Esther, 2
18. The king then gave a great banquet in honor of Esther for all his officials and ministers; he proclaimed a holiday for all the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
18. The king then gave a great banquet in honor of Esther for all his officials and ministers; he proclaimed a holiday for all the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Esther 2 tells how the Persian King Xerxes I seeks a new queen to replace Vasti, who was dismissed by disobedience. The most beautiful young people in the kingdom are selected for a beauty contest, of which the young Jew Esther comes out victorious and is chosen as queen. Below are five verses related to the topics covered in Esther 2:
Proverbs 31:30: "Misleading is beauty and vain for beauty, but the woman who fears to the Lord, this will be praised." This verse highlights the importance of virtue above outer beauty and can be applied to the beauty contest in which Esther was selected.
1 Samuel 16:7: "But the Lord said to Samuel, Not aware of his appearance, nor to the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as man sees. Man sees the exterior, But the Lord, the heart. " This verse points out that God values more inner beauty than the outer appearance, and can be applied to Esther's choice as queen.
Ecclesiastes 3:1: "Everything has its certain time, and there is time for all the purpose under heaven." This verse remembers that there is a time for all things, and can be applied to the moment when Esther was chosen as queen.
Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and fortress, a good help in anguish." This verse remembers that God is our protector and can be applied to the situation where Esther, a young Jewish, is chosen to be the Persian Queen.
Exodus 2:5: "And Pharaoh's daughter descended to wash in the river, and her maidens walked along the river; and she saw the ark in the middle of the reeds, and sent her maid, and took it." This verse describes the story of Moses, who was saved from death when Pharaoh's daughter found him in Rio. Although it has no direct relationship with Esther, it can be seen as an example of how God can protect and guide people to fulfill their purposes.
“De que vale perder-se em vãos temores?” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina
