“National deliverance?”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Esther 5: 1-14 (Forward, p. 57) CEV p. 519
Today’s account has something of a very contemporary feel to it. Many Jewish people today feel under threat and feel that their very existence hangs in the balance. Not only is there Hamas and Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies, but there is a rising wave of antisemitism around the world. Surely, then, the plight of the Jews in ancient Persia resonates with them.
It is worthy of note that God, named as such, is not mentioned even once, but clearly the presence and protection of God was assumed when Esther asks her fellow Jews to fast for three days and nights. (Fasting was normally accompanied by prayer.) And when Mordecai says to Esther, “It could be that you were made queen for a time like this”, it can easily be assumed from his words that he felt that God was behind this all this while. And, certainly, many Jews around the world feel that God is on their side and that He will intervene in some way.
In our account from the book of Esther, God does intervene but does this through the bravery and risk taking of just one person. Esther was really taking her own life in her hands in going to the king, as the law stated that any person approaching the king without first being recognized and invited would be put to death. And seeing as the king had not asked for her anytime in the last thirty days, it was by no means guaranteed that he would say yes. In like manner, many Jews today would feel that Israel’s actions in opposing and trying to defeat Hamas would fall into the same category: risky, dangerous, brave, but just what God requires. Of that, and how far they should go, I don’t think that any of us have an answer.
But I do think that there is a word for all of us in this account, namely that God can, and does, use solitary individuals like Esther, people who may well have been placed in that particular spot and position ‘just for a time like this’. In fact, I like to think that this is true for each and every one of us. And I do think that He uses times of prayer and fasting as well. So, let us, like Esther, step up to the plate, give ourselves over to the will and purposes of God, and see where that leads us. Amen.
Forward notes: “The king said to her, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom’” (verse 3).
“Children are very strategic.
“I grew up one of four girls, so I learned to negotiate for things I wanted at a young age. Finding a way to appeal to someone’s generosity or devise a trade agreement—my Barbie for your headband—is an art.
“As we follow the story of Esther, we see that she has mastered this tricky business of negotiation. She bides her time, taking into account the situation and the mood of the king; she is deliberate and faithful, posing her requests in ways that help ensure their success. We can learn from Esther’s artful negotiations as we deal with one another. And we can give thanks, knowing that God is always ready to give and the only strategy we need is an honest heart.”
Moving Forward: “What lessons of negotiation might we learn from Esther or other figures in the Bible?”