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For Such a Time as This - 2.4.2024 Bulletin
For Such a Time as This
“For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4.14 ESV)
Something interesting about the book of Esther is there is no mention of God, yet His providence and protection are clearly seen in the book. Regardless of how you feel about Esther the person up to this point in the book, chapter 4.11-17 serve as the turning point both for Esther and the book. The Jewish people, because of Haman’s plot, were bound for slaughter. In this moment Mordecai motivates Esther to risk going before the king, an action that could lead to her death, to begin to save the Jews from being killed. While some might see this as a coincidence, in reality it is the providence of God at work. Esther was in the position as queen within the kingdom for a reason. She ended up rising to the occasion and devising a plot that would end up saving the Jewish people with help from God from mass slaughter. But Mordecai is right in saying “relief and deliverance” would come from another source if Esther remained quiet. Esther’s position within the kingdom allowed her to be able to save her kindred.
What does this mean for us? We too are living in this present moment for a reason. As with Esther some attribute it to coincidence, but the faithful will say it is the providence of God. So, what are we going to do about it? What actions are we going to take to make a difference for God’s kingdom.
Being a Christian requires boldness. Proverbs 28.1 calls the righteous “bold as a lion.” Esther took a risk going before the king. While the fear of death may have caused initial hesitation, Mordecai’s words motivated her to action. We can’t allow ourselves to sit idly by. We must take action to speak, and to live God’s word to this generation we live among. Taking action will mean facing certain “risks.” Being well pleasing to God far outweighs any “risks” we face for obedience to His will. This is a cost we needed to count before becoming a Christian. We should have known what we were signing up for (Luke 14.28). Taking up the cross of Jesus (Matthew 16.24), means taking it up at all times, not just when it is convenient, easy, or when we have nothing better to do. Taking up the cross will mean we have to give things up, take risk, and get our hands dirty. Bill Bynum wrote, “If there is not a cost, it’s not a cross.”
We don’t know just how far our influence can reach. Esther, with the help of God, was able to save the Jewish people from being killed. We with the help of God can save people from hell. One of our motivations to teach others about Jesus is to save them from their sins, leading them to a better life. This was God’s plan for man from the beginning. This new life free from sin comes with a new hope. A hope that can only be found in Jesus. Esther 8.15-17 details how happy the Jews were to hear Haman’s plot was foiled. The text says “the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light and gladness, joy and honor and in every providence wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday.” They likely felt as if they had been given a new hope, and a new look on life. This is what the gospel does to a person, it gives them a new life with a new hope. There is great rejoicing both in heaven and among the faithful when one person turns from the world to God. God is the only way we can truly have hope because He is only one who can promise the hope of a home in heaven for the faithful. Without God, there is no hope. A life lived in faith is a life of hope, not just in this life but the one to come.
Let’s take advantage of every opportunity given to us in the time we have been placed. First by taking action to spread the gospel, and then by living a life in faith, and encouraging others to do the same. That way we can live for the hope only found in Jesus.
DS
- Glad_Tidings_2.4.2024_PDF.pdf (4.07 MB)
