Every bone in her body was shaking as Esther stood in the inner court of the king’s palace. For it was well known that those who approached the monarch without first being summoned, risked execution. But if her plan had any chance of success, Esther knew she had to take the risk. Beads of sweat formed on the young queen’s brow, and as she waited to be noticed, she said a small prayer to the God that had faithfully gotten her this far.
Orphaned at a young age, Esther had been living peacefully, exiled in Susa, with her cousin Mordecai. Mordecai loved Esther dearly, and had adopted her as his own daughter. But the minute the king’s decree was announced throughout the land, Esther’s once quiet life was to be no more. Looking for a new queen, for the previous one had been dethroned and banished, king Ahasueres sent for the most desirable young virgins in the country. And Esther, being both, “beautiful of form and face”, was taken to the palace and put into the custody of Hegai, the kings eunuch, who was in charge of the women.
Alone and afraid, the teenager was thrust into a whirlwind of designer clothes, the best smelling perfumes, makeup, and exotic foods. Everything needed to remove all traces of the young innocent girl, leaving behind a woman who was coerced into vying for the king’s attention. Oh how Esther longed to run away. But that wasn’t an option. For who was she to stand up against a king and his army?
With nowhere else to turn, Esther turned to God. She had gotten her faith from Mordecai, who had raised Esther to trust the Lord in all things. And throughout her young life she had done just that. Many times Esther had seen the hand of God at work. And so she prayed with all of her might that this time would be no different.
When it was Esther’s turn to be presented before the king, she found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. For the humble grace she displayed, made her beauty inside shine as brightly as her outward appearance. And loving Esther more than any other, king Ahasuerus placed the crown on her head, making Esther queen of all Persia. The weight of such a crown has heavy on Esther’s young head, and got even heavier when Mordecai came to her with a plot against the Jews concocted by Haman, the king’s second in command.
Haman hated Mordecai, because Mordecai would never bow down and pay homage to Hamman. As a result, Hamman sought to destroy Mordecai along with all Jews in the kingdom. Haman approached the king with tales of how the Jews were disloyal to the king and needed to be killed. And the king, not knowing his beloved Esther to be a Jew herself, (for she had kept it hidden under the advice of Mordecai), signed a decree allowing the Jews to be annihilated, and their possessions seized.
Mordecai, learning of the plot, came to Esther in desperate hopes of undoing the horror of Haman’s plans. But Esther was afraid, for Haman was a powerful friend to the king. Reassuring her, Modecai said, “If you remain silent, deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this.”
Now was the time for Esther to put her faith in action. And so here she was, standing before the king’s throne. Esther had devised a plan of her own to soften the heart of the king. So would invite him to a series of banquets. And when the king had lowered his guard, Esther would reveal Haman’s wicked plot. A dangerous move to make. For many lives were on the line, including Esther’s. But the young queen was willing to be an instrument of God, even if it cost her everything.
Rewarding her obedience, God indeed softened the kings heart. For not only was Ahasuerus not upset at Esther’s appearing, he also agreed to feast with her. And at the second banquet, upon hearing of Haman’s deceit, in fury, not only did the king hang Haman, but also Haman’s ten sons. Yet unable to stop the royal edict, king Ahasuerus issued a new decree allowing the Jews to fight back, and to keep for themselves the spoils of war.
And on the 13th day of the month of Adar, when the king’s edicts were to be executed, the Jews struck down their enemies in victory. Mordecai was promoted, and the battle became a national celebration for all of Persia. And thus Esther established the holiday of Purim, which is celebrated by Jews around the world to this day.
Because of her willingness to be used by God, an entire people was saved. Many times we miss out on a great blessing by not allowing God to work in and through us. We may feel inadequate, inconsequential, or unusable by God. But He’s not asking us to do great things. He’s asking us to let His strength and power flow through us, so He can do great things. God is looking for people with hearts that are completely His. And no matter who we are, or where we are, when we are willing to risk it all to make a difference for God, we can take confidence knowing we have been raised up, “for such a time as this.”