The young women were given beauty treatments for one whole year. The first six months their skin was rubbed with olive oil and myrrh, and the last six months it was treated with perfumes and cosmetics. Then each of them spent the night alone with King Xerxes. When a young woman went to the king, she could wear whatever clothes or jewelry she chose from the women's living quarters. In the evening she would go to the king, and the following morning she would go to the place where his wives stayed after being with him.
(Esther 2:12-14a, CEV)
Verse 12 sounds really, really good to me! For an entire year, all the young virgins received beauty treatments. One whole year of being massaged with oil and anointed with perfumes. Ahhhh. And each of them, one evening, was able to choose beautiful clothes and jewels. Whatever she wanted.
And if that were the end of it, it would be a pretty wonderful story.
However, all that pampering was for one reason only: a night with the king.
There’s something about this that makes me sick to my stomach. Each of these young women—again we can only assume there were one hundred or so—went to spend a single night with the king. Kind of like a test drive. And one can only assume those nights weren’t full of playing monopoly or watching movies—or the ancient equivalent.
Then, after her night with the king, each young woman—no longer a virgin—went to live with the king’s many other wives. She was now a “wife” of the king. One of many wives.
I know I have to consider the context and the times. But it just seems somehow … wrong.
But I have to remember: God always uses what seems wrong to us and turns it to good, according to His plan.
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