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Tuesday, April 20, 2004 Stalwarts - Carol & Gary (& Esther)'Cos that's what you guys are. A few others (notably Dave & Janet) contribute a bit here; the others have gone very quiet. So, unless we hear something soon, I'm proposing that we take a good hard look at our blog membership, cull some and add some fresh legs. Send suggestions this way...Carol, I know you didn't post this on the blog, but can I just say I admire your relaxed, care-free lifestyle - going back to bed on school holiday mornings, and letting the kids take care of themselves and come and see you "in your office" (the bedroom) sounds a lifestyle to envy - practising the biblical exhortation of "being careful for nothing!" (see, it's scripturally sound as well as being relaxing!!!) Gary, I am really looking forward to hearing Paul Barker teach us as Belgrave Hts Convention next summer - could you convince him to do a series on Revelation? (I know you're a man of great influence!) For others not in the know, Paul is pastor or whatever the Anglicans call them at Gary's church (Holy Trinity), and he's one of about 3 or 4 teachers who I would rate as 10's. Speaking of 10's, Esther (this week's BSF study) must have been a bit of a spunk (am I allowed to say that?). Incredible story actually. And an amazing society - King Xerxes ruled an enormous kingdom (stretching from Egypt to India), and little wonder things got out of control at times (as our deputy leader went to some pains to explain, they had no internet communications in those days!). Actually, I feel King Xerxes got some bad press (by BSF at least, who had the temerity to suggest he was a despot). But I am still bemused by his harem arrangements (Esther ch.2): Then the king's personal attendants proposed, "Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful girls into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. Then let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it. (I bet it appealed to him!!) The girls had it pretty good, according to one of my lovely female friends today (who wouldn't have minded this next bit): Before a girl's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. (12 months of continuous beauty treatment and pandering!) Seems the girls got one night to impress the king: In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. And guess what, Esther made good use of her opportunities (why I'm thinking of her as a spunky 10): When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Go Esther! # posted by geoff @ 6:30 pm 0 comments
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