She Stood Up for God's People

 Esther's Background

Esther was an orphan, we know very little of the parents who named her Hadassaah, a Hebrew word for "myrtle," a lovely white-blossomed shrub.  When Esther's parents died, one of her relatives. a kindly man named Mordecai, took pity on the child. He was her cousin, but Mordecai was much older. He brought Esther into his home and treated her like his own daughter. - ESTHER 2:5-7, 15.

Mordecai and Esther lived as Jewish exiles  in that Persian capital, where they probably had to deal with a measure of  disdain because of  their religion and the Law they tried to follow.  But Esther surely drew closer to her cousin as he  taught her about Jehovah,   the merciful God who rescue His people from trouble many times in the past-and would do so again.  (Leviticus 26:44-45) Clearly, a loving and loyal bond grew between Esther and Mordecai. 

Mordecai evidently worked as some kind of official a the castle Shushan, regularly stitting within its gate, along with other servants of the king. (Esther 21:19, 21; 3:3)  How the young Esther passed her time as she grew up, we can only guess, although it seems safe to say that she took good care of her older cousin and his home, which was likely situated in the humble quarters across the river from the royal castle. Perhaps she enjoyed going to the market in Shushan , where goldsmiths, silversmiths. and other merchants displayed their wares. Esther coulld n ot have imagined that such luxuries would later become commonplace to her;  she had not idea of the future in store for her. 

Next time: She Stood Up for God's People - "Beautiful in Appearance" 

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