Root 66 – Esther
The story of Esther happens between Ch. 6-7 of Ezra, and is a story about the Jews that stayed behind in Susa (now Iran), and did not return to Jerusalem. King Xerxes was in power in Persia at the time, and after killing his queen, decided that he wanted to find a new king. After a year of looking, he found Esther. Esther was an orphan that was raised by Mordecai, a Jewish man that found favor in Persia.
The king’s second in command, Haman, was a power-hungry man who hated Mordecai because he would not bow to him. Haman, an Amalekite (Exodus 17:8-15), got so angry that he devised a plan to kill all of the Jews. Xerxes agrees to the plan, not knowing that Esther was a Jew herself.
The plan was set, so Mordecai told Esther she has to do something. She had to be careful, because she would die if she entered the presence of the Persian king without an invitation. Esther 4:13-16 is a powerful example of Esther leveraging her position, timing, and place for God’s glory. She says, “Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” That is a sacrificial plan, one that foreshadows Jesus’ love for His people.
***Providence frees us to rest and to run.***
Providence:
It is only mentioned one time in one translation of the Bible, but it is evident throughout the Scriptures. It is a sister word to Sovereignty. It means, “before to see”. God is not limited to the present time like we are. The Westminster Confession states it as, “God the great Creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.”
To Rest:
We must rest FIRST in His providence, seeking Him in fasting and in prayer.
To Run:
We must DO something with our place of influence. Esther leveraged her influence from the palace…not the synagogue.
Haman’s plan was foiled in that he was hanged on the same pole that he built to hang Mordecai. The Jewish people created a new feast as a result of God’s providence sparing them from the evil man. This is the Feast of Purim.
To Discuss Today:
1. Where is evidence of God’s providence in your life?
2. How do you REST in God’s providence?
3. Where has God placed you (position, time, resources) to RUN for His Kingdom?
