Queen Esther’s Extreme Makeover

Esther (1878) by Edwin Long (Wikipedia)

Most little girls at some point in their lives want to be royalty. They love being called “princess,” dream about being rescued by “Prince Charming,” and look forward to living a life chore-free in a grand palace. It’s no wonder that the Book of Esther continues to be popular among the female sex. Hadassah the diasporic Jewish girl becomes Esther, Queen of the Medo-Persian Empire and heroine of her people. It’s a “beauty isn’t all bad after all” relief for Christians combined with the rags-to-riches and “do your own thing” type of stories Americans love.

Because of her popularity, there’s quite a bit on interest in what sort of beautifying treatments turned Esther into such a temptation for King Ahasuerus that he favored her over all the other beautiful virgins in the empire. We get a few clues from the Bible (Esther 2:12-13) and from recorded history.

For six months, she was treated with oil of myrrh to improve her skin. Then for another six months she was treated with spices, ointments, or perfumes (depending on which translation you use), such as rose and saffron.   It’s also likely that she used the hair removal techniques for which Persians, both ancient and modern, are so well-known. Threading, ripping out the hair follicle, gave her well-defined eyebrows and fuzz-less cheeks and chin. Sugaring, or Persian waxing, left her entire body hairless, dirt-free, and soft. There was probably a special diet and exercise program designed to keep her body healthy, strong, and curvy. I suppose some sort of ancient manicure and pedicure existed too. When the special day arrived, the hair on her head would’ve been styled into tight curls worn by the upper-classes and decorated with pins, gems, or whatever was the fashion at the time. Esther’s face would’ve been decked out in the finest cosmetics, making her eyes and lips irresistible. Then dressed in the beautiful robes and jewelry, she’d be prepared to appear before the king.

And don’t think it ended with her coronation. One thing definite about beauty: there must be upkeep. Unwanted hair grows back, itchy and clogging the pores with dirt, puss, and oil. A beautiful hairstyle becomes a flaky, tangled mess. Soft skin becomes callused, chapped, and rough. Luckily Queen Esther had her own personal staff in the harem to see that she stuck to the beauty regimen. Whether entirely by choice or not, she had to be dedicated to looking her best. No try-it-once fads from beauty magazines. No short-term skin care programs. No dieting or exercising “tomorrow.” No half-hearted attempts to look acceptable for a big event. She had to be physically gorgeous all the time, with the possible exceptions when sick or on her period. Talk about a fulltime job. And probably the strangest thing about it: She could look back and say it was well worth her time and effort.

Thoughts on Acts

The Baptism of the Eunuch (1626) by Rembrandt (Wikipedia)

If there’s one debate that will send a number of Christians into hysterics, it’s anything questioning the “priesthood of all believers.” We like the idea of all individuals standing equal before God, regardless of earthly rank or position. Therefore, we rely on the belief that each one has the ability to understand and interpret the Word of God for himself or herself, without the condescension or mediation of ordained clergy. Now I’m not denouncing this idea in general (or I certainly wouldn’t be working on this blog series). However, I’ve noticed that this doctrine tends to sour into something extreme:

On the grounds of egalitarianism, many Christians will deny that they have any need to learn from or defer to the opinions of those who are more learned then they are. They will deny any advantage others might have in understanding the Gospel that might come from knowing ancient languages, understanding Jewish culture, or reading the Old Testament and the “Early Church Fathers.” On the grounds of sola scriptura, many Christians will avoid lexicons, commentaries, and Bible versions with interpretive footnotes. They truly believe that everything they need to fully understand and correctly interpret the Bible is in their vigorous rereading of their favorite books in the New Testament. And they truly dislike any implication that their best just might not be good enough…hence the hysterics.

I’m really in no position to directly challenge this, as it lies beyond my scope of knowledge. However, I’d like to contrast the attitude of the kinds of Christians mentioned above with that of the Ethiopian eunuch, whom the apostle Philip met on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8:26-40). When Philip asked this obviously godly, educated, and powerful man if he understood Isaiah 53:7-8, he honestly said no. “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31, ESV). He accepted the fact that he wasn’t omniscient. He needed help. He needed the input of someone else…someone who was in a position to know far more about the context of the passage. And he was fortunate that God sent him one of the foremost experts on the topic.

It would be simple to say that Christians need to have more humility when it comes to considering others’ interpretations against their own, but I’m beginning to wonder if the real need is a radical paradigm adjustment. It’s as if most of us begin reading having already accepted the idea that we’ll come to the right conclusions about the passage. I’m not suggesting that we do the opposite, assuming that we can’t understand any part of God’s Word (and wash our hands of any responsibility regarding it). But we can and, I’d argue, need to be our own worst critics and seek the help of others who might lead us closer to the truth.

