When Queen Vashti refused to be put on display, King Xerxes grew angry. At the counsel of his advisors, he removed her from office, opening the door for Esther to take her spot. Esther serves as a marvelous illustration of how God uses one person’s influence to accomplish his plans!
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Esther: Protector of the Messianic Line
By risking her life after rising to prominence, Esther, the captive Jewish orphan, protected the lineage of the coming Messiah. Her gift of intuition and exquisite sense of timing energized her leadership. Through the whole ordeal she remained humbly committed to her people and used her influence to save them all.
Through her kindness and gracious spirit, Esther found favor with the eunuch in charge of the candidates for queen. He rewarded her with a position of prominence and high visibility. During this time, Esther remained close to her foster father, Mordecai. She maintained a teachable spirit and did not lose sight of her origins. Thanks to these godly qualities, Mordecai was able to guide Esther through many potential land mines.
One sees the true nature of Esther’s heart following her selection as queen. Here was a former peasant girl who easily could have gotten caught up in the pageantry and fame of royalty. Instead, Esther constantly reminded herself that she had received a God-given status for a reason. Her servant heart enabled her to risk her life for others. She had earned the trust of the king, used her intuition well, and really did come to the kingdom “for such a time as this” (Est 4:14).
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The Law of Respect: Esther Stays Accountable to Mordecai
Esther was a beautiful young Jew being reared by her older cousin, Mordecai, in the days of the Persian captivity. When Esther found favor with the king and was chosen to become his next queen, the choice surprised both her and Mordecai. She would now hold a significant place of influence in the empire, even as a Jewish captive!
Because she had learned well the Law of Respect, she remained accountable to Mordecai’s leadership and mentoring even after she moved into the palace. She listened and followed his counsel about concealing her identity as a Jew. His advice paid off, and the king selected her to be the queen of Persia.
What allowed Mordecai to continue to be a persuasive mentor in Esther’s life, even though she became rich, famous, and influential? We see four reasons in chapter two:
1. Relationship: He had raised her and known her for years.
2. Wisdom: He intuitively knew what she should do when campaigning to be queen.
3. Concern: Every day he paced in front of Esther’s court out of love and concern.
4. Courage: He informed Esther when he discovered a plot against the king.
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Mordecai: Refusing the Smallest Compromise
Being God’s kind of leader means refusing even the smallest compromise in what you believe. Mordecai was that kind of leader.
Mordecai wasn’t going to bend—not one bit—when Haman, the newly appointed prime minister of Persia, demanded a show of reverence bordering on worship (Est 3:2). When the palace officials asked Mordecai why he refused to reverence the prime minister, he told them he was a Jew. And what difference did that make? The Lord Himself had said, “You shall have no other gods before me . . . You shall not bow down to them or worship them” (Ex 20:3, 5). Day after day these men tried to “talk some sense” into Mordecai; didn’t Haman have the authority to execute him for his insolence?
Haman, in his arrogance and pride, decided not to challenge Mordecai directly, but to wipe out his whole race. In a plot eerily similar to the one carried out many centuries later in Nazi Germany, Haman decreed that Mordecai’s people, the Jews, should be exterminated.
Mordecai, of course, paled at the news. Still, he held steadfastly to his refusal to dishonor his God by bowing before a mere man. In the end, through a twist utterly characteristic of the Lord, God honored Mordecai and exalted him before the very people who had begged him to compromise his principles.
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When to Lead Is as Important as What to Do and Where to Go
WHEN THE RIGHT leader and the right moment come together, incredible things happen. Winston Churchill described it like this: “There comes a special moment in everyone’s life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission—a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment he finds greatness. It is his finest hour.”
Reading a situation and knowing what to do are not enough to make you succeed in leadership. Only the right action at the right time will bring success. Anything else exacts a high price.
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To be an effective leader, you must overcome whatever keeps you from moving forward. Like Esther, you must learn that if you don’t seize the moment . . .
1. Your fate will be like that of the rest of the crowd. Sometimes it’s easy to buy in to the notion that we are special and won’t have to take the risks of earlier generations. But that is a myth. If we don’t take risks, we can never expect to rise to the occasion. Mordecai reminded Esther that even though she was queen, she would fare no better than the rest of the Jews if she didn’t talk to the king.
2. God will replace you with someone else. Mordecai motivated Esther by reminding her that God would accomplish his purposes even if she sat on the sidelines. It’s not necessarily the giftedness of the leader that prompts God’s blessing; it’s more often the leader’s willingness to move when and where he indicates.
