1:13 — Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times.
We are wise to make the effort to “understand the times,” to gain an accurate picture of how people of our era tend to think, behave, and communicate. Then we can have a maximum impact on our culture for Christ.
1:18 — “The ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s conduct will speak in the same way to all the king’s princes.”
Those in authority—officials, teachers, parents—can have a huge impact on the people around them just by the way they act, whether for good or ill (1 Cor. 15:33; 1 Tim. 4:12).
2:9 — The young lady pleased him and found favor with him.
God often demonstrates His grace to His godly children by giving them the unexpected favor of powerful or influential individuals. Whenever this happens, it is no accident; it is the work of our sovereign Lord.
2:10 — Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known.
Esther’s obedience in a small thing led eventually to a great blessing in a difficult time. Every act of godly obedience is used powerfully by God!
2:15 — She did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised.
Esther not only had an obedient spirit, but she also possessed a humble heart. She realized that she did not know best in this unfamiliar situation, and so she wisely acted on the advice of a more experienced person.
2:17 — The king loved Esther more than all the women . . . so that he set the royal crown on her head.
This verse explains that the king showed Esther “favor and kindness” because he loved her, yet we know that the Lord was working in the unseen—orchestrating His plan to save His people (Esth. 4:14; Prov. 21:1). God remains intimately involved in our lives, even when we don’t realize it.
2:23 — When the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.
God can use even secular records to accomplish His will and bless His people. No one knew at the time how important this incident would become—no one, of course, except the Lord (Esth. 6).
Life Examples
Bowing Before No Man
If anyone ever had reason to compromise on what he knew was right, it was Mordecai. Mordecai had a choice: either bow before the powerful official Haman or lose his life. Mordecai stood strong, however, and refused to disobey God’s commandment against bowing in worship to anyone but Him (Ex. 20:3; Lev. 26:1; Josh. 23:16).
Day after day, other officials tried to reason with Mordecai, but he still refused to bow. Perhaps he remembered God’s words: “Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and of the son of man who is made like grass, that you have forgotten the LORD your Maker?” (Is. 51:12, 13).
In the end, God not only spared Mordecai’s life, but He made him a powerful and honored public official (Esth. 10:3). God means it when He says, “Those who honor Me I will honor” (1 Sam. 2:30)!
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
21. Obedience always brings blessing.
3:2 — Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.
Mordecai owed his allegiance to God alone and refused to bow in worship to any man, regardless of how powerful he might be. If we fear the Lord, we have no reason to fear any other person, problem, or obstacle (Prov. 29:25).
3:4 — It was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand.
People who do not know the Lord will often try to convince, urge, and even coerce us into violating our convictions, but if we wish to honor God, we will obey His voice above all others.
3:10 — The king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman . . . the enemy of the Jews.
Those who plot against the people of God become not only their enemies, but the adversaries of the Lord Himself. God says to His obedient people, “I will be an enemy to your enemies” (Ex. 23:22).
4:3 — There was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.
When catastrophe looms, seeking the Lord’s direction through prayer and fasting will do more for us than any other response.
4:11 — “Any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live.”
When something threatens our lives, we naturally feel great fear. There is no sin in this. It’s how we respond to that fear—with a courageous trust in God or a desire for self-preservation—that makes the difference.
4:14 — “If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place.”
God is never bound by our faithlessness or cowardice. He desires to use us to bless His people, but if we fail to trust Him, He will use someone else. He will always accomplish His will.
4:16 — “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me. . . . and my maidens also will fast in the same way.”
When we go to God in prayer, we acknowledge there is only One who is truly in control of all that concerns us. Through her time in God’s presence, Esther received the wisdom and courage to address the king at the proper time. God turned the king’s heart so he would be favorably disposed to her. In the same way, when you fight your battles on your knees, you win every time.
What the Bible Says About
The Benefits of Prayer and Fasting
When God calls us to prayer and fasting, He always does so for our benefit. Scripture points out at least seven benefits to prayer and fasting.
1. Our attitudes, feelings, and thoughts are sifted, pruned, purified, and readied for greater ministry with God. By fasting and praying, we become more disciplined toward the things of the Father. We show our willingness for Him to cut away from us those things that will slow us down, make us stumble, or keep us from His plans and purposes.
2. We are able to discern more clearly the will of God for our lives. Fasting clears our spiritual eyes and ears so we can accurately discern what God desires to reveal to us.
3. We are confronted with our sins and shortcomings so we might confess them to God, receive forgiveness for them, and walk in His righteousness. Through fasting and prayer, we demonstrate our desire for God to break stubborn, sinful habits within us. As we pray, He cleanses and purifies us from the very things that keep us entangled in sin.
