I decided to take a closer look at the incredible woman known as Esther for my "Women Of The Bible" series, September edition. What a lesson on boldness and living for a higher purpose!
Women Of The Bible- Esther
Esther 2:5-10
“In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favour; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance.
Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.
Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it.”
Esther 2:15-18
“Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all who saw her.
So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.”
Esther 3:8-11
“Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.””
Esther 4:6-17
“So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king’s gate. And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people.
So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:
“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.
And Mordecai told them to answer Esther:
“Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For 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. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:
“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.”
Esther 7:1-6
“So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favour in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”
So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther,
“Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?” And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!”
So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.”
Esther 8:1-7
“On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.
Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther.
So Esther arose and stood before the king, and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favour in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?”
Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews.”
Esther 9:29-32
“Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting. So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.”
Women of the Bible, this lady with a storyWomen Of The Bible- Esther
Esther 2:5-10
“In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favour; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance.
Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.
Esther had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it.”
Esther 2:15-18
“Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all who saw her.
So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.”
Esther 3:8-11
“Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.””
Esther 4:6-17
“So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square that was in front of the king’s gate. And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries to destroy the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the written decree for their destruction, which was given at Shushan, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her, and that he might command her to go in to the king to make supplication to him and plead before him for her people.
So Hathach returned and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:
“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.” So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.
And Mordecai told them to answer Esther:
“Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For 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. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:
“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.”
Esther 7:1-6
“So the king and Haman went to dine with Queen Esther. And on the second day, at the banquet of wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request, up to half the kingdom? It shall be done!”
Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favour in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king’s loss.”
So King Ahasuerus answered and said to Queen Esther,
“Who is he, and where is he, who would dare presume in his heart to do such a thing?” And Esther said, “The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!”
So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.”
Esther 8:1-7
“On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.
Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther.
So Esther arose and stood before the king, and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favour in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?”
Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews.”
Esther 9:29-32
“Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting. So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.”
Can teach us how to use our days and bring our Saviour glory.
Let’s take a look at Esther, the Persian word for “Star.”
Her Hebrew name means “Hidden,” yet she really did go far!
Orphaned in a foreign land, she paints a lowly scene
And yet she rose to greatest heights within her role as Queen!
Brought within the Palace walls to bring God’s plan along
For He can use the weak things of this world to shame the strong!
This woman saw her people in a perilous condition,
With courage, she would not forsake her God-given position.
This moment, though she risked her life, she knew she couldn’t miss
For God had placed her in that role for such a time as this.
She didn’t act impulsively but wisely took her time,
Seeking godly counsel and trusting the Divine.
Her focus, not upon herself but on the greater good.
Esther shows the power of a life in servitude.
“How can I not try to save the nation that I cherish?
I know what I must do and if I perish then I perish!”
Her words inspire bravery and show us where to start,
Committing all to God and with surrender in her heart.
Thanks to Esther’s fortitude and strong determination,
Her people went from mourning into joyful celebration!
Yes in the book of Esther, we see a crucial theme;
God is working constantly, just behind the scenes.
Though wickedness may be devised within the thoughts of man,
Nothing overrules our God or thwarts His Sovereign plan!
Let us look to Esther and the lessons she can bring.
May we live courageously for Jesus Christ, our King!
1 Peter 5:6-8
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Proverbs 3:25-26
“Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.”
Points For Reflection And Insight
I chose some key verses to highlight important moments in Esther’s story before my poem but to get a fuller picture of this lady’s life, I would definitely recommend reading the whole book. As with the character of Ruth, Esther has an entire book in the Bible to herself and so my study of this fascinating lady revealed so many amazing things that it was difficult to decide what to focus on!
