, it was a big deal at that time. There were many young women who wanted to be on her position, but it was God’s plan to use Esther to free his people.
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REFLECTION
• What do you think was the trait of Esther that made her outstanding in the eyes of King Xerxes and the Lord’s eyes?
Tag Archives: Esther 2
MORDECAI’S INTEGRITY AND LOYALTY Poem Devotional
May 26
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MORDECAI’S INTEGRITY AND LOYALTY
A poem by ILMA
There was a Jewish man in the fortress of Susa who was the son of Jair
He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei
His family had been among those who had been exiled in Babylon
Mordecai had a very young cousin Hadassah who was also called Esther.
When Esther’s father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own
Mordecai had become a palace official in the reign of King Xerxes
One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate, he heard a plot
It was between two angry door guards who wanted to kill the king.
Mordecai reported the information to Queen Esther and told the king
He was credited for his loyalty and investigation followed
When the plot was verified to be true, Mordecai earned the king’s trust
The two men who were guilty were pierced on a sharpened pole.
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MEMORY VERSE
When an investigation was made and Mordecai’s story was found to be true, the two men were impaled on a sharpened pole. – Esther 2:23
Read: Esther 2
In the book of Esther, we get a glimpse of the character of Mordecai. He was a very loving and respectable person who took care of his orphaned cousin and treated her as his own daughter. He was very wise and groomed Esther to be the queen to King Xerxes. Another character trait of Mordecai was his loyalty to King Xerxes. He was able to protect the king from an evil plot to assassinate him. This is a righteous and humble trait that is need from all servants and leaders as well.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think faithfulness and loyalty are traits that are worth emulating in Mordecai’s character?
• How can we stay honest and truthful to those who have authority over us without compromising our integrity?