Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.- William Shakespeare.
Intro: How is the story of Queen Esther like my missions trip? Does the story of Queen Esther remind you of any events in your own life as a Christian? Let us contemplate these questions.
Queen Esther:
Intro: The story of the greatness of Queen Esther undoubtably casts her into the light of the hero who has greatness thrust upon them. Nowhere in the Bible story of Queen Esther do I see her either born or striving for a mighty role in the drama unfolding before her. Yet, when the time for greatness came she accepted the scepter of responsibility.
Setting: The Babylonian empire had laid siege upon the Jewish people and destroyed their capitol in the sixth century B.C. Many Jewish people were kidnapped and enslaved at that time and taken to live in Babylon. Some time after that, the Babylonian empire was itself defeated by the Medo-Persian empire. After this happened the Medo-Persians became the overlords of the Jewish communities living in exile. A Persian King eventually gave the Jewish people permission to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild that city.
Many Jews chose not to return to Jerusalem. They had grown accostumed to the life and culture of the place they now lived. Perhaps they were less religious or had grown prosperous in their new environs. Whatever the reason, this is the setting that the young Esther, (Hadassah) found herself in as we begin our story. She was a stranger in a strange land (Exodus 2:22), i.e. a subject of the Medo-Persian King Ahasuerus.
Up until the Jewish people established the state of Israel, they forever lived a life of insecurity and persecution. As a longtime exiled people they always formed a minority in the many countries in which they lived. Although they made important contributions to every country which they inhabited, they ended up hated and reviled none-the-less.
The ups and downs of life for the Jewish people can be seen very clearly in the story of Queen Esther (Esther 3:8). It is an exact template of all of the most heinous things which have ever happened to them. Yet, the finale of this story is one of the most hope-filled stories in the Bible.
Esther is an orphan child being raised by her cousin Mordecai (Esther 2:7). Mordecai represents the faithful remnant of Jewish believers in exile. He is watchful and protective of Esther and the Jewish community (Esther 2: 10-11). The dangers are many for the Jewish people. There is physical danger, as well as spiritual danger. God called his chosen people to be different than those around them. Could they continue to be spiritually strong and stay unified as God's people should be with so many temptations in a foreign land?
When our story begins we see that the goings on in the court of King Ahasuerus include drunkenness and demeaning behavior toward the King's wife Vashti. In what can only be described as a sadistic mindset, King Ahasuerus and his courtiers decide that Vashti must be dethroned and replaced by a new queen. Moreover, pretty quickly we see that one of the King's advisors Haman hates the Jewish people and is plotting an early version of a Holocaust.
Esther: We all live in an environment in which we must operate: at home, at school, at work or at church. Further, we must make decisions as to our responses to both the good and the evil we are confronted with every day. When challenges come, there is always a risk to us when we stand against it. When we rise to meet a challenge it is never convenient. It costs something.
The costs can be physical, emotional, or spiritual. They could be financial or effect our life in a multitude of ways. In the Bible, God often chooses the least likely individual for a divine role. It shows the possible for each of us to rise to a challenge, and it shows God's providence in the situation. Without Esther, all would have been lost. She was the person who played a pivotal role in saving those who were wrongly treated and in need of salvation.
Was there a Queen Esther on my trip, a Haman or King Ahasuerus? The answer is yes. The Spirit of Esther, Ahasuerus and Haman exists in all our lives and in various situations. It is up to us to recognize and follow God in those moments. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?- Esther 4:14b
Intro: The story of the greatness of Queen Esther undoubtably casts her into the light of the hero who has greatness thrust upon them. Nowhere in the Bible story of Queen Esther do I see her either born or striving for a mighty role in the drama unfolding before her. Yet, when the time for greatness came she accepted the scepter of responsibility.
Setting: The Babylonian empire had laid siege upon the Jewish people and destroyed their capitol in the sixth century B.C. Many Jewish people were kidnapped and enslaved at that time and taken to live in Babylon. Some time after that, the Babylonian empire was itself defeated by the Medo-Persian empire. After this happened the Medo-Persians became the overlords of the Jewish communities living in exile. A Persian King eventually gave the Jewish people permission to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild that city.
Many Jews chose not to return to Jerusalem. They had grown accostumed to the life and culture of the place they now lived. Perhaps they were less religious or had grown prosperous in their new environs. Whatever the reason, this is the setting that the young Esther, (Hadassah) found herself in as we begin our story. She was a stranger in a strange land (Exodus 2:22), i.e. a subject of the Medo-Persian King Ahasuerus.
Up until the Jewish people established the state of Israel, they forever lived a life of insecurity and persecution. As a longtime exiled people they always formed a minority in the many countries in which they lived. Although they made important contributions to every country which they inhabited, they ended up hated and reviled none-the-less.
The ups and downs of life for the Jewish people can be seen very clearly in the story of Queen Esther (Esther 3:8). It is an exact template of all of the most heinous things which have ever happened to them. Yet, the finale of this story is one of the most hope-filled stories in the Bible.
Esther is an orphan child being raised by her cousin Mordecai (Esther 2:7). Mordecai represents the faithful remnant of Jewish believers in exile. He is watchful and protective of Esther and the Jewish community (Esther 2: 10-11). The dangers are many for the Jewish people. There is physical danger, as well as spiritual danger. God called his chosen people to be different than those around them. Could they continue to be spiritually strong and stay unified as God's people should be with so many temptations in a foreign land?
When our story begins we see that the goings on in the court of King Ahasuerus include drunkenness and demeaning behavior toward the King's wife Vashti. In what can only be described as a sadistic mindset, King Ahasuerus and his courtiers decide that Vashti must be dethroned and replaced by a new queen. Moreover, pretty quickly we see that one of the King's advisors Haman hates the Jewish people and is plotting an early version of a Holocaust.
Esther: We all live in an environment in which we must operate: at home, at school, at work or at church. Further, we must make decisions as to our responses to both the good and the evil we are confronted with every day. When challenges come, there is always a risk to us when we stand against it. When we rise to meet a challenge it is never convenient. It costs something.
The costs can be physical, emotional, or spiritual. They could be financial or effect our life in a multitude of ways. In the Bible, God often chooses the least likely individual for a divine role. It shows the possible for each of us to rise to a challenge, and it shows God's providence in the situation. Without Esther, all would have been lost. She was the person who played a pivotal role in saving those who were wrongly treated and in need of salvation.
Was there a Queen Esther on my trip, a Haman or King Ahasuerus? The answer is yes. The Spirit of Esther, Ahasuerus and Haman exists in all our lives and in various situations. It is up to us to recognize and follow God in those moments. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?- Esther 4:14b
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