DAY 25: GOD CHOSE ESTHER

 THE RHEMA WORD FOR TODAY

(A DAILY DEVOTIONAL WITH PREACHER SAM)

 

TOPIC: GOD CHOSE ESTHER

DATE: 25 SEPTEMBER, 2020

BIBLE READING: ESTHER 2

MEDITATION/MEMORY VERSE: MATTHEW 22:14 (AMP)

For many are called (invited, summoned), but few are chosen.

 

Our verse for meditation agrees to the event that we just read; many were called, invited and summoned, but only Esther was chosen in place of Queen Vashti. This can be likened to the events in Song of Solomon; how King Solomon chose a foreigner of the land of Israel, as his wife (SOS 6:8-9; 1:9). Our Bible reading says, ‘Esther, along with other young women.’ (Esth. 2:8), which may be the writer of the book of Esther kept her nationality a secret. A foreigner of the land of Persia was chosen.

Also, just like the book of Song of Solomon, there is no mention of the name of God; but we can see the hand of god, how God worked it out for Esther to be the Queen, ‘He controls the course of world event; he removes kings [and queens] and sets up other kings [and queens]’ (Dan. 2:21 Parenthesis Mine). In Esther 6, we see the hand of God, giving the king restlessness until Mordecai is honoured, ‘The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.’(Prov. 21:1 NKJV). Also we see the deliverance of the Jews; just as He delivered their forefathers from the Egyptian slavery, ‘then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”’ (Ex. 6:1 NIV). Hence, God proved His Sovereignty and that He is El-Shaddai- God Almighty (Gen. 17:1).

The events in this book of Esther occurred between those recorded in Ezra 6 and 7, so those events occurred after many Israelites had returned from the Exile to the land of Palestine to rebuild the temple and set up the sacrificial system. Most Israelite captives, however, chose not to return to their homeland. They should have done so for Isaiah and Jeremiah had urged the yet-to-be-exiled nation to come out of Babylon (Isa. 48:20; Jer. 50:8; 51:6), after 70 years (Jer. 29:10) and return to the place where the Lord could bless them under the covenantal promises (Deut. 28). But some of the Jews rebelled against God’s command and God had to use that threat of annihilation to bring a revival amongst the Jews, thus bringing them deliverance. And from the chronological chart of the postexilic period, we see the second return of the Israelites under Ezra, few years after the events in the book of Esther.

Why was Esther chosen? She was chosen because of her total obedience and honour to her older cousin, Mordecai. From our Bible reading, we see how Mordecai adopted Esther into his family when she lost her parents (Esth. 2:7), and also, looking critically at the king’s requirement for a wife, ‘a young virgin’ (Esth. 2:2). This explains that Esther was a very young girl who still needed tutelage.

According to Bible history, a virgin girl is considered a bride when she is in her adolescence, most precisely a teenager (13-19). So Esther was probably 15 based on some biblical research, and this 15 year old girl who later should be 20 when she exercised faith and courage in bringing deliverance to her people- God chose this young girl for this purpose (Esth. 3:7; 4:13-14 cf. Rom. 9:16-18).

God chose Esther because she was humble, He opposed the proud Vashti and gave grace to a humble Esther (Jam. 4:6). ‘And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ (Mat. 23:12 NKJV).

The people whom God will use in these last days are those as young as Esther, who will give their total obedience and honour to Him and whoever He has given them for tutelage and discipleship training. God will choose the young who has faith in Him and courageous enough to challenge satanic territories and strongholds; and who are also humble enough to give him glory. Are you those kind of people god can use in this end time?

 

DECLARATION: O LORD! USE ME AS YOU USED ESTHER! CAUSE ME TO BE VERY LOYAL AND MEEK!

 

FURTHER STUDY: ESTHER 4