Ester - Jewish Woman in Persia

I admire Ester. She was a young Jewish woman in Persia. On advice from her relative Mordecai, Ester enters a "beauty pageant" to pick out the king's new queen. Ester eventually is named winner and is crowned as queen without anyone knowing that she is Jewish. While in power Ester risked her own life to save her people from the wicked Haman who was a bigot. To be able to do what she did, Ester had to be a brave, loyal, and an extremely selfless woman.

"Now Ester had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Ester obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him." (Ester 2:20) When Ester became queen of Persia she knew that if she revealed her faith she could possibly dethroned or even hurt. This is why she had to be brave and trust in her God for everything to turn out all right and that she would be in her position of authority for her people.

After Haman had sent out a decree allowing for the murder of all Jews in king Xerces provinces, Ester realizes she must not forget about her people and let this horrible act transpire. She then realizes she must confront King Xerces without his permission and ask for her and people's life. Ester and all the Jews then fast and pray. "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (Ester 4:16) This quote reassures Ester's quality of loyalty to her people.

The third trait Ester displayed that helped her save her people was her selflessness and caring for others. She willingly put her own life on the line to save thousands more. This is apparent in Ester 7:3-4, "'Then Queen Ester answered and said, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss.'"

Ester put her own life at state to save the Jewish people. To be able to save her people, Ester had to be a brave, loyal, and an extremely selfless woman. This is why I particularly admire her. She did eventually