“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" - Esther 4:14
Great question. Typically rhetorical questions aren’t of this magnitude. But wait. Is it rhetorical? Great question again.
I think the heart of it, and for our purposes, it most certainly is. Especially when we take a moment to think about God’s sovereignty and his movement. We know that while our plans are many, it’s the Lord’s purpose that prevails, so why would any of us be placed in the situation we are in for no reason? Why would God give us the influence, the authority, the leadership, and the position to impact others for His good if we were not to do so?
Who knows? But maybe each of us has come to this position, for such as time as this (too).
Father, in error we often look beyond today, and miss today. We wonder what’s next. We wonder what our purpose is for tomorrow. We wonder why we are where we are. Regardless of our circumstances, help us to see how we can use our current stage in life for your glory. Help us to understand how your hand has guided us to this place, that others might see you, and that our faith might be strengthened. More than anything God, don’t let us neglect even looking. Amen.
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A very wise individual tells me almost daily not to wish away the day. I seem to plan, ponder, and wish for the up coming seasons. When it is fall I can't wait until Christmas. When it is winter, I can't wait until it is spring. When it is spring I can't wait until summer. I seem to always be looking towards the future. Living for the day is a lesson I need to learn. I am afraid it is a lesson that God might be teaching me almost daily. I can't wait until I learn what my wife, Andrea, has learned and be joyful exactly where and when in time God has placed me. - Michael
ReplyDeleteThe question you have chosen out of Esther, Brandon, is
ReplyDeletethe quintessential question for the Body of Christ is this era:
"And who knows that you have come to this royal position for
such a time as this." It is a blessing that we can seek Scripture
and apply it to our lives, knowing that it is God's Living Word, able
to transform and renew. I believe that so often, Scripture can speak
to the times we live in and give us a greater message that applies
to all of God's people as a warning and clarion call. What is the
main theme of Esther but that God is serious about preserving His
people Israel for His glory and purposes. This promise is based on
the words spoken to Abraham:"I will make you a great nation and I
will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you."
Esther's story bears this out. Haman's plot to destroy the Jews fell back
on his own head and the Jewish people were miraculously saved. In fact
it says that "many among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the dread of the Jews
had fallen on them." Those who had intended to destroy the Jewish people
saw the tables turn and the dread of coming against them would be even more devastating.
Even Haman's wife warned,"If Mordecai is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him,
but will surely fall before him" Paul warns in the Book of Romans, "God has not rejected
His people, has He? May it never be!" The Jewish people have been maligned, persecuted,
killed and at best, forgotten by many who proclaimed faith in Christ throughout history.
Even today, many in the Church do not understand God's heart for His people Israel.
Yet today, we are in a very strategic place. Presently,the voice of Haman rings through
the Middle East, particularly from the President of Iran and many radicals who would rejoice
to see Israel pushed into the sea. Is this not "such a time as this" to humbly go before the King, like
Esther, and intercede on behalf of the Jewish people, asking Him to lift their hearts in faith to
embrace their Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus.)? Paul concludes chapter eleven in Romans with,
"For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own
estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in;
thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, 'the Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove
ungodliness from Jacob and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'"
I agree with the Psalmist, "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His
people from this time forth and forevermore."
March 9, 2009 – Esther 4 – Glory
ReplyDeleteV 14 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 royal position for such a time as this?
These are the famous words from Esther – you were created for such a time as this.
Isn’t this what we all want to know? Don’t we want to know why we were created? If each of us were convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that we knew the mission, we were brought into the world for that specific mission, we were gifted at the mission, ready, trained, prepared, provisioned and supported – then don’t you think we would pursue it?
You were created for such a time as this. What does that mean for us today? Fortunately the mission has never changed – it is the same around the world and through time:
Guds ære – Danish
heerlijkheid van God – Dutch
gloire de Dieu – French
Herrlichkeit Gottes – German
δόξα του Θεού – Greek
התהילה של אלוהים – Hebrew
gloria di Dio – Italian
glória de Deus - Portuguese
слава Богу – Russian
gloria de Dios – Spanish
quang vinh của Thiên Chúa – Vietnemese
God tells us in His word why we were created. He told us the mission. He told us in every language; Philippians 2:10-12 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The mission? Bring glory to God. We were created for such a time of this so that where we are, with our experiences and skills we exist to bring glory to God. Amen
Great thoughts today guys. Laurel, welcome to the blog!
ReplyDelete"The only way to win assurance is by leaving tomorrow entirely in the hands of God and by receiving from him all we need for today. If instead of receiving God's gift for today we worry about tomorrow, we find ourselves helpless victims of infinite anxiety."
ReplyDelete-Dietrich Bonhoeffer