Who among us doesn’t enjoy a good story? One of the most popular forms of entertainment in our culture is watching movies. My wife and I enjoy watching movies and some of our favorite movies are those that are really well told stories. We really shouldn’t be surprised that we enjoy stories so much. After all, our Lord Jesus knew this and taught through the use of stories. He was a master storyteller. Think of all the wonderful parables He gave us. One of my great hopes is that in heaven someday, we’ll all gather around the feet of our Master, and listen to Him tell stories as He did so many years ago as recorded in the New Testament. Jesus, the Master Teacher, used stories and parables to convey great truths about Himself, His ministry, and the Kingdom of God. It should come as no surprise then, that many of the wonderful truths revealed in God’s Word are revealed through stories. One of the great stories in the Bible is found in the book of Esther. It’s a love story. It’s an adventure. It’s a drama. It’s a suspense thriller. It is a story of intrigue, of mystery, of shadowy figures and secrets. It amazes me that with all the Bible stories that have been made into movies, no one has made a movie about Esther. To me, it seems like a screenwriter’s dream. What truly makes the story of Esther even more intriguing is that it is a true story—it really happened. Unlike any other book in the Bible God is never directly mentioned in Esther, but even so, the story told is full of marvelous revelations about God and His plan for His creation.
Esther’s story takes place after the Babylonian conquest of Israel, when Israel was destroyed and the people taken captive. God had warned Israel that this would occur if they did not repent of their evil ways. For 70 years, the Jews were held in captivity and scattered throughout the regions. Though a group of Jews was allowed to return to Israel, led by Zerubbabel, most Jews were still dispersed and lived under pagan rule and influence. The Persian period of world history was being played out, and the King of Persia was a man named Ahasuerus, or Xerxes, as his Greek name is pronounced. But the story begins many years before when a young Jewish girl named Hadassah, or Esther, was orphaned and then taken in to be raised by her relative, Mordecai. As a young woman, she was beautiful, and by all indications had a wonderful and sweet personality. So there she was, living her life, raised and taught by her cousin Mordecai, and apparently going about her life in a very ordinary way. But her life was to take a very unexpected turn.
It seems the king, who had a reputation for holding great feasts and drinking parties, was holding forth a great celebration. It was an extended celebration where the wine flowed freely, and the king was in a mood to show off. He called for his servants to bring his wife, Queen Vashti to the celebration. In Chapter 1, verse 11, we read that Vashti was ordered to appear wearing her royal crown. Some Bible commentators have taken this to mean that this was all she was supposed to wear. Regardless, Vashti didn’t like the idea of being displayed as a trophy and refused to go. In that culture it wasn’t wise to disobey the command of a husband, but worse yet was disobedience to the king. As punishment, the king’s advisors convinced him to divorce her and dethrone her as Queen. Some time later, the king was convinced to send out a command that all the beautiful young virgins of the kingdom be brought in to harems and prepared by his servants to be presented before him. One of the many young women brought in as possibilities for the new queen, was young Esther. After 12 months of preparation and beauty treatments and purification rituals, each young woman was presented before the king. Each one was given whatever she desired to take with her to the king’s palace.
During her preparation, her custodian, a eunuch who served the king named Hegai, became very devoted to Esther, and helped her by giving her additional supplies and maidservants, and the best quarters. When the turn came for Esther to go in to the king, she took only what Hegai advised her to take. So when she went to meet the King, he fell in love with her more than all the other women, and the word says in Esther 2.17: “…she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen.”
