“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4.14

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The book of Esther is a remarkable story of God’s care for His people even though the name of God does not appear at all. Perhaps one key verse comes at that moment when Mordecai tells Esther that she must intervene (4:14).

We are in the Persian empire some 400 years before the coming of Christ. It was an empire that stretched across some 3,000 miles from India right across to Egypt. Esther was queen at this point in time. Despite her being an orphan Jew, and so among the minority in the empire, she had risen to the dizzy heights of the land. She was a very attractive woman both inside and in appearance. But none in the empire knew here national identity. She was a Jew. She is a ‘secret believer’ brought up by her godly uncle Mordecai.

At the start of this chapter we discover that dreadful news was afoot – there was a plan afoot to exterminate all God’s people across the whole Persian Empire. The man behind this plot was Haman, a nasty piece of work. When Mordecai heard what had been decreed, he tore his clothes (Esther 4:1). Haman had risen to power and he was a great enemy to the Jews. He had a massive ego for he wanted all those around him to worship and adore him, but Mordecai would not play along, for he worshipped God alone. So Haman came to detest the Jews with a vitriolic hatred, so planned to have them all exterminated. He was so determined in this plan that he even offered to foot the bill himself. Now he was also quite superstitious because he determined the day for this massacre by casting lots (Esther 3:7).

            The question which arises as we outline the background here is: what would God have us to do? How do we fit into this story? There are at least three things I believe that God wants us to see:

• He wants us to see Jesus in this text (4:12-14a).
• He would have us leave our comfort zones.
• He would have us use our royal position to bless others.

[1] Seeing Jesus in the text.

            Whenever we come to the Old Testament we must always ask: where is Jesus? This is something the Lord taught the disciples to do after His resurrection. Now the problem is that God’s name is not once mentioned in Esther. So how can we observe the Lord Jesus here? However, even though the name of God is absent, we discover that God is clearly present everywhere in the book at every twist and turn. In the Old Testament the Lord Jesus appears in various guises, as a type, or a shadow, or in theophany, or in example, or by way of prophecy, or in seed form or through lineage. But where is He in Esther?

            To answer this first note that the entire empire stretched (as we have said) from Egypt all the way through to India. Spread throughout this vast empire there were Jews in various countries or districts of Persia. There were those in the land of Israel (although still under command of Persia), and there were those who had been scattered centuries before in the north of Assyria and in the suburbs of Babylon. And there were those too who had been taken down to Egypt when Jeremiah was taken there after the fall of Jerusalem. Genesis speaks of the “Seed” of the woman who would come and bring relief, rest, and salvation. But this wicked Haman had determined to destroy the Jews once and for all throughout the entire empire. What would happen then to the promise? Mordecai said to Esther, “If you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish” (Esther 4:14a). So, we see the Lord Jesus in ‘Seed’ form. He would come from somewhere among the Jews who were currently spread across Persia. But if Haman’s plan succeeded then the promise would fail. But Mordecai is convinced that if Esther failed deliverance would most assuredly come from elsewhere. So, this statement of Mordecai’s shows us Christ in ‘Seed’ form. He is hidden from view, but He is in the background in this statement made by Esther’s uncle. The promise will not fail. The “Seed” of the woman will surely come.

            Think too of Herod’s massacre of the innocents. He sought to eliminate Christ whom he thought was a rival earthly king, but his determination could never succeed. Haman did not realise that he was part of a much bigger plot engineered by Satan to stop the coming of the promised Seed. Remember that people had by this time returned to Israel and had rebuilt the temple, and, if Haman’s plan had succeeded then the line of promise would fail. So, if Esther did not seize the opportunity given to her the promised Seed might fail! And yet Mordecai is convinced that even if Esther did not act, then still deliverance and rescue would come from elsewhere because the “Seed” of the woman was most definitely coming at some time.

            It has often been noted that the book of Esther displays the great providence of God. God is active in His world preserving his interests and directing all things to His desired ending. Haman lived in a world of chance or fortune. He cast lots to determine what he thought would be the best most opportune time to carry out his wicked plan. But Esther and Mordecai lived under the providence of God. Which world are you living in?

[2] He would have us leave our ‘comfort zones.’

            It is very easy to get comfortable isn’t it in modern times? By being comfortable we mean settled and unperturbed by the moves of God’s providence. Being comfortable really has to do with self determination. We like our settled niches and places of rest. Now in truth our comfort and our rest is in Christ. The joy of the Lord is our strength and we know rest and peace only in Christ and through His great sacrifice. So we must always be aware of the danger of becoming settled into ‘comfort zones’ which are those of our own making or which we have been accustomed to over time. What is required is an awareness and a watchfulness to be ready to act and follow the Lord whenever He calls, for our true rest and strength is not in this world of things but in Christ Jesus.

