Chapter 9
Aaron led the way into the vacant meeting room on the studio lot.
He turned on the light and headed toward a space already set up with two chairs.
In the corner sat a coffee machine and a modest spread of light snacks—sandwiches, coffee cake, and fruit.
He had asked Tiffany to make the arrangements in anticipation of the meeting.
He and Camille had agreed to meet at six-thirty p.m., but it was now just after seven.
Camille stretched, the movement unguarded, and set down what looked like a Bible bag.
“Long day, huh?” he said with a grin as he placed his things on the table and moved toward the snacks.
“Yep. Up from four-thirty.”
“Can I get you a cup of coffee?” he asked, reaching for a cup.
Camille came to stand beside him. “Nah, I think I’ll have tea for a change. I’ve been guzzling coffee all day.”
Their proximity made the small room feel even smaller. She studied the teabag selection, chose one, and poured in the hot water.
“So do you normally get up at that time?” he asked.
“I started on Monday. I’m trying to take your advice and be more purposeful about prayer and Bible study.”
He looked at her with surprise and admiration.
“That’s really good, Camille.”
She smiled and nodded.
“Filming went well today,” she said.
“Yes… in the end.”
She turned to him. “What do you mean, in the end?”
He snorted a laugh. “We had to reshoot that fasting scene a few times, as you’ll recall.”
“That wasn’t my fault,” she protested.
“It wasn’t?”
“You kept saying I didn’t look fasted enough. Too healthy. That’s makeup’s fault, not mine.” She huffed.
He laughed. “In the end, it wasn’t more makeup you needed—it was something else.”
She grabbed some fruit and cake and walked over to the chairs. “It was that expression. That one. ‘Camille, drop your gaze. Look more plaintive. More prayerful.’”
“Yes,” he said, settling across from her. “And when you did that—magic. Was I wrong?”
She pouted playfully. “No, you weren’t wrong, boss.”
He shook his head. “You actors.”
She smiled. “I wonder what happens when you are the actor.”
“Oh, you don’t want to hear the internal monologues I’m having with myself.”
“I can only imagine!”
They burst out laughing. As the laughter faded, a quieter stillness settled between them. Aaron exhaled, then reached out his hands.
“Let us pray.”
Camille slid her hands into his. The contact was reverent. He prayed, thanking God for their time together, for the privilege of studying His Word, asking for insight not only for faithfulness to the adaptation of Esther for the screen, but for wisdom to live out its truths.
“Amen,” Camille said softly.
She reached for her small brown Bible and turned to the marked page.
“Okay,” Aaron said, “I’ll begin with some context. Disclaimer first—I’m not a biblical scholar, but I sought guidance from someone who is.”
“Your brother?”
“Why yes. Very good.” He smiled. “He provided the insight I’m about to share.”
Camille nodded, sipping her tea, determined to focus on his words and not the way his mocha eyes lit up.
“So the events occur around 483–473 BC in Susa, the capital of the Persian Empire, during the reign of King Ahasuerus—commonly identified as Xerxes I. This is a story about Jews living in exile, over one hundred years after the Babylonian captivity. Many chose not to return to Jerusalem with Ezra and Nehemiah, remaining instead in Persia.”
“So I should probably get acquainted with those books?” she asked. “They overlap?”
Aaron took a gulp of his coffee and nodded.
“Yes. Esther’s story sits right between them historically.
The temple was rebuilt in 516 BC, and this book begins sometime after that but before Ezra arrives in Jerusalem—about twenty-five years later.
What’s interesting is that God is never mentioned by name in Esther, yet His hand is everywhere.
He’s working behind the scenes, even when He seems absent. ”
That struck Camille deeply.
“I can relate to that,” she said quietly.
Aaron watched her as he took a bite of his sandwich. “Care to elaborate?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “I was in a relationship that was very bad for me. I made terrible choices. At a low point, one of the crew encouraged me. She gave me this Bible.” She ran her fingers over the worn cover.
“I started reading. Then I felt a great conviction of my sin. I knew without a doubt God exists, and that there was hope even for a sinner like me. I gave surrendered my life to Jesus.”
“That’s powerful,” Aaron said quietly.
“That’s why this story feels personal.”
He nodded thoughtfully then turned back to his notes. “Okay, so chapters one and two—”
“What about you?” she asked, watching him closely.
He looked up, surprised. “Oh.” He laughed softly. “Me?”
