What is the meaning of Esther 2:17? The king loved Esther more than all the other women • Xerxes’ affection did not arise in a vacuum; Proverbs 21:1 reminds us that “the king’s heart is a watercourse in the hand of the LORD; He directs it wherever He pleases.” • God’s unseen hand had been guiding every step from Esther’s adoption (Esther 2:7) to her gracious demeanor (Esther 2:15), echoing 1 Samuel 16:7 where the Lord looks beyond outward appearance to the heart. • As Israel was chosen “because the LORD loved you” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8), so Esther is uniquely loved, signaling divine purpose behind royal preference. She found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins • The same words “grace and favor” describe Joseph before Pharaoh’s officials (Genesis 39:4) and Jesus as He grew “in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52), showing a pattern of godly servants receiving supernatural favor. • Proverbs 3:3-4 promises that loyalty and faithfulness bring “favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Esther embodies these traits, demonstrating how inner character wins outer blessing. • Psalm 84:11 assures that the LORD withholds no good thing from the upright; Esther’s favor is another testimony to that promise. He placed the royal crown upon her head • Crowning signals both honor and authority (2 Kings 11:12). In Esther’s case it also signals divine elevation: “You welcome him with rich blessings and place a crown of pure gold on his head” (Psalm 21:3). • God regularly lifts the humble (1 Peter 5:6); Esther’s ascent from orphan to queen pictures the same grace later promised to believers with the “crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). • Daniel 2:21 underscores that God “removes kings and raises up kings”; here He installs a queen whose future decisions will protect His covenant people. He made her queen in place of Vashti • The vacancy created by Vashti’s removal (Esther 1:19) sets the stage for divine deliverance, illustrating Romans 8:28 long before Paul penned it. • Hannah’s song applies: “He lifts the needy from the ash heap and seats them with princes” (1 Samuel 2:7-8; cf. Luke 1:52). • Esther’s new position anticipates Mordecai’s question, “Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). God orchestrates leadership changes to fulfill His promises (Daniel 4:17). summary God sovereignly turns a pagan beauty contest into a redemptive appointment. The king’s love, Esther’s favor, the placing of the crown, and the exchange of queens all reveal the Lord’s invisible but invincible hand guiding events for the preservation of His people and the display of His faithfulness. |
    |