"What's the Scoop on....Esther?"

Tuesday in Bible Study Eva taught on Esther.  She pointed out that in this book of the Bible God isn’t specifically mentioned.  As Eva went through Esther’s story, she showed us how God’s hand was unmistakably present.  God’s enemies were destroyed and His people, the Jews, were delivered.

Esther lived in the country of Persia after the Jews had been taken to exile in Babylon.  After the death of her parents she was raised by a close relative, Mordecai. At the time that Esther was in her teens, King Xerxes of Persia banished the queen. In order to find a replacement, young virgins were brought to the palace to undergo a year-long regiment of preparation after which the King would choose one to be his queen. Esther was chosen.

Shortly after Esther became queen, one of King Xerxes closest advisors, Haman, initiated a plot to destroy all of the Jews in the Persian kingdom with the king’s permission.  (On the advice of Mordecai, Esther had not revealed to the King that she was Jewish.)  In the midst of God-ordained events, Esther acted courageously to intercede on behalf of her people, the Jews.  As a result of her actions, the Jews were  not only spared from destruction but they triumphed over their enemies.

Although we know Esther was Jewish it doesn’t seem that there was anything in her outward behavior or appearance that would have set her apart as being Jewish or overtly religious.  As I just mentioned, she was instructed to keep this a secret.  Reading about Esther brought to mind a passage in the Book of James. If you have a minute, please read James 2:14 – 2:26.  In this passage James teaches about the relationship between faith and works. Verse 2:26 sums it up well, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead”.  Esther was a woman who was able to walk out her faith despite the restrictions she faced.   I think we can see that her actions truly did spring from a solid faith in the Lord.

Esther walked in humility.  Reading through the entire book, there are many instances where Esther accepted the counsel of others. Prior to appearing before the king, “she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested” (Est. 2:15b).  It also says, “She continued to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up” (Est. 2:20b).  In the same way, God desires for us to walk in humility.  It is something He esteems.  Walking in humility means being able to accept instruction, which is not always easy for us to do.  God has put people in all of our lives who are godly and wise.  The instruction they give to us is a gift, one which we should receive with gratitude. God tells us in Proverbs 16:20, “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers”.

Esther walked in the favor of God.   I think it may not surprise us too much that Esther found favor with the king.  As scripture states, Esther “was lovely in form and features” (Est. 2:7b).  We also know that she had undergone a full year of beauty treatments.  What I read in Esther 2:15 did surprise me, “And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her” (Est. 2:15c).  Imagine what the harem must have been like…countless young women, the most beautiful in the land, competing with one another for the ultimate prize – the king.  It doesn’t seem like a place where you would expect to find favor with the other women yet this is exactly what Esther did. It says in Psalm 84:11, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless”.

Esther walked in dependence.  After Esther became queen, a message was brought to her from Mordecai.  He told her of Haman’s evil plot to destroy the Jews.  Mordecai “urged her to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people” (Est. 4:8b).  Esther sent the following reply to Mordecai:  "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 maids will fast as you do.”  (Esther 4:16a).  

Fasting, along with prayer, are signs of dependence upon the Lord and trust in Him.  Esther knew that she would need God’s help in what He was calling her to do.  In Isaiah 58:6 it says, "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”  The fast Esther was calling for was in line with God’s will and His heart.   

Esther walked in courage. When Mordecai initially asked Esther to go before the king on behalf of the Jews she was understandably afraid. In Esther 4:11b we read, “for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death.”  Mordecai had asked her the rhetorical question, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther had to make a very difficult choice. By faith she believed that after the fast was complete she would have the courage to act.  Esther made the courageous choice.

I end this post by asking you the same question that I am asking myself.  How are you walking out your faith?  If you don’t know the answer, ask God to show you.  He desires this more than you know. 

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:9-10).