I'm of the opinion that Esther went into the king without fear. Her life did not revolve around

her physical appearance or simply making a king happy. She knew where she was coming from, she knew who she was.

There is a modesty and an authenticity about this woman that makes us suck in our bread.

It takes backbone to stand strong in the presence of power.

When in the company of those who hold positions of authority, we tend to feel nervous and insecure.

Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindall introduces us to a young woman who walked into

the King's Palace with quiet confidence and without

a trace of selfish ambition, a woman whose character spoke louder than her beauty. In the event that

you missed yesterday's program, we'll begin with a helpful summary. Chuck titled this message

from his study on Esther, Strength and Dignity on Parade.

We're looking into the life of an Old Testament woman named Esther as we study this wonderful biography.

I'd like to have you turn back to the second chapter.

The land is Persia. The place is Susa, or as it's otherwise called, Shushan, the capital of Persia.

The king is Ahazuerus, otherwise known as Xerxes. His wife, Vashti, has been demoted from the throne.

She is a forgotten soul, never to be mentioned again.

He comes back from war and he's lonely and in need of the affection and care and enjoyment

and pleasure of a wife.

His counselors say, here is a unique way to do it. Let's find every possible

available, beautiful young woman in the kingdom in all the provinces. And let's bring her here

and let you take your choice, and she will become the queen. Notice in reading chapter two of Esther, verse three, the development of the story, let the king appoint

overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather every beautiful young virgin

to Susa, the capital, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the women

...