Queen Esther and the Persian Court

Queen Esther stands among the royal figures of the Persian court, crowned and veiled beside King Ahasuerus, the faithful Mordecai, and the hard-faced adversary Haman. The composition presents the central human drama of the Book of Esther: a Jewish queen placed in royal power for a moment of deliverance, a king whose decree governs life and death, a righteous counselor who refuses compromise, and a proud official whose hatred threatens God’s covenant people. The image is well suited for teaching Esther’s courage, divine providence, intercession, and the reversal of evil through God’s unseen hand. by Jeff Preston