Esther - For such a time as this

Great opportunity can come unexpectedly, so it pays to be prepared!

Last week we saw how Esther a young woman found herself in a situation she had no control over.

She was a young woman under the protection of her older cousin Mordecai.

Her expectation in life was probably that a suitable marriage would be arranged for her, she would have children and run her household well.

A very typical life for a young Jewish woman in those times.

But momentous events were at play and Esther was caught up in them through no fault or desire of her own.

King Xerxes, the ruler of the Persian Empire, had made some rash decisions at the urging of his court which resulted in the banishment of Queen Vashti.

Now he desired a new Queen.

And Esther, along with many other beautiful young women was rounded up and taken into the King’s Harem.

She did not chose to be taken into the King’s Harem and it certainly wasn’t something that she desired.

Yet in the midst of the horror of her situation, we see evidence of someone who faithfully trusted God and set out to conduct herself with dignity and humility.

Esther was prepared, she had no idea what for, but through her positive conduct she had won the favour of important offcials, the people and even the King.

Esther is chosen to be the new Queen.

She is a beauty amongst the beautiful, not because of looks alone but because her character impresses those around her.

Dignity, humility, respect for others and lacking the lust for power and wealth that so infected the royal court.

I believe that the last sentence of Esther 4:14 is the theme of the entire book.

Esther 4:14 NLT

14 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?”

These words spoken by Mordecai to his young cousin, the new Queen Esther, are a desperate plea and a hopefully expression of faith that if Esther does not have the strength to act then perhaps God will find another way to save the Jews.

The story has many twists and turns.

At the end of chapter two we see something more of the character of both Esther and Mordecai.

They work for the benefit of the King and his kingdom in accordance with Jeremiah 29:7 which says “And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.””

Mordecai and Esther are loyal to the King, they desire what is good for him and his kingdom so in Esther 2:21 when Mordecai hears of a plot by two of the kings personal body guards to assassinate King Xerxes they act to protect the king.

By doing this Esther earns the Kings trust even more.

While it is not obvious at first, throughout the book there is this constant implied theme that God is at work behind the scenes.

Providentially looking out for his people.

Esther can not yet see this at work.

But in all the twists and turns to the story, God, although he is never actually mentioned in the book, is working out his plans.

Great opportunity can come unexpectedly, so it pays to be prepared!

The scene is set for the greatest test of Esther’s life.

So far, even through the horrors of being taken, of being placed into the King’s Harem with no control over her life things have worked out OK.

She has risen to the top, she has been treated very favourably.

Now she is Queen.

All she has to do is keep the King happy and she will live a luxorious life.

She won’t be free, but she will be treated well.

But now the test arrives in Esther 3:1-13 which we read earlier.

There is history here.

Haman is a decendant of Agag the King of the Amalekites, who were mortal enemies of the Jewish people in the time of the conquest of the land and during the reign of King Saul.

Mordecai is from King Saul’s family line the first King of Israel.

Haman has been honoured by King Xerxes and made the most senior official in the entire Kingdom.

Mordecai, even though he has recently saved King Xerxes life by discovering the plot to assasinate the King wasn’t honoured for his actions.

Haman craves influence and power, he has climbed his way to the very top, he craves being honoured, being seen to be the best.

But Esther 3:2 gives us a hint that people honour him because they have to by order of the King, not because people consider he is worthy of being honoured.

The narrator of the story is very careful to share this point with us.

Haman reactions throughout the story confirm that this is how things are.

Mordecai however refuses to honour someone who is unworthy of honour.

The narrator doesn’t judge Mordecai for this but his actions by many are considered unwise.

He is in effect inviting the rage of a very vain man who has enormous influence and power.

There is a parallel here, just as Queen Vashti refused to show honour to the vainity of a King who demanded she be paraded in front of his court.

So Mordecai refused to show honour to the vanity of an official who is portrayed as having brought and manipulated his way to the top.

Conflict and crisis are inevitable.

Haman is outraged, his narcicism knows no limits and he will stop at nothing to have his ego satisfied.

His plot is hatched in Esther 3:8-11

Esther 3:8–11 NLT

8 Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live. 9 If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.” 10 The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.”

Haman is seen at the peak of his power.

Just as Memucan at the beginning of the story presents King Xerxes with the problem and the solution regarding Queen Vashti, without regard for what is really going on.

So Haman presnts King Xerxes with the problem and the solution regarding the Jewish people, without regard for the truth that this is about his vanity not the benefit of the King or his Kingdom.

One of the things that the Persian Kingdom prided itself on was its racially inclusive policy.

This decree flies in the face of everything that the Kingdom has stood for.

Esther chapter 3 concludes in verse 15 with the Royal City falling into confussion and bewilderment

Esther 3:15 NLT

15 At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

Once again King Xerxes is portrayed as easily manipulated, prone to making rash decisions without consideration of all the facts.

It is at this point that we read in Esther chapter 4 that Queen Esther takes charge.

It is clear that something is up, but it is also clear that being isolated in the Royal Palace that she has no idea what is going on outside.

Her servants are aware of her concern for Mordecai and share with her that he is in morning in sack cloth and ashes.

So Esther commands Hathach the official appointed as her attendant to find out what is going on.

