August 18, 2014
The book of Esther is unique not in what it names, but in what it doesn’t. For the name of God is not mentioned. Yet clearly, God can be seen between the lines of every chapter. When God’s people find themselves under persecution, they often feel that God has abandoned them. They don’t see that He is at work behind the scenes. Esther, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah, became the queen of Persia, not by accident, but by God’s purpose in order to save the Jews from genocide. This little orphaned Jewish girl was adopted by her cousin Mordecai and chosen by King Xerxes to be Queen. She was the winner of the king’s Miss Universe contest. Her Persian name, Esther, means “star” (the word “aster” as in “asteroid,” is derived from the same root.). She was indeed a “star” in Persia and in the history of the Jews, as God used her to influence Xerxes decision to save them. Why has God given you your position of influence? Perhaps it’s for more than you think.