“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” -Esther 4:14
Esther, a beautiful and brave young woman of Persia. When her mother and father passed away, a man named Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter. In the blink of an eye, Esther and Mordecai would be faced with a dangerous mission that required great sacrifice and courage.
These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. One day at his banquet, among many eunuchs, King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to him with the royal crown on her head. He wanted the nobles and other men to gaze upon her beauty, for she was very beautiful. When Queen Vashti heard this order, she refused to come. This made the king furious. King Xerxes met with his advisors to see what punishment was fit for such an act.
It was decided that Queen Vashti should be forever banished from King Xerxes presence. Soon, the king’s personal attendants suggested to begin the search for beautiful young women for the king. As a result, Esther, along with many young women were brought to the King’s palace and placed in the care of a man named Hegai. Esther was greatly admired by Hegai and he treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids chosen from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maids into the most beautiful place in the palace.
Esther had not told anyone her nationality and family background, because Mordecai warned her not to do so. Each day, Mordecai would take a walk near the courtyard of the palace to check on Esther and what was happening to her. Before each young woman was taken to the king, she was given twelve months of beauty treatments. Esther asked for nothing except for what was suggested and she was admired by everyone who saw her. Esther would only revisit the king after the first revealing if he especially admired her and requested her by name. When Esther was taken to the king he admired her above all others and placed the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti.
To celebrate his new queen, the king gave a great public holiday to Esther in her honor. Esther continued to keep her nationality and family background a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home. Mordecai became a palace official. One day, Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate when two of the king’s eunuchs became angry at the king and plotted to assassinate him. Mordecai gave the information to Queen Esther and she told the king about it, crediting Mordecai for the report. Mordecai’s good deed went unnoticed. When the investigation was made, the two men were punished to death on a sharpened pole. This was all recorded in The Book of the History of King Xerxes’ Reign.
Some time later King Xerxes promoted a man named Haman to the most powerful official in the empire. All the king’s officials would bow down before Haman to show him respect as he passed by, for the king had commanded it. Mordecai refused to kneel down before Haman. He refused to acknowledge Haman as God as Jews did not bow to government officials. When Haman noticed this, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to destroy him alone. Haman sought to wipe out all of the Jewish people throughout the empire of Xerxes.
Haman cast lots of find the day of destruction for the Jewish people. The day selected was March 7, nearly a year later. The king agreed and confirmed his decision by removing his signet ring and giving it to Haman. On April 17, the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a degree was written to be issued as law in every province that all Jews-young and old, women and children, were to be killed on that single day. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.
When Mordecai heard the news, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city weeping. There was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and put on clothes of mourning. When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs shared the news, she was deeply distressed. Esther prepared to save her people. She would go to the king and plead for him to put a stop to Haman’s plans. Esther’s plan would take great sacrifice and courage for anyone who appears before the king without being invited is doomed to die unless the king held out his gold scepter. The king had not called for Esther in nearly thirty days.
Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther reached out to all the Jews and partnered with them to fast and pray for three days. After the three days, Esther was ready to approach the king with her plea. “And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must perish, I must perish.” Esther bravely approached the king dressed in her royal robes. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. Esther asked the king and Haman to come to two banquets where she would explain her request. She had combined courage with careful planning. Haman was delighted to be invited to a banquet with the king and queen, yet he would not be fully satisfied until Mordecai was put to death. This thought pleased Haman and he ordered the sharpened pole to be set up for Mordecai.
Behind the scenes, God is always working. He was working quietly and patiently. That evening, the king was unable to sleep. In the middle of the night, he decided to review the history of his reign, and his servants read to him about Mordecai’s good deed of stopping the assassination planned against him. The king realized that Mordecai was never honored for his deed and at that moment the king saw Haman preparing Mordecai’s death. God was saving Mordecai’s honor for the perfect time.
So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s second banquet. Esther brought her request to the king that the lives of her people be spared. The king demanded who would do such a thing as to harm his queen. Esther replied, “This wicked Haman is our adversary and enemy.” Haman pleaded Esther for his life and was filled with panic and fright. Haman’s hatred and evil plotting turned against him when the king discovered his true heart. That day, he was killed on the pole he had ordered for Mordecai.
On that same day, Esther told the king of how her and Mordecai were related. The king took of his ring and gave it to Mordecai. Esther continued to plead with the king to save all her people, not only herself and Mordecai. The King granted Jews the permission to fight and kill anyone who attacked them on that day. On March 7, the two degrees were put into effect. The Jews overcame their enemies! They killed only those who sought to harm them and did not take their property even though they could have.
Esther and Mordecai’s bravery and willingness to surrender everything for their people saved an entire nation! Seeing the opportunity set before them, they bravely embraced it! This powerful story displays that God is our security. It may take great courage and sacrifice, yet imagine what God is orchestrating in your current position! Perhaps it is for such a time as this.
Sua Sdey from The Kingdom of Cambodia! Cambodia is so beautiful! The history in the book of Esther resembles a similar history to Cambodia. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge took control of the country until 1979. During this time, the Khmer Rouge forced millions of people from the cities into the country side to work at labor camps. For one to survive, they must do excellent work at the labor camps. In a heartbreaking fact, anyone who could not do what was demanded was executed. The Khmer Rouge killed three million people in an attempt to make Cambodia into a country that was classless by eliminating all social classes except for those who worked on the farmland. Thankfully, the Khmer Rouge was stopped in 1979. Our generation in Cambodia is greatly effected by the genocide even today by the loss of their family members.
Though a heartbreaking history, Cambodia is a beautiful country. This month, our team Overflow, is partnering with an all women’s team called I-61! The fourteen of us are staying at Overflow Guest House which is a home in the care of long term missionaries and Khmer women! It is so beautiful and we love it here so much! This month, we are working on projects at the home and doing ministry in the city, Siem Reap. Our ministry this month is called Unsung Heroes which looks like going into the city with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and finding new ministries and contacts for future teams to come. In addition, we are teaching English and partnering with a local church. Along with that, it is an awesome way to meet people all around Siem Reap!
Today, my friend Katie and I were praying for where to go and God reminded us of foundation for people with special needs. The deepest passion of my heart is for people with special needs. This excited Katie and I so much! We prayed God would direct our steps to find it and He did! When we arrived, smiling faces were all around and we were graciously welcomed into the main office. The manager shared about the people here and their goal to help them with prosthetics, rehabilitation, and repair of equipment.
The center is for women, men, and children with special needs and missing limbs. It captured our hearts right away! The manager was so kind and so gracious. Katie and I noticed his Buddha statues and he shared that he was Buddhist. During our visit, we adored the center, people, and staff and got to share a little bit about how we are here to share about Jesus! They welcomed us to come visit and spend time with them and have openings for teams to come. It really refreshed my heart. Katie and I are so excited to go again!
The center is attached to the hospital and Katie and I got to walk through. The patients smiled big smiles, though the hospital was filled to all it could hold and patients were sleeping outside and in the porch area. Cambodian people are so beautiful.
Thank you so much for reading and for your love and encouragement!
