Maybe some girls need a lot of makeup and hair coloring to make themselves beautiful, but not Esther. All the other girls did their best, but everyone agreed that Esther was the most beautiful of all. The king thought so too, and Esther became queen. But the king was a busy man, and it was a whole month since he had taken time to see his queen. Shushan the palace where they lived was a very big place.
Queen Esther was a Jewish orphan who had been brought up by her Uncle Mordecai. Only ladies were allowed in the part of the palace where she stayed now as queen, so her uncle walked outside every day to where he could share news with Esther who was so dear to him.
One day Mordecai’s news was bad, very bad. The king had a special advisor named Haman, and this evil man said that he would pay a huge reward to have all the Jews in the kingdom destroyed.
Agreed, said the king. You choose the day and write out the order, and I will sign it. And Haman did, and the order was sent out in a great rush, and the king and Haman sat down to drink.
But do you know something? You may get very angry about something, but you can’t change God’s Word, no matter who you are. Nothing and nobody in the world can change God’s plan.
God has a wonderful plan. He sent His beloved Son, Christ Jesus, into the world to save sinners. The devil didn’t like that plan, and he tried to kill Jesus even when He was a baby, so He couldn’t be your Saviour. It didn’t work. So then the devil wanted to get people to throw Jesus over a cliff or kill Him with stones ... but the devil can’t win!
God’s plan was for Jesus to give up His life on the cross for sinners, which He did. So now the devil will try to keep you from listening to God’s Word, and he will fill you with lies about it. But God’s Word stands true forever! Just as God has a plan for sinners to be saved, He had a plan to save the Jewish people. Read on in the story and see what happened.
Mordecai sent a message to Queen Esther, that she should plead with the king for the life of her people, the Jews. But she was afraid. She had reason to be afraid, because the king did not listen to anybody. He carried a golden scepter in his royal hand, and if you came into his presence uninvited, it could mean death for you ... with no second chance! He was a man of power. But our God is all-powerful!
No wonder Queen Esther was afraid. If she went uninvited before the king, he might order her death! She begged Mordecai and all her friends to fast (not to eat anything), to prove that they cared too. After fasting for three days, she went in to the king. What would he say?
I wonder if you know that God Himself who inspired this story and the people who shared in giving it to you care very much about you right now. We know God’s answer if you come to Jesus. We know that Jesus Himself invites you over and over again. “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)). Why are you waiting?
When Queen Esther approached the king, he held out the golden scepter, and the queen came and touched the top of the scepter. It was a silent action of welcome, and it meant life to her—not death!
Now think of the far, far better welcome of our God to you. If you come in the name of Jesus, there is no doubt about your welcome. And it’s everlasting life that He gives, not just honor from a king who died long ago.
Once the king welcomed Queen Esther, she said, Come to a banquet that I will provide for you and Haman. And the king very willingly agreed, and Haman did too. Everything seemed to be working out right, just as evil Haman had hoped. He went home and boasted to his family and friends, but that is not the end of the story. God tells us a secret that Haman did not know.
Are you finding in your life today that things seem to be working out right? This is not the end of the story for you either, because you are a sinner. And if the matter of your sins is not settled between you and God, no amount of boasting or the approval of friends will ever settle it. God says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)).
We’ll tell you the rest of the story next week, or you may read it for yourself in the Book of Esther.
ML-11/01/2009