Esther, “Hadassah” in Hebrew, is a famous Queen in the pages of biblical history. Her story reflects how one ordinary person responded to God’s call. Her obedience resulted in an extraordinary rescue of her Jewish community during Ahasuerus’ reign, also identified as Xerxes I, King of Persia. Persia is the nation of Iran today. The Persian Empire at the time was the largest ever, stretching across three continents; Europe, Africa, and Asia. Estimates suggest a 50 million population, 44% of the world’s people. It’s clear that Esther, an orphan, truly lived into the Persian meaning of her name, “Star.” Esther steps on the runway of history when the King decides to hold an ancient beauty contest to replace Queen Vashti who had displeased him so much that he demoted her. Thus, the king’s messengers searched the empire for contestants for the King’s beauty pageant.
Imagine for a moment; Esther lives in obscurity under the protection of her uncle/cousin Mordechai who is said to have adopted her since she had no family. While the numbers are lost to antiquity, some scholars estimate the Jewish population at 20% in the Persian Empire. Esther and Mordechai were among them.
Esther competes in the beauty contest held in Susa, one of the King’s ancient capitals. The story heats up after the King chooses Esther, the winner, a shis new Queen. Mordechai then overhears the plot of Haman, a high official in the King’s court. Previously, Haman and Mordechai had an encounter where He refused to bow to Haman. This seemed to light a fire in Haman against the Jews as a whole. It manifested in his plan to persuade the King to issue an edict to kill them. Mordechai then talks to his well-placed niece with news of the plot, asking her to appeal to the King.
Through Mordechai, we hear God’s words spoken in Esther 4:14-“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?” (NIV) This is the moment where Esther must examine her courage quotient.
Will she be known for her beauty or for her courage? Will she remain comfortable or step out into the unknown? She decides to become a “divine diplomat.” She consulted with God Who gave her the right strategy to reveal Haman’s evil plot to the King. King Xerxes responded by sending out a decree across the empire ordering the Jewish community’s rescue.
God uses all kinds of people and contexts for prayer and strategy matched with willing believers to serve as His vessels. He can use a beauty
queen, a mechanic, a nurse, a businessperson, a teacher, or a construction boss. We are not royalty like Queen Esther, yet we ARE royalty adopted into God’s family through our own King of Kings, Jesus. Let’s stay alert to God for His directions in the new year.
"You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage
to lose sight of the shore." Christopher Columbus
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