This Isn’t Another Cinderella Story
I’ve always liked the story of Esther. She was a peasant girl who won a national beauty pageant and became queen.
In my imagination, I’ve given this tale a Cinderella-like grandness, with Esther and the king, falling in love and living happily ever after.
Alas, the story doesn’t mention love and fails to include any hints of happiness. Let’s review the facts:
- Esther and her people were forcibly relocated to a foreign land. She was a spoil of war.
- Esther did not opt to take part in the beauty contest. All attractive virgins were compelled to participate.
- Esther’s heritage prohibited her from marrying outside her faith. To do so would be a shameful and disobedient act.
Add to this these reasonable conclusions about Esther’s “relationship” with the king:
- Even after she became queen, he continued to enjoy the company of other women in his harem.
- She and the king didn’t have regular interaction. He had not “summoned” her for thirty days.
- She had reason to fear him. She faced execution by merely approaching him without permission.
Esther’s Prayer
In the New Jerusalem Bible (learn more), we are treated to the prayer that she offered in the middle of this. She says, in part:
- “I loathe the bed of the uncircumcised,” that would be the king.
- “I am under constraint” to wear the crown, that is, to be queen.
- “Nor has your servant found pleasure from the day of her promotion until now.”
- “Free me from my fear.”
Sadly, there is no love, happiness, or satisfaction in her role as queen. Even so she did use her unwanted position to save her people, the Jews, from a certain annihilation.
So this account of Esther isn’t a love story, at least not in the traditional sense. It is, however, a tale of valor and bravery—and a reminder that one person can make a difference.
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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