4. We experience a release of supernatural power. Genuine fasting and prayer can result in spiritual growth, including a renewed outpouring of supernatural power. Certain problems and situations cannot be resolved apart from fasting and prayer (Matt. 17:21).
5. We can influence national issues and concerns through our prayers. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God promises, “[If] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
6. We can help build up God’s people. Prayer keeps the church body connected to its Head—Jesus Christ. Through prayer, the church can understand His will for ministry—filling us with His love for the lost and His power to further His kingdom.
7. Our minds are sharpened. When we fast and pray, we begin to understand Scripture as never before. We become sensitive to God’s timing and direction, with an increased awareness and ability to discern His will. We become keenly aware of what God desires to do and accomplish, not only in our lives, but also in the lives of those around us.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
4:17 — Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.
To this point in the story, Esther has always obeyed the words of Mordecai. Now the tables turn, and Mordecai complies with the words of Queen Esther. Thus, this pair pictures a godly mutual submission (Eph. 5:21).
5:4 — “If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.”
Esther demonstrates as well as anyone in Scripture the wisdom of God’s Word when it tells us to honor those who deserve honor, such as the king (Rom. 13:1–7; 1 Pet. 2:17). God blesses us when we obey His Word!
Life Examples
A Restless Spirit
God often uses a restless spirit to get a person’s attention.
When it was discovered that Haman had tricked King Ahasuerus into signing an edict for the annihilation of the Jews, Mordecai asked all of God’s people in Susa to fast and pray for His protection and deliverance. They did not know how the Lord would rescue them—they simply trusted that He would.
Days later, the king could not sleep. Because of his restless spirit, Ahasuerus “gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read” (Esth. 6:1). As he listened to this journal of his reign and the words of Queen Esther, Ahasuerus discovered that Mordecai had saved his life but had never been rewarded. From there, God turned the circumstances around so drastically that Mordecai was honored, and it was Haman who died on the gallows. The Jews were saved, and the man who plotted their demise bore the punishment of his own schemes.
God frequently uses a persistent restlessness to direct us. This type of restlessness originates in the deepest aspect of a person’s being and persists over time.
When you have that feeling, stop and ask the Lord what He is trying to say. Spend extended time in the Word and in prayer. Set aside a block of time to quiet yourself before the Lord so you can hear from Him clearly.
See the Life Principles Index for further study:
22. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.
6:1 — During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles.
Although it seemed that Haman’s plan to hang Mordecai (Esth. 4:9–14) and exterminate the Jews (3:1–15) was progressing flawlessly, the Lord was working in the unseen. At just the right moment, He vindicated Mordecai and saved His people. God was in control—not Haman or any of His foes. If others have been misrepresenting your actions, even as you follow the Lord, don’t despair. God will vindicate you (Ps. 54). Obey Him and leave all the consequences of your decision to Him.
6:10 — “Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew.”
God loves to use for good what men intend for evil. In doing so, He shows that He alone is sovereign.
7:3 — “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me as my petition, and my people as my request.”
Even in her urgent request, Esther demonstrated a humble spirit and a restrained attitude—thus endearing her even more to the king. Her godly self-control won her far more than a violent outburst ever could. Following God means stepping out in faith with full confidence in the Lord’s protection and provision. He wants us to submit to Him, wholeheartedly knowing that He will accomplish all that He has promised.
7:9 — “Behold indeed, the gallows standing at Haman’s house fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai. . . . ” And the king said, “Hang him on it.”
God continued to reverse Haman’s plans. The Lord turned the gallows that Haman intended for evil into deliverance for His people. Even when the skies grow darkest, we can stand on God’s Word and pray that He will intervene for our good and His glory (Ps. 9:15; 57:6).
8:2 — The king took off his signet ring which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
The story of Mordecai and Haman well illustrates Proverbs 13:22: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.”
8:8 — “A decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring may not be revoked.”
Not even the king could revoke his own order, but he could issue another order that would supersede his first one. God does whatever He needs to in order to bless His obedient people!
8:12 — On one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar).
This decree took effect just before Haman’s genocidal order could be carried out. God always provides perfectly for His people. Will we trust Him?
9:1 — On the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them.
Haman did not live to see the total reversal of his diabolical plan, yet Esther and Mordecai did—they saw the amazing way God answered their prayers and delivered them. Therefore, never lose heart when things seem bleak. Instead, remember that God loves to act on behalf of those who wait for Him!
9:22 — It was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday.
What Satan intended to be a day of slaughter and mourning for the Jews, God turned into a day of rejoicing and sending presents. No matter how dark the circumstances of your life may become, God can bring good out of them if you will only trust and obey Him (Rom. 8:28)
10:3 — Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people.
Mordecai took his place, along with Joseph and Daniel before him, as a godly man living in exile whom God raised to a position of authority second only to the king. The Lord is sovereign, and He is always good!