For Such a Time as This
We like Esther was called for such a time as this. Every person that has lived on this
earth, had a purpose to fulfill. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 “for I know the
thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give
you an expected end”. Paul prayed for the Ephesians that “the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling”
(Ephesians 1:18).
The Amalekites came out again Israel when they were come out of Egypt, going
through the wilderness (Exodus 17:8-14).
Some people think that God was harsh when He told Saul to kill all the people, even
the animals of Amalek. God knows the hearts (I Samuel
15:1-9). Now because Saul disobeyed God’s command, and saved the king alive, a
thousand years later, Haman a descendent of king Agag, purposed to kill all Jews in
all the provisions of Persia (Esther 3:1-11).
Mordecai told Esther, and reminded her that she too was a Jew and would not be
spared. Esther fasted 3 days and nights along with all Israel and then went into the
inner court of the king (Esther 4:15-16). She found favor from the king when she
went into the kings inner court. She invited the king and Haman to a banquet and
then a second banquet. The king asked her what she wanted and she told the king
someone was going to kill her and her people. The king was furious and asked who
it was that was trying to kill her and she said Haman. Haman was hanged on the
gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, along with his family (Esther 7:10, 9:24-25).
We see through out the ages that many have sought to kill all the Jews. The
Crusaders tried, Hitler tried, and now the Arabs are saying they will wipe out all Jews,
they want to push them into the sea.
We know all attempts against the Jews will fail, because God prophesied in Ezekiel
37:26-28, and the Word of God will not fail. God says “so shall My word be that
goes out of My mouth, it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which
I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
We, like Esther should do whatever we can and not be afraid. There is a saying “all
it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”.
Some may ask why should we celebrate Purim (Esther 9:26-28), that’s old
testament. But if Haman had seceded in killing all the Jews, there would have been
no Christ, because Jesus was a Jew and came from the line of King David. We have
been adopted into the family of God. The Bible says “ that He might reconcile both
to God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby”(Ephesians 2:16)
and “for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13). I thank God that Esther, by faith went before the king, as
like Esther, when we see things going against the kingdom of God, we must do
something.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 14, 2006