“The king loved Esther more than all
the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins,
so that he set the royal crown o her head and made her queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:17).
Hey Gang: One of the
amazing things about the Book of Esther is that God is never mentioned. But I defy you to read it and leave God out
of its message to us. I challenge you to
do some digging in the Book and see the wondrous comparisons of what happened
then and what is happening in Israel today.
On one or two of our trips to the Arabah in the wilderness
of Israel we were privileged to celebrate Purim. The week of Purim is a joyous time of celebration for Israeli
children, It is also a Feast that
points back to one of the darkest hours of Jewish history when Haman, the Prime
minister of the Persian Empire, plotted a ‘final solution’ – the extermination
of all Jews living in Persia.
The
story centers on a hideous plot on the part of Haman, King Ahasuerus’ second in
command, to annihilate the Jews of the Realm.
Sound familiar? It is a book that gives us a clear picture of how the
plan of God- that was developed before time began- unfolds before our very eyes,
if we are keen enough to seek it out. The story begins when Queen Vishti, defies the demand of the king to show herself at a banquet, attended by all the ‘wheels’ of the country, to be put on exhibition so that all could see her beauty. Perhaps the young ladies of today should take heed of her example.
Her refusal resulted in a collection process that brought all the beautiful, untainted damsels from the Realm together so that King Ahasuerus could choose the one that rang his bell. Moving quickly along, Meanwhile, Haman, was up to his arm pits in deception and had coerced the King into signing an irreversible decree that gave Haman the power to kill every Jew in the Realm.
The plot doth thicken…Esther, who happened to be a Jewish, was given the task by Mordecai to go to the king which, if uninvited could bring a death penalty on the intruder.
This she agreed to do but first Esther made an important and strategic request 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…”(Esther 4:16).
Before she engaged on this crucial mission, on which so many lives depended, she understood the vital power of prayer. She understood that without prayer her visit to the king could result in failure or in only a partial victory. She knew if God wasn’t on her side, success would depend solely on the King’s mood.
But Esther also knew that there is another dimension to our known world of space and time. She knew that there is a God in heaven and He was able to turn the King’s heart ‘like the rivers of water’ (Prov. 21:1).
But most importantly, she knew that this heavenly dimension could be accessed only by humbly placing herself in the presence of God.
Therefore, the most strategic decision which Esther made was not her decision to see the King of Persia, but her decision to seek the will of the King of kings and to seek His face for three days fasting and praying.
So, young lads and lassies, as we near the end of the age, the time when Jesus will pull the plug and come and set up His kingdom on Zion’s mountain, keep in mind Ester’s formula for success was going directly to the throne room of God in fasting and prayer. It worked for Esther and the Jews of that day and it will work for America!
Blessings,
Gramps
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