Eight conclusions from the story of Esther for believers today

By Dean Collins

Long before screenwriters used the technique of a plot twist, the Holy Spirit had already mastered the method. And if foreshadowing is a part of a good plot twist, then the ancient writers with divine inspiration used that technique as well. We see all of this in many places in the drama of Scripture, but maybe the book of Esther is the best example of perfect and powerful plot twists.

Flaunting

And it all begins with the rich and powerful flaunting their wealth and power. The Persian king Ahasuerus ruled a vast empire from India to Ethiopia that included 127 provinces. He threw a big party to flaunt his wealth and his power. And after the alcohol had flowed for a few days, he wanted to brag by showing the men his wife in all her glory. When Queen Vashti refused the demands of the king, she was banished. A new queen, a young Jewish girl named Esther, took her place.

Things appeared to go well for Esther. But her uncle Mordecai, who was both her father figure and her advisor, had instructed Esther to keep her Jewish heritage a secret. Remember, this story is after the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile, and while things seemed to be going a bit better for the Jewish people, there was good reason to be hesitant while under the authority of the Persian empire that had conquered the Babylonians.

Plotting

We don’t know how much time passed between the end of Esther 2 and the beginning of chapter 3. One might expect to see Mordecai at least acknowledged if not celebrated for his loyalty to the king’s safety by revealing the inside plan to kill the king. But instead, we read that a man named Haman received a big promotion and was elevated to become the number two ruler in the king’s cabinet. And with this promotion, all who sat at the king’s gate bowed down to Haman as the king had commanded. All but Mordecai.

The others at the king’s gate reported this information to Haman, who became furious. It doesn’t take much to set off an arrogant and insecure leader. And when Haman learned that Mordecai was a Jew, the situation became even worse. In order to punish Mordecai, Haman sought permission to execute all of the Jewish people on a trumped-up charge. Because the Jews had different cultural and religious practices, Haman claimed they were and would always be a threat to the king. And in order to hatch his plan, Haman sought wisdom from the casting of lots. The lives of Mordecai and the entire Jewish community would be determined by the roll of the dice.

Concluding

I think by now we can make a few observations about this story.

1. The king had some time on his hands and used it for his own pleasure. This was different than the story of King David’s mistake gazing down from his palace on Bathsheba. But not so different in the way the king had conquered many kingdoms and was now celebrating his wealth and power. Things don’t usually go well for the citizens when that is a leader’s approach.
2. The king and his cabinet clearly wanted to keep women in a subservient role.
3. The first big surprise in the story is this: Of all the women from all the provinces, it was an orphan Jewish girl who was chosen queen. This is the stuff of fairytales.
4. God is always ahead of everyone else in providing for his children. The placement of Esther and the favor she would possess as the story continues is a great reminder to us to make ourselves accessible to God and service wherever he places us.
5. Ultimately this story tells us there is no situation that catches God off guard. His love and faithfulness will come through to his beloved time and time again.
6. This story also reminds us that those who are bent on evil and injustice will ultimately receive their punishment. God sees clearly even when it might appear he doesn’t.
7. God has a unique job for each of us to do. Each of us has “for such a time as this” moments. I suspect we should be always praying we see them and obey.
8. God has ultimate access to all resources on earth. The rich and powerful may think they have it all, but in the end, God will use everything to accomplish his purposes.

Take time to read all of Esther again. It is a beautiful reminder that God sees every situation and will ultimately weave it into something that provides for his creation and works to bring grand and complete transformation!

Photo by Jared Subia on Unsplash

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