This is the Bible Book Club.

The book of Esther.

Welcome to the club.

Last time in chapter two of Esther, King Xerxes had just returned from a lonely and unsuccessful war with Greece.

And being back home reminded him of his lovely banished Queen Vashti. Well, he missed her. To prevent Vashti from being reinstated,

the advisors distracted the king with a competition to select a new queen. Hadassah, a young Jewish girl,

also known as Esther, won the competition after a year

of beauty treatments. How did she find favor with Hagi, the head eunuch, the king, and all who saw

her? It was divine providence. God moved behind the scenes and Esther complied. It was a win for the

king and unbeknownst to all, a win for the Jews.

So in this episode, the plot develops quickly. Esther is securely positioned inside the palace

and Mordecai, we will learn, will be strategically positioned outside the palace. Behind the scenes,

God has positioned his people for his purpose, the saving of many lives.

Keep in mind as we move into this chapter that Mordecai is Esther's older cousin who adopted her and raised her after her parents died.

He is like a father to her. Scene one, Mordecai is positioned to protect.

Esther, chapter two, continuing in verse 19.

When the virgins were assembled a second time,

Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate,

but Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality

just as Mordecai had told her to do.

For she continued to follow Mordecai's told her to do. For she continued to follow

Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. Okay, first, what is the second

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