What if you had the opportunity to learn from a queen? I bet you’d have lots of questions and would want to know everything about royal life. Many of us may never get the chance to speak to a real queen but we can still learn from one. No, I’ve not gone crazy; I’m talking about Queen Esther. We can get so many life lessons from the book of Esther–one of which is the characteristics of a queen.
What Does It Mean to be a Queen?
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I know you may not think you have anything in common with a queen, but I want to remind you that your Heavenly Father is a King. That means you’re a princess or a queen-in-training. Because you are, it’s important to know what’s acceptable and what’s not.
The book of Esther gives an intimate snapshot of two queens: Vashti and Esther. Vashti disobeyed a direct order from her king and refused to appear before him, whereas Esther subjected to the king’s authority. While each woman had reasons for their behavior, we can choose to learn lessons from their lives. Do we want to be the woman who does not make it into the kingdom? Or do we want to be the one rewarded for our actions?
The book of Esther tells us the characteristics of a queen: she is a virgin, young and beautiful. Since we’re looking for life lessons from the book of Esther we will understand that these traits may not necessarily be physical. Instead, they symbolize the spiritual condition we should aspire to.
Characteristics of a Queen: Purity
Virginity is often used in the Bible to symbolize purity. In order for us to reap the rewards of being the daughter of a Great King, we have to remain pure. Purity involves abstaining from the things of the world and pursuing the things of God.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8 ESV).
We can’t remain pure if we take on the characteristics of the world. For that reason, we have to “be in the world but not of it”. I know, I know, those words are difficult to hear and understand. How can we be in the world but not in the world? It sounds impossible, doesn’t it?
Queen Esther gives us a good example of what that may look like. She was in the king’s harem but still managed to hold on to her beliefs and act in a way that was consistent with them. She was in the harem but not of the harem. We do this when we obey the commands of God and choose to live as He asks us to—in spite of our circumstances or the people we find ourselves surrounded with.
Characteristics of a Queen: Youth
Solomon wrote, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them;’” (Ecclesiastes 12:1 ESV).
I love that reference because I picture Solomon writing those words at the end of his life after he had strayed away from God and come to his senses. As an old man, he had come to realize that the best course of action is to serve God when you are young and to remain with Him. We saw this trait played out in the life of Esther—she was taken to the palace as a young girl and lived in such a way she pleased the king. She had the characteristics of a queen before she received the crown. Because of Esther’s positive attitude, she was rewarded with the royal crown.
The Lord requires our service. It’s not that He needs us to do anything for Him—on the contrary, God doesn’t need us but He gives us the opportunity to partner with Him for our benefit. And those who serve Him will be given the crown of life.
Characteristics of a Queen: Beauty
Another characteristic of a queen that we pick up from the book of Esther is the importance of beauty. And there are two different kinds of beauty played out in the book: physical and inner beauty. Women were chosen as a potential mate for the king based on their physical beauty. The men sent to acquire the virgins would be choosing women who met the king’s standard of beauty.
After the women were taken to the king’s harem, they were given twelve months of beauty treatment. The oil of myrrh was chosen specifically for its purifying properties and fragrance. A woman who went in to see King Xerxes only did so after she had received the very best Persia had to offer in beauty care. Yet it was Esther’s inner beauty that won his favor.
The lesson for us is that we can be physically beautiful but it is the condition of our heart that matters.
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT).
God wants us to be beautiful from the inside out. He’s not concerned with a beauty that’s only skin-deep.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised (Proverbs 31:30 NLT).
We can learn many more characteristics of a queen found in the book of Esther, some of which will be discussed in my Bible study. Royal: Life Lessons from the Book of Esther is written for teenage girls. This Esther Bible study book is perfect for personal or group study. It is an in-depth exploration of the lessons and morals in the book of Esther and covers topics such as the importance of respect, how to be a good friend, and tips for having a relationship with God.
Royal: Life Lessons from the Book of Esther was released on September 5, 2019, and is currently available on Amazon.
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