Everything in your life has prepared you for a moment such as this. (Esther)

1:17

Vashti refused to come when King Xerxes requested. The king was frustrated with her refusal. Memucan was one of the king’s princes and advised him, “For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.”

This is an early example of someone being worried about negative press. The king certainly didn’t want to be viewed as weak. If he allowed the queen to disobey his command, the women of his kingdom would think it okay for them to do the same.

He obviously liked Vashti and was proud of her - it’s why he wanted to show her off in the first place! But that changed when he started considering public opinion.

We should always just do what is right and let public opinion fall where it may. We can’t be controlled by the mob. There are many celebrities that appear to be changing their standards based on the woke mob. People are apologizing for true statements because they are afraid of the public. None of us should live like that.

1:20-22

There was definitely sexism during this time! Husbands maintaining superiority over their wives was paramount. By sending Vashti away, “all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.”

Memucan “sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.”

I can safely say that I do not rule our house. We have an equal partnership that is tilted in Marci’s favor… It seems like a good arrangement. :)

3:2

“And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.” It would have been the easiest thing for Mordecai to bow before Haman. Why didn’t he?

He was being true to himself, his beliefs and his people. He didn’t give into peer pressure. I can just picture him standing steadfast while everyone else bowed. He probably knew it was potentially life-threatening. Yet, he was willing to do it.

I want that kind of courage. I think there will be a day when we feel pressure to bow before something or someone. I hope I have the courage to stand strong.

3:8

“And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.” This will be said about members of the Church someday…

4:11

When Mordecai asked for Ether’s help, she explained, “All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.” She had a really good reason NOT to go see the king.

Isn’t this how our brains work. We know we should do something but our supercomputer brains are quick to give us a list of reasons why we shouldn’t do that thing. We receive a prompting - if we don’t act on it, our brain immediately tries to talk us out of it. It’s natural. Our brains want to keep us safe.

We have to act when we receive a prompting. Five seconds is enough for our brains to talk us out of it. If you get the idea to call someone, start moving your hand towards your phone.

4:13-14

Mordecai gives a great response. He said, “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.” She certainly shouldn’t value her life more than all Jews! Mordecai was good at putting things in perspective for her. As Spock said, ‘the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or the one.’

Mordecai knew that the Lord would protect them. He knew that, if it wasn’t Esther, that salvation would come from another source. “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place.”

The most famous line about Esther is in this verse: “…and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” This is a good phrase to keep in mind when we feel like we are at a crossroads or in a position of influence or moment of significance. I believe that we are all on a path and God nudges us into moments that can impact ourselves and others. We should feel like every decision we have made has led us to this moment and what we do can have eternal impact.

Let me give you an example that involves a series of three life-events:

1. When I was ten, I was put into our school’s first computer class. There were five or ten students selected. I’m not sure why I was selected but I think someone thought I had an aptitude for it. I did. I started writing simple computer programs using BASIC on my parents Apple II. Since that time, I’ve been extremely good at figuring out computer programs by trial and error.

2. When I started my career at my father’s company, there wasn’t a very good training manual or program. In my free time, I wrote a new manual for training photographers. That manual allowed me to train photographers in a fraction of the time.

3. Because I created a training manual and program, I was eventually promoted to training director of that company. I spent years traveling the country - hiring and training photography staffs. I rewrote the manual a few times - improving the instructional design. Incidentally, Marci’s career was also began in instructional design. She was a master-teacher using the 4MAT method.

Fast forward twenty years and another series of events happens:

1. We’re called on an MLS mission to Florida. Marci and I were surprised/disappointed in the training we received and were vocal in our feedback.

2. We were sent home early because of Covid. We felt like we didn’t get a chance to fully serve and so were looking for other opportunities.

3. For some unknown reason, the head of the senior missionary department called us and asked for some help. (He cannot remember why he called us). We started giving feedback about the MLS missionary training.

4. He asked us if we could create a training curriculum. Which we did - along with setting up a mentor program. It appeared that Marci and my training background was fortuitous.

5. Finally, as we’re serving, we see that there needs to be more service missionaries called to fill open positions. Service missionaries receive no training (mentor, MTC) like full-time missionaries do. Because of my computer background, I start researching apps that could provide a self-guided training for service missionaries.

Long story short: Marci and I are currently creating a phone/computer training app to be used for office and MLS service missionaries. It may all be coincidence that we happen to have the exact skill set required to complete this project. OR, it’s possible that we have been prepared “for such a time as this.”

4:15

Esther was afraid of dying. But, she was more concerned about her people. This makes logical sense but it doesn’t make her decision easy. If this life is an opportunity to become more selfless, she is in an ‘ideal’ situation.

There is no direct reference to God in Esther. But, she is obviously fasting for a purpose. After she decided she was going to go into the king, she wrote to Mordecai, “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.” She was depending on her God to help her. Fasting is an act of faith.

She was willing to choose the right and let the consequences follow - even when the consequences meant death. That’s a picture of faith and courage and selflessness.

5:2

“And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.” The story hinges on the moment she “obtained favor in his sight.”

These are the moments where God nudges. It could have gone either way with the king. He could have been very easily offended. He had already demonstrated that he was insecure and vengeful when it came to his wife not obeying his orders. It was likely he wasn’t going to view this act favorably. But, instead, he didn’t. The Spirit was there in that moment.

I think our Heavenly Father does most of his acting in these moments. He nudges…

• …an interviewer to give us a job.

• …to warn us to stay home.

• …when we ask for confirmation of a decision.

Looking back, I can see many gentle nudges in my life. I’m grateful for that.

6:11; 7:9-10

“Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.” This is a beautiful example of poetic justice.

“And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.” This is even a better example.

Mordecai would also then be placed as head of Haman’s household. Rarely do we see this happen in real life. Every ending isn’t this satisfying. We have to be okay with things not being fair. Often, we don’t see justice happening in this life. We must have faith that the Lord will set everything right in the end. Everything will be how it is supposed to be in eternity. Consequences always follow. If not in this life - in eternity.