Such a Time as This

  1. The book of Esther seems to be about Mordecai. He is the one that sets the story in motion, refusing to obey the law to bow to Haman. He wasn’t trying to get everyone in trouble. He was just honoring God.
  2. We also learned in the beginning that he took in Esther when she was an orphan. God favors those who care for the poor, the needy, the orphan.
  3. Here Mordecai is doing what the other Jews are doing, going around mourning in sackcloth and ashes. But Mordecai is doing it right in front of the king’s gate and he’s carrying with him a copy of the king’s edict. He wants to make a point, and he seems to have a plan in mind.
  4. He commands Esther to go to the king and plead for mercy. She is afraid that she might be killed.
  5. Mordecai tells her she’s going to die if she doesn’t do it. He also proclaims that the Lord will deliver them one way or another.
  6. If that’s true, then why does he feel the need to come up with a plan and try to make it happen? I’m not entirely convinced the Lord gave Mordecai the plan, though we have all come to believe that Esther was put there for such a time as this.
  7. Have you ever asked the Lord to help you see how He’s worked in the details of your life to put you in a certain place at a certain time for a certain purpose?
  8. God has ordained your boundaries, your life setting, where you are and when. It was on purpose.
  9. If you can’t see purpose in how He’s orchestrated your life, ask Him to help you see it.
  10. I can see how He was there from the beginning, building my life, bringing me to where I am today, graciously allowing things at certain times because they were bringing about His ultimate goal.
  11. What’s His goal? Salvation. He loves people. He created man in His image. He wants us to love Him and be with Him because He loves us.
  12. It’s all about our salvation, and not just us, but those around us and the rest of the world!
  13. The chapter ends with Mordecai obeying Esther; they were mutually submissive as husbands and wives and believers are commanded at times. He goes to tell the Jews to fast without food or water.
  14. They don’t need to earn God’s help. God will preserve a remnant. They won’t all be destroyed. Mordecai is convinced God will deliver them.
  15. But they call the fast. They aren’t buying God’s favor but telling God that they are relying on Him for salvation.