Esther Stands With Her People: More From Esther 4

Esther Stands With Her People – More from Esther 4 

Storm clouds are brewing. It’s hard to miss the anguish in this chapter. Mordecai is wailing, covered in ashes. Esther writhes in anguish, trying to fix things from within the castle walls. And the city is in a state of confusion over the plan to destroy the Jewish people.

At Mordecai’s request, Esther has hidden her nationality for years (Esther 2:10,20); Now she must decide who she is after a lifetime of pretense.

The risk is heightened when we realize that there is no guarantee of her safety. God’s promise is to protect the nation of Israel not necessarily individuals who might get caught in the crossfire.

This dilemma is a defining moment when Esther stands with her people

This is like when we come to faith in Christ. We must take a stand against the culture and align ourselves with Christ, no matter the cost. This is our pivot point; a decision to change direction and follow Jesus.

Esther calls for a three day fast

The fast stands out in the midst of so many banquets. This is another contrast in our story.

Esther did not ask for prayer. Scholars are unsure whether this means prayer is implied, or reflects the secularization of society. The exiled Jews felt forgotten as they wrestled with separation from God’s favor. Would God hear them if they prayed?

Esther and her maids fasted along with the Jews in Susa. Next time, we will see the fruit of their fast as a very hungry queen approaches her husband without an invitation.

Application:

Has there been a time in your life when you needed to take a stand? Tell us about a defining moment in the comment section below.

Have you encountered a pivot point in your life?

Praying for courage like Esther’s,

Jeanne

My mom and I just watched this movie version of Esther’s story; very good:

Want to receive posts like this via email, Subscribe Here and enjoy my gift of a mini word study. And for a limited time, you can get Lisa Joy’s beautiful handcrafted coloring page.

Visit my Amazon aStore for suggested resources

Any order helps this ministry – even different items once you click through to my store. Just to give you an idea of how your order helps: I am saving to purchase a podcast microphone and other techie products. Thank you.

Stormy Sky Images courtesy of Morguefile.com