ESTHER
A Woman of Destiny
By Marilyn Hickey
God is using more and more women to play vital roles in His plan for the world today! Of course, this really shouldn’t surprise us because the Bible is full of stories about bold
women - courageous women who were not afraid to take a stand against the evil they saw in the world around them.
Have you ever wished that you could be that kind of godly, courageous woman? Maybe you’ve discouraged yourself by thinking, ‘But I'm just one person; what could I alone do?"
Well, I have good news! One person can make a difference—in a family, in a community—even in a nation. Why? Because one person, plus God, equals a majority! And with God beside you, you can make a dynamic impact for righteousness!
In the Old Testament Esther was a woman who yielded herself to God’s purposes. Although Esther’s life may have seemed insignificant to some—in God’s hands she became a woman of destiny. Today we serve the same mighty God, and He is still using so-called “ordinary’ people to accomplish His divine purposes.
Penetrating Dark Times
Esther lived in an historically dark time. Following the Persian Empires destruction of Babylon, many Jews had been displaced into Persia. The Persian king, Ahasuerus, was extremely wealthy and very astute in worldly matters, but he was also very arrogant and made snap decisions that sometimes caused him great heartache and grief.
Once at an elaborate party that he hosted to gain military support for a war against the Greeks, Ahasuerus commanded his wife Vashti to appear naked in the court. When she refused, he became angry and divorced her. However, the king really loved Vashti, and he soon realized his mistake. Unfortunately, it was too late because in those days the kings’ edicts couldn’t be revoked.
Four years passed, and King Ahasuerus was still depressed over losing Vashti. In an effort to cheer him, the king’s servants suggested that he hold a beauty contest in which all the beautiful women in his vast empire could participate. The king eagerly agreed.
Esther was a young Jewish girl whose family had been killed during the first Babylonian invasion. Her cousin Mordecai was raising her as his own daughter.
To disguise her ancestry, Mordicai changed Esther’s name from Hadasseh to Esther, meaning star." Like a star, Esther allowed the light of God to shine through her to penetrate a very dark generation. We live in dark times too. But, your light is greater than the darkness of your generation.
God’s Portal for Failures
You might be thinking. "I have really blown it. I can never be a person of destiny.” But you are not the first person in Gods kingdom to blow” a situation. Both Mordicai and Esther started as bad news. The prophet Jeremiah had instructed the Jews to return to Jerusalem after their 70-year captivity, but only 60,000 had chosen to return; the rest, over 2 million Jews, including Esther and Mordecai, remained in Persia. They were defying God; and by changing Esther’s name, they were denying that they ever belonged to God.
At the end of a full year of beauty treatments, all the contestants were presented to the king. But he loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins. (Esther 2:17). Esther delighted the king, and she was chosen to be his queen.
Do you think that God ordained this marriage? From our natural viewpoint, the union between a Jewess and a rich, materialistic heathen king does not appear to be a match made in heaven. But, remember, God is a God of providence. What does that mean? In the Hebrew it literally means God provides." God provided Esther with special access to an ungodly king so that she could divert her generation from impending destruction. Likewise, each of us is given opportunities through God’s providence to become people of destiny and change our world for the better. The important thing is how we accept and use those opportunities.
Building for a Harvest
I once heard about a young man who decided to take a stand for God arid change the circumstances in his life. At the end of his sophomore year in high school, the young man boldly declared to his classmates that he was a born again Christian. He wasn’t interested in drugs, alcohol, or hearing the latest gossip about the other students in the school.
After taking this bold stand, it appeared that the young man lost all his friends. Throughout his junior year, none of the girls would date him and the boys barely spoke to him. But God honoured the young man’s commitment—and by the time he graduated, over 80 percent of the students at his high school were born again!
Some young people might not have taken the bold stand that this young man did. Others might not have persevered through the “hard’ times - when friends became scarce and it looked like it didn’t "pay" to be a Christian.
But hold on—it does pay to serve the Lord and build for a harvest. If we sow to the flesh, we will reap death; but if we sow to the Spirit. we will reap life. We see this principle in Mordecai's life.
One day Mordecai overheard two of the king’s chamberlains scheming to kill the king. Mordecai sent an urgent message to Esther to warn her about the men’s intentions. Esther forwarded the message to the king, and the evil plot was squelched.
What was done to reward Mordecai? Initially, nothing. In fact, at first things seemed to get worse. In Esther 3:1,2 Ahasuerus promoted a very ungodly man—Haman—to the number-one position in the kingdom. Haman was consumed with pride and especially loved his new position because it required everyone to bow down to him. But Mordecai refused to bow; he had become spiritually bold.
Backsliders on the Rebound
What a blow to Haman’s ego! Mordecai had come out of his quiet corner and had taken a daring stand for God. Although Haman was enraged, he was afraid to confront Mordicai directly. Knowing that the king needed finances for his war against Greece, Haman persuaded the king to kill all the Jews who remained in Persia and confiscate their wealth. Without realizing the consequences of his actions, King Ahasuerus signed Haman’s decree. Remember, the law of the Persian king could not be altered, and Esther was included in the death decree.
