Esther, Day 3
Risk and God’s Sovereignty
Esther 4:13 – 14
“Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, ‘Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’” (Esther 4:13 – 14).
As a church, we focused on a verse during COVID that speaks to the providence of God: “The heart of man plans his way but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 19:6). In Mordecai’s response to Esther’s hesitancy to get involved in the crisis in the kingdom, he makes a declaration of the sovereignty of God over the situation. He declares that Yahweh, the God of the Covenant, will make a way for His people. He doesn’t use this name for God, but there is no doubt that he is referencing His sovereignty when he responds to Esther with this phrase, “if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place” (Esther 4:14a). Mordecai knew that God had promised to sustain His people, and his final words in this same verse tell us that he saw Esther’s royal position as a part of God’s plan to solve the problem. Her influence could save the Jewish people, because she had access to the only man who could make things right. She was placed by God’s hand in this crucial position, “for such a time as this.”
As we read through the text, we see Esther overcome her fear and pride and make a choice to do the right thing. We see in the end of Chapter 4 that she calls for a fast. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that also includes prayer, although it is not mentioned in the text. Then, she makes a promise to her uncle to intercede in the situation and acts on that promise by approaching the king. I can’t imagine the stress of the moments in the king’s presence awaiting his scepter to be held out to her. I can hear Esther calling out to God under her breath, “We got this!” As the king approached her and the angle of the scepter changed, Esther’s confidence must have been emboldened and all fear was gone, because she knew God was at work. She has taken the risk even though her immediate death was a very probable outcome. She had made peace with that already, but now she had the ear of the king. Things would get dicey, but she knew that God was absolutely in control.
In Job’s second speech, the Lord asks him about His power in relation to himself and all the other creatures He had created. Job responds in complete humility in his answer, declaring that. “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). This is the mindset we see in Esther’s actions through these chapters. She knew God was in control and stepped through each stressful moment knowing that He would be by her side.
Our covenant God meets our every need, and every situation is within His sovereign hand. Paul articulates how His love and sovereignty partner together for our good when he writes, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
You probably will not have to risk your life today for God to use you, but I want to challenge you to lay down your life today, expecting Him to use you in ways you never imagined. Step into whatever God has called you to today and expect great things to happen through His power. Embrace his love and declare His glory! Resist fear and pride by claiming your identity in Christ, and live with confidence as a son or daughter of the King!
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (I John 3:1a).
Pastor Chuck Reed