The Highs and the LowsSample

Esther (The Lows)

The story of Esther is an interesting one. Esther was a Jewish woman living in Persia during another troubling time for God’s people. Esther had a challenging life, as she was an orphan and was cared for by her cousin Mordecai.

So there’s this Persian King (Xerxes) who was searching for a new queen after banishing his ex-wife. He then gathered a group of women to choose who his new wife would be (essentially an ancient episode of “The Bachelor”). Esther happened to be one of the candidates for queen, and she pleased everyone she met, and when it came to the King, the bible says that “she pleased him and won his favour.” But while all of this was happening, Esther’s true identity remained a secret as Mordecai had instructed her to do.

Here comes the crux of our story. In the land of Persia, there was a man named Haman, whom King Xerxes had lifted to the 2nd highest, and this man had a deep hatred for the Jewish people. This wasn't made any easier for the Jews when Mordecai refused to bow to him after Haman demanded it. In response, Haman petitioned the King to kill all Jews. It was such a minor command for them that they rolled dice to determine which day of the month they would be killed.

We have Esther and Mordecai, two Jews in a far-off land, and their lives at stake. But what do we learn from their actions in this moment?

Firstly, Mordecai’s humility and passion for God (and his people) was above himself.

Secondly, when Mordecai makes his plea to Esther, she reminds him that anyone who goes into the presence of the King without being summoned will be put to death. So the stakes are high for Esther, she could remain in her life of luxury, or she could reveal her identity and risk it all to save her people, and as you can probably guess, she picks the latter option. So she instructs Mordecai to gather all the Jews to pray and fast and says, “I will go to the King, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Esther was prepared to take action when she saw injustice, even if it meant risking her life.

Questions

Q: Is there something or someone that you need to stand up for? It could be a person being bullied, or you’re being ridiculed for your faith.

Q: What would it look like for you to take a stand?

Prayer:

Father, I pray today that you’d fill me with a spirit of boldness so that I would be prepared to go where you send me and do whatever you call me to do, regardless of how hard the task might seem. I pray that I would live counter-culturally, hoping to please you before anyone else and that I would bring about change for your Kingdom through that way of living.

Amen.