Esther

The story of Esther is one of the most interesting in the Bible, and one of the easiest to read.  If the reader hasn't read the book of Esther, take the hour or so to read through it; it is fascinating.  We will use this blog entry to mention a key part of the story.

The book is set in the time of Xerxes, king of Persia.  One of the powerful things that we learn about the Bible is that it talks about real people who lived in real places at real times.  The Bible is true and accurate.  Xerxes was a significant ruler, ruling over a large kingdom, one of the most powerful of all time.  But the king did not always have good advisors, and Haman was an evil advisor to Xerxes.  Haman talked the king into making a decree that all of the Jewish people should be destroyed.  It so happened that king Xerxes had made Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl, to be his queen.  Esther's uncle, Mortecai, told Esther about the decree to kill the Jews, and instructed Esther that she had to be the one to approach the king for finding a way to save her people.  Esther knew that to go before the king and ask for any favor could result in her death.  But she was realizing that she was the only one close enough to the king to take on this challenge. 

Mortecai says to Esther, paraphrased here, that if you keep silence at this time, deliverance will come to the Jews from another source.  But who knows but what you've come to the kingdom for such a time as this. 

This is a powerful statement that motivated Esther to take action to save her people.  And it is a thought that could have major import to us.  There are times in our lives, maybe even now, when we have the opportunity, are placed in just the right position, to make a huge difference in some way.  But we have to have faith and inner strength to do the right thing, sometimes the brave, courageous thing.  And sometimes it is only us who can do it, only us who are in the right place and time to do it.  We can learn a lot from Esther and from this wonderful story.  Take time to read it; you will be impressed...and even entertained. 

Have a great week!