3. You could lose more than an opportunity. Mordecai reminded Esther that if she sat back and did nothing, she could lose more than a chance to do the right thing—she could lose her life. Although doing the right thing at the right time can seem risky, in the long run, leaders incur a greater risk by not taking action.
4. You could miss out on your mission in life. Mordecai speculated that if Esther failed to act on behalf of her people, she might miss out on God’s purpose for her life. You will never accomplish your mission by remaining idle. What paralyzes you? Fear? Image? Regardless of what keeps you from pursuing an opportunity, you will succeed only by making one timely decision after another. There is no such thing as zero risk in leadership. But when you determine to seize a ripe opportunity despite the risk, you build momentum.
The Test of Timing
Make sure that each decision you make stands the test of timing. To help determine if it’s the right time to seize an opportunity, consider the following:
1. The Needs Around You. When you keep a finger on the pulse of your people’s basic needs, you will always find opportune times to lead.
Esther understood the needs of her people. She understood not only what they needed, but also what they needed from her. Get in touch with your people’s needs. Then make a point to continually ask: What is their mood? What do they desire to accomplish? What do they need from me, their leader?
2. The Opportunities Before You. You find ripe opportunities only by looking for them. Early in Esther’s leadership, Mordecai did much of the “spotting.” He let her know each time he discerned a small window of opportunity. Esther learned from Mordecai’s insight, and later discerned the opportune time to inform the king of Mordecai’s actions. When you take the time to spot golden opportunities, they start to stick out.
3. The Influencers Behind You. Esther came to value Mordecai’s opinion so much that she made sure he remained by her side throughout her reign. Before you make an important decision, ask your key influencers what they are feeling. Do they see the same opportunity you do? Are they discerning the same timing? When trying to discern the right time to take action, you must get feedback from your key people.
4. The Successes Under You. Experience provides practical advice, so take a minute to recall your successes. Have you done anything like this before? Is it reasonable to expect the same outcome from this decision?
Mordecai had to convince Esther about the right time to approach the king. Success in that incident gave her confidence for the future. Before long, Esther had gained so much influence with the king that he was asking her for advice.
5. The Courage Within You. Leadership requires courage—the courage to risk, to reach, and to put yourself on the line to seize an opportunity. The word courage comes from a French word that means “heart.” Taking advantage of an opportunity at the right time requires heart.
Esther demonstrated tremendous courage, time after time. It took great heart to stand before the king. Fear tried to get her to back down—and fear will also try to get the better of you. But good leaders understand that ripe opportunities never come without fear. So they move forward despite a moment of hesitation.
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The Law of Sacrifice: Esther Is Willing to Give Her Life for the People
After Mordecai confronts Esther about risking her life for her people, she makes a commitment to approach the king uninvited—even though such an appearance invited death (Est 4:11). Esther says simply, “I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish” (4:16). She took the step; she informed the king; she changed his mind; she saved the day.
Such is the life of a leader who practices the Law of Sacrifice. A leader must be willing to give up to go up.
Of course, leaders do this only when their cause becomes more important than their life. Jesus called his staff to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him (Mt 16:24). He told them that those who saved their lives would lose them. Esther put the cause of her people above her instinct for self-preservation—and not only lived, but enabled many others to live as well.
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The Law of Solid Ground: God, Esther and Haman
God, Esther and Haman each play a leading role in the book of Esther. God is the Leader in control; Esther is the leader under control; and Haman is the leader out of control. Consider each one.
God: The Leader in Control
1. He took Queen Vashti off the throne.
2. He gave Esther the throne.
3. He used Mordecai to supply information.
4. He put everyone in place before the crisis.
Esther: The Leader Under Control
1. Her position didn’t steal her compassion.
2. She felt limited in what she could do.
3. She knew her place in the organization.
4. She felt the need to fast and pray.
5. She depended on the prayers of others.
6. She was willing to take a risk and obey.
7. She didn’t take advantage of generosity.
8. She recognized the importance of timing.
Haman: The Leader Out of Control
1. He misunderstood the times.
2. He lost joy over little problems.
3. He needed friends to build his self-image.
4. His greed and ambition made him unhappy.
5. He listened to the wrong people.
6. He thought too highly of himself.
7. He set himself up for a fall.
8. He reaped what he sowed.
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The Law of Solid Ground: Mordecai Gets a Reward
Twice Mordecai protected the king from destructive leaders, and twice he was rewarded. He reaped the benefits of a track record that showed him to be a leader who could be trusted. He demonstrates that a leader cannot be successful unless other people want him to be.
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