Book of Esther

In the book of Esther, God uses her (Esther) to save his people. We have a young Jewish woman that is chosen to become King Xerxes’ wife. She discovers that the king’s trusted adviser, Haman, has a secret plot to destroy all the Jews in the Persian empire. Her uncle, Mordecai, persuades Esther to use her position to try and save them. Although she was queen this did not guarantee her safety, as the King was very unpredictable, and it was a great risk to go to him without invitation. She invites him to two banquets, and during the second feast she reveals to him her Jewish identity, and the plot to destroy her people. The king is enraged and sends Haman to the gallows he had built for the Jews. Through Esther’s courage and faithful actions, the Jews are saved from destruction.

 

I painted her emerging out from the “shadows” and stepping into the light to save her people – the Jews. The pinkish flowers underneath are myrtle, which is what Esther means in Hebrew.