Notice the timing of her birth and physical maturity. She became a young woman in 478 BC, at just the right time to be used in God’s master plan. Only God knew of the impending extermination of His people. Esther was to be a key player in God’s plan even though she didn’t realize it yet. God also has a master plan for each of us. God makes provisions for impending disasters long before they happen. The Whale was waiting for Jonah. The Ram was waiting in the thicket according to Genesis 22. The new jawbone of an ass was at the right place at the right time according to Judges 15. And Esther was born on God’s schedule. If we knew God better, if we trusted God more, much of the panic and trauma which overwhelm us in times of stress would be entirely absent. If we truly love and trust in Jesus Christ, then, as the song says, “Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come? Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home? When Jesus is my portion, my constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”
Esther’s life was suddenly vastly different than she probably had ever imagined. How many of us can relate to Esther in this regard. Five years ago I would have never dreamed God would call me to the ministry. I absolutely hated public speaking, not to mention the important fact that I didn’t even know Christ at the time. Quite often when we look at situations from the human perspective, God’s ways don’t seem to make sense. We shouldn’t be surprised by this, God Himself tells us in Isaiah 55, verse 8 that "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways." Nevertheless, many of us find ourselves at odds with God far too often. C. S. Lewis described it this way; “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says ‘All right, then, have it your way.’” The distinction is crucial. Will we walk obediently with Him who gives life—even if it requires a great personal cost, or will we go our own way? If you’re a Christian for very long odds are you’ll find yourself at this crossroad someday. Forced to choose between God’s way – a road that looks difficult and long, or your way – the easy way. It is the ultimate test of faith. Abraham found himself at this crossroad many times, but never was it so difficult as when God told him to sacrifice his beloved son. But Abraham knew God was in total control so he trusted God and followed His instructions. What about you? Would you trust God? As we will soon see, Esther is going to find herself at this crossroad, and she is going to have to make this same decision.
It is in Chapter 3 where we learn that there was a feud between Mordecai and a man named Haman who is one of the king’s ministers. Mordecai, being a Jew, wouldn’t bow down before Haman and give Haman the respect that Haman thought he deserved. Haman is introduced in the text as a descendant of Agag. Who is Agag you may ask? Well, if you remember back to the story of the fall of King Saul, told in 1 Samuel 15, you may recall that King Saul was ordered by God to completely destroy the Amalekites, who were the enemies of God’s people. The Amalekites were descendants of Esau. Saul, however, disobeyed, and instead captured the Amalekite king as a prisoner, as well as the best livestock of the Amalekites. Because Saul had not killed the Amalekite king, Samuel declared that God would take away Saul’s kingdom. That Amalekite king was Agag. So the stage was set for what goes around to come around – only in Persia, a thousand miles away and 700 years later.
Because Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to Haman, Haman became enraged and conspired to have Mordecai killed. This is not unlike the story of the three young men Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told in the book of Daniel. Because they would not bow down to the image of the Babylonian king, they were sentenced to death in a hot furnace. Haman, however, was not content to merely have Mordecai executed. That would not be enough for someone whom we are told is a descendant of Agag. Haman decided that the only way to avenge his honor and to assure that he would receive the respect he felt he deserved was to arrange for the execution of all of the Jews in the kingdom. Consulting advisors and casting lots to determine when destruction of the Jews would take place, the date was set for about 11 months later. He then convinced the king that a “certain people” in his kingdom had different laws than the other peoples, and that they did not keep the king’s laws, and therefore should be destroyed. The king, anxious to eliminate any rebellion against him, agreed. A decree—written by Haman in the name of the king—went out. Every region was sent the message that on that specific day, the Jews should be annihilated, both young and old, little children and women, and that their possessions should be plundered. The law was written as an irrevocable command; not even the king could call it off. When Mordecai learned of the plot, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and cried out a loud and bitter cry. In every province where the command was given, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
All the while Esther, upon the command of Mordecai, whom she had come to view as her father, had never revealed her identity as a Jew. As the cries went up and as Mordecai stood outside the king’s gate in sackcloth, Esther sent a servant to find out what was happening. Her servant Hathach inquired of Mordecai and he asked that it all be explained to Queen Esther. He gave him a copy of the decree and told him to tell Esther what had happened. “Tell her to go and to plead with the king and beg him to save her people” Mordecai told him. So Hathach did, but Esther sent him back to Mordecai with these words: “Anyone who goes in to see the king without being summoned will be put to death; it’s the law. Only if the king calls may you approach him. Without being sent for, I am in mortal danger. Only if the king extends his golden scepter as a sign that I am welcome, will I live. Even I have not been called for these 30 days.” And so it was in those days. The custom of the king was that no one dared approach him without being called—not even the Queen.
