The Holy Bible contains 66 books — 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. Sandwiched between the books of Nehemiah and Job in the Old Testament is the little book of Esther. It only contains 10 chapters but what a story it must tell. It took four years for the people in Branson, Mo., to build the set, select and train the cast and prepare the Sight and Sound Theater for overflow crowds to see a production of this story. We were among them several weeks ago and loved it, our only complaint being that it was a little bit too long. The key verse that explains the whole concept is Esther 4:14b — Who knows, perhaps you have come to the kingdom, for such a time as this.
Obviously, I can’t tell you much in a 700-word column, but maybe I can whet your appetite to go see it for yourself, but you better hurry as the run ends soon to be replaced by another blockbuster titled, “David.”
These events took place during the days of Ahasuerus, who ruled 127 provinces between India and Cush. The King held a feast in the third year of his reign for all his officials and staff, the army of Media and Persia, the nobles and the officials from the provinces. He displayed the glorious wealth of his kingdom, and the magnificent splendor of his greatness, for a total of 180 days. I would say that was quite a party.
At this point let me give you the highlights of this true story in my own words and you will have the gist of this part of God’s Word and may even be encouraged to read the book of Esther in the Bible. It does not take long. During his big party, the king decides to have Queen Vashti come before the crowd, as she is very beautiful. However, she refuses, and she even does this a second time. This infuriates the king. He confers with his leadership, and they recommend that he replace the queen, and a big search begins. After he sees a bevy of virgin prospects, Esther, who is stunningly beautiful, comes along, not telling anyone that she is a Jew. The king falls for her, head over heels, and Esther is crowned.
Now, here is what jealousy will do to you. There was a man named Haman who was a big part of the king’s leadership and King Ahasuerus promoted him to a very high rank. Everyone bowed down to him except Mordecai the Jew. This infuriated him and he devised a plot to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. When Mordecai learned of this, he told Queen Esther that she must tell the king or they would all be killed, including her. Haman had even built a gallows on which to hang Mordecai. There was a law in the province that if anyone approached the king, if he did not hold out the royal scepter, that they would be killed. Esther ran this risk and was extended the royal scepter, and when the king heard her request, said, “I will give you anything you wish, even up to half of the royal kingdom.” Long story short, Queen Esther saved her people, and Haman was hanged on the gallows he built to hang Mordecai. Thus, the quote, “For Such a Time as This.”
Now, a personal note. We all know what is happening in the Middle East today. God takes care of His people, always has and always will. Israel is our only true friend in this part of the world and we must stand with them.
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(Jim Davidson is an author, public speaker, syndicated columnist, and Founder of the Bookcase for Every Child project. Since its inception in the Log Cabin Democrat in 1995, Jim’s column has been self-syndicated in over 375 newspapers in 35 states. For a personalized copy of “Your Future Begins Today” send $20, which includes postage and handling, to Jim Davidson, 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034.)