The Secret of Natural Beauty

There are a lot of social pressures on women to adopt the world’s standards of beauty. No one knew the intensity of that pressure more than Esther, who was one of the Yasharalite exiles in Babylonian captivity during the time of King Ahasuerus. She was among the many virgins from whom the King would pick a new wife to replace Queen Vashti. Esther went through the beautification regimen that all the other women did. However, we noticed that what made her stand out before the King was not her physical beauty, but her modesty at heart! Each woman was put to the test: they could ask for anything from the “house of women” to take with them to the King’s palace. It is well noted that ESTHER REQUIRED NOTHING beyond what her caretakers appointed!!! Beyond her physical beauty, she distinguished herself as a noble and honest woman, fit to rule with the King.

Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to King Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)

Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house. In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed.

And Esther [who exuded contentment] obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained mercy and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

(Esther 2:12-17 KJV)