“You can’t let me do all the sharing.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. I was raised in a Christian home. Never doubted God’s existence. I was baptized with my siblings at fifteen.”
“Impressive.”
“Not what followed,” he admitted. “I drifted. In college, after being drafted into the NFL, I blended in instead of standing out. Conviction came, but I justified myself. It wasn’t until my wife died that I realized God was the only one who could truly help me—fill me, restore me.
I recommitted two years ago. And here I am. ”
“I like that,” Camille said softly. “That’s also powerful.”
He glanced at his watch. “At this rate, we’ll finish this book when the movie’s already in theatres.”
She raised her hands. “Sorry. No more interruptions unless it’s about the text.”
He grinned. “Alright. Chapters one and two deal with Vashti’s removal and Esther’s selection.
Chapter one introduces Ahasuerus and Vashti.
Esther is set in the kingdom of Persia, specifically in Susa, which lies above the Persian Gulf.
It’s near Ur of the Chaldeans. You remember who came from there? ”
“Umm…Abraham?” Camille said.
“Yes. So geographically, it’s significant.
Now, in this first section, Xerxes—probably the most powerful man on earth at the time—celebrates the greatness of his empire with a one-hundred-and-eighty-day display.
And then, as if that wasn’t enough, he ends it with a seven-day feast for all the people. ”
“Yeah,” Camille said, nodding. “I noticed the finery. The floor was made of gems and mother-of-pearl and marble.”
Aaron smiled. “Exactly. This man clearly had deep pockets. Meanwhile, Queen Vashti was holding a feast for the women. Xerxes ordered his eunuchs to bring her into the banquet hall so the guests could gawk at her beauty. There’s debate about whether she was expected to appear immodestly—I’m not certain—but either way, she refused. ”
Camille leaned forward slightly, attentive.
“He was enraged,” Aaron continued. “No one refused a king’s command.
So he consulted his advisors. Their counsel was to expel Vashti and replace her, issuing a royal decree to find a new queen.
This was supposedly to ensure that men’s leadership wouldn’t be challenged by women and that wives would honor their husbands.
Xerxes agreed. And so—he no longer has a queen.
Chapter two begins the search for a new one. ”
He paused to take a few mouthfuls of coffee and then continued.
“The application is the contrast between this king and the true King. In Persia, a drunken king who makes rash decisions of questionable morality. In heaven, a wise King who never does. In Persia, a king who uses people for his own purposes. In heaven, a King who always seeks the good of His people. In Persia, a king with limited power and no humility. In heaven, a King of infinite power who embraced humility in the form of Jesus. In Persia, a king who spent six months celebrating his own greatness. In heaven, a King who laid aside His glory for thirty-three years to lift others up.”
Camille watched him with rapt attention. “That’s remarkable—what you said.”
Aaron nodded as he drained his cup. “Do you agree?”
“Yes, absolutely. Good thing I didn’t do this study beforehand, though.”
He glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, Xerxes doesn’t seem to be a very nice man. And here I was going through beauty treatments trying to impress him.”
Aaron laughed. “Don’t worry. Esther wasn’t trying to impress him as much as being obedient—following the instructions of Hegai, the king’s eunuch. Remember she is a slave. She doesn’t have many choices. She remained humble, relying on grace rather than beauty to find favor.”
“Is that why you insisted I play her with soft grace and humility?”
He smiled. “Yes, Camille. That’s exactly why. But let’s not jump ahead—that’s next week’s study.”
“I thought we were going to do two chapters today.”
“That was the plan,” he said, glancing at his watch. “But it’s eight-fifteen, and I’ve got to go and collect Madison and get her home to bed.”
Camille sighed lightly. “I think we’re going to have to add an extra day in the week if we want to finish before the movie ends, Aaron.”
He considered it. “The week’s already tight.”
“What about the weekend?” she said quickly, lifting a hand before he could object.
“Hear me out. Weekends are our time. We can surely carve out an hour one evening. We don’t have to meet at each other’s homes—we could meet somewhere in the middle.
At a restaurant, or in the park, or somewhere neutral.
I’m just really excited about this and don’t want to lose momentum. ”
Aaron watched her for a moment, thoughtful, then nodded slowly. “Okay. I think that could work. It would only be for four weeks anyway. Saturday might be best—I could ask my parents to babysit. Sunday’s already full with church and the luncheon and all.”
“Oh, by the way, I think what you’re doing, opening up your home to people, is really terrific.”
He smiled shyly. “Thanks.”
“What inspired that?”