Such a Time as This!

"And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

 Esther 4:14b

This statement comes from Mordecai, the uncle of Queen Esther. It came at a desperate time in the history of the Jews. An edict had been made by a hateful man against the Jews. They were all to be killed and plundered simply because one man's pride went unchecked. Esther was in a position of great power, yet she feared what the king would do to her if she approached him without being summoned. Death was a likely outcome.

Queen Esther, also known as Hadassah, was of Jewish decent. She was a common girl. Her parents died in her youth, so her uncle Mordecai took her in as his own and raised her. The Jewish people living in Susa, Persia at this time were there because they had been carried away as captives. They were foreigners in the land. Hadassah means myrtle. The myrtle tree was found in Babylon. It was a tree that bore beautifully aromatic flowers used for perfume. She was a beautiful girl and attracted the attention of the king's men.

Queen Vashti had been removed from her throne due to a refusal to obey a request from the king. He then sought to replace her with a more beautiful woman. All the most attractive young virgins of the land were sought and brought to the palace. They were put through an entire year of beautifying. What a spa experience! Hadassah was one of those women. She is said to have been only 14 at the time! Can you imagine what fear must have accompanied a girl of that age? This girl who was an orphan of Jewish decent. She was to go before the king of Persia herself, the king who had just sent away his beautiful Queen Vashti. Hadassah gained favor in everyone's eyes including the king. She was made Queen Esther of the Persian Empire!

So time past and the edict came because of one man's detest for the Jewish people who had been living in the Persian Empire. They were all to be killed. Mordecai makes this known to Esther. She becomes fearful and distraught. Her uncle pleads with her to go to the king, but there is a risk of death to her if she exposes her true identity. She too could be killed. And then he says it, "“Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

What time are you living in? What things are happening in your life? Where are you feeling stressed, pressured, or under tribulation? What is your reaction? Oh, I can tell you what mine is! I want to run, complain, whine, and get out of the pressure. I want to live a peaceful easy life. Truth: this may not be the Lord's will. Look at the life that Esther lived. She was pulled from all security and safety. Everything she knew was gone and she found herself in a life she did not chose. Her life was chosen for her, yet despite her circumstances, she had faith. She fasted and prayed for three full days before going before the king. In the face of death, she turned to the Lord. The outcome was unknown and uncertain, but she chose to act in faith. Perhaps this is what her life was all about. Perhaps she was created for "such a time as this." We can read the rest of the story and see the Lord's hand in it all. She as accepted by the king and given her request. Her obedience and confidence in the Lord saved her people. What a legacy!

As I read through the Book of Esther, this is the verse that jumps off the page. What has the Lord put me on the earth for? For every situation I find myself, in all of those things, to live my life before the Lord with confidence and faith. He knows my life from beginning to end. He knows the trials I am facing. He knows the struggles I am and will have. So despite it all that I would live my life in faith and obedience knowing that He has orchestrated it all, "for such a time as this."