REJOICE! NATION SAVED FROM ANNIHILATION!
Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoicedH6670. For the Jews it was a time of light and gladnessH8057, of joyH8342 and honor. In every province and every city, wherever the king’s edict and decree reached, there was joyH8057 and gladnessH8342 among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.
Esther 8:15-17
Esther is the only book of the Bible in which God’s name is never mentioned. However, we see the divine orchestration of events as He uses a beautiful young Jewish woman and her “bonus father” to save His people. Esther’s parents died, and she was raised by her relative Mordecai in the capital city of Susa. You may recall that she won position of Queen to King Ahasuerus and by a landslide in a huge beauty pageant! After she became Queen, Mordecai learned that an evil man named Haman had convinced the king—who did not know his Queen was Jewish—to order that all Jews be slaughtered on a specific day. After three days of fasting—prayer is not specified but was usually the reason for a fast—courageous Queen Esther approached the throne without being summoned which could result in the death penalty. She asked the king and Haman to attend a feast, then a second feast. At the second feast she begged the king for the lives of her people, revealing that she was Jewish and exposing Haman for the villain he was. The king stormed out, and Haman groveled at the feet of Esther. The king returned, saw the scene, and ordered Haman executed for attempting to violate Queen Esther. Haman was hanged on a 50-ft-gallows he had built to hang Mordecai! Mordecai was elevated in the king’s court, but he and Esther still needed to save their lives as well as those of all the Jews captive in provinces belonging to King Ahasuerus. King Ahasuerus reminded Esther and Mordecai how he had recompensed them by turning over Haman’s property to them and that once something like Haman’s order that the Jews be killed is sealed with the king’s signet ring, it cannot be nullified. He gave his blessing for them to write a new order that would rectify the situation and seal it with his ring. He gave them carte blanche to compose a plan that would save his queen and her people. Mordecai was the author of these new orders, and the king dispatched them by the fastest means available, couriers riding the best horses sired by his own stud horse. He wanted to get the message out quickly for the Jews to have adequate time to prepare. The new edict, worded much the same as the original, gave the Jews the right to fight back and even confiscate the spoils, making it a fair fight instead of a virtual slaughter of the Jews. Mordecai was elevated from sackcloth and ashes to royal robes, and the Jews celebrate the Feast of Purim to this day to remember how Esther saved the nation from annihilation.
Mordecai demonstrated faith when he prophesied that Esther was promoted to queen for this critical time. Look for how God has used seemingly unrelated circumstances to bring you to your current situation in life. Trust Him to direct your path, and do not take another step without seeking His will and way.
Father, give us faith to see that our circumstances are not coincidental and may be Your way of directing us to glorify Your name and lead others to trust in You!