Esther 1-2

“And every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was” (2:12).  Queen Vashti and the king were in conflict.  After a drunken party with his princes, the king (inappropriately) asked Vashti to “show her beauty” to his friends.  She refused and was punished.  In contrast, we meet Mordecai and Esther.  Mordecai had unselfishly raised his orphan niece, and he tried to protect her even after she entered the palace.  Esther responded to his kind authority by obeying him (2:10).  

Mordecai and Esther, ordinary, powerless, and God-honoring, demonstrated what the royals lacked: mutual respect, kindness, and love.