Queen Esther & Purpose
Happy Thursday, friends. I'm frantically writing this post pre-night shift, and should really be cooking my dinner or making my bed. But I've been searching for purpose lately, as you all well know (do my posts always come across as me being restless? I don't intend for this to be so, but I fear that "restless" would be a good word to describe how I'm feeling this year), and was encouraged by Queen Esther this afternoon.
Y'all (sorry grammar fiends. I just did that). I love Esther. I will probably name my future child, pet, or some inanimate object in my life after her. Queen Esther is incredible to me. Her story is one of strength and bold love. Here's a quick rundown of her (I could spend hours talking about her. She is a woman who fears the Lord whom I admire so much), just to give you some background on her story. The best way for you to understand her is to turn to Esther in your Bible to read about her (or if you don't have one, just Google it online!). But I'll do my best in this forum.
Here's the lowdown.
Our setting: Persia, under the rule of King Ahasuerus, or King Xerxes (depending on what translation of the Bible you're reading).
What's going on: The King is holding a LAVISH party. There is fine linen adorning the venue, marble pillars set about, drinks served in golden vessels, etc. His wife, Queen Vashti, is holding a similar gathering for the women of the kingdom. The King summons the Queen to come to his party, to show the people her royal beauty. But she refuses. And drama ensues. If other women in the kingdom see that she has refused her husband, every woman in the kingdom will think that they can do the same to their husbands. The solution? Queen Vashti is banned from ever coming before the King again and her royal position is available to be filled by someone else in the kingdom.
Cue Esther: A search is performed in the kingdom for all of the beautiful virgins. Esther (or Hadassah), is being raised by her cousin, Mordecai, a Jew, for she had neither father nor mother (note: he raised her as a daughter, I suppose he was much older than Esther). Mordercai encouraged Esther go to the palace when this search commenced. The girls supposedly are provided with cosmetics and a beautification process, and Esther took favor amongst all the women. She never made it known that she was Jewish, as Mordecai had told her not to. The whole meeting of the King is quite interesting and shady to me. After 12 months of beautifying (!! my mouth is agape. Men: you should not complain about how long it takes your lady to get ready any longer. At least it's not a year!), they go into the King's palace in the evening and return in the morning. I like to imagine that they're doing PG stuff, maybe playing Scrabble or pin the tail on the Persian elephant. But I think the indication here is that they are not doing those things. Esther, upon visiting the King, was loved by him more than all of the other women and was made Queen as a result. A great feast was given for the new Queen Esther shortly after.
A Fearless Queen. Now, Mordecai found out about a plot to kill the King and relayed this to Esther, who in turn told the King. The men were hanged on the gallows for this. At this same time, a new official was promoted, Haman the Agagite. Mordecai refused to bow down to him or pay homage to him, so instead of harming Mordecai himself, Haman set out to destroy all Jews in the land. He convinced the King to order an edict to destroy all of the Jews in the land. Mordecai comes to the king's gates, as all other Jews are mourning, dressed in sackcloth and ashes. Esther summons Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, to go find out why Mordecai is doing this. Hathach does so and returns with a message from Mordecai: Esther must go to the King, beg his favor, and plead with him on behalf of her people. (Remember: the King does not know that Esther is a Jew, for she has hidden this from him). And here is what Esther relays back to Mordecai:
Whenever I'm feeling a little down about where my path has taken me or what I'm currently doing in my life, I read Esther. She is a woman who is fearless and bold. The story continues for several more chapters in the Bible, and we learn that Esther goes to the king with this thought:
Don't be discouraged by where you are in your life right now. Regardless of what you are doing, who knows whether you have not come to your position for such a time as this? God may be using you in ways you cannot possibly fathom. His love for you is extravagant and overwhelming, and He desires great things for you. Don't put Him in a box and limit what He's doing in your life.
Grace & peace,
C.
Here's the lowdown.
Our setting: Persia, under the rule of King Ahasuerus, or King Xerxes (depending on what translation of the Bible you're reading).
What's going on: The King is holding a LAVISH party. There is fine linen adorning the venue, marble pillars set about, drinks served in golden vessels, etc. His wife, Queen Vashti, is holding a similar gathering for the women of the kingdom. The King summons the Queen to come to his party, to show the people her royal beauty. But she refuses. And drama ensues. If other women in the kingdom see that she has refused her husband, every woman in the kingdom will think that they can do the same to their husbands. The solution? Queen Vashti is banned from ever coming before the King again and her royal position is available to be filled by someone else in the kingdom.
Cue Esther: A search is performed in the kingdom for all of the beautiful virgins. Esther (or Hadassah), is being raised by her cousin, Mordecai, a Jew, for she had neither father nor mother (note: he raised her as a daughter, I suppose he was much older than Esther). Mordercai encouraged Esther go to the palace when this search commenced. The girls supposedly are provided with cosmetics and a beautification process, and Esther took favor amongst all the women. She never made it known that she was Jewish, as Mordecai had told her not to. The whole meeting of the King is quite interesting and shady to me. After 12 months of beautifying (!! my mouth is agape. Men: you should not complain about how long it takes your lady to get ready any longer. At least it's not a year!), they go into the King's palace in the evening and return in the morning. I like to imagine that they're doing PG stuff, maybe playing Scrabble or pin the tail on the Persian elephant. But I think the indication here is that they are not doing those things. Esther, upon visiting the King, was loved by him more than all of the other women and was made Queen as a result. A great feast was given for the new Queen Esther shortly after.
A Fearless Queen. Now, Mordecai found out about a plot to kill the King and relayed this to Esther, who in turn told the King. The men were hanged on the gallows for this. At this same time, a new official was promoted, Haman the Agagite. Mordecai refused to bow down to him or pay homage to him, so instead of harming Mordecai himself, Haman set out to destroy all Jews in the land. He convinced the King to order an edict to destroy all of the Jews in the land. Mordecai comes to the king's gates, as all other Jews are mourning, dressed in sackcloth and ashes. Esther summons Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, to go find out why Mordecai is doing this. Hathach does so and returns with a message from Mordecai: Esther must go to the King, beg his favor, and plead with him on behalf of her people. (Remember: the King does not know that Esther is a Jew, for she has hidden this from him). And here is what Esther relays back to Mordecai:
"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law- to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days." (Esther 4:11)And Mordecai's response? I love this.
"Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14)That's the part that gets me right there. Esther is in a place she does not truly belong, ruling as Queen when she is Jew (an outsider, viewed as different than everyone else, following different laws and customs). She got there by very shady means and questionable ways. But there is purpose in her being in the kingdom, ruling as Queen. And Mordecai brings this to her attention and shows her that, though she may not see it clearly, there is immense purpose in what she is doing.
Whenever I'm feeling a little down about where my path has taken me or what I'm currently doing in my life, I read Esther. She is a woman who is fearless and bold. The story continues for several more chapters in the Bible, and we learn that Esther goes to the king with this thought:
"Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish." (Esther 4:16).What courage she has. And how bold she is to use her position for good and to find purpose in the seemingly menial, lavish life of a Queen.
Don't be discouraged by where you are in your life right now. Regardless of what you are doing, who knows whether you have not come to your position for such a time as this? God may be using you in ways you cannot possibly fathom. His love for you is extravagant and overwhelming, and He desires great things for you. Don't put Him in a box and limit what He's doing in your life.
Grace & peace,
C.
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