We are living in interesting times. There has never been a presidential election such as this in the history of our nation, and people may be wondering what the future has in store for us. The world and society keeps changing. The values and morals of yesterday are not necessarily the same as today. So what is a Christian to do in such a time as this? Should we be changed by society? Should we allow popular culture be the norm of our lives? Should we give up and say there is nothing I can do?

The book of Esther is an interesting book of the Bible. It has been scrutinized over the fact that there is no mention of the Messiah or Christ and some have questioned its canonicity, whether or not it belongs in the Bible at all. But there is a great lesson that is to be learned and applied to our very day, some twenty-four hundred years later.

The Babylonians were the powerhouse nation that swept God’s people into captivity in 586 BC. What soon followed in history, which was prophesied by God, was the rise of the Medes and Persians, when God’s people experienced peace and prosperity and were allowed to freely spread out through the empire. This was short lived and the future of the Israelites was threatened once again. And this is such a time for a woman named Esther to rise up and act.

God’s people were facing possible eradication because of a plot by a man in the king’s court named Haman. Haman hated the Jews and wanted them gone. So he convinced Xerxes, the King of the Medes and Persians, to sign a decree for the killing and eradication of the Jewish people. This is where we find Xerxes’ wife, Queen Esther, who was a Jew, learning of this plot to kill her people. These are the words of her cousin Mordecai, encouraging Esther to see that God had placed her in a very powerful position at such a time in history that should compel her to act:

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

Esther takes Mordecai’s words to heart. She does act. And by the hand of God, she changed the history of her people and the preservation of, most importantly, the

Christ who was to come from that people, some three to four hundred years later. (I will let you read this book of Scripture for all the fascinating details.)

This book does belong in the canon of Holy Scripture. For even though we don’t have mention of the Messiah or Christ by name, we see how God preserved the line of the Savior. So, just as was promised, Jesus came into the world. This is an important truth to be recognized and remembered for such a time as then and now. But this Book of Esther has many great applications for our lives especially for such a time as this.

It is easy to be complacent and say that my vote doesn’t count. For such a time as this, Christians must speak up. But it’s not just about showing up to the polls on election day. We need the same encouragement that Mordecai gave to Esther; God has put you where you are and when you are to speak up and act your faith. And you don’t have to be in a political or powerful position. You can be like Esther no matter if you are a mother or father, sister or brother. You can be like Esther no matter if you are married or single. You can be like Esther no matter if you are CEO of your company or the employee on the assembly line. You can be like Esther no matter if you are 5 or 105.

We are living in a time such as this and you as believers are the “Esthers” who have received the grace of God not only to believe His Word, but also to speak and act on that Word. And as Mordecai said, “who knows” if we remain silent God will carry out his will with someone else. It would be very easy to give into that attitude. It would be very easy to be changed by the norms of society and popular culture. It would be very easy to give up and say there is nothing I can do. But God knows that he did not give his people his Spirit and Gospel to be silent and be inactive. He gave them to you to bring relief and deliverance to souls who need to hear of Jesus. He gave them to you to speak up for the Word of God that announces His salvation and His will for this world at such a time as this.

For such a time as this God raises up his people like Esther and like you who can make a difference, who can change history.

 

Keep Christ First!