Most people are familiar with the book of Esther. Most people know of the ratio that was existent applied to her to be picked as the replacement of the queen. Most people are familiar with the plot against the race of Jewish lineage such as Queen Esther was as well in the line of. Most people know the phrase,” for such a time as this.” One of the things that people also know is that Esther was a Matriarch and a saving entity in her day. Most people don’t remember why. Those well versed in the Bible and its stories will recognize and pick up the small details, but the majority won’t.
Esther was an orphan girl who knew little of the world definition of wealth, happiness, and the fulfillment of life. She was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. So was David, Christ, Gideon, Saul. I mean come on! And I love this because God is so backwards. He’s the one who takes the people who everyone else deems unqualified. Well, there was a king, who had a wife, the queen. This queen received a request by the king to come and perform in front of the honored guests that he was holding in the court. This was a 180 day party followed by a 7 day feast. A huge elaborate display of his power. But with immense power comes people who want you to die and your end to be near. The queen refused the request and was shown the door. Long story short, the country needed a queen. So one was to be picked. Now let me lay out for you the staff of the court. We have Haman, King Xerxes, Queen Vashti and the servants of the High Court, Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas.
Chapter 2 starts out with an assination plot for the king by way of a piano dropped on his head by two french peas. ( Veggie Tale Flashback.) Mordecai, the uncle of Esther alerted the king of this plot and because of it the kings life was saved. However, Mordecai was never rewarded for this great and noble deed. This of course is where Haman comes into play. Haman had been promoted in the palace and much authority was given to him. In this palalce there was a personal historian and timer to the king. This entailed a very detailed account of what happened during the course of the day taken down and recorded. These where then read to the king upon his request. This particular time the hours where read of Mordecai and his saving the king, who then asked what was done for him, upon which the reply, nothing. So king Xerxes asks the historian,” Who is in the court?” Upon which the reply that Haman was in the Court. The Bible records it like this- ” When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?”
Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!” This all happens after Haman manages to get an edict for the death of all Jews because Mordecai would not bow in respect to his new position.
Though this story has some real nice plot and sequence to it, it isn’t about Mordecai, the king, or Haman. It is about Esther.
The high point of this story is that after preparing herself for a year, she would be ready to be seen of the King. But, the year wasn’t over.
Esther has the odacity to come before the king without having finished the preparation required to see him. She comes on behalf of the race to which she belongs that is about to be annialated. She comes and the phrase that she uses is priceless, ” if I perish, I perish.” She comes and after all the time that she has put in it, is willing to lay it all down and give it all up because it isn’t about her. This is so amazing to me, because I know that the mark of a true leader is not only the one who shows holiness, and walks in obedience and the presence of God, but they also that take the risk of their life all for the will of God, for the sake of the call of the kingdom. And the story goes that the king found favor and upon the touch of the sceptor, the first steps to the freedoms of many were restored and evil was done away with. The point I want to make here is that we miss the sceptor. Alot of the time we miss the very thing that lets us into the realm and presence of God. We bypass the doors and the sceptor and we go straight to the king, filthy, with issues and demanding. I would encourage you, get your act together, get cleaned up, make yourself ready, because if I’m not mistaken Christ is coming back for a pure bride and a glorious church.
