Esther has always been one of my favorite books in the Bible. Since I was little, I became captivated that God could use an asparagus to rule a kingdom. Of course, I am talking about Veggie Tales here, but all jokes aside, what really captivated me was that God used a woman to rule a kingdom and change the lives of many for years to come. Although that may have been what motivated me to pick this topic for the week, it has now since changed, and I hope that as you continue reading this you see why.
Background and Summary:
The book of Esther was written between 450-400 BC, about 100 years after Babalonian exile. It tells the story of the plot to kill the entire Jewish nation in the days of king Xerxes (pronounced Zurk-sees) and how that plan was overturned by Esther and her cousin Mordecai (More-de-kai). Esther is a unique book that truly illustrates what can happen in our lives when we allow God to direct our lives. An interesting fact that stood out to me while studying the book this week is that we never see the name of God mentioned. While we never see the physical name of God mentioned, we can certainly see God move through the scripture in this book.
To mix things up, I decided to add this video that summarizes the book of Esther:
Seeking Guidance from God in Times of Difficulty:
At the beginning of chapter 4, Esther and Mordecai learn of the decree from Haman to destroy all Jewish people. In verse 16, we see Esther handles this in a unique way. Esther takes the time to pray and fast when beginning to seek guidance from the Lord, and she asks Mordecai to do the same.
I had to do some research on this topic— fasting is not something that I practice but I am now seeing the importance of. Upon my research to learn why this practice is so important, I found an article discussing the benefits of Christian fasting. The article discusses two main reasons for the act:
1. Answers to Earnest Prayer: fasting functions as an assistant or a handmaid to prayer, coming alongside of a specific request that we are asking of God.
2. More of God Himself: God made us in His image and likeness. He created a world where we would eat and drink so that when our mouths are full, we can taste the goodness of his creation. He also created this world so that when our stomachs are empty, we can rehearse that He is the one who satisfies us better (Isa. 55:1).
Fasting is a powerful tool that allows us to hunger for God, which only intensifies our prayer life and communication with him. Fasting should first and foremost be a silent expression of our emptiness without Christ. Fasting should not be a test of our strength and willpower, but a plea to have Christ fill our bodies with the strength and guidance that only God can supply (1 Peter 4:11). My favorite quote from the article is:
“the great (and often hidden) reward of fasting is God himself… [fasting] attunes us to the very purpose of God in the universe: To magnify himself in our desiring, enjoying, and being satisfied in him. And he rewards it not just with what we’re asking for with our fast, but ultimately with who he is as our desire, enjoyment, and satisfaction. Christian fasting is not mainly about what we go without, but who we want more of.”
Esther is faced with a difficult situation and how she handles this could potentially kill her. At the end of verse 16 and the beginning of verse 17, Esther says that she will go to the king regarding the decree, and although she is the queen, it is still against the law for her to go to him without permission. You see the faithfulness of Esther at the end of verse 17, “If I perish, I perish,” upon reading this, I wondered here age. I never found anything definite, but I did read that she was between 14-22. Seeing how she was willing to risk her life for her people at such a young age, makes me love this book even more! It also brought the question to my mind:
How does God ask us to step out in faith in our daily lives?
At her age, I don’t think I would have been mature enough to step out in faith like that. Her faithfulness and obedience to God allowed her to be able to reverse the decree that jeopardized her and her people. Because of the faith that she placed in Christ, she is now one of the great women of faith that we look at today.
Over the last three chapters of the book, Esther and Mordecai created a decree that defended the Israelites against the one that Haman wrote. These decrees were enacted on the same day, but Mordecai's decree allowed all Jewish people to defend themselves against their enemies. After Xerxes passed Mordecai's decree, banquets were held in celebration of the freedom of Esther's people, and Mordecai became second in command to the king!
Thank you guys so much for continuing to follow along with us each week. We love seeing all of you all read what God is showing us in our walks! Thank you so much for the support!
Be a Blessing,
Courtney F.
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