"For Such A Time As This"

             One of my favorite books of the Old Testament is Esther.  It is a story of inspiration as a young Jewish woman rose to become the Queen of Persia.  It also has all the characters of a great mystery plot.  Mordecai, the Queen’s uncle, is the “good guy” who not only saves the life of the King but convinces Esther to also save her people, the Jews.  Haman is the ultimate “bad guy.”  His ego is so big that he can’t stand the fact that Mordecai refuses to bow to him.  With his friends’ encouragement, he plots to not only kill Mordecai but also the entire Jewish race.  Just when you think all is lost, Queen Esther saves the day with a “plot” of her own. 

            Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the Book of Esther is that it is without any specific reference to God, worship, prayer, or sacrifice.  Mordecai did refuse to bow to Haman, although the Scripture doesn’t tell us the exact reason.  He likely took the same stance as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3: 18.  As followers of God, these men would bow to no one except Jehovah God.  There was also considerable fasting before Esther went to the King for help.  Fasting is generally accompanied by prayer (Ezra 8: 21 – 23; Nehemiah 9: 1 – 3; Joel 1: 14; and Jonah 3: 6 – 9), so I think it is safe to assume that Mordecai and the other Jews were praying vigorously. 

            While the absence of references to God is interesting, it is very apparent that God is at work throughout the entire book of Esther.  A young Jewish girl becomes Queen at just the right moment to save her people.  That’s not a coincidence!  That is God!

            My favorite verse from Esther is spoken by Mordecai as his niece contemplates the danger she might face if she goes to the King to save her people.

            “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 royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4: 14 NIV84).

            Mordecai was right.  God’s plans will not be thwarted.  When He calls us to perform tasks that will take us out of our comfort zone or may even seem impossible, the tasks will be completed, with or without us.  He gives us the choice, just as He did Esther.  Even though she was probably terrified, she made the right choice, and her people were saved.  If she had refused, there is no doubt that God would have found another way to save His chosen people.  He still had plans for them, and no one will stop His plans! 

            “For such as time as this”—Did you ever stop to consider that God places each of us in a particular place and moment in time?  (Acts 17: 26).  Just as Esther was born into captivity in Persia, we have been born into this place and moment in time.  The question that probably all of us ask at one time or another is, “Why?”  “What is the purpose that God has for us in this place and this moment in human history?”  I can’t answer that question; only God can. 

            I think the answer will require the worship and reverence that Mordecai showed in refusing to bow to others.  It will also require time on our knees, forsaking other things, and seeking only to do God’s will.  It will also require us to surrender our will and our comfort to the One who knows and sees all.  It won’t be easy, but as Esther learned, the result will be worth it all!

Esther 1: 1 – 10: 3