Let us take our imaginations back to the day the King’s guards showed up at Mordecai’s home. The news had gone round alright and the hope was that the guards would skip their house, but they showed up and Esther was taken but not before Mordecai pulled her aside and gave her a Persian name, Esther, meaning ‘star.’ He gave her strict orders that she was not to reveal her identity as a Jew to anyone. The unfolding events could not have afforded her the opportunity to argue, there was no time. She just has to accent and trust the Jewish God to find a way of using the situation for His glory. Mordecai instructed her some more and released her to the hand of providence.
“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. ”’ “So, they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”(Numbers 6:24-27)
The pull must have tugged at his heart, perhaps the feeling of failing her parents by not protecting her enough plagued his thoughts? Surely, they would understand, they also lived in Persia before they died, and they were conversant with Persian ways.
Esther found herself in the company of so many young virgins, none of them knowing what would become of them. The emotions were mixed. Some were happy at the prospect of being exposed to the palace and others were sad, the rule of their lives was being taken over.
Esther’s emotions was all over the place, she was afraid, intrigued, curious all at the same time. She thought about her cousin’s instructions, suppose something went wrong and her secret became known? What were the odds that this plan was foolproof? All she could do was hope and wait. Her chances were one in four hundred or so and who said she stood any chance to be the next queen especially since the one she replacing was reported to be beautiful and loved by her husband? Only providence would tell.
Providence was waiting for Esther to show up as he ensured she found favor with the head of the eunuchs, Hegai. The sign of God’s blessing on the children of Israel was His mark and for Esther, that showed up in the way Hegai distinguished her and gave her special treatment. She was put in a special part of the palace and assigned seven servants to make her stay in the harem more comfortable.
If we closed the curtain at this point in Esther’s story, all we would see is darkness, gloom and uncertainty. We could even go as far judging the story as unfair.
It is the same with us when we face dark times, the times life chooses to throw a spanner in the works or when we take a wrong turn, and everything tumbles out of control.
We would be quick to wander who we offended and why things were taking that kind of turn. Think about it. Esther, orphan, adopted, exiled, abducted, all in her youth. All of those attributes were weighty enough on their own. One person, a young maiden bearing all that weight. What did she do? What kind of attention was her life seeking?
How you saw the glass, half filled or a half empty, would determine how you interpret the events of Esther’s life. If you saw it as half full, you determined it was favor at work. And if on the contrary, you saw a half empty glass, you would see the whole story as life dealing the poor girl a very hard hand. For you, the question would be; was there a need to have all that drama before a plot could be revealed? Did life have to distinguish her by misfortune?
What are the strands in the story of your life? How are you dealing with them? Are you able to piece them apart and weave them into something into a beautiful tapestry?
Books by Anne Ajadi (Available on Amazon)
Walk With Me In The Footsteps Of Jesus
Heart Matters Life Matters
Navigating The Night Season
You Will Marry Well
Strength For The Journey
God’s Lady In Waiting
Prayer Works
