There Once Was an Old Lady Who Dazzled the King…
For years I’ve assumed that Esther was a young woman, maybe even a teenager. Most Christian expositors and commentators say she was around 14 years old when King Xerxes summoned her into his court. Captivated by her beauty and charisma, the monarch took Esther as his wife and crowned her Queen of Persia. Later, her bold actions saved her people and she became among the most revered, honored and celebrated women in Jewish history and Biblical accounts.
But was she really a young adolescent? Or was she, as Jewish legend or Midrash contends, a mature woman of age 40, or as others maintain, possibly 75 or 80? Many Rabbis agree that Esther, like other courageous Old Testament characters including Abraham, Sarah and Joseph, was actually well into her adult years. Imagine that! Radiating in mature, glowing and alluring beauty, Esther distinctly stood out!
This Jewish woman, possibly in the second half of her life, stepped forth in maturity of spirit and truth to live out her purpose: To save her people from absolute destruction.
Those well-known words of Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, echo throughout history: “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
I delight in the thought of Esther as an older woman. Whether young or old, Esther inspires and emboldens me to follow my purpose and calling. Who knows? Maybe I’m here in this moment of history for such a time as this!
And, so are you!
–Written by Leona Bergstrom, Director, Re-Ignite
Reprinted from the July issue of the Re-Ignite Newsletter. Read the entire issue here.
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