I think the book of Esther has to be one of the most thrilling sections of Scripture to read with all that goes on between her older cousin Mordecai and the wicked yet powerful Haman. To really hear about the depths and details found within this book, I’d love to suggest listening to the sermons my Pastor gave on Esther. You can find these studies on Sound Cloud and the Calvary London Website. They really are so rich in history and depth of meaning so if you would like to hear more about this lady and all that she faced, please follow the link below for the first teaching.
https://soundcloud.com/calvary-london/21-10-2015-alwyn-wall-esther-1?in=calvary-london%2Fsets%2Festher-1
As I mentioned in my poem, the Persian meaning of Esther’s name is “Star” but the Hebrew meaning is “Hidden” and this is certainly no coincidence. Concealment is a main theme that we see running throughout the book of Esther. Not only did she have to hide the fact that she was a Jew but Esther is one of only two books in the whole Bible that doesn’t overtly mention God’s name. The other book that does this is the Song Of Solomon.
As my Pastor’s teachings reveal however, the name of God is actually hidden four times in the book of Esther in an acrostic sense. The name Yahweh, or YHVH appears four times at key points in the text and what this highlights to us is that sometimes, it may seem like God is hidden but in reality He is always present and active. Many times in life we may find ourselves in situations where we can’t feel God’s presence and things may look so dire we wonder if God is there at all.
The book of Esther teaches us the valuable lesson however that even though God may be out of our sight at times, we are never out of His. This book shows us over and over again that there are no accidents or coincidences with the Lord, He is always there and always working through our circumstances in a natural way. God’s sovereignty moves constantly through our lives, working behind the scenes to bring about His purposes and in His perfect time.
What we also see in this book and what makes it even more amazing, is while God is working sovereignly, He does this without ever overriding human free-will. The events naturally unfold as people make decisions and choices in their lives, yet they reveal how God is working through their situations the whole time.
The same could be said for our lives as Christians. The “hidden God” that we don’t necessarily always see or feel, is involved in all the goings on of our daily lives. What we find is that God’s divine plan can often be seen more clearly in hindsight rather than foresight and the book of Esther shows us that God’s leading doesn’t need to be a big, mystical thing. As we live every day in submission to God, He will lead us and it’s as we look back that we can see how God has unfolded His plan for us, in a natural and gradual way.
As Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.”
The Book of Esther also really highlights the truth that even when our circumstances look absolutely dire and we can’t imagine what good could possibly come out of them, God is still working on our behalf and can turn things around in a moment. Even when all seems lost and the odds are stacked against us with no apparent way out, God’s plan can overrule when wicked schemes are set against His people. Esther’s story really shows us that earthly powers cannot compete with the powers of Heaven! God is always looking after His children and orchestrating things to bring about His sovereign plan for the benefit of His people and His Kingdom.
The words of Isaiah 54:17 are very encouraging for the child of God. The verse reads,
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.”
What situations are you facing in life that seem insurmountable or so bad that God couldn’t possibly be working through them? When you consider how dire Esther’s situation was and see how God came through for her and the Jewish people, does it encourage you to trust God with your circumstances too? Do you believe the words of Romans 8:28 which reads,
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose?”
The events surrounding this woman are incredibly dramatic and Esther’s bravery and surrendered heart throughout these events really stood out to me.
As I mentioned in the poem, Esther paints a rather lowly picture at first. We know as a Jew (even a hidden one) living in a foreign land, she wouldn’t have had a high status in society. Add to that the fact that she was a female and an orphan, she really wouldn’t have seemed like someone who would ever hold any power or have any influence when it came to the laws of the land.
Something we see repeated many times throughout Scripture however, is the fact that God loves to use the weak things of this world to put to shame the strong. God can use the most unlikely and ordinary people to accomplish His divine purposes and this is certainly what we see with Esther.
What we can also observe in this lady as a person though is her strength of character and a willingness to be used by God. Her position of birth may have been rather lowly but her fortitude and surrendered heart were what turned the tables and allowed her to be instrumental during a key time in Jewish history.
Do you ever feel unqualified for Kingdom service due to a lack of position, wealth, ability or any of the many reasons we may think of? When you consider what God achieved through Esther’s surrendered heart and in spite of her humble beginnings, does it alter your perspective on your situation at all? Would you like to be used for good by God, for the benefit of others and for His glory? If so, maybe that’s something you can bring before God in prayer today.
