In the last few weeks, we have been studying purpose- particularly as it relates to Esther. So far we have discussed what she teaches us about:
As I've been studying and writing about her, one of the things that struck me about the story of Esther is that it's typically portrayed as a Cinderella story or fairytale. What do I mean by that, you may be wondering? I mean that, in my experience, people tend to focus on:
- Her beauty
- Her chastity
- How gracious and submissive she must have been for choosing to wear what the king liked, unlike all the other virgins (Esther 2:15)
- The fact that she was chosen to be the king's wife (going from rags to riches)
However, as stated in one of my previous devotionals on her, she was more than just the king's trophy wife. Esther was fierce! Think about it. She knew that going before the king without permission could get her killed, but she was willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for her people (death) if it meant that they might live (Esther 4:11).
In just focusing on her afore-mentioned attributes, without any mention of her bravery, willingness to break protocol and fight, we do both Esther and modern women a disservice (particularly little girls). This is because that version of her story:
- Exacerbates the problem of limited female representation (in terms of how little we are spoken of generally and in what contexts we are spoken about when we are discussed, particularly where the matriarchs of the faith are concerned)
- Objectification of women's bodies (either as weapons for "tempting godly men" or for the sole purpose of pleasing them)
- Depreciation of women's roles and identity
Also, we miss yet another lesson that Esther teaches us about purpose- how essential it can be in helping us achieve our goals. For example:
