THERE CAN STILL BE ANOTHER ESTHER – Rev’d Doyin Sosanya

 

LOCATION OF ESTHER: Many of us today blame our unfruitfulness as vessels of God on our hostile and sin laden environment. And instead of finding solace in the church, we are often disappointed with the corrupt and sinful practices from the altar to the pulpit. Must we then fold our arms seeing the Devil take over our rightful possessions? What made Esther excelled in her foreign and hostile land? Let us consider together the exemplary life of Esther tracing her background. 

 

Mordecai (Esther’s Uncle) was a Benjamite and descendant of Kish, the father of Saul while Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, and a descendant of the Amalekite king conquered by Saul (Ex. 17: 16, Num. 24:20, Deut. 25: 17 – 19 and 1Sam. 9; 15:8).  Imagine the beginning of the battle between the house of Mordecai and Hamman. Agag was the king brought home by King Saul whom he should have killed but was eventually beheaded by Samuel, the Prophet. Now the descendants of Saul(Jews) are now in  the trap so to say of the descendants of Agag. Hamman was actually asking for his own pounds of flesh for what Samuel did to his fore father.  Please reason it out, how hostile was Esther’s environment? Are we not in the same hostile environment today? Jesus Christ bruised the head of Satan and gave us victory. But He had prayed that the father should not take us out of this world but preserve us yet we are faced with the battles for supremacy as the seeds from the kingdom of darkness are now fast moving to take their pounds of flesh on us. But I assure you, theirs is a lost battle because Jesus has won it all for us. However, we must not backslide or go back or renounce our faith in the face of battle or adversity. The Scripture says if we faint in the days of adversity, our strength is small. Don’t allow your location determine your faith but rather transform your location with your faith. It would not be an excuse in heaven because God himself knows all about our locations just as He wrote to seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 

 

WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE TODAY? IS IT YOUR NAME?: The name Esther was from Persian stara meaning star or from Ishtah, a Babylonian goddess given to Hadassah (her Jewish name meaning myrtle). She was not popularly known by her Jewish name yet with this foreign name she became a woman of substance. The name we answer is important but there is more to it than just answering those names. We judge names not only by its source but by the character, dignity and integrity of the bearer. What is your name and who are you? Many of us answer Christian names or titles but we behave like unbelievers.  Read Prov.22:1.

 

THE NEED FOR A FATHER, MOTHER OR GUIDE: Esther the daughter of Abihail (Est. 2:15) lived in a strange land under a Godly counsel. She had to live with Mordecai her uncle after the death of her father and mother (Est. 2: 7). She was not fenced out of God’s touch. She remained connected to God through her uncle all through her life in a sin laden environment. Do you have a father? Who are you responsible to? Who can look at you eyeball to eyeball and tell you ‘you are wrong’? (Read Est. 4: 14 – 16) Many had failed and fallen because they are walking alone without a guide, father or mother. Yes, we must all look unto Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith but at the same time in a sin laden society with fierce battle against our stand for Christ, we all need someone who will lead. We are not to make them our gods but follow their steps and act like the Berean Christians (Acts 17:11).

 

HER SUBMISSION: Aside her beauty, she was submissive to her uncle. She was ready to follow all instructions right from the beauty contest (Est.2: 10, 20). Two things to note here, only those who have mission in life will be ready to submit to authority (sub – mission) and; beauty like charisma may take you to a place of authority but only character will keep you there.

 

HER PREPAREDNESS: Her preparation did not just start from the beauty contest because She did not have to go through any spiritual cleansing or declare a fast because she was always ready for her master’s use (2Tim.2:21).Why won’t she obtain favour from men?  When a man’s life has been accepted in heaven above, the earth below has no option than to favour such a life. Just like the young David from the wilderness, (who did not have to go through the rigour of purification which a man of God called emergency sanctification because either in or out he has always been for God), she had kept herself clean. Remember, she was a virgin! Please note that God is not interested in ‘emergency sanctification’ which many of us practice today. Can God call on us at any hour of the day for His without we nursing the guilt of sin in our lives? Yes we depend on His righteousness but are we living the righteous life both in the private and public?

 

WHO TAKES THE CREDIT?: Read Est. 2: 21 – 23. What exceptional quality can we learn from Esther? Why do we struggle for power? Esther did not use her position to take it all but was willing to give it to her Uncle who actually worked for the honour. If it were to be like others today, she would have mentioned her name instead of Mordecai. 

 

HER SELF DENIAL, COURAGE and PATRIOTISM: Read Est. 4: 16. When she had discovered the evil plot against her people and having been confronted by her uncle she made up her mind to deny herself and so declared a three day fast in order to obtain favour from God and the king (her husband) concerning her people (this can be your child, business, church, pastor, city, family, state or nation). Note that she was ready to fast even in the palace unlike many who will because of exalted position or uninterrupted food supply become a glutton or lazy. She did not only deny herself but also took a bold step to meet with the king. (Est. 7:6). Esther stood with her people in this trying period. She did not abandon them. She was ready to bear burdens together with them and not make jest of them (Gal. 6:2). Read Est. 8: 3- 6. What else can you say about Esther?

 

CONCLUSION: There is no situation that cannot be changed if God sees the right people with the right heart. The problem is that we always desire to get the promise but we are not willing to go through the process. Esther was a risk taker and so became a city taker. The whole policy of the Persian Empire was completely changed, in favour of the Jews. The Jews had favour, peace, and prosperity all because of one woman who was ready to risk her life, prestige, honour to save lives. (Ps 106:23; Isa 59:16; Jer 5:1; Eze 13:5; 20:30). Can you do this for your family, children, staff, community, state, nation, church and finally you risk your life for God knowing fully well that they who keep their lives will lose it and those who determine to lose theirs will regain it? (Matt. 16: 25)

 

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