For Such a Time as This

In the book of Esther, a Jew becomes queen of a gentile (or non-Jewish)

nation that stretches from India to Cush (the upper Nile region). This

kingdom is headed by King Xerxes. But Esther is not his first queen. The

book begins when King Xerxes gives an enormous banquet for all his

officials and the people of the land. At the end of the banquet, he

commands his queen, Vashti, to come to him so he can display her beauty to

the people. But Vashti refuses, so the king deposes her from her position

as queen and replaces her with Estherafter choosing her from among many

other beautiful girls who were taken to his palace. He doesn’t know Esther

is a Jew. But one day, there’s trouble. Mordecai, who is Esther’s cousin,

sits at the king’s gate to find out how Esther is doing, and he refuses to

bow to a high-ranking official named Haman. In his anger, Haman determines

to kill Mordecaitogether with all the Jews in the kingdom. Mordecai learns

of Haman’s plot and sends a message to Queen Esther instructing her to go

to the king and plead with him for her people’s rescue. Esther is at first

unwilling to appear before the king, knowing that whoever intrudes in the

king’s inner court uninvited must be killed. So Mordecai sends a messenger

back to Esther with these words: 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). Esther then

agrees, instructing all the Jews to fast with her before she goes to the

king. When Esther appears before him and pleads for herself and her people,

the king listens. The genocide plan fails, Haman is impaled, and Mordecai

is promoted! The book of Esther shows us that God loves His people, and He

is able to deliver them from trouble using any means. God is sovereign.

Even though there was a plot to exterminate Jewish people, God worked

through Esther to save them. Generations later, God came to save His people

from sin and deathpermanently. Because God loves us, Jesus died and rose

again for us. We can become part of God’s family by putting our trust in

Jesus. And, as a part of God’s family, when a need arises and we are in a

position to help, we can do so because God’s love is in us, and He will

give us the courage to do whatever He calls us to do. Charity Kiregyera

If God can work through any means, why do you think He often works through

His people? And who knows but that you have come to your royal position

for such a time as this? Esther 4:14b (NIV)

Read Verses:

Esth:4