A young girl is taken from her home, perhaps during the night, who knows. She is courageous, she is fierce and little does she know she will save her people...for such a time as this. Of course I'm speaking of Queen Esther. I love this story. So rich with so many lessons. Mordechai is Esther's uncle and he's been raising her since both her parents died. Esther loved Mordechai and was obedient to all he taught her. True to the culture, their names have great meaning. Mordechai in Aramaic consists of two words "mera dachya" it's a spice that diffuses fragrance only after it's been processed. Likewise Esther is also called Hadassah. Hadassah comes from the word "hadas" which is myrtle. The leaves of the myrtle have a very sweet fragrance that can only be released when the leaves are bruised and crushed. The name Esther is related to "hester" which means hidden. Esther kept her nationality hidden for so long under much scrutiny. She possessed great self-control and discipline and ended up saving her people because she was thoughtful in her approach and she listened to her Uncle Mordechai. Can you imagine what she must have been going through. She was already an orphan then she's taken from the sweet uncle that raised her like his own. Esther had favor in the palace as she waited for her chance to go before the King. All the while keeping her secret of who she actually was. After a year of beauty treatments (I love this part) she goes before the king. Pause here. Ladies, wrap your brain around this...1 year of beauty treatments all to be able to show up for 1 night with the king! That's a ton of pressure she must have felt. But again, she found favor and the king chooses her. Esther becomes queen. When Mordecai makes her aware of a plot to kill the Jews, she puts her own life on the line but it's her approach that impresses me. Her honest first reaction is to tell Mordecai that the king hasn't summoned her in 30 days and she can't just go before him, the law allows for someone to be put to death for going before the king unless he extends his scepter to them. Mordecai, in his tough love and strength relays this message back to her saying, maybe this is why you were chosen for such a time as this and I love how he tells her don't think that if you don't do anything that God wouldn't choose someone else to save the Jews and don't think for 1 minute you're safe just because you live in the palace! Wow. He's honest and probably a little surprised at her apprehension when she had been so obedient before. So, she gathers her strength and tells Mordecai to have all the jews fast for 3 days and she and her servants would do the same. Esther has to get over her fear and make a decision that would impact many people, but she would have to risk death to do it. She is humble and is perfect in her dialogue with the king. Once again she finds favor and rescues her people. She faces her fear. She practices self control. She is humble. She is composed and graceful. These attributes are what gain her favor. Honestly, I don't know that I could have responded this way. I react more than respond sometimes. I wonder how many times in life I haven't shown up for my proper time? Has my lack of confidence or unwillingness to risk something created a role for someone else? Someone who was willing to answer the call? I want to be that person. Maybe that's why I love this story so much. I hope to grow into my destiny, to face my opposition head on. Perhaps rather than a year of beauty treatments, I've had a year of trials training me in strength and reliance on God. Who knows maybe this is why the Lord has given me the desire to write and the courage to share....for such a time as this.
"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 royal position for such a time as this?"
Esther 4:14
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