I imagine myself being Esther. I used to think it was easy being Esther doing the will of God but as i read the book again, i imagine myself in a foreign land. away from everyone you trust. A new friend of mine says that she does not want to go far away because she does not want to be away from people. I think of the fact that i have never really gone far away from home but then it was not her choice, Israel had betrayed God one too many times.
I imagine being a girl of 18 in a strange land and this fierce king whom we have heard of, who has conquered Ethiopia China, Arabia is looking for a new queen, says his previous queen has disgraced him and a 1000 of us young ones are going to have a chance to be the new queen. I really don't want to be married to a heathen but Mordecai my father's brother who has cared for me for as long as i remember counsels me to go ahead with it. God is mad at us (Israelites) we have spent years under king after king steadily disobeying God and now he has led us into captivity, prophecy says after about 700 years or so we will return to Jerusalem but as far as i can remember we have been in this heathen land and it is so hostile my knees quake but Jehovah keeps me standing.
I imagine myself preparing myself for the king, my face, lips, fingertips, hips, legs, thighs, all of me is attended in preparation for the king. Those twelve months, all i think about day and night is the king and how i will please him, i listen carefully as Memucan (a eunuch) tells me of the king. He tells me of his likes/dislikes, his favorite food, games, his habits, what he likes to talk about, i am being trained by royalty to please royalty. I wait in fear and anticipation for my night with the king. I watch as many girls go in excited and come out crying as they had not pleased the king well enough; but they are to spend the rest of the years as the king's concubine. As i watch, i pray because i know many of the girls are far more beautiful and far smarter than i am, some caught the king's whim for a time but could not hold it, i wonder what i will do.
The night i went to the king, i hardly remember because it was all a haze, all i know is that i did not ask for anything that Memucan did not send to me and i obtained favor in the sight of all who looked upon me. The king loved me,he loved me above 999 other women who had been specially prepared so only Jehovah could have distinguished me so. I received grace and favor from him. I became queen in a foreign land but it was known to no one because Mordecai had said i should disclose my race to no one. One day Mordecai saved the king, two men had plotted to assassinate the king but Mordecai had discovered this and the king was spared.
Until along came proud Haman who loved be worshiped and fawned over, he had the worship of everyone except Mordecai. God had told us through Moses at Mount Sinai that we must not worship any other God but Him and even in a foreign land, we obeyed. Mordecai stood out for this but instead of being rewarded, it brought persecution, Haman would not have it.
He plotted the killing of our entire race and Mordecai to be killed in the gallows at his house. Mordecai came to me and informed me that it is possible that this is the hand of God that God may be wanting 'me' to stand so the Jews could be saved.
But no one knew i was a Jew and Mordecai would not tell if i demanded it of him, but then the other side of my desire to save myself, all the Jews would be destroyed but God had left us all of these days, it could just be one more tragedy, what difference would saving their lives mean?
Point: Esther stood at the time God needed her to, she taught her maids to pray, she influenced the people around her. There was no 'slouching' when she had to go to Xerxes to speak for her people and yet she wasn't quick to speak. In the end, it was God who woke King Xerxes at night and reminded him of what Mordecai had done years ago in saving the King. That means that Mordecai did not think the King ought to die for coming to take them as exiles from Israel to be slaves in a foreign land.
Mordecai was faithful to the heathen king, he protected his life. God showed up and woke Xerxes and then Esther planned the dinner for Haman and the King and still did not say anything.
Nor was she 'eyeing' Haman with hostility cos the king would have noticed, she trusted in the fact that her God would intervene and that her life and destiny was in His hands.
Haman made a stupid move that made the king think he was going to molest the queen. The king was already angry before Esther informed him at the right moment of the plan of Mordecai to annihilate her people.
Let me tell you what i think, God was divinely orchestrating things; Esther could not have stopped Haman's plan with her wisdom, Mordecai could not have stopped Haman's plan with his wisdom alone, they had to trust that God was working with them in a step-by-step process to save the Jews because of His covenant with them.
My covenant with God ensures that He is at work in my life; that all of the wisdom that i have cannot ensure the move of God in my life. The covenant ensures that He is involved in the day-to-day activities of every step that i take and every word that i say. He is working along with all the Mordecai's and the Haman's in my life and His purpose in my life will stand. He is working in all the Xerxes's in my life to ensure that His covenant with me secures my future and that of my loved ones.
Nothing in my life is chance, he is working in everything and filling up the spaces where i fall short and making the path i walk smooth.
He is in my life. Period!
Thank you Jesus for your covenant with me, it is more precious than anything i could ever possess and it is not even tangible but i know that i have it!
Point: Esther stood at the time God needed her to, she taught her maids to pray, she influenced the people around her. There was no 'slouching' when she had to go to Xerxes to speak for her people and yet she wasn't quick to speak. In the end, it was God who woke King Xerxes at night and reminded him of what Mordecai had done years ago in saving the King. That means that Mordecai did not think the King ought to die for coming to take them as exiles from Israel to be slaves in a foreign land.
Mordecai was faithful to the heathen king, he protected his life. God showed up and woke Xerxes and then Esther planned the dinner for Haman and the King and still did not say anything.
Nor was she 'eyeing' Haman with hostility cos the king would have noticed, she trusted in the fact that her God would intervene and that her life and destiny was in His hands.
Haman made a stupid move that made the king think he was going to molest the queen. The king was already angry before Esther informed him at the right moment of the plan of Mordecai to annihilate her people.
Let me tell you what i think, God was divinely orchestrating things; Esther could not have stopped Haman's plan with her wisdom, Mordecai could not have stopped Haman's plan with his wisdom alone, they had to trust that God was working with them in a step-by-step process to save the Jews because of His covenant with them.
My covenant with God ensures that He is at work in my life; that all of the wisdom that i have cannot ensure the move of God in my life. The covenant ensures that He is involved in the day-to-day activities of every step that i take and every word that i say. He is working along with all the Mordecai's and the Haman's in my life and His purpose in my life will stand. He is working in all the Xerxes's in my life to ensure that His covenant with me secures my future and that of my loved ones.
Nothing in my life is chance, he is working in everything and filling up the spaces where i fall short and making the path i walk smooth.
He is in my life. Period!
Thank you Jesus for your covenant with me, it is more precious than anything i could ever possess and it is not even tangible but i know that i have it!
(c)Tisha Smith