Mordecai as always has done his homework, he has discovered the full story of Haman’s scheming including the amount of money he has offered the King to pay for his genocide of the Jews.

An amount which some estimate as being equal to two thrids of an entire years revenue for the entire Empire.

Mordecai even provides a copy of the proclimation authorising the extermination of the Jews.

Esther is careful, she keeps her cards close to her chest.

Here Esther shines as being wise beyond the officials of the court and even the King himself.

For we read in Estehr 4:15 that rather than act impulsively she hatches a plan.

A plan to raise the Kings interest whilst not giving away anything to either the King or Haman.

But as Esther 4:11 makes clear there is enormous risk.

No one may approach the King without an invitation and it has been thirty days since Esther has been invited into the Kings presence.

Perhaps he has been busy, perhaps Haman has kept the King tied up with business in an attempt to isolate the King from others including his Queen.

With great wisdom and without raising Haman’s suspicions Queen Esther sets her trap.

In Esther chapter five we find that she risks entering the inner court of King Xerxes.

Her plan works and the King invites her into the throne room.

Xerxes can not resist her charm and accepts the invitation to a banquet.

Esther has gone one step further than Haman, she is putting on a banquet for the King.

Haman didn’t do that for the King when he gave him the top job.

His favorite woman, his favorite official and no one else.

Esther has played to the King’s desires and won step one of her plan.

And then Esther impliments stage two of her plan.

She invites them both back the next day with a promise to reveal to the King why she is asking the two of them to a banquet.

Haman suspects nothing, he is being honoured, the Queen is honouring him with a banquet, sharing a meal with just he and the King.

Hamon’s vanity has drawn him into Esther’s trap.

But then there is another twist.

Haman is on top of the world, but on his way home he sees Mordecai, not honouring him as he believes he should be honoured.

Instead Mordecai is still sitting near the Kings gate still in mourning.

Haman mood instantly changes to rage and he puts in place a plan to have Mordecai executed the next day.

But then again in Esther chapter six we see God’s providence breaking in.

Mordecai knows nothing of this, nor does Esther but when the King can’t sleep he asks for the court history to be brought in and read to him.

Now that is certainly one way to bore yourself to sleep.

Having someone read to you your own history.

Or could it be that King Xerxes liked to hear of his own achievements?

Or did he have this sense, this prompting that maybe he has missed something important?

It turns out he has.

Mordecai had saved his life and nothing was done to reward him.

The King decides he must do something about this, after all it wouldn’t do to have someone save the kings life and not be rewarded.

Perhaps King Xerxes is worried that this might leave people with the idea that the king’s life isn’t worth saving.

Perhaps people might come to the conclusiion that it may be advantageous to assist those who might end the king’s life in return for a reward?

You can see how it would be easy for a King to become paranoid in those days.

Whatever motivated King Xerxes the Providence of God is evident because Haman choses this moment to come to the King, intending to ask for Mordecais’ execution.

Instead he is humiliated by his own narcicistic thoughts when he suggests an honour thinking it is for himself.

Haman is forced to honour Mordecai with the honour he thought was for himself.

And we see at the end of Esther chapter six the impending doom of Haman foretold.

It is at this moment that Esther’s trap is sprung.

In chapter seven at Esther’s second banquet for the King and Haman.

We hear this simple request, quickly and humbly spoken so that it can not be interupted.

Esther 7:1–10 NLT

1 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet. 2 On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!” 3 Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. 4 For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.” 5 “Who would do such a thing?” King Xerxes demanded. “Who would be so presumptuous as to touch you?” 6 Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and our enemy.” Haman grew pale with fright before the king and queen. 7 Then the king jumped to his feet in a rage and went out into the palace garden. Haman, however, stayed behind to plead for his life with Queen Esther, for he knew that the king intended to kill him. 8 In despair he fell on the couch where Queen Esther was reclining, just as the king was returning from the palace garden. The king exclaimed, “Will he even assault the queen right here in the palace, before my very eyes?” And as soon as the king spoke, his attendants covered Haman’s face, signaling his doom. 9 Then Harbona, one of the king’s eunuchs, said, “Haman has set up a sharpened pole that stands seventy-five feet tall in his own courtyard. He intended to use it to impale Mordecai, the man who saved the king from assassination.” “Then impale Haman on it!” the king ordered. 10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai, and the king’s anger subsided.

It is a fascinating tale of intrigue and danger.

But Esther and Mordecai faced another problem.

According to the laws of the Medes and Persians once a command was written it could not be changed.

Even the King was powerless to undo the order to exterminate the Jews.

Talk about being subserviant to your own bureaucracy.

Here God’s Providence comes through again because once King Xerxes was informed of Esther and Mordecai’s relationship and being aware of Mordecai’s ability to find things out and his actions to protect both the King and his empire King Xerxes made a wise decision and appointed Mordecai as his senior official.

Mordecai’s administrative brilliance comes through as he provides a solution, which the Jewish people celebrate to this day as the Feast of Purim.

The day when they had victory over their enemies.

Esther was made Queen for such a time as this.

Great opportunity can come unexpectedly, so it pays to be prepared!

What opportunities is God bringing your way?

They may not appear to be on the same scale as Esther’s, but then again you never know what impact you may have in God’s Providence.