A Few Thoughts on Enduring (Part 3)

Thanks for checking in again as we look at more examples of those who endured tough times or times of uncertainty in Scripture. 
One point: I hope that you’re seeing techniques or tactics that you can remember for enduring the spiritual attacks on your family—for if you’re part of a Christian family, then you’ll be attacked by the enemy of our souls. 
Just before the New Year 2024, my family and I were blessed to see Sight and Sound Theatre’s production of Queen Esther in Branson, Missouri. I had read this book of the Bible several times during my life and had a deep appreciation for Esther. 
What I had missed was the incredible role that her cousin Mordecai played in the story. 
Plus, after reading this story a time or two, I knew how the story ended…that the bad guy died and God’s people were saved from destruction. And, thus forgot to “feel” what the character(s) in the Bible story were feeling/facing when reading the story during subsequent readings. 
Please allow me to give a brief synopsis of the story.  
King Xerxes was the king of Persia—and a most powerful king. He gave a feast for his officials and ordered the queen, Vashti, to appear before the king and his partying officials in the banquet hall. And for the record, Vashti was a hottie/trophy wife. 
But Queen Vashti refused to appear. 
So Xerxes’s advisors recommended that he banish Vashti from being queen and have a beauty contest to pick the next queen. 
Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, was her guardian after her parents died. He likely didn’t want Esther (also known as Hadassah) to be selected for the beauty contest because she was a Jew. 
Yet, Esther was taken to Xerxes palace for six months of treatment with oil of myrrh and six months of treatment with special perfumes and ointments. Can you imagine that level of preparation these women went through for one encounter with the king? 
(Note: This makes me take pause in how prepared I am to meet with God, the Creator of the Universe—even more powerful than Xerxes.) 
Thereupon, after 12 months of preparation each woman was taken to the king to see if he would select her as the next queen. 
None were chosen until Esther made her appearance. And she was chosen to be Xerxes’s queen. (Note: Before she was taken to the palace, Mordecai told Esther not to reveal to anyone that she was a Jew.) 
Mordecai became an official in the palace and overheard an assassination plot planned against Xerxes. He got the news to Queen Esther who alerted her husband Xerxes. The king had the matter investigated, found the assassination plot to be verified, and had the two perpetrators killed. And this was recorded in King Xerxes’s records 
But Mordecai was not rewarded for his service to the king. 
Enter the bad guy into the story: Haman the Agagite. Haman became a powerful official in Xerxes’s court and was furious that Mordecai would not bow to him. About this time, Haman learned that Mordecai was a Jew. So rather than just try to have Mordecai killed, Haman deceived Xerxes to draft an edict to kill all the Jews about a year later. 
The Jews are shocked and overwhelmed. It appears that there was no hope. (As an aside, for me seeing the play and being immersed in the story, I felt the terror anew that the Jews must have felt. Their desperation. Their wondering “Why is this happening to us?” Their wondering, “God, are You going to protect us? Or will we be wiped out?”) 
Interestingly enough, the name of God does not appear one time in the book of Esther. Yet, clearly, He was working behind the scenes in His awesome, sovereign way. 
Mordecai told Esther to go before the king to ask for her life and the lives of her fellow Jews. 
Esther was terrified to even think about this action, let alone doing it. The king had not asked for her to appear before him for 30 days. And if she appeared before the king unbidden, and the king did not extend his scepter to her, then she would be killed…no questions asked. Thus, the stakes were beyond “high” for Esther. 
Mordecai admonished her: if you don’t try to save your people, then deliverance will come from someone else…but you will die. Then this amazing statement: perhaps you became queen for such a time as this to save the Jewish people. 
Esther told Mordecai to have the Jews, in the capital city Susa, fast and pray for three days. She would do the same with her servants. Then she would go to the king. And Esther said, “If I die, then I die.” 
Consequently, at this point of the story, was Esther facing tough times…uncertain times? You’d better believe it! 
After the three days of fasting and praying, Esther put on her royal robes and went before King Xerxes. And, likely to her huge relief, he extended his scepter to her and asked her what she wanted—that he would give her up to half of his kingdom. 
Esther invited the king and Haman to a dinner that she would host that day. 
In the meantime, Haman remained furious with Mordecai, who still would not bow down to him. After talking with some of his advisors, Haman had a gallows built. Clearly, he was trying to twist circumstances to have Mordecai executed before the all the Jews were to be killed. 
Esther hosted the king and Haman for the banquet. And King Xerxes asked her again what she wanted. She demurred and invited the king and Haman to another banquet the next day, and then she would tell Xerxes what she wanted. 
That night King Xerxes couldn’t sleep. Therefore, he had his attendant read some of the history of his reign. And wouldn’t you know it! The attendant read about Mordecai saving the king’s life by reporting the assassination plot. 
The king asked if anything was recorded about Mordecai’s being rewarded for his actions. But nothing had been done. 
Enter Haman, walking into the palace. He was planning to ask King Xerxes for permission to execute Mordecai. 
Xerxes asked Haman what should be done to recognize a man in whom the king delighted. Haman, in a most narcissistic way, couldn’t imagine the king thinking of any other man than Haman for this honor. 
Hence, Haman told the king that the man to be honored by the king should be dressed in one of the king’s robes, mounted on one of the king’s horses, then have an official lead the horse through the city square shouting that this was done for this man who had pleased the king. 
Haman was stunned to hear King Xerxes tell him to do all this…for Mordecai…and that Haman should lead the horse!?!. Can you believe this amazing turn of events? 
Then Haman obeyed the king and did this for Mordecai. After he completed the task, he was humiliated and embarrassed beyond belief. He went to his home and lamented all this to his wife and advisors. 
King Xerxes’s officials came to Haman’s home to escort him to Queen Esther’s banquet, part 2. 
During the banquet, part 2, the king asked Esther what she wanted. Esther replied that she wanted her life spared and the lives of her people the Jews. King Xerxes was shocked to hear that his wife’s life had been threatened. 
Esther then revealed that Haman was the snake in the grass who manipulated the king to sign the edict to kill the Jews…and by implication to kill her the queen. 
The king was outraged and left the banquet. Haman was distraught and realized that his life was hanging by a thread. He begged Esther for mercy and fell onto her couch where she was reclining, just as King Xerxes returned to the banquet hall. 
Xerxes was furious to see Haman falling onto his wife’s couch, implying that he was forcing himself on to the queen. He ordered Haman to be executed—on the gallows that Haman had built to execute Mordecai. 
This is the end of the synopsis. 
Remember, gentle reader, this was just a synopsis. Please get a Bible and read the book of Esther from the first chapter to the tenth chapter…in one sitting if possible. 
As a result, after reading the entire story, I hope you, too, will marvel at Mordecai and Esther’s enduring hard times…uncertain times…terrifying times. 
God took care of them and His people. He was faithful to them. And if you’re His child, He will be faithful to you…to take care of you as well. You will be able to endure as you partner with Him. 
 

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