Christian Carnival – December 2012 Edition

Welcome to the latest edition of the Christian Carnival, the monthly blog carnival featuring posts submitted from a diverse Christian bloggers on a range of topics. Below are this December’s selections:

Apologetics

“Are Christians Arrogant?” by Joel Furches on the Jarrettsville Christianity Examiner: The Examiner is a news resource that covers every topic. This article considers the prevalent concept that Christians are arrogant, self-righteous, or judgmental.

“Blog Index for Douglas Groothuis’ ‘Christian Apologetics’” by Maryann Spikes on Ichthus77: We are studying Dr. Groothuis’ “Christian Apologetics” in my apologetics group at church, using the study guides available at Apologetics315. This is an index of one post per chapter (so far up to chapter 15). Join the discussion :-)

“Christian View on Pagan Practices of Christmas Celebration” on Christian View: This post challenges the claim that certain traditions of Christmas celebration are pagan practices. Christmas tree, exchanging gifts, and Christmas carol are not pagan practices.

“God and Santa Claus” by Paul Rezkalla on the Christian Apologetics Alliance: Equating belief in God with belief in Santa seems to be popular among many atheists who have grown up in religious families but later abandoned their “childish” belief in God in the same way they gave up their belief in Santa Claus. Are we justified in giving up belief in God the same way we give up belief in Santa Claus?

“Kids without God: Atheist Website for Children” by Sarah on Penny of a Thought: Three general observations on the American Humanist Association’s new atheist blog for children.

“No One Knows the Date of Birth of Jesus, So Jesus Did Not Exist” on Christian View: One of the arguments of atheism and secularism against Christianity is that we do not have the birth certificate of Jesus and that we do not know his date of birth. Therefore Jesus did not exist, they argue. This post responds to that claim.

“Should Men Stay Out of the Abortion Issue?” by Clinton Wilcox on Pro-Life Philosophy: A discussion of a common pro-choice logical fallacy. This article was featured in a newsletter from the National Right to Life Committee.

“The Truth about the Virgin Birth of Jesus” on Christian View: This post analyses the virgin birth of Jesus in its cultural context and explains the meaning of virgin birth.

“When Did Christmas Celebration First Begin?” on Christian View: This post corrects the common misconception that the first Christmas celebrations began in the mid fourth century, and presents the truth behind the first Christmas celebration. In fact the first Christmas celebration began immediately after the birth of Jesus.

Devotionals

“Cylinders and Crosses” by Dan Lower on Keyboard Theologians: The experience of God’ massive and overwhelming nature is best found, for me, on sunny days or black nights.

“SEAL of God” by Disciple on Closer2Thee: SEAL of God is the story of Chad Williams, a US Navy Seal who became a Christian while going through Navy SEAL training.

“Wanting More” by Dean on Working On the Mission: God wants to give us more, but we need to want more. I’m not talking about material possessions, but about wanting more of God. This post was instigated by reading the prayer by A.W Tozer included at the start of the post.

“Who Will I Become?” by Kelly on Simple Awareness: Goals are important not because of what we accomplish with them but because of the person we become through accomplishing them.

Theology

“Flesh vs Faith: Hebrews 11:1” by Jim Klingenberger on Xulonjam: Another in my ongoing series attempting to define “Faith” biblically, this time looking at the famous characterization of Faith found in Hebrews 11:1.

“Hell and Possible Worlds” by Jeremy Pierce on Parableman: Response to an objection against Calvinism involving hell and possible worlds.

“How To Read The Parables With Jesus At Center” by Dave Moser on Armchair Theology: Using the example of the Good Samaritan, this shows how the parables point beyond our moral improvement to what Jesus did on our behalf.

Other

“Angels in the New Testament” by Robin Bremer on Kingdom Living For End Times: We are God's children and are created like Him. The supernatural is part of who God is. Having interaction with the angels was normal in the Old and New Covenant. Angels are part of a supernatural lifestyle. One of a 12-part series of a study on Angels. This one is about our natural interaction with angels in the NEW Testament.

“Eyeglasses” by Ridge Burns on Ridge’s Blog: Ridge Burns talks about "settling for fuzziness" in his eyeglass prescription and in the Christian's walk with God.

“Happy Days” by James Nakamura on Nakadude - Knowing the Extraordinary from an Ordinary’s Perspective: My personal letter to my son on the day of his adoption. These are words from my heart but also words from the heart of His Heavenly Father.

“The Young Adult Body Part” by Sarah on This Is What Sed Said: [No comment provided.]

“T-t-t-talkin’ Bout My Generation (But Thinking About the One After Next)” by Carl Trueman on Reformation 21: A leader's orthodoxy and orthopraxy are only really evident in the line of succession he helps to establish... count no church leader as being truly faithful until you can see what steps he took to leave a faithful legacy.

“Why Religious Freedom Matters” by Tom Gilson on Thinking Christian: Philosopher Brian Leiter says he can’t think of any good reason to support religious liberty. Here’s an important one.

If you’re interested in contributing to a future Christian Carnival, please head over to the “Submit A Post” page on the carnival’s main blog. See you next month on January’s host blog, Thinking in Christ.