Esther 4:7-17 “And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people. And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.”
Text Esther 4:14 “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
When we give consideration of the times in which we live, we are sometimes tempted to have the Elijah syndrome; “and I, even I only” (I Kings 19:10). One doesn’t have to leave the historical accounts of history to realize that every earthy kingdom in the world has waged war upon God’s people, and today is no different! Within the text we find that Esther lived in a day of persecution, “to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women” (Esther 3:13). An evil man was manipulating the civil government so as to destroy the people of God. If you will study the ancestry of Haman, you will discover that he was a descendent of Amalek who waged war with Israel in the wilderness (see Exodus 17). Amalek is a picture of the flesh and the flesh is the eternal enemy of the Spirit; “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other” (Galatians 5:17). The kingdoms of the world, ruled by men dominated by the flesh, are in opposition to the people of God.
Esther lived in a day of providence; “thou art come to the kingdom for such a time” (vs.14). While it may appear that things are out of control; and perhaps they may be out of the control of man, they are not out of the Master’s control! Who else but God could orchestrate the affairs of human history in a godless society so as to position a Jewish maid in the palace, cause His servant to foil the king’s murder, create a sleepless night for the king while reminding the king of an unpaid debt. God was and is in charge!
Esther lived in a day of privilege; for such a time as this?” Esther has the glorious privilege of being part of what God is doing in the deliverance of His people. Mordecai told Esther that God was going to help His people; “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place” (vs.14). Help is on the way, the question that Esther must answer is, “Do I want to be part of what God is doing?”
We, like Esther are living in a day of persecution, providence, and privilege; the question is, what will I do “for such a time as this?” If the fate of Christianity lay in your hands, would it survive?