            Mordecai tells Esther that she has been placed in her position just for this time so that something could be done to thwart the enemy (“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b)). Had she become comfortable being Queen of Persia? Mordecai realised that the providence of God had brought Esther to such a position that could be vital. Mordecai was calling upon Esther to no longer be a ‘secret believer’ and to show her true identity. The Lord wants us to be seen and to be seen as His light, for we are the light of the world. This call to Esther is nothing less than her granting her cooperation in His great plan for saving the people and of protecting the promised Seed.

            Now God seems to like to work in such a way as this. He could, of course, have done things in a very different way. He could have thwarted Haman immediately, after all the Lord is the One who gives and takes life, for He is Creator. Instead, God chooses to use people in situations as we read of in Esther chapter 4. Here we are being taught that obedience is the road to blessing. This is not salvation by works, for even though we do not have faith outlined clearly in this passage, Esther must heed the word of Mordecai and in faith trust that what he suggests will lead to their deliverance.

            What about Esther? She was being asked to leave her comfort zone. Mordecai told her that she should plead for mercy before the king: “command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people” (Esther 4:8). This is all well and good but there was a great problem. None were permitted to go into the presence of the king without prior permission (4:11).

Esther had not been summoned for a month. If she presented herself to the king now he could quite easily have her put to death. So, what was she to do? Mordecai made the situation plain. He “commanded” her because this was desperately needed. Esther was being asked to put her life on the line for the benefit of God’s people. Is this not like our Saviour? Esther was at the top of her ‘career,’ and she was (presumably) comfortable and set for life – but what now? She was asked to lay her life on the line and to leave her comfort zone. Is this not what the Lord asks of us too? We are commanded to take up our cross and to be dead to this world, following in the footsteps and paths of our Lord and Saviour. Are we prepared to honour God and do exactly what He says even if it means death? Think of the many persecuted brothers and sisters who are being slaughtered today simply because they stand up and identify themselves with Christ.

            Esther makes what can only be described as a confession of faith. After calling upon Mordecai and the Jews of Shushan to a fast she states her mission to go to the king even though it is “against the law” and she declares “if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16). Think of what she is saying here. What would happen to her if she were to die? Think too of the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace for not worshipping the statute that Nebuchadnezzar had made (Daniel 3). These men would not bow down to the image and trusted God even if they were to perish in the flames. We are taught in the New Testament by none other than the Lord Jesus Himself that to be a disciple of Christ we must bear the cross (a sentence of death): “and whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27).

            Mordecai has said to Esther: ‘you must stand up and take a stand here.’ Now the Lord Jesus has never asked us to do anything that He Himself has not done before hand. The only thing Christ did not need to do was to repent of sin, for He had none. But the Lord Jesus in His incarnation stepped out of the comfort zone of heaven and humbled Himself. He had glorious and united fellowship with the father and the Spirit and yet he left that eternal place of bliss to take on human flesh and go to the cross. The moment He stepped out of heaven and assumed human form, He did so forever. Such commitment, for He is still God and yet is now also always human too. The commitments we may have to make are but for a time period, but the Son of God committed Himself to us forever. He was away from His true ‘home’ for thirty three years and became a humble servant and then what? He died! What do we leave to follow God?

[3] He would have us use our royal position to bless others.

            Esther’s rise to fame was a true ‘rags to riches’ story. As a true believer Esther was beautiful both inside and out. She was reliant upon God. She was the first lady of the empire. But all of this nature, status and position was granted to her by God. Everything we have too is given to us by God. Our very lives, our circumstances, our talents, our families and so on – all are gifts to us from God. Just like Esther, we are a ‘rags to riches’ story because we have been taken out of the “power of darkness” and we have been made as kings and priests unto God in “the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Colossians 1:13). We have been given tremendous privilege. We are royalty (1Peter 2:9)! We are part of God’s royal family. Now in such a position we have all the resources of God behind us. These are not at our beck and call of course for God knows how to order things and give in the wisest of ways. We are priests unto the Lord but not as Christ who was is High Priest who mediates for us, but we are to be a channel of blessing to others. The priests functioned as those who brought blessings to the people. Now we have received of the Lord freely and so we ought thence to give to others in the same manner – freely (Matthew 10:8). We each have talents and gifts both natural and supernatural. But these are given for the extension of the kingdom (Luke 14:25f). We are to forsake all and give up all in pursuit of Christ and the things He has freely given are now His for use as He sees fit. What of our house, our car, our time, our talents, our abilities and so on? Do we use these for self-advancement? Or do we use these as the Lord directs, to bless, and to help, and to glorify the Lord Jesus? Esther had royal position and now she uses this for the purpose of saving her fellow Jews and thus to extend and preserve the kingdom.