Day 54

Esther



Esther 2:1-18, Esther 3:1-6, Esther 4:1-17, Esther 8:1-7, Hebrews 4:14-16

BY Rebecca Faires

Esther’s bravery was a provision of God’s gracious and eternal plan. Esther had the privilege of being part of the story of Israel’s rescue. But it’s unlikely that she wanted to be anywhere near the king’s harem—she probably would have preferred to stay safely at home.

And when calamity threatened, her cousin Mordecai prefaced his exhortation to Esther with this profound observation: “If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place” (Esther 4:14).

Mordecai understood that the real story doesn’t depend on us, but upon God, who always accomplishes His will. Only in light of this truth can we understand what it means to live rightly in the time and place God has put us. Mordecai’s words to Esther provide three profound implications:

First, it conveys an unwavering trust in God’s providence. Mordecai was not in doubt as to Who was Israel’s security and hope. It was not Esther. It was not himself. It was not man or the strength of men. He knew that God is faithful, that He keeps His covenant, that He alone is the preserver of His people. God alone can save.

Second, it is a reminder that God calls us to humility. When we find ourselves in a position either of pressure or of prominence, both are God’s doing, and both are for the glory of His kingdom. Mordecai mourned and repented in the public square, openly confessing His dependence on God. His call to Esther was to do the same with her position of privilege: not to use it for her own preservation or security, but to lay it at the feet of God, to yield it up to the purposes of His kingdom.

Third, it frames a biblical perspective of time and history. The phrase “for such a time as this” brings to mind all of the moments when God’s unseen hand is at work in the Esther narrative. The primary action of the story is not dependent upon what people decide to do, but on what “happens,” or rather, what Providence decrees. The story moves on a series of passive verbs, indicating a divine will that guides all things. “For such a time as this” is a reminder that both the evil of the day and the opportunity to stand for justice were provisions of God’s hand. God is at work, and He works all things—even the evil that men do—for the glory of His kingdom and the good of His people.

This hope is ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The true rescue of captive Israel is foreshadowed in Esther, but accomplished in the work of Jesus’s sacrifice. He is the true Savior of Israel. He stood before the rulers and judges of the world and obeyed even to the point of death on the cross. He took upon Himself the gallows punishment so that we might be redeemed. He fought the battle for us in order to give us victory. His eternal decree has overturned the decrees of kings and rulers, of powers and principalities, and He has established a kingdom that endures and confounds the powers of this world.

This is not a story about the bravery of Esther or the wisdom of Mordecai. It is a story about the sovereign providence of God. We are all born for such a time as this, and we can depend on Christ to fulfill His promises.

Post Comments (30)

30 thoughts on "Esther"

  1. Jennifer AndersMiller says:

    Yes! What a great insight!

  2. Caitlin Landge says:

    Wow this devotion was written so well!! Gives me great thought to my position and how to always be using for God’s Glory! I’m in I did and as a foreigner you always seem to get more attention even when you just want to blend in but to be standing out hopefully always glorifying our at the same time!! Thank you!

  3. Dawn Lake says:

    I have truly loved this study more than I can say. I have seen things in news ways and from fresh perspectives. The story of Esther is especially close to my heart as me and my sisters would listen to this story on audio nightly for almost a year. It was also 4:14 that was read at my sister’s memorial service that struck a chord with me. We don’t know God’s bigger plan, but that the evil men choose to do God has a way of taking that evil and bringing good out of it. May we all remember that we were created “for such as time as this.” Blessings!

  4. Karen says:

    Thank you Tricia and Churchmouse for sharing your personal stories with health. I could feel the strength of our Lord Jesus carrying each of you through the struggles you have been through. Stay strong and remember that Jesus is by your side through each day and each minute. Sharing your experiences with all of us by itself is a testimony to the strength and courage God provides you and will provide each of us no matter what we are going through. Thank you God for this SRT community of faith!!!

  5. Shawn Parks says:

    I so enjoy reading everyone’s comment and insights! What a great and marvelous God that He should speak an intimate message to each one of us through the truth of His Word aligned and instructive based on our circumstances that so much richness and depth can be examined through so many different and beautiful eyes that behold our Savior’s glory and goodness! You are each so precious to our Father and so dear to me. I am so grateful that we are walking this journey together, sisters.❤️

  6. Karen Lockwood says:

    Churchmouse and Tricia, praying for you both, that God will wrap His arms around you and give you a continuous awareness of His presence & grant you His peace that is beyond comprehension, and that He will guide the healthcare providers who care for you. And may those providers see Jesus in you and be drawn to Him.

  7. Monica Davis says:

    I never saw mordecais faith in God’s plan, not in Esther. That is amazing.

  8. Shawn Parks says:

    Imagine all of the long, lonely hours Esther must have spent tracing the path of her life that led her to her position of queen in the royal palace. The juxtaposition of her circumstances must have given her whiplash! Orphaned yet nurtured by many. Most desired among all women by the king yet not summoned for 30 days. A Jew in exile yet royalty over all. Beautiful yet required a year of beauty treatments. Without the seismic opposites pressing against each other with the force of looming extermination, the pure gem of God’s divine providence and grace would never be realized. It is God’s design that from the forces and pressures of our life that God emerges as the true treasure and reward of the struggles we face and the pressures we endure. He is faithful. He is steadfast. He is multifaceted in perfection and strength. He is my Rock.

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