She Reads Truth: Women In The Bible, Part 3Sample

Esther: Celebrate God’s Faithfulness

Mordecai wrote all this down... calling for an annual celebration... the occasion when Jews got relief from their enemies, the month in which their sorrow turned to joy, mourning somersaulted into a holiday for parties and fun and laughter... - Esther 9:20-22, The Message

The first scenes of the book of Esther are terribly awkward. A drunk king sends for his Queen and beckons her into his presence to parade her in front of his friends, also drunk. She refused; he was disgraced; he consulted his advisors; they settled on divorce. She was never to enter the king’s presence again.

If the book of Esther were a play, the first act would close on a regretful king and a banished queen, victims of their own egos, surrounded by the debris of poor judgment. What started as a days-long party ended up a complete mess. But as we’ve seen throughout His word, God is in the habit of redeeming our messes to fulfill His promises to His people.

Now in these last chapters of Esther, we see the story come full circle. We see how God uses an imperfect king and an orphan queen - a quite unlikely pair - to save the future of Israel.

Did Esther recognize God’s signature on the mercies and trials of her life? Do we?

As with Israel’s journey to the promised land, God’s hand is there, guiding us to the redemption He has already claimed and sealed on our behalf.

Mordecai knew it, and we sense from her faithfulness that Esther did, too. Not only did Mordecai recognize the rescue of his people as the work of the Lord, he wrote it down and declared a holiday so they would never forget.

“And they did it. What started then became a tradition, continuing the practice of what Mordecai had written to them.” (Esther 9:23, The Message)

Like Mordecai and Esther, let us be devoted to the celebration of God’s faithfulness.

Like the Jews celebrating that first Purim, let us joyfully remember His mercy toward us.

Like Mordecai, let us keep record of the times He turns our mourning into dancing and let us preserve the story for generations to come.

I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. -Katherine Hankey, 1834-1911

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