September 16 / Esther 1-5

Esther 1-5

As the story of Esther begins, it’s now about 483 BC. Ahasuerus (aka Xerxes I) reigns over the Persian Empire. Although the people of Judah are no longer held captive, many continue to live abroad in the lands of exile (as is clearly still true today). Our story focuses on two such Jews, Mordecai and Esther, living in the Persian capital city of Susa. As you read through this story, you may notice that God is not mentioned explicitly anywhere, but that does not mean that He is not present…

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “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

It seems to me that these verses capture the main themes of the entire book. Mordecai strongly hints at the Providence of God, that relief and deliverance will rise to protect God’s people. And, indeed, if we look with eyes of faith, we can see God’s hand at work throughout this story. But we humans also have our own roles to play and our own responsibilities within God’s Providence, and so we get that final question of Mordecai to Esther, which is probably the most famous line in this book: And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Is it just happenstance, Esther, that you are the Queen? Might there be One Who put you in that position for a reason? Are you willing to seek out and fulfill your purpose?

Although I’m pretty sure none of us holds a position quite like Esther’s, we might nevertheless ask ourselves similar questions for our own scenarios. How might you be uniquely positioned for God’s purposes? Is God calling you to action? Are you willing to take such action or are you holding back? Food for thought…