A Fickle King

“The young woman who pleases the king will become queen instead of Vashti…The young woman pleased him and gained his favor…Esther gained favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her…He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. The king held a great banquet…It was Esther’s banquet.” Esther 2:4-17

A few days ago, I went to visit one of my best friends. While there her husband asked me to name a few of my all-time favorite movies. Two films immediately came to mind and I enjoyed thinking about their plot and story line. The next morning my Bible study led me to the book of Esther. I can tell you that for me the story of Esther certainly is one of my all-time top two stories in the Bible. It has the making of a true fairy tale, although it is a documented historical event with lots of twists and turns.

The story opens informing us that the first queen fell from the king’s grace, and she was eventually set aside. Young Esther was part of a group of women brought to the palace to prepare themselves to ‘audition’ to be the next queen. Esther was orphaned very young due to the death of her parents. Her uncle eventually adopted her and raised her like his own. I can’t even imagine how scary it was for her to be among all the other beautiful women competing for the king’s favor. I’m sure young Esther was insecure …anxious …dreading her appearance before the king. She followed the direction of her counsel and was eventually chosen to reign with him. Through a string of events outside of her control, an edict was sent out to destroy her own people, the Jews. Her uncle Mordecai pleaded with her to go to the king and be the voice for those who have no voice. Her fear and anxiety returned, and she told her uncle that the king had not sent for her in a month. Day after day she waited for some mention of her name from the king – but she heard nothing but silence. Had he already forgotten her? Had he already turned to another in favor and pursuit? The law stated that if anyone approached the king without an invitation, he had the power to accept them or dismiss them. A dismissal could mean death to that person. And then we hear one of the most beautiful exhortations from her uncle in Scripture. ‘If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come from another place…Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.’ Esther 4:14. So she risks her life, steps out in courage to be a voice for those who had no voice, and she saved a nation despite a fickle king.

I am so grateful that we don’t serve a fickle king. When He chooses us to be in His royal family it is for both this life and eternity. He summons us by name…showers us with His favor…places a crown upon our head…prepares banquets of blessings for us. He never sets us aside, and we will never lose our royal standing with Him. He gives us courage to step out and to join Him in caring for others who are suffering or no longer have a voice. Our part is to be our best version of whom He created, and like Esther to use our influence for the benefit of others. ‘Esther was called upon to do something really hard she didn’t want to do to begin with. She was thrown into a situation that brought fear, insecurity and pain, but her courage exuded from her. Something was built in her character, in her heart. She had the power of the queen, the influence of a royal, and the strong heart of someone with influence.’ Looking for Lovely, p. 113.

She had the same thing that each of us have the opportunity to be, but we don’t have to wait around for the King to invite us. We have a permanent place in Him, beside Him and with Him in a kingdom that never ends.