The Jewish people are in the midst of celebrating the joyous season of Purim. It is a time when people dress up in costumes, sing songs, send “Misloach Manot” (gift baskets) to one another and, most importantly, remember the story of Queen Esther and how the Lord once again faithfully delivered His people, the Children of Israel, from Haman’s evil plan to destroy them.
There are many things that we can learn from this famous story from the book of Esther; however, it is important for me to bring up three different points from the story, which are very relevant for us today and tie in nicely with some of my most recent blog entries:
- Esther’s uncle, Mordechai, demonstrated an uncompromised faithfulness to God.
“After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him. And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.” Esther 3:1-2
Mordechai was not willing to bow down to any man; he knew his God and was not willing to serve anyone else but Him, even to the point of death, in order not to compromise that in which he believed.
2. God raised up Esther for a very specific task, and it was her choice to embrace the task for which God called her.
“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:13-14
The privilege that God has given us, His followers, is not for our own benefit but rather, for the sake of His Kingdom. Each one of us has the choice to either stand up for God – and witness His power and might – or run away from His call. Sadly, if we choose not to take the steps of faith to fulfill God’s call in our lives, then we will not witness the fullness of His power.
3. Once again, God demonstrates His endless faithfulness to His covenant people, Israel, by raising up a servant to deliver His people in order that His purpose be fulfilled.
What stand is God is calling you to take today? Will you be like Esther and do that which He called you to in spite of the danger involved? What price are you willing to pay for your faith? Are you willing to be mocked, to lose friends and family, your job, and quite possibly, your life? Let me encourage you not to wait or think that you will do it in the last days when things get really tough, but to start living an uncompromised faith today.
Last but not least, I ended my most recent blog entry, Jerusalem: God’s Joy, with this: “Jerusalem is the city in which He chose to dwell, and it is the city to which He will return when He stands on the Mount of Olives (Zech 14:4). May we never forget Jerusalem! Forgetting Jerusalem is tantamount to forgetting how to speak, or how to work, or do anything skilled. That would be a terrible thing! If it’s so important to God, don’t you think it ought to be important to us, too?”
Do you love what God loves? Are you willing to take a stand for Him, regardless of the cost?
Shabbat Shalom
Moran