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These words were spoken many years ago to Queen Esther with “perhaps” in some versions or “yet who knows” leading the second sentence of Esther 4:14 in the NKJV “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” There is no perhaps for us, God’s called out ones from the world, for indeed the time is now and the time is at hand in all reality. Get ready elect, get ready firstfruits for the time of your lives. We have been called for such a time as this as we are now living in the last days, months, and years of the world as we know it. Just how many days we do not know (Matthew 24:36) but we are getting very close to the end of this age. Are you ready? Do you have an increasing intensity of knowing that something we are waiting for is about to happen?
So what are we waiting for? We are waiting for Jesus Christ to return to restore all in peace and sanity, ending this mental and physical anguish experienced under the rule of a warped, wicked, perverted maniac, who lusts and hates with such intensity we would all be burnt to death if he could get anywhere near us. How he is filled with prideful rage and venom for God’s children, avidly desiring our destruction. In fact his every thought is entirely filled with bitter twisted imaginings of what he wants to do to us. There is never a moment, not even a pause, where he thinks of anything else. His thoughts are single mindedly evil when it comes to our torturous demise. How he would delight in snapping our limbs like a toothpick, or biting off our head while chewing all the sinews and muscles. Popping our eyes out with hot pokers, sucking out our brains, sawing us in two, ripping off our skin by skinning us alive, drowning, burning, stabbing, cutting, slicing and dicing — no matter the method, he would do it all if he could. Reading Foxe’s Book Of Martyrs, as it is commonly known, will reveal all the dastardly ways the enemy has persecuted God’s people down through the ages. Make no mistake about it, for if you could see the devil in his evil state, you would be sobered to wake up and flee as fast as you can from sin and to hate that sin as much as God the Father and Jesus Christ do. This would be a blessing and indeed anything that had us fully awake rather than in a sleepy haze, has to be of huge benefit. We must awake now before it is too late.
It is no good at all to be lulled into a false sense of security while things are going well in our neck of the woods, our mini village, township, city, or place where we live with all the things we could want or need. This is what the devil desires in order to set a trap for us. He wants us to be unaware of his stalking while circling, his intent gaze seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). How do we be best prepared for spiritual warfare when we are so busy, feel tired, stressed, overwhelmed, ill, or any number of things that could affect our daily walk? (1 Peter 1:13). An excellent example in the Bible can be found in the book of Esther.
Let us go there for a brief while to examine this lesson provided to us for our learning. The book consists of only 10 chapters and is full of wisdom. Reading the whole of the book of Esther in one sitting to obtain the full meaning and sense of what exactly transpired from a contextual continuity point of reference is helpful. There is much intrigue, conspiracy, twists and turns at every angle, with unexpected and surprising results that require focused attention. What we need to examine are precisely all the things Queen Esther did and also, what she did not do when faced with peril at the hands of Satan, the devil, who worked through Haman.
Haman attempts to influence King Ahasuerus by conspiring to have all the Jews killed; he sets about planning their demise through a royal decree which he orchestrates from the King so that none could survive. Haman eagerly plots their destruction down to the last detail, while at the same time, elevates himself in the eyes of the King so that he is powerful and second, only to the King. Haman is quite secure in his position of power thinking he will be able to do all the evil his heart desires — he believes he is untouchable. Meanwhile Esther’s uncle Mordecai (Esther 2:7) who has become like a father to Esther (an orphan), advises her in matters pertaining to life, offering wisdom and instruction in the ways of the God of Israel. Both Esther and Mordecai are Jews but it is not known to the King that his Queen has a Jewish heritage. Haman was made aware by his supporters that Mordecai was a Jew and would not pay homage and bow to him which caused Haman to immediately be full of wrath in his quest to slaughter all the Jews (Esther 3:4-5).
The scene is set here for mass murder of all the Jewish peoples, however Esther listens to her uncle Mordecai when he tells her that she is in a position to help her people, but if she chooses to do nothing, her life would be over anyway. Esther could have ignored her uncle’s urging due to feeling secure in knowing her husband loved her more than any other, thereby believing he would not have her killed. Instead of trying to save her own neck by doing nothing and condoning evil, Esther risks her life by going to the King in heartfelt petition to save all the Jews. She could have quite easily been killed for approaching the King when not sent for, but she trusted in God for His help and intervention by humbling herself through prayer and fasting. This fast lasted 3 full days and nights, which shows us how serious the matter was. It truly was life or death with no in between.
The end of the story is that the Jews were saved, Esther remained as Queen on the throne, but not only that, the Jews were able to defeat all their enemies by completely turning the tables on them. The Jews survived while their enemies died. Haman was hung on the gallows he had erected for Mordecai and all ten of his sons were also killed. Mordecai was recognised for his loyalty to the King by exposing others who sought to take the King’s life. He rightfully was then in an exalted position within the kingdom through God’s blessings. God was with Esther and Mordecai in their quest for justice because Queen Esther humbled herself and sought out God’s will, not her own. She showed courage instead of fear. Her love for her people was best stated in Esther 4:16 “...I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
God’s people know that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18) and that we may very well, and some of us will, face a time where we need to exhibit such courage for one another to prove that we do indeed love our brother or sister in the faith. We know that persecutions are coming. Do we save our own necks or do we rely on God and help brethren who are needing shelter, food, supplies, and whatever else we are in a position to give? We should all know the answer as we meditate deeply on Jesus Christ’s words in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”