A story about a beautiful Jewish woman who
had the courage to succeed, despite the overwhelming odds against her. Esther’s parents died when she was very young
and her cousin, Mordecai brought her up.
She never dreamed that one day she would be queen of the Persian
Empire living in a luxurious palace.
It all began when King Ahasuerus summoned
his wife, Vashti to be brought before him as he wanted to show off her
beauty. When she refused, the king
became so angry that he issued an order that her royal position be given to
another. Vashti’s refusal opened the way
for the coming of Esther.
God divinely moved Esther forward to this
position for the whole purpose of saving Israel. King Ahasuerus had no idea Esther was Jewish,
but loved her more than all the other women in the land. It was not long before
he crowned her queen of Persia.
Queen Esther soon became friends with the
people when she showed that she had wisdom, self-control, and the ability to
place others before her own interest.
God’s direction is seen through the lives of
His people. This truth is nowhere better observed than in Esther and
Mordecai. Mordecai overheard Haman, one
of the King’s highest officials; planning to kill all the Jews. When Mordecai told Esther of Haman’s plan, he
then stated, “Who knows but that you have
come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 Those were daring words for a young queen.
Esther’s courage is breathtaking as she so
carefully moves to save her people. She
calls on all Jews in their area to fast for three days and she joined them in
this fast, which in itself suggested that she was a woman of prayer. “I will
go to the king even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16 Here is a woman who not only
believed in what she was doing, but also had the courage to do it.
King Ahasuerus received Esther, promising to
grant her whatever she desired. This is
when she told of the evil plans to destroy her people. The king demanded the name of the person behind
this scheme. Esther told him that it was
Haman who planned to murder every Jew in the empire. The king decrees Haman shall be hanged on the
gallows he had made for Mordecai.
Jews still celebrate “the feast day of
Purim” to commemorate their deliverance by the mighty acts of God through
Esther and Mordecai.
Esther, with devout love, risked her own
life to save her people. Even though God
was not mentioned in the book of Esther, His presence was everywhere. It is for us to find Him today in each area
of our lives.
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