ON THE VANGUARD

TIMING IS EVERYTHING
“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”
Est 4:14

I am going to be honest and tell a story from my college days. My junior year I decided I wanted to be a student chaplain. I applied, and began my series of interviews. The first one was a quick, "Why do you want to be a chaplain?" five minute meet and greet with a current chaplain. My second interview included a devotional taught to the guys of a chaplain I was paired up with. This last interview, however, seemed to be the most dreaded as it was done by the men's chaplain and two of the more seasoned chaplains.
There I sat, waiting my turn, not knowing what was about to be asked of me. I was ushered in and the questions began. I was doing well...and then the question I wasn't ready for. "So other than Jesus, who is your favorite character of the Bible?" Paul came to mind, but that would be too common. I wanted something different. Panic started as the three second pause in the room became a three minute pause in my head. "Esther," I said. The men looked at each other, and then at me and questioned, “Why Esther?" Honestly, this is what came out of my mouth. "Because she was HOT!" I was able to redeem myself after the looks and laughs, though, as I then said how she was a key character in the Bible and in showing how God works behind the scenes to save His people. And truth be told, it really is.
Here was Esther, dragged from her uncle Mordecai and required to be part of a royal beauty contest. Her hidden secret was that she was a Jew, so to save her life she was requested by her uncle to tell no one. Esther pleased King Xerxes and won his heart, yet still she did not reveal her nationality (Est 2:19). Haman the Agagite was elevated by the King and all the royal officials paid honor to him. All except for Mordecai. Knowing not that Queen Esther was a Jew, nor a relative of Mordecai, Haman became angry that Mordecai would not bow down and honor him. So Haman approached the King and discussed the Jews and his plot to kill the race. When Mordecai told Esther of Haman’s intent, he challenged her with these words. “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Est 4:13-14).
For the queen to come before the king uncalled upon was death. Yet Esther put her life on the line and dressed in her royal gown, approached Xerxes. Her only request was for dinner with the King and Haman, to which they both agreed. When the king questioned her reasoning for dinner, she told him she would tell him again the next night, if they agreed to dinner again. And so they did; and so the King asked her intent. Esther cried out for the salvation of her people. “If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life – this is my petition. And spare my people – this is my request” (Est 7:3).
God had placed Esther in her position for just that moment, and used her to save a nation. To this day, Purim is celebrated by the Jews as a memory of what God did. Was Esther’s journey easy? By no means. Being taken from her family, forced to marry by decree, and having to find the strength to not only be a queen, but to stand up for her people in the face of death…that is courage. And yet we are no different. God has called us all to something great, but the question is will we be like Esther and rise to the occasion? God is willing to give us the strength we need to face the kings and the Haman’s in our lives. He was able to give David the strength to stand before Goliath. And he was able to take a runt like Gideon and use him to smite an army when he thought he was no good. So how about us? Are we any different? No. So then, it must be true also of you. Who knows but that you have come to your position for such a time as this?