Reading the story of Esther amazes me every time. It is so different than other stories in the Bible and yet it’s about a woman who truly has her heart in the right place. If you don’t know who Esther is, here’s a short intro: King Xerxes of Persia was looking for a new queen. Beautiful young women all over Persia were brought into his royal palace. Before they were presented to the king, each of those young ladies was given one year of beauty treatments (how amazing is this last point, lol). After twelve months, the women were presented to King Xerxes, who chose Esther to be his queen.
At this point,I don’t want to go deeper into Jew Esther’s story. If you want to know more about her life’s context, read the book of Esther in the Bible. In this post,I want to focus on what we can learn from her life and character for our own life challenges.
Listening to wise counsel. After Esther’s parents died, her relative Mordecai adopted and raised her (Esther 2,7). As concluded from the book of Esther, she was very obedient to her foster father:
Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family backgroundbecause Mordecai had directed her not to do so. – Esther 2,10
Many times, we read that Esther obeyed Mordecai’s instructions. Throughout the whole book,Mordecai seems like a wise man. He faced many adversities in life, which he turned into opportunities while always trusting God. Obeying and listening to Mordecai was a good ideasince the story finishes well. Who are you listening to in your life? I think it’s so important to be aware of who we are taking advice from. Is it from someone you follow on Youtube or Instagram? Or is it from a person who stands strong in her/his faith walk?
Security in God. It’s so easy to lean on finances, possessions, or another person for safety. Even a queen can’t rely on the things she has got—possessions, servants, a royal palace to livein, etc.
Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t you think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed.” – Esther 4,13
In Esther’scase,we see that God’s the only source of security. It’s so easy to believe the lie that we are set when we have enough money. If you’d only earn more, you wouldn’t worry about half of the things that could happen ortake safetyin your health, your spouse or any other person.
There are so many lies about what could give us the security and stability we are longing for. But Esther’s story shows us that we can only be safe in God. Everything can be taken away from us in the twinkle of an eye. And what are we left with? God is always here and will always be with you. He’s the only thing in life that’s truly lasting.
With great power comes great responsibility. We read about Esther that she was very beautiful. She became a queen, living in a royal palace. Many servants were waiting for her orders not to mention the delicious food, clothes, andadmiration from other people. Being a queen comes with a lot of privileges, but also with responsibilities. Jesus states that clearly in the New Testament:
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has entrusted with much, much more will be asked. – Luke 12,48b
Where God places you, there’s a task for you to do. Esther wasn’t living in a palace for her own pleasure. No, God had a purpose in mind. Even Mordecai recognized this:
“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queenfor such a time as this?” – Esther 4,14
With the position of being queen came challenges that would benefit her people. Although she herself was greatly gifted, God also used her in that position to bless others.
A woman of action. Have you ever wondered how little she speaks in the book? Of course,that’s not a real indication of if she actually did talk a lot or not. But it shows us that Esther was a woman of action and courage. She did what needed to be done, as she didn’t only look out for herself but for God’s people as well.
Read Esther’s reply to Mordecai:
“Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” – Esther 4,16
In the face of her own death and the death of her people, she took the risk. What a huge responsibility placed upon her shoulders! I like how she approaches this challenging task. She invites other people to fast with her, probably to find favor in God’s eyes before approaching the king.
Today, we are called to be a royal priesthood, chosen by God (1. Peter 2,9). God placed us intohis kingdom and gave us a new identity. Like Esther,we are positioned by God to make a difference where we are right now and to build his kingdom. Will you take your place and do what God assigned you to do?
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