Esther: For Such a Time as This

As we grow in our identity in Christ, we are strengthened when we discover that we are extravagantly loved, forgiven, cherished and redeemed by our living God. We were named by God and belong to Him. Ephesians 1:5 promises us that God predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. Isaiah 43:1 comforts us that He has summoned us by name and we belong to Him. Remembering Whose we are will fill us with courage to fulfill His purpose in our life. We saw this in the story of Esther.

Esther’s Jewish name was Hadassah, which meant “Myrtle”, a shrub or tree possessing fragrant and glossy leaves. I heard that there might be a story of how the Jews brought back with them the myrtle tree when they returned from captivity. Not sure though. Even more so, her name possessed the suffix -iah or -yah, which is short for Yahweh, the covenant Name of God.

Esther 2:7 says that “Hadassah was also called Esther.” Have you ever been called something other than your name? Even if it was special or pretty, it was not you. As we journey through life, the world will try to rename us and ‘call’ us something other than our real name, which is ‘Child of God’.

In the Book of Daniel, which took place many decades prior to Esther’s birth, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured and exiled many Jews, forcing them to acclimate to the Babylonian culture, beginning with assigning them new names. The Babylonian culture wanted Daniel and his friends “to conform to the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2) and calling them by a different name was a first step to achieving their goal.

But our Bible tells the story of how these four faith filled Hebrew boys refused to forget Who they belonged to and this opened up the opportunity for God to come through for them! Just look at the following comparison and see how Nebuchadnezzar was strategically trying to change the way they saw themselves…

1. Daniel’s name means “God is my Judge.” He was called Belteshazzar, which means “Bel protects his life.”
2. Hananiah’s name means “Yahweh is gracious.” He was called “Shadrach” which means “Command of Aku, the moon god.”
3. Mishael’s name means “Who is like Yahweh?” He was called “Meshach” which means “Who is as Aku is?”
4. Azariah’s name means “Yahweh has helped.” He was called “Abednago” which means “Slave of the god, Nebo.”

The suffix of Hananiah and Azariah are similar to Hadassah’s. Those of Daniel and Mishael’s name is -el which refers to Elohim, one of the Names of our God in Heaven.

The world likes to assign us with labels, doesn’t it? When we accept these labels, we start to see ourselves differently and completely lose sight of our purpose here on earth. For most of my life I felt I would ‘never amount to anything’, a label repeatedly spoken over me by someone I should have been able to trust. Many years into my adulthood, not only did I carry and believe that label, I also unknowingly sabotaged a lot of my endeavors in life. It was like, in some twisted way, I was trying to live up to that label even though I hated it.

What’s in a Name?

No one knows for certain if Hadassah was given the name of Esther by the Persian Court or if she adopted the name for herself. By the time of Esther’s story, the Babylonian empire was destroyed and the Persians had freed the exiled Jews so they could return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. Many Jews remained behind and that is where we find Esther. I may be wrong, but I doubt the Persians gave her the new name the way that the Babylonians assigned Daniel his new name. I believe the Holy Spirit had Mordecai give Hadassah the name so in God’s timing, His will could be uncovered to save the entire Jewish Nation. Esther may have thought she was just protecting herself to survive a situation out of her control, but God had bigger plans!

How many times have we portrayed ourselves to be something or someone we are not in an effort to survive something that was out of our control? We will cover our true selves so we don’t stand out. Or we will keep a mask on so we can feel accepted by other people. The danger here is that we can become really good at keeping up the facade that we forget why we are here to begin with. We also tie God’s hands to come through for us when we deny our relationship with Him to the world around us.

This is where Esther finds herself. After becoming queen, she spends years learning to adapt to her new life and her husband’s ways. Then Haman comes onto the scene and the future of her entire people is threatened. Mordecai’s famous words come to mind whenever we think of Esther. He says to her: “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 and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:12-14 NIV

Esther Embraced Who She Was.

This is where Esther remembers who she really is. Can you also recall the voices of the three Hebrew boys announcing that God was with them and even if they perish in the fire, they will never bow down to Nebuchadnezzar?

“Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:15-16 NIV

Esther could have chosen to approach the king with her mask still on. She could have requested that King Xerxes save the Jewish people from annihilation but still kept her heritage a secret. But she bravely removed her mask and asked him to save her and her people. It was their relationship and the king’s love for Esther that turned the tide in this story.

King Xerxes was a pagan king. And when Esther fasted and prayed, she was petitioning her King in Heaven, not her king husband. But this story is a shadow of what Christ did when He interceded for us! Jesus didn’t just ask His Father to save us. He laid His life down for us. Because of the Father’s great love for His Son, we are saved.

People will remind us that nowhere in the Book of Esther do we find the Name of God. They glorify Esther as the brave queen who saved her people. But God is the One Who orchestrated her story and lined up each sequence of events to save His people. He is all over the book! And He is all over your story, too, sweet sister!

Even if we are not familiar with God, we can read in 2 Timothy 3:16 that all Scripture is God-breathed and inspired by God, useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. We learn in Ephesians 1:11 that in Christ, we are chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of God Who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.

Fear Not.

My word for 2017 was fearless. God is showing me that I will spend the rest of my life learning to be fearless through Christ. I’ve learned how to be fearless through the story of Esther! First and foremost, we must remember Whose we are and remove the mask. Our God is looking for true worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. This unties His hands to do the miraculous in our lives.

“But the time is coming–indeed it’s here now–when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way.” John 4:23

Merriam Webster’s definition of fearless is: free from fear, not afraid, brave.

I think Mr. Webster is wrong here. Being fearless doesn’t mean we are free from fear. A lot of us, if we’re honest, battle a lot of fear. But to be brave and courageous, we have to remember Whose we are and straighten our crowns as Daughters of the Most High God. We need to get rid of our orphan mentality … our old ways of survival. It’s nothing but dirty rags and put on our royal robe of righteousness that Jesus has wrapped us in. Then we can “approach God’s Throne of Grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV

His golden scepter is already extended out towards us. Will you reach out and touch the tip of it?

Whether we have adopted the names that others call us or we embrace new names to hide behind, we will leave this world not having accomplished or completed what we were created for if we don’t drop the mask. I would like to encourage you that you were made for such a time as this. Get real before Lord Jesus today. He is waiting!

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

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Donna Miller

Jesus' Girl, Artist, Blogger. Living Loved and enjoying the sunshine on the Emerald Coast, Florida ❤

https://www.freshgracefortoday.com

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• Esther: For Such a Time as This - May 22, 2018