For Such A Time As This

This morning I was reading my daily read Bible and we started the book of Esther. This book of the Bible has always drawn me and it speaks to me and encourages me. If you don’t know the basic story, let me give you a quick overview. The King gets mad at the Queen and banishes him from his presence and gets a new queen, its a process and in the end Esther wins his favor and becomes his next queen. Meanwhile, her cousin who had adopted her and been taking care of her follows God’s law and does not bow down to one of the high up officials, this official gets mad and decides that he is going to have all of the Jews killed. He convinces the King to issue a decree and they set a date to destroy all the Jews in the empire. Esther’s cousin comes to her and tells her all of this and asks her for help (Esther is also Jewish, but has not revealed her nationality).  Esther tells her cousin that everyone knows if anyone enters the kings presence without being asked  will be killed. Now her cousin’s (Mordecai) response is where it is at. I am just going to put those verses here because you should see his response and hers.

Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:  “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” (Esther 4:13-16)

The end of the story is Esther saves her people and the man that tried to kill them all is killed by the King.

The thing that strikes me is what Mordecai says to her “Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” How often have we had things happen in our lives and we are afraid of standing up for what is right because we don’t want tools what we have? We forget that God is the one in control and He is the one that has made things happen and that maybe he gave us the voice He has to speak out.  I think also about the quote from Martin Niemöller a pastor in Germany during WWII. 

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

I wonder how we will respond to the current trends and hate filled world?