Faith

YOUR TIME IS NOW.

Scriptures; Esther 4:13-17

Topic; Your Time Is Now

Introduction

Esther was faced with the decision of her life, with one of the most difficult decision ever faced by a man or woman. She alone could step forth to save the Jewish people from extermination, but she needed a deep-seated courage. Thankfully, such courage existed within her heart. Thereby Esther made a momentous and extraordinary decision. She determined to risk her life by appearing before King Xerxes to plead for mercy for her people. At first Esther’s courage was dormant. It needed to be stirred up Mordecai. Through Hathach the queen’s trusted aide, Mordecai and Esther exchanged message after message until the courage was aroused within her to risk her life to save the Jewish people from annihilation.

(v.11). Persian law prohibited anyone from approaching the king without first being summoned. Such a law was necessary in order to protect the king from potential assassins and from being interrupted while conduction important business. Esther simply saw no way to secure an audience with the king, for she had not been summoned by him for 30 days. There was the possibility that she was no longer favored by him. Hence, she knew she might never again be summoned into his presence.

(vv.12-14). When Esther dilemmas was reported to Mordecai, he insisted that she be courageous and figure out some way to approach the king. Her reaching the king and pleading the case of the Jews was an absolute essential. She could not make excuses nor shrink from this responsibility. Seeking to arouse her courage, Mordecai gave three reasons why she had to figure out a way to approach the king to lead him to reverse the decree.

1. Esther herself was a Jew and would not escape execution. Being queen was meaningless in the face of Persian law, for Persian law could not be reversed, not even by the king himself. Although she was the wife and queen of King Xerxes, she too was doomed to death unless...