The Long Long Night

<>Introduction

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) We will discover as we read and explore the book of Esther that Isaiah’s words are interwoven throughout this story. We cannot in our present situation begin to comprehend the breadth of God’s plan for us. His plan that He created specifically for us is one that our imagination could never envision.

My ten-year-old granddaughter once asked me, “Grandma, what would happen to me if my mother had married someone else?” Thankfully I had an idea what she meant by that question. Taking a moment to carefully gather my thoughts, I simply explained to my granddaughter that she would not have been born. But God had a divine plan for her to be born and a destiny created by God especially for her life.

I further explained to her that no other set of parents could have brought her into this world. Only those two individuals that she calls Mom and Dad on that date and at that moment in time were destined to conceive her.

Continuing this timely conversation, I shared that even though her Mom and Dad were individually living out their own destiny, God used them as a married couple to bring into existence His plan for her. His plan for her life depended upon the obedience of her parents in following God’s destiny for them.

After this interesting conversation ended, my granddaughter gave me a nod of understanding and, with an engaging smile, thanked me for answering her question. I took note of that moment as a seed planted and fruit to be produced at some future point in the life of my beautiful granddaughter.

If we could only grasp the eternal value that God places on our life. We so often think we have done nothing of any value or that our lives do not really matter. We may think God does not have a plan for us. But He does!

God has a divine plan for which you were individually created. One that far outreaches your thinking. Maybe someone of significant stature in your family will not appear for two, three or thirty generations, but you were a key to the birth of that leader.

Now, having told the story of my granddaughter, we will look at the book of Esther with the understanding that God says His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

God desires to give us a future. But God’s destiny for our life will only happen as we submit our own wills and our own desires to Him. He is the Potter and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8).

Esther, Introduction/Background

The book of Esther is a story of strength, obedience, courage, and power. It covers such themes as political power, submission, honor, personal commitment, teamwork, love, hatred, sexism, racism, and much more.

It is generally suggested that the timeline of the events in the book appear to be around 483-472 BC.1 Although the author of Esther is unknown, it is widely believed that the author was of Jewish origin and someone who would be familiar with the laws and customs of Persia. Two suggested writers are Mordecai or Ezra.2

While the book of Esther has been extensively studied and discussed, especially in women’s groups, has it been examined to understand why it was written? Was it written primarily to encourage people of all faiths to not give up and to relentlessly contend for their faith? Or has it been investigated to look at the words and phrases as though they were secrets to be revealed?

My goal is to present the book of Esther as God told the prophet Ezekiel: “And the man said to me, ‘Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.” (Ezekiel 40:4) We will be searching for and examining the many nuggets that are so beautifully tucked into the book of Esther.

I want us to look first at why the book of Esther is so relevant to us today. The book of Esther does not directly mention God, the Holy Spirit, or Jesus even once throughout the entire book. Yet this short book reveals numerous insights and truths about the Holy Trinity that directly affect every Christian.

I found in my research that you cannot look at the Persian Empire history without Esther being a key part of the timeline. Queen Esther is not a fictional character, a fable, a parable, or just a great figure in a fascinating story.

Esther was a modest but beautiful young lady who was called into action by God, through the words of her cousin Mordecai, to represent and advocate for her people, the Jewish people, God’s chosen race.

Do you recall what is the most common and significant quote from the book of Esther? One that you have heard in so many sermons and probably seen posted on cards and banners? Esther 4:14 says, “Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

I feel certain that anyone who has attended church for any length of time can tell you the quote “for such a time as this” refers to Esther. It is the quote that keeps this book alive and provides the foundation for so many challenging sermons. Although “for such a time as this” is a powerful quote, I want us to look not only at this one verse but carefully examine the life-changing message of the entire book of Esther.