Story: Esther
Today brings us the story of Esther, a woman who had to stay true to Gods plan even when it seemed hopeless. (For the sake of length, only parts of the story will be given for context) by all means read the full story in the Bible here.
Esther was just a young woman who was raised Jewish by her uncle Mordecai in the ancient Persian Empire ruled by King Xerxes I. King Xerxes decided to put on a beauty pageant to decide on a new queen, Esther easily became the kings favorite and would win.
Mordecai would also find favor from Xerxes by stopping an assassination plot. However, the Kings advisor Haman would come to hate Mordecai. In turn he would convince the king to enact a decree that would order the death of all of the Jewish people in the empire.
Mordecai and Esther have to stop the decree but theres a problem; If the Queen visits the king unannounced, by law she would be killed. Despite the danger, Mordecai encourages her to keep going with this verse in chapter 4:
Mordecai and Esther knew they had to stop the decree but there was a problem: Persian law stated that if the Queen visited the king unannounced she could be killed. Despite the danger, Mordecai encouraged her in chapter 4:
If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
Esther boldly would agree to the plan stating “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16
Esther reveals herself as Jewish and how Haman’s decree would result in her and Mordecai’s death. Not wanting to have his queen and the man who saved him killed, Xerxes immediately enacts a decree that would reverse Haman’s plot and save the Gods people.
To quote one of our sermons: “God will work with you, without you and in spite of you. God is never mentioned in the entire book but we are challenged to observe his presence throughout the book. God repeatedly placed people in unpleasant situations but without them, Esther never would have had courage to go to the King. Mordecai knew that if Esther did not do it, God would do something or use someone else for his purposes.
One of the greatest questions we all ask ourselves and others is “Why are we here?” but the better question is, “What is our purpose here?” The striking thing behind asking a question like that is getting to see what God has planned for our lives.
Sometimes we never see that plan until God places it right in front of us but the beauty behind that is no matter what God made us for something greater because he loved us enough to die for us. He wanted us to know that we were worth so much more. He gave us a plan and a purpose so that as he loved us, we can love others.
18 “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.” Ephesians 1:18