Extravagant pageantry continues, now with respect to choosing a more suitable queen for Ahasuerus.  The time and attention involved for this process was extraordinary in more than one sense.  Firstly, the beautifying protocol for the kings court is difficult to fathom for its sheer scale with 6 months required for oil and myrrh treatments with the rest of the year dedicated to enhancing with spices & ointments for the queen candidates.   Secondly, the perverse priorities demonstrated by this whole ordeal cannot be overstated.  I don’t know if one could cite a more extreme illustration of the prophet’s words in (I Sam 16:7) “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”.  Nevertheless, there was one woman among these contestants whom God had chosen & imbued with virtue, whom the king would favor as well according to Yahweh’s decree unfolding in the providence of this historical moment.