“The king was attracted to Esther …, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
Esther 2:17
Note that God’s people were not only on the margins of the Persian Empire, but they also were likely struggling to remain faithful and find their identity in the Lord. These are struggles we understand! Esther’s rise to power seems morally suspect at best, and Mordecai’s command to conceal her God and her ancestry seems to be more cunning than it is pious.
But this isn’t a story about mighty people. It’s about the mighty God who moves them. In a world in which God seems absent, He uses ordinary means to raise an obscure woman to the heights of power alongside Xerxes. She found favor in the eyes of those with influence, but more importantly, she found favor in the eyes of the Lord who would exalt her—no matter what the circumstances. Mordecai would make his mark in a way soon forgotten by men, but never forgotten by God.
Already, the Lord is making moves, working behind the scenes to set up each detail of a magnificent story that will involve much grief, but will end in great joy. He often works that way, doesn’t He?
But this isn’t a story about mighty people. It’s about the mighty God who moves them. In a world in which God seems absent, He uses ordinary means to raise an obscure woman to the heights of power alongside Xerxes. She found favor in the eyes of those with influence, but more importantly, she found favor in the eyes of the Lord who would exalt her—no matter what the circumstances. Mordecai would make his mark in a way soon forgotten by men, but never forgotten by God.
Already, the Lord is making moves, working behind the scenes to set up each detail of a magnificent story that will involve much grief, but will end in great joy. He often works that way, doesn’t He?
Scripture Focus
Esther 2
Insight
Does this remind you of another humble figure who was exalted on behalf of His people?
Bible In A Year
- 1 Samuel 22-23
- Psalm 131
- 2 Corinthians 13
