Esther wasn’t always a queen. Growing up, she likely had never thought she’d have to be the one to save her country’s Jewish population, yet her willingness to do God’s will saved thousands.
Let’s take a look at the things that made Esther the perfect candidate.
Humble Beginnings
Once upon a time, Esther was an orphan Jewish girl raised by her cousin, a man by the name of Mordecai. There wasn’t anything particularly spectacular about her. But God was working.
Beautiful Inside and Out
Esther was so gorgeous that when the king was looking for a new queen, he chose her over dozens of entries. But it wasn’t solely her outer beauty that made her special—she had a humble and serving heart.
Called
Esther’s story turns sinister in chapter 3 with the introduction of Haman. The man manipulates King Ahasuerus into making an irreversible law that all Jews be annihilated in one day—and it’s clear they were unaffected by ordering the deaths of hundreds when the two officials sit and drink (Esther 3:15).
Outside of the palace, Jews clothe themselves in sackcloth and ash, the official mourning attire. Esther sends for Mordecai, but he refuses to be consoled.
Queen Esther faces two options.
First, she could let her people die because she’s scared of talking to the king.
Or, she could go to the king without being summoned—an act punishable by death.
The two sides of the argument spark a fire in Esther’s soul. Should she spare herself or her people? Could any of them survive, no matter what she did?
Mordecai sends the message that gives wings to Esther’s resolve: “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).
Reliant on God
Despite any fears, Esther believes in God. She requests prayer (Esther 4:16) from the people before she approaches King Ahasuerus.
Ahasuerus miraculously holds out his fancy king’s scepter, and with shaky fingers but firm resolve, she touches the top of it and. . .
Requests that he and Haman—the same awful man who ordered the death of her people—attend her banquet?
Um, what?
It seems as though the queen took the “love your enemies” commandment (Matthew 5:44) a bit too seriously.
After the banquet, the king promises to give Esther pretty much anything (Esther 5:6), so it’s the perfect time to tell him what her request is.
Esther asks that he and Haman join her for another feast the next day.
Seriously, Esther!
Faithful
As strange as Esther’s first two requests might seem, she brings up her actual request at the end of the second banquet. She tells the king she’s a Jew—one of the people that would die. And she announces that it’s all Haman’s fault.
King Ahasuerus reverses the plot even though he can’t revoke the law. On the day that the world said the Jews were supposed to die, the Jews overcame their enemies.
It was all because a meek orphan girl was faithful to God’s call, despite her fear.
So, what about you? What hard thing have you been ignoring? What chance have you missed? Which people in your life are desperate for help?
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