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"Taking the Risk" by John M. Nielson
Esther 4:1 When Mordekhai learned everything that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went out through the city, lamenting and crying bitterly. 2 He stopped before entering the King’s Gate, since no one was allowed to go inside the King’s Gate wearing sackcloth. 3 In every province reached by the king’s order and decree, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing, as many lay down on sackcloth and ashes.
4 When the girls and officials attending Ester came and informed her of this, the queen became deeply distressed. She sent clothes for Mordekhai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he wouldn’t accept them. 5 So Ester summoned Hatakh, one of the king’s officials attending her, and instructed him to go to Mordekhai and find out what this was all about and why. 6 Hatakh went out to Mordekhai in the open space in front of the King’s Gate, 7 and Mordekhai told him everything that had happened to him and exactly how much silver Haman had promised to put in the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the decree for their destruction issued in Shushan; so that he could show it to Ester, explain it to her, and then instruct her to approach the king, intercede with him and implore his favor on behalf of her people. 9 Hatakh returned and told Ester what Mordekhai had said.
10 Then Ester spoke to Hatakh and gave him this message for Mordekhai: 11 “All the king’s officials, as well as the people in the royal provinces, know that if anyone, man or woman, approaches the king in the inner courtyard without being summoned, there is just one law — he must be put to death — unless the king holds out the gold scepter for him to remain alive; and I haven’t been summoned to the king for the past thirty days.”
12 Upon being told what Ester had said, Mordekhai 13 asked them to give Ester this answer: “Don’t suppose that merely because you happen to be in the royal palace you will escape any more than the other Jews. 14 For if you fail to speak up now, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from a different direction; but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows whether you didn’t come into your royal position precisely for such a time as this.”
15 Ester had them return this answer to Mordekhai: 16 “Go, assemble all the Jews to be found in Shushan, and have them fast for me, neither eating nor drinking for three days, night and day; also I and the girls attending me will fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” 17 Then Mordekhai went his way and did everything Ester had ordered him to do.
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Esther lived a life of comfort. She hid her true identity, but now her people–God’s people–were in danger. Because of her position, she appeared to be the only one who could intervene. To be silent would mean to be safe; to speak might mean to sacrifice herself, but it might also save thousands of God’s chosen people and His eternal plan. Esther decided to “do the right thing.” Later generations saw God’s fingerprints all over this incident, and her story is retold every year during the Jewish feast of Purim.
Watershed moments come to us all. Usually, we do not choose them. We may not recognize them. Suddenly, we are faced with complicated situations that hold great potential, great danger, and real risk. They cannot be evaded or avoided. These are the moments that define and display who we truly are.
Our choices will probably not be as historical as Esther’s, but in our families and communities, they are equally important. We must pray daily that in each of our areas of influence we will have wisdom, commitment, and courage to be and to do what is needed for those around us and for God’s kingdom.
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Hymn for Today: "Once to Every Man and Nation" by James Russell Lowell
1. Once to every man and nation,
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision,
Offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever,
’Twixt that darkness and that light.
2. Then to side with truth is noble,
When we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit,
And ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses
While the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue
Of the faith they had denied.
3. By the light of burning martyrs,
Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calv’ries ever
With the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties,
Time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward,
Who would keep abreast of truth.
4. Though the cause of evil prosper,
Yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold,
And upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own.
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Thought of the Day: Deuteronomy 13:5 (4) You are to follow Adonai your God, fear him, obey his mitzvot, listen to what he says, serve him and cling to him;
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Please Pray: That many people in Dominica will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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Please Pray: That many people in Dominica will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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