Such a Time as This

Say to Mordecai, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I [Esther] was called to go to the king.” (Esther 4:10-11, NIV 1984).

My Musings – This book, which bears the name of its heroine, is kind of a real-life Cinderella story. The former queen (Vashti) was deposed for dishonoring the king (Xerxes). A kingdom wide search was made for a new queen and Esther was the one who won the king’s favor. Unknown to the king, Esther was one of the exiled Jews.

But drama entered into this “happily ever after” story. Esther’s uncle (Mordecai) had offended one of the king’s officials (Haman). Seeking revenge, Haman convinced king Xerxes to issue an edict that not only would exact retribution on Mordecai, but all the Jews. One more blatant attempt by Satan to exterminate the God’s chosen people and cut-off the line of the promised Messiah.

Gleefully, Haman prepared a gallows for Mordecai. Mordecai appealed to his niece, who he had raised, to plead his case (and the Jews) before the king, whom she had not been summoned for thirty days. And, as the above text makes clear, approaching the king without being summoned was risky business. This explains Esther’s initial reluctance.

But “when Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?'” (Esther 4:12-14, NIV 1984). As you might suspect, Esther did appeal to the king, and he extended his scepter. Mordecai, Esther and the Jews were saved, and Haman was executed on the very gallows he intended for Mordecai.

My Advice – What is abundantly clear is that Esther was indeed called “for a time such as this.” What is also clear, had she not responded to the call it would have “[arisen] from another place.”

We too “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that [we] may declare the praises of him who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, NIV 1984). We must not “remain silent at this time.” For, through the grace of God, we have found “relief and deliverance” from the bondage of sin. And we are called to “declare the praises of Him who called us,” by “[being His] witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NIV 1984).

Now is our time to call others “out of darkness into his wonderful light.” So that the King of kings might “extend [His] gold scepter” to all who believe in Him.