GOD HAS PLACED YOU WHERE YOU ARE FOR HIS HIGH PURPOSE
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The setting – Susa, capital city of the Persian Empire. It has been over 100 years since the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people from Judah. Persia has replaced Babylon as the ruling power, with Xerxes I reigning as king over the vast empire extending from India to Cush.
Some of the Jewish people have returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel, while many still remain in their land of exile. The Persians view this minority sect with suspicion and ill will. Yet one young Jewish woman, Esther, emerges as a heroine. She plays a pivotal role in God’s rescue of His chosen people from annihilation.
For a full 180 days he (King Xerxes) displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. – Esther 1:4
After this lofty viewing of his treasures, King Xerxes hosts an elaborate banquet for all the people who live in the citadel of Susa. He calls for his wife, Queen Vashti, to display her beauty before all the guests. When she refuses, he is angered and has her banished from his presence. A search begins throughout the empire for a new queen to take her place.
A Jew named Mordecai of the tribe of Benjamin is a resident exile in Susa. He is the guardian of his cousin Esther whose parents have passed away. Esther is privileged to be one of the hundreds of potential young women to become queen. She is very beautiful and impresses everyone who sees her. The king chooses her to be the new queen…
Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. – Esther 2:17
Haman the Agagite is a royal palace official who King Xerxes promotes to the highest place of authority in the empire. The king commands that all bow before his new appointee. Yet the faithful Jew Mordecai refuses. For he believes that only God is worthy of worship (Exodus 20:5).
Haman is outraged at Mordecai’s insubordination. When he learns that this man is of Jewish descent, he seeks revenge…
Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. – Esther 3:6
Haman persuades the king that the Jewish people are not to be tolerated. For they keep themselves separate, observe nonconforming customs, and fail to obey the king’s laws. He asks that a decree be issued to do away with all the Jews in the land. The king agrees…
Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day. – Esther 3:13
Fear and great anguish grip the Jewish population throughout the empire. Mordecai had warned Esther to not reveal her heritage within the king’s palace… so no one is aware that she is a Jewish exile. He sends her a message to plead for mercy to the king…
Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? – Esther 4:13-14
God has sovereignly placed Esther as queen for such a time as this. Only she has the influence to change the mind of King Xerxes. Yet the royal law states that anyone who comes before the king unbidden is to be put to death… unless he extends his gold scepter to them as a sign of acceptance.
Esther acts with courage and initiative to intercede for her people. She recognizes the critical importance of seeking God at this time, and asks Mordecai to call all the Jews to pray and fast…
And if I perish, I perish. – Esther 4:16
Queen Esther bravely approaches the king. As he extends his royal scepter to her, all fear is assuaged. He offers to give her whatever she asks, even up to half his kingdom…
Grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. – Esther 7:3-4
The king asks who has dared devise this malicious scheme. He demands justice. For he sees the distress it is causing his favored queen. When she identifies Haman as the villain, he is found and killed.
Esther then pleads for the king to overrule his earlier decree that would lead to the demise of her people. He agrees… and a new edict is dispatched through the land, granting all Jews the right to protect themselves and their families, and to attack their enemies…
The enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. – Esther 9:1
God’s divine orchestrations behind the scenes bring about the deliverance of His chosen people. Queen Esther is providentially placed in her royal position for this momentous time in history. She steps forward heroically with deep faith, risking her life, leaving all in the hands of her sovereign God.
Do you at times wonder why God has placed you where you are? Do you question your purpose, your value for the kingdom? Are you feeling inconsequential in His grand plan?
All believers have been uniquely, divinely, and strategically placed where they are by the Most High God for a high kingdom purpose. Perhaps not of the scale or magnitude of Queen Esther, yet of great import in the eyes of God. You have a key role to play in His ultimate plan… just where you are.
Follow the example of Esther. Trust in God’s sovereign guidance. Step out courageously with a deep and committed faith. Be the hero or heroine of your life. Believe that the Almighty has you exactly where He needs you to be.
† Eternal Takeaway – Trust that God has you where you are for such a time as this †