When Mordecai heard the decree, he put on sackcloth and ashes and began to weep in front of the palace gate. Esther was told, “Your cousin is outside crying. And he looks awful. He's wearing sackcloth and ashes!”
Esther did a very womanly thing—she went shopping! Esther bought Mordecai a brand-new suit and sent a messenger to tell him, “Take off your sackcloth and ashes, and put on this new outfit!’’ She probably thought that new clothes would help to cheer him up.
But Mordecai told the messenger. “Send the suit hack to Esther and tell her, ‘We are in a very serious time. The king has signed a decree to kill all the Jews. You may think that you will escape this purge because you are his queen: but, Esther, it is not going to happen that way!"
So Esther asked Mordicai to gather a group of Jews to fast for her for three days. Then she would go in to see the king.
God wants backsliders to rebound! He is not going to let us shirk our responsibility to tell others that we are Christians. We have to make a choice either for or against Him before He will come into our situations.
The Door of Favour
Alter the Jews had fasted and prayed, Esther went to see the king. God again gave Esther favour with the king. Esther thought it would be wise to butter him up a little bit before making her petition, so she said, “I just wanted to ask you and Haman to come to dinner.”
At the dinner party the king was so enamoured by Esther that he offered to give her one-half of his kingdom. Esther replied that she would rather not answer him right away. However, she invited the king and Haman to come the next evening for another banquet.
Haman really thought he had it made now that he had been invited to two of the queen’s dinner parties. The only flaw in his life was Mordecai, the man Who wouldn’t bow to him.
But Zeresh, Haman’s wife, came up with an idea to take care of Mordecai and any other rebellious man who wouldn’t do as he was told: she suggested that Haman build a tall gallows and hang Mordecai from it.
Haman leaped at his wife’s suggestion. Suddenly, the future looked bleak for Mordecai; but remember, God is a God of providence. Whenever God’s children call upon His name, He will move heaven and earth to protect them.
The Downfall of Pride
The Bible says that pride always precedes a fall. Haman was ensnared in a tremendous web of pride. After Haman had the gallows built, King Ahasuerus had a sleepless night. Who do you think was keeping the king awake? God. He used a simple little thing like sleep to change the course of history.
After tossing and turning, the king finally gave up and decided to get some work done. He asked his servants to read to him from the book that contained everyone’s name who had blessed the king. When he was reminded that Mordecai had once saved his life, the king asked, ‘‘Has Mordecai ever been honoured?”
No.” his servants replied.
The next day the king consulted Haman about how to honour a man who had been a special blessing to the kingdom. Thinking that he was the one about whom the king was speaking, Haman suggested that they hold a parade in which the honoured man would wear the king’s royal apparel and ride his horse. Haman visualized himself parading through the streets.
Then Haman asked the king, ‘Who is to be honoured?”
“The man who saved my life,’’ replied the king, ‘Mordecai!’’
Greatly disappointed, Haman rushed home to tell his wife and friends what had happened. When they learned that Mordecai was a Jew. they became especially frightened for Haman and said:
"If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him’’ (Esther 6:13).
Infiltrating the Devil's Plans
No situation is impossible for God! He can interrupt the devil’s plans and change a curse into a blessing. Watch how He reversed the devil’s plot to annihilate the Jews.
Finally at the second banquet Esther made her request known to the king: “I am a Jewess, and you have condemned my people to death. I want them to be saved.”
Realizing that he had signed his own wife’s death warrant, the king became so upset that he went for a walk in the garden. Haman ran over to the couch upon which Esther was reclining and begged for his life. The king returned and saw Haman crawling all over Esther and yelled, “Will he also rape the queen in front of me?”
The king became even more incensed when he learned about the gallows that Haman had built to execute Mordecai. Not wanting such fine workmanship to go to waste, the king sentenced Haman to hang on his own gallows. Then the king reassured Esther: “Don’t worry, I will issue another decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves when the Persians attack.”
The new decree was issued just in time to save the Jews! Sometimes God may be “last minute,’ but He is never ‘‘too late!’
What Is Your Destiny?
The book of Esther beautifully illustrates how God transforms seemingly ‘average’’ people into glorious vessels for His use in dark and sinful times.
What is your destiny? Have you sensed God’s call to stand against the erosion of moral and spiritual values in our society’? Divorce, pornography, abortion, child abuse, and other family tragedies have reached epidemic proportions. But just as God empowered Esther, He can also use you to be the “salt of the earth” in these dark times.
The enemy’s forces are simply no match for a believer who is standing firmly on God’s Word! Will you become a person of destiny—a wilting vessel for the power of God to transform a dark situation?
Don’t hesitate! Call on the name of Jesus; and stand on God’s Word! Like Esther. you, too, will become a person of destiny—who knows, you may even change the course of history!
EDITORS’ NOTE: if you have enjoyed reading Marilyn’s teaching on becominq a person of destiny, you will want to send for a copy of her booklet titled THE STORY OF ESTHER: A WOMAN OF DESTINY. This booklet includes an expanded version of the above teaching, plus the keys to becoming a person of destiny and changing your life, family, and even nation for God. For further information on ordering this booklet. please see the centrefold envelope.