For Such a Time As This

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  Esther 4:14

Today Purim begins. A time to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews from Haman who was trying to destroy them. The account begins with Jews living  who had been taken captive in Persia and even serving in the royal courts at the time when Xerxes was King. Being the King, he liked to throw parties and so on the tail end of a six month celebration, he gave an elaborate seven day feast. Dignitaries were in attendance and most of them were drunk including the King. So he wanted to show off his Queen, Vashti. But she was an honorable woman of intergrity and refused to answer his call to the court. Being “high in spirits” he reacted angrily and that anger was only fueled by his consultants  who told him he should not allow her to ever be in his presence again and that her position as queen should be given to someone else. And so it became Persian Law, which by the way, can never be changed, even by the king who decreed it. How important is it when we make decisions that we are of a sound mind? Because it is recoreded that when his anger subsided and he was sober, he remembered what he had done to her. It doesn’t say it, but you can almost read the sadness and regret in his heart.

So the search began for a new replacement and the commissioners of every providence were to find young women and bring them to the citidel. Once there, they were to be “prepared with beauty treatments” for the King, who would then choose one of them to replace Vashti. Among them was a Jewish girl named Hadassah, who was the cousin of Mordecai. She was beautiful and found favor in the eyes of the Hegai who was in charge of the candidates and her name was now Esther. The candidates received beauty treatments for a year and then individually would be taken before the King. Because she wanted to please the King, she asked Hegai what he suggested since he knew the King so well. She did what he said and won everyone’s favor including that of the King and he selected her as his new Queen. Notice God is working, but His name is never mentioned.

Soon after, Mordecai overheard a plot to kill the King. So he reported it to Esther, it was found to be true and the men were hanged. The credit was given then to Mordicai and it was written in the book of annals. Soon after that, Haman the Agagite was honored by the King and everyone was supposed to bow to him in honor. But Mordecai being a good Jew woould not bow, so Haman had it out for him and planned not only to destroy him, but all the Jews. He convinced the King to make a law that all the Jews were to be destroyed and killed on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. The edict went out, although everyone was bewildered at it and Haman was satisfied with himself. Remember, once a law, it can never be changed, even by the King. But God has a plan that continues to unfold.

But remember, God placed a Jew in the position of Queen and Mordecai called on her to intervene, but she hadn’t been summoned by the King for quite some time and you only go into the Kings presence when summoned. Mordecai reminded her that perhaps this is why God made her queen, and so she said one of the most famous verses in the Bible; “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16. Join us tomorrow for the dramtic end to this historical account. Do you feel today like your life is hanging in the balance and there is no way out? Don’t give up or be discouraged, God is working on your behalf.