When God calls us to do a thing—whatever it may be, He prepares us for it. Often, long before we are aware that the thing even needs doing. It’s known as fulfilling your purpose and, as we saw last week, we each have one… (Heb. 13:21).
Some have a greater purpose than others. Purpose that will literally touch multitudes and change the course of generations to come. Each according to the grace given to us. (Rom.12:6).
Esther is a perfect example of what our purpose may look like (4:16).
Service always requires sacrifice…
Yet before we look at how God used Esther to save her people from extinction, allow me to remind you that elms are born from acorns. My purpose for this analogy…we don’t start great. Greatness is birthed through our submission to the will of God. And we’re not all called to be an Esther, Daniel, or a Moses… but we’re each responsible for being the best us we can be…In more relevant terms, not everyone’s called to be a T.D. Jakes, John Hagee or Joyce Myers. But you may be called to serve within their ministry. Take up the tithes or perhaps clean-up when service is over…
That may seem insignificant to you in comparison to what they’re doing. However, no service is insignificant. Everything accomplished within the Body would be incomplete without your purpose bring firmly attached and being use to further God’s purpose…
And what is that purpose?
To accomplish the will of the Father as one Body united under the Headship of Christ Jesus. “But now [as things really are], God has placed and arranged the parts in the body, each one of them, just as He willed and saw fit [with the best balance of function]. If they all were a single organ, where would [the rest of] the body be? But now [as things really are] there are many parts [different limbs and organs], but a single body” (1 Corinthians 12:18).
Whatever God has purposed you to do, stay in your lane, focus on being the best_________, you can be and never forget that it is God who called you, and it is God alone you serve. “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people” (Eph.6-7).
I stress this because as we will see, when we forget who it is we serve, God will always have someone willing to step in and happily take our place…
Remember, we serve an Omniscient God whose purpose will be accomplished, with or without us! “For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back” (Isa.14:27).
Vashti has just learned this lesson. Who is she? She’s King Ahasuerus’s wife, and Esther is about to take her place.
Why?
For reasons the Bible doesn’t specify, Vashti got it into her head to refuse attendance at the Kings grand finale. This finale culminated in a week-long celebration. It commemorated a 180-day celebration designed to showcase King Ahasuerus’s vast wealth, splendor and majesty.
This was huge for the king . And his wife’s refusal to lend her appearance as the proverbial cherry on his sunday made him furious. Why? Vashti was known for her beauty and he command her to put on her royal finery and show herself to his guests. She was yet another proof of his many accomplishments. (1:11-12).
As a result of her refusal a search was made to find the King a new queen. And out of all the beautiful women that were found none rivaled Esther in the Kings eyes. So he placed a crown on her head and made her his queen. (2:2;17)
Wait… what?
Isn’t Esther a Jew, and an orphan? And isn’t Mordecai, her uncle turned step-father, the one that raised her after her parent’s death? And—isn’t he, and she by default, expatriates of Jerusalem? Aren’t they living in Susa because of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, taking their ancestors into captivity? And God has chosen her, positioned her, to receive the king’s favor over all other woman—all those that belong in the land? ( 2:5,7,10).
Yes…
A resounding yes!
Why? The Lord does as He pleases with whomever He pleases. He alone is Lord! “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Absolutely not! For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Rom. 9:14-15).
Esther has her moments of trepidation in service, particularly when Mordecai reveals to her that a favored member of her husband, the king’s court, Haman, has hatched a plan to kill not only him—but all the Jews. She knew, and made Mordecai aware, that the rules of the king were as follows: “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives” (4:11).
But pay attention to Mordecai’s response to Esther’s attempts to rationalize not speaking to the king…
He corrects and challenges her in love. Realizing that fear had perhaps gripped her heart. Or perhaps she had become a servant who may have gotten too comfortable within the trappings of palace life. Maybe she had simply forgotten that her name meant compassion…
And she was being called upon to muster it… and courage along with it (4:13-14).
Whatever had momentarily overshadowed Esther’s best judgement her uncles direct challenge jolted her back into reality, listen… “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish [since you did not help when you had the chance]. (4:13).
Again, What? Wait! What did that say?
Something about being given the position of queen coupled with the favor needed to get her there? And for what? Why? To face probable death? All because she would attempt to save her people? Really…wait, her position, doesn’t that exempt her? And what’s this about…if she doesn’t do it she’ll die regardless?
Have you ever felt like Esther? You’re given this amazing opportunity, you’ve overcome many obstacles to get where you are…maybe like Esther your family background is a little sketchy? Maybe you missed out on an education due to poor life choices or lack of resources? Maybe you were abandoned, abused, raped or addicted. And now that you’re hear, now when you feel like you can maybe relax and breath for a minute, adversity comes along just to kick in your door!
Your faced with an impossible decision. One you feel unqualified to make—truth is, outside of God, you’re right. You’re not qualified.
Esther realizes this too so she tells Mordecai to order all the Jews to fast with her and her maids. And as a result of turning to God, she is given not only courage, she is also given more of God’s favor. She boldly approaches the King without being summoned and does not die. (4:16). In fact, she, her uncle, and, their people are saved from extinction. Saved from certain death. Yet Haman, the one that tried kill Mordecai, Esther and all the Jews , was himself killed on the very gallows he had built to see Mordecai hanged from. (7:10)
Friends, in closing, let’s look at the last sentence of verse fourteen. “And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this [and for this very purpose]” (Es. 4:14)?
There you have it…your purpose, Esther’s purpose. Show up and submit. Why? Because the thing with our purpose, we all too often recognize it in hindsight. That’s why, we, like Esther, must put our trust God, not our feelings. And do all He has called us to do.
And, as I stated earlier, if God has called you to a place, gifted you with a specific purpose, then trust Him. You are fully able to complete the work He has ordained for your hands to accomplish, irrespective of what it may look or feel like to you.
No man has been given anything for his own sake. No Christian lives solely for himself. We’ve received a voice to be used for the conversion of the world. We come equip from God specifically for service to others—and as Esther said of that service, “If I perish, I perish” (4:16).
When we, like Esther, give our will to God, lay our fears, doubts, and, insecurities aside then are we able to fulfill the purpose God has ordained specifically for us.
She could have chosen to walk away…but certain death awaited her had she made that choice.
And so it is with you and I…
When faced with our destiny, our purpose, will we gather-up our courage, trust God, and, sacrifice self for the sake of those depending on us?
Or, will another fulfill Gods plan and wear our crown because we wouldn’t step into our purpose?
Remember beloved, you were made for this!
It had been revealed to Peter—Christ’ identity that is.
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