Monday, June 3, 2013

Week 23 - Day 2

Esther 5-10

*Click here to read this passage:

More and more of God’s working behind the scenes in the book of Esther!  It seems Esther had a special place in the king’s heart.  It says in chapter 2 that he was attracted to Esther more than any of the other women and that she won his favor and approval more than any other.  That is important here because the king spared her life when the law was that anyone who approached the king without his summoning could be put to death.

It doesn’t really tell why Esther asked the king and Haman to two different banquets before she made the request to help the Jews.  Was she scared and just stalling?  Was she trying to gain the king’s trust and his desire to help as well as to forgive her for hiding her heritage? Did she feel a prompting from God that this was what to do?  This is unclear, but what is clear is that God’s hand was in this, and His timing was perfect. 

During these banquets Haman’s wickedness is revealed.  During this time the king can’t sleep and decides to do some reading (God working behind the scenes).  He ends up reading about Mordecai and how he helped save the king’s life, which he had not been rewarded for at the time.  So Mordecai is rewarded, Haman is put to death, Esther’s life is spared, and the Jews are saved. 

I love that the book of Esther happened to fall when my pastor just launched a series at our church called “Made For This.”  Esther was made for this.  God gave Esther inner and outer beauty as well as wisdom in order for her to be chosen as queen.  He gave her boldness and worked behind the scenes preparing her and her circumstances so that he could use her to save His people.  She found her purpose and trusted God to help her fulfill it.


“Your life’s purposes will be found in God’s priorities.” – Bret Nicholson: One Life Church

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