For Such a Time, As This!
(***everything in Blue writing is actual word for word/paraphrase from my Bible – ESV study Bible)
“The book of Esther tells how a Jewish girl became the queen of Persia and saved her people from a plot to destroy them. She is assisted in this by Mordecai, her cousin and guardian. It also explains how a special festival, called Purim was established to recall and celebrate the deliverance that the Jews had experienced. “
Amidst this election and how many people are going to be so sure the world/USA is going to crap because of who was chosen President - A few things I want to point out, that I found in my Bible when reading (it’s a rather longer post than normal, but worth it I promise):
(1) Divine Providence:
a. Even when God is most hidden, he is still present and working to protect and deliver his chosen people.
In times like this, where there is so much chaos, stress, division and civil unrest it can be easy to say or think that God is not with us anymore, that he just forgot about us or gave us up as a lost cause. As Christians, should remember that God is ALWAYS present, even when he is not visible! He is working behind the scene to make HIS PLAN unfold. Our prayer should be for His will to be done, he is Alpha and Omega, he was the one who formed the earth and the heavens. Would anything be a shock to him or not have his say in it?
Throughout the Bible, there are examples of God working behind the scenes and in front, to protect and deliver his chosen. Specifically, for this post, I am going to focus on Esther. God is not mentioned at all in this book, yet you can see that “something/someone” is working to orchestrate the events to protect the Jews.
Bigthan, Teresh & The Plot to Kill
B & T (see names in heading above) were eunuchs of the King and guarded the entry to him. They became P-O’d at him; why they were mad is not made known, just that they were (my thoughts, although I could be completely wrong, is that if the King had made me a eunuch and cut off my manhood, I’d be pretty upset with him too lol, but that’s just my theory ;). Anyways, they became mad enough that they plotted to kill the King! Now, usually people plotting to kill someone do not talk about their plot in any place they could be heard, they would take extra precautions to make sure they were not heard, right?
Well, by God’s divine hand, Mordecai happened to be in the right place, at the right time, to overhear them talk about their plan. He, in turn, told Queen Esther, who told the King; the King investigated, found it was true, killed B&T and recorded in the books that Mordecai saved the King. {Do you think this plan would have been found out otherwise? What if someone else had heard the plot, who was against the King? What a good fortune it was that it was someone who respected the King rather than someone who despised him!}
The King Honors Mordecai
One night the King couldn’t sleep (Has God ever woken you up and not let you sleep because he wanted you to pray, or seek his Word?), he had the book of chronicles read to him and in it was the account of Mordecai saving his life from the plot but nothing being done to honor Mordecai. So, the King said whoever is out in the courtyard, to tell them to come see him. Get this – it was Hamman! (Funny how Hamman was in the palace, at that exact moment!). The King asked Hamman what should be done to the man whom the King wants to honor, and Hamman being quite vain, thought it was about him and that the King was thinking of honoring himself.
Hamman suggested a royal robe be placed on him that the King wore, that he ride in on a horse of the King by a nobleman, and a royal crown be placed on his head while the nobleman proclaimed throughout the city that “Thus be done to the man in whom the King delights”. Oh, how divine is God!!! The King told Hamman to do all that he had suggested but for Mordecai (the person who Hamman absolutely hated with a passion because he would not bow to him and honor him). So instead of being bowed down to, he was now being humbled before the person he hated more than life.
Well this infuriated him even more and his wife gave him the idea to build some gallows to hang Mordecai on (there’s another lesson there – wives/women should be giving good counsel to their husbands/authority figures when asked, not suggesting silly revenge plots! We are supposed to be wise in our counsel!). You know how God works? Like this bam!! Hamman ended up being hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai! God’s was always working behind the scene even though it didn’t seem like it because Hamman was in power at the time. Kind of like whoever is our President, even if they plan evil or make ten thousand mistakes, God’s hand is still working behind the scenes for his chosen people and his will! We need not worry, we just trust that God knows what is going to happen and he knows how to guide us.
One other major example of divine providence in this story is Esther being chosen as queen. Out of the many girls that were brought to the palace to “compete” to become queen, Esther, a Jew, won. She was chosen for such a time, and God had his hand in it to allow her to become queen out of everybody else who were actual Persians (unlike her) because he knew she would ultimately carry out his plan.
Talk about divine providence!
(2) Human Responsibility:
a. Divine providence does not negate the responsibility of people to act with courage and resolve when circumstances require it.
Esther had free will and technically did not have to go to the King. God would have used someone else for his plan to save the Jews, but Esther not doing her responsibility to act, could have had dire consequences for herself as well had she not.
Even though God’s hand is over everything and he is in control of every outcome, it does not let us off the hook of doing what we are supposed to do, doing what God tells us to do. We are called to be courageous and show resolve even when circumstances around us are threatening or scary.
(3) The absurdity of wickedness:
a. The arrogant of this world are not nearly as powerful as they think they are and that when they oppose God’s people (and therefore God himself) they only succeed in bringing about their own destruction (Ps 2:4)
This has got to be the best example of “Karma” I can think of. Hammon thought very highly of himself and didn’t like when others didn’t see his viewpoint. He was arrogant and haughty and it caused his downfall like so many people. He thought he could manipulate and underhandly get his way, BUT GOD, would not allow his people to perish. Everything backfired on him. He let 1 person affect his whole outcome, it consumed him – just because one Jew would not bow to him, it ate him up on the inside and he refused to let it go. He had everything, he was the King’s right-hand man, but couldn’t get passed this one Jew who wouldn’t bend to his will and it cost him – HIS LIFE!
People may plot evil and wickedness, but God will protect his people and he laughs at those who are haughty and righteous in their own eyes.
Christians are sometimes called to live in a world that resembles the one Esther and Mordecai lived in. Governing authorities are often indifferent and sometimes even hostile to the faith of believers and especially in the West, events often take their normal course with little or no evidence of the miraculous. But the book of Esther, like the NT, teaches how to live in that world with courage and integrity, carrying out responsibilities so the best of one’s ability and trusting God in his providence to protect and provide.
No matter who is president, God will protect and provide for us!
As NT Christians are not obliged to observe the Feast of Purim, but they are to take to heart the truth that God providentially watches over his own, and that no power leveled against them can ultimately prevail (Rom 8:28). “Purim is the most secular and one of the most joyful celebrations in the Bible. On the 14th day of Adar, the story of Esther is read, exchange of gifts, giving food to the poor, performing Purim plays, and wearing costumes are had. It has become a celebration not just of the deliverance, but of the amazing survival of the Jewish people. “
I challenge you to read the book of Esther and see how many times you can see God’s hand move mysteriously throughout the book! Drop a comment below with your insights into Esther!