What we see through Haman’s actions in this book is yet another demonically inspired attempt to wipe out the Jewish people in order to try and stop the coming of the Messiah. Esther found herself in the midst of this huge crisis and yet ended up showing great courage and strength of character.
When we look at how Esther approached this dark and difficult time in her life, there are certainly some helpful things we can observe. We know that she sought wisdom and godly counsel which is always a wise thing for us to do. She didn’t seek to face the situation on her own but asked for help and support from others whom she knew and trusted. It’s important to seek wise counsel in times of crisis as listening to peers who counter God’s Word can be detrimental to our cause.
Another positive thing we can see from Esther is that she humbled herself by fasting (which goes hand in hand with prayer in Jewish tradition although it’s not directly mentioned in the text) and she asked others to join her in this process too. She didn’t act impulsively but took time to think things through and measure everything up.
We can also see that Esther listened to the promptings in her heart to speak wisely and in the right time. Her commitment to holding her nerve and not behaving rashly allowed further events to unfold that God would use mightily for the benefit of both Esther and her people.
Speaking the truth in love can be a hard and intimidating thing to do but looking at this woman’s actions, she certainly gives us a good example of how important it is for us to prepare well and take our time when it comes to having difficult conversations. We should never allow ourselves to feel pressured or manipulated into doing something quickly if we don’t have the peace of God about that situation yet.
Is there a tricky conversation you need to have with someone in your life? Have you been seeking God and asking for His help and wisdom in this area? How do you feel Esther’s actions help when it comes to speaking the truth in love?
Mordecai highlighted to Esther the fact that she could choose to be used mightily by God to bring about change or she could remain quiet, thereby allowing someone else to be used to fulfil His purposes. These words show Mordecai’s confidence in God’s promise that there will always be deliverance for the Jews. They also reflect the truth that God will always take care of His people. Who He uses to do this, simply depends on who is willing to surrender their heart and be used as a vessel for His glory.
Esther clearly made the choice to humble herself before God, put all that she had at His disposal and be fruitful where she was planted. We hear her heart of surrender to God’s will when we read her words, “If I perish, I perish!” What a brave statement from a place of submission to God’s plan, whatever that may bring.
We hear a similar attitude from the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21 where he says,
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
This is certainly a great reminder for us to have an eternal perspective and focus each day when it comes to our own situations. I sincerely hope we’re never in the predicament that Esther was in where she was literally putting her life on the line but we can certainly seek to have an unwavering boldness when it comes to doing the right thing, not just for us but for the benefit of others too.
The Bible tells us in Acts 17:26-27 that God has appointed a specific time and place for each of us to come into existence. Like Esther, we have been brought into our surroundings by God’s hand, for such a time as this. God chose the best time and place for each of us to exist so that we might seek Him and share the Gospel in order to help see others saved from an eternity without salvation.
In a sense, we face the same choice as Esther. We can chose to remain quiet or we can surrender ourselves to a higher purpose and be used by God for His glory and the furtherance of His Kingdom. Each of us can ask ourselves,
What has God called me to this place for? What am I doing with the things that He’s made available to me? Are there people around me who are spiritually perishing who need me to speak up and share the truth in love?
Esther is an inspirational lady and this book certainly reminds us to keep our eyes lifted above our circumstances and have a godly perspective on things. May we rest in knowing that the God who sees all is worthy to be trusted, even in the darkest times. May the book of Esther set our hearts on fire with courage to share the Gospel. God has an important purpose for each of us to fulfil during our days here on Earth. It might not be as dramatic as Esther’s plight but anything done for His glory holds weight in eternity and that’s no small matter! In these dark and perilous times we now face, there really is no more important message to share with others than the salvation of our souls through our wonderful Saviour, Jesus Christ. Just like Esther, may our days always be used mightily for our marvellous God!
