What happensPermalink
King Ahasuerus gathers young virgin women to select a replacement for Vashti. Esther, a beautiful Jewish woman, is selected. After a year of beauty treatments, during which she gains favor with all around her, she is called by the king, who delights in her and makes her queen. Afterward, Mordecai overhears a plot to assassinate the king. His information leads to the conspirators’ capture.
Why it mattersPermalink
Esther and Mordecai are placed in positions that will become crucial later in the story. Esther gains favor with everyone she meets and becomes queen, while Mordecai uncovers a plot against the king. These seemingly unrelated events will demonstrate God’s hidden providence, arranging circumstances for the future deliverance of His people long before the danger appears.
Key versePermalink
The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.