I gave the following devotional to a gathering of courageous women of God at a ministers breakfast, recently.
Esther
is a wonderful story full of intrigue and reversals, despicable
characters and unlikely heroes. And although within its pages a man
chooses a woman to become his queen, we must refrain from thinking
Esther's story is a romantic tale. For the king in question selects his queen based on selfish reasons and not for the sake of
love. Yet Esther's story clearly speaks to us of profound love – God's love
for his people and his commitment toward them.
Interestingly
enough, the book which bears her name begins without any mention
of Esther nor of the Jews, the very people God calls her to save.
Quite the contrary, the book begins with the story of a pagan king
named Xerxes trying to impress his nobles, his officials, and all the
military officers of Persia and Media by throwing them a great
banquet. A banquet that lasts for 180 days. (History tells us Xerxes
planned a military excursion and he pined for the support of all his
political friends.)
Xerxes
follows up with another banquet for all the people in the fortress of
Susa. A banquet in a lavishly decorated hall where the guests
were given vasts quantities of wine and food. Xerxes holds nothing back from his
guests. So much so, he even offers them his Queen. After seven days
of feasting and drinking, Xerxes makes a disastrous request. In his
inebriated state, he tells his eunuchs to bring Queen Vashti to him
to parade her around his drunken guests.
From
the very first chapter of the book, the narrator gives us a crystal
clear understanding of King Xerxes character and temperament. A man willing to put his Queen in a vulnerable position, commanding her to parade herself in front of men who have indulged themselves without limits for seven days solely for their pleasure and for Xerxe's own selfish ends. But then Vashti does what no one
expects. She refuses the King's inappropriate request. And in a fit of rage, he banishes her.
That
fateful day, Xerxes could have never imagined that his ill-conceived
request would set off a chain of events that would culminate in the
deliverance of God's people. Yet here begins the story of Esther.
A table decoration with an unintended selfie.
As
we've already noted, the story of Esther includes a wide variety of
interesting characters, including powerful leaders and vulnerable
subjects. However, as the story unfolds we soon realize that the true
leader in the story is not necessarily the man with all the power,
resources, and prestige. On the contrary, in the book of Esther the
true leader emerges from obscurity – a lowly woman forcibly removed
from her home and then hidden within the royal palace – one who
enjoyed none of the advantages of her male counterpart.
God, too, remains hidden within the pages of Esther's story. Throughout
the entire book, never once do we hear his name mentioned. Unlike
Xerxes who preferred the spotlight and desired celebrity – God
never calls attention to himself. Nor does God perform any
attention-seeking miracles. He doesn't part the red sea, feed five
thousand people, nor heal even a single blind man. Throughout Esther's
story, God remains cleverly behind the scenes. Hidden, but never absent.
Likewise,
Esther chooses obscurity over prominence. Surely, the safest course of
action for a woman in her day. Have we not already witnessed what happened
to women who sought autonomy and spoke their mind? They were
banished. It was tough being a woman in Esther's day. No matter who
you were or where you lived, if you were a woman, you were
vulnerable. If a queen in the royal court received no protection from
the selfish whims of powerful men, how safe would a lowly, Jewish
woman be in a pagan household?
In
Vashti and Esther's world, men like Xerxes often wielded their power
selfishly, indiscriminately, and impulsively. Personal agendas took
precedence over their subjects well-being. After Xerxes banished the
Queen, his personal attendants suggested that he send out agents in
each province to find the most beautiful women and bring them into
the royal harem. Xerxes had a harem full of women already. But in
order to look powerful and authoritative, Xerxes took the most
beautiful women away from their families – without consideration of
their hopes or their dreams - and brought them to his harem. Esther
was one of these women gathered in the raid. She had no choice in the
matter.
Women face unique
challenges in our world. They always have. The story of Esther, as
well as the stories of Ruth and Hannah, Abigail and Michal, Elizabeth
and Lydia prove this point. It's tough being a woman. But as women,
we can better appreciate the difficulties these women encountered and
the hostile environment they lived in, because although times have
changed, some things have not. And
although all these women faced enormous disadvantages, they also shared one great advantage – God remained by their side. Sometimes hidden. But never absent.
We share that
advantage with them.
How did Esther
become a savior to her people? How did she survive and thrive despite
a persistent enemy, manipulative leaders, and a hostile cultural
environment? This is how: Esther relied on the Spirit's guidance, she
used the brains that God gave her, she asked for help from
trustworthy people, and she planned meticulously and waited patiently
before she acted.
Women of God, we
belong to a sisterhood of courageous women that began with the
creation of Eve. A sisterhood that includes the likes of Queen
Esther, Judge Deborah, the prophet Miriam, the apostle Junia, and the
teacher Priscilla. A fellowship of women that includes every sister
in this gathering, all woman in your church, and every woman around
the world. We may have never met, but we are all connected – by
our shared stories, experiences, and most of all by the Spirit of
God.
Therefore, sisters,
let's not make life more difficult for each other. Rather let's bear
one another's burdens and treat the wounded among us with compassion.
Let's be generous in our love, in our prayers, and in our words.
Let's endeavor to listen better and encourage more. Like Esther, we
may feel hidden and insecure. But God is with us and among us. Hidden, but never absent.
Yes,
it's tough being a woman. But together we are a force to be reckoned
with.
These questions prompted a courageous telling of events from the lives of the women who attended that day.