Esther’s response is a lot like ours. We tend to think of the obstacles to reaching our goals rather than the importance of the goals themselves. We tend to think of the risks and costs to ourselves, and often we stop right there. Esther was probably the only Jew in the Kingdom that had not put on Sackcloth and ashes. None of the Persians even knew that she was Jewish. To attempt to save her people she would have to risk her life twice. The first risk would be announcing that she was Jewish. This would immediately put her on the death list. The second risk, appearing before Xerxes without an invitation, often meant quick execution. One stroke of the sharp sword would have ended her reign as Queen. Apparently the King had other things on his mind, because he had not asked for Esther’s appearance in a whole month. Thirty days without Esther, had she ceased to be the apple of his eye? Can you begin to understand Esther’s apprehension? In Esther’s mind she clearly felt she wasn’t the right person for God’s job!
Mordecai, upon hearing Esther’s response, sent back these words according to chapter 4, verses 13 and 14: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” This message from Mordecai became the turning point in Esther’s life. His letter makes it clear that if her Jewish bloodline were discovered, she too would surely die. He points out that the fact that she is queen is not going to save her, something that must have been painfully obvious to Esther. Mordecai is confident that God will deliver Israel, with or without Esther– after all, God had saved the three young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, from the furnace. Mordecai’s letter helped Esther to realize that, “for such a time as this,” she was uniquely positioned—she had become Queen through God’s sovereign plan in order to save God’s people! She had arrived at the crossroad. Would she trust that God is in control?
With every ounce of faith and bravery, she told Mordecai to go and gather all the Jews to fast and pray on her behalf as she went to plead to the King. From abject fear to focused faith—Esther declares—“if I perish, I perish”—at least she would be faithfully answering God’s call. The story does not end there. Queen Esther did indeed approach the king, and he held out the golden scepter, and her life was spared. Through a series of events, Haman’s evil plot was exposed and thwarted. Mordecai was given Haman’s position and he crafted a new law, sealed by the king’s signet ring which allowed the Jews on the day that they were to be exterminated, to kill anyone who sought their death. This dissuaded many but there were those who chose to continue the plot against God’s people. And on the day they were set to destroy the Jews, those people themselves were destroyed.
The entire book of Esther is worthy of our study and I highly encourage you to read Esther as homework and discover how God was sovereignly working through the lives of His people to accomplish His purposes. However, for our purposes today the statement Mordecai makes to Esther in Esther chapter 4, verse 14, is the focus of our examination. In this passage of Scripture there are five points I want you to take with you today, important things that we learn about God, and about ourselves through the book of Esther.
First, we learn that God is sovereign, and nothing takes place by chance. Every event in this story reveals the sacred truth that nothing is outside the providence of God. The king may not have seen it, nor Haman, nor the people, and in the beginning, even Mordecai and Esther may not have realized it. But God was at work, bringing about the situation and circumstances which would be used in accomplishing His will. The Apostle Paul confirms that God is sovereignly controlling history when he states that, “when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Though others may not recognize it, God is using every situation in our life, every circumstance in our world, to ultimately accomplish His will. When we come to realize this, then we can understand how Paul can say with confidence “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Second, we learn that when we recognize that who we are carries a heavy responsibility, it is then that we are most useful to God. When she finally revealed her faith and ancestry, Esther became useful as an instrument of deliverance. This is just as true for those of us today who call ourselves Christian. We can no more be a secret disciple and hide our faith in Christ, and still hope to serve Him, than Esther could hide her heritage and faith and still hope that she could save her people. We must be willing to let go of the cultural conventions and expectations of this world. Esther’s response to Mordecai’s first letter was that she was the wrong person to go to the king to save the Jews because she would be breaking the law—she had to do what was expected of her after all. To this Mordecai fires back his reply—in essence saying, “IF YOUR LIFE IS GOING TO AMOUNT TO ANYTHING, IN ORDER TO FULFILL YOUR DIVINE APPOINTMENT, YOU’VE GOT TO BE WILLING TO LET GO OF PLEASING THE KING!” When Esther revealed who she was, she was able to overcome. She was able to absolutely surrender her will to God, and have the courage to say, “I will go...and if I perish, I perish.” We also need to completely trust God and surrender to His will. We need to come to the point where we are able to confess, “I will be true to who I am in Christ. If I perish, I perish.”
Third, we learn that God created each of us with a divine appointment—a unique role to fulfill in our life—just like Esther! “For who knows whether YOU have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this!” Jeremiah puts this same truth this way, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” In other words, you will never be repeated—and God has designed something very special for your life! God has called those who follow Him to love others anywhere we go. “For such a time as this,” you are God’s person exactly where you are—at work—in your service club—in your family—where ever God has you. In fact, just find one person, find out what they need and love them - walk with them. St. Francis of Assisi wrote hundreds of years ago, “Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary use words.” Make no mistake! We are uniquely created—and each of us has a God given niche only we can fill. Jesus tells us that we are known and loved by Him so uniquely, He even numbers the hairs on our head. For who knows whether YOU have not come to the Kingdom for such a time as this!
Fourth, we learn that God will accomplish all He intends, regardless of our involvement. God would deliver His people one way or another. One may wonder why Mordecai was so insistent that Esther take upon herself the risk of challenging the king. After all, if Mordecai truly believed that the Jews would be saved without Esther’s help, why would he want Esther to expose herself to such a danger? Mordecai’s challenge clearly says that there are many ways that God can work out his purposes, with or without our participation. But if we choose not to participate, then we lose out on the opportunity to be a part of the fulfillment of God’s plan. This is just as much our loss as it is God’s. Mordecai assured Esther “If you remain silent Esther, relief and deliverance will still come from another place, but you will be the one who suffers.” We are commanded to go, to tell, to pray, to witness, to minister, to feed the hungry, to visit the sick, to minister to the prisoner, the sick, the needy. If you are silent, if you are not obedient to the command and the leading of the Lord, God will still accomplish His purposes and His will. Who do you think you are that you can thwart God’s plan? You can’t. But you can forfeit the privilege of serving Him. You can forfeit the awesome opportunity to be used for something great in His kingdom. If you are 100% convinced that God will always use someone else besides you—God will let you be right about that! Deliverance will come from another source, but you will be the one to suffer the consequences.
And this brings me to the final, fifth point: Who knows? Perhaps you’ve come to the place in life where you are now, for such a time as this. Maybe you are where you are, maybe you’re at the very place in your life, your job, your location, your mindset, your church, your spirit, that God can right now, use you to accomplish His will in the most significant way He ever will. Maybe He has you right where you are, in order to do something wonderful for His kingdom. You may say, “Who am I? I’m not a minister, I’m not a deacon.” Was Esther a priest? Remember whom Jesus called as His disciples to carry on his message: some fishermen, a tax collector, a tentmaker. Maybe you’re where you are for such a time as this. Who knows? God knows. And as surely as He allowed Esther to participate in His sovereign plan, He has a plan to use you as well. As surely as He placed Esther in a place of influence, He has placed you in a place of influence as well. Obey Him. Surrender to Him. Trust Him. Go and tell your story. Tell the greatest story ever told. Reveal to others who you really are. Tell them the story of Jesus, of His forgiveness of sins and His salvation. Tell of His death on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins, how He was buried, but was raised on the third day. Tell how He reigns as a sovereign King who is coming back for His people. Tell of His deliverance. You have been put where you are, in the position you are in, for such a time as this.
Let me challenge you to decide right now that you are not worthless, one of many, invisible to the eyes of God—far from it! God knows everything about you and sees you as His masterpiece, and will never give up on making you to be everything he created you to be. God said through Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope!” Willingly give God control of your life. If you don’t know Jesus, He’s here...Jesus loves you and will never reject you. If you haven’t already, ask Jesus to come into your life right now. Jesus says, “I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly.”
Our choice is the same choice Esther had. We can choose to follow all our earthly kings—or our heavenly King Jesus! Whom do you trust more, the gods of this world or The Sovereign God who has called you for such a time as this?
