Image: Mordecai & Esther by Aert de Gelder, 1685 – Mordecai urges Esther’s Intervention

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For Such a Time as This.

Do you have a mission for such a time as this? You indeed do and this podcast will help you!  Join us today as Queen Esther trusts the power of God in prayer, gains needed courage, and discovers her mission.

A Passover Turned to Weeping

In Esther Chapter 3, Mordecai refused to bow down and pay homage to Haman.  Enraged Haman hatred for Jews and cast Purim (somewhat similar to our dice) to determine the date for the killing of all Jews throughout all of Persia. The king agreed and the announcement for the annihilation of all the Jewish people was distributed throughout the kingdom on Passover—the very day Jewish families commemorate annually the time God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and saved their firstborn.

Now, their joy-filled Passover celebration was turned into a time of wailing. Could you imagine this happening to you, your family, or your church family on a celebration like Easter?

The words For Such a Time as This, come directly from Chapter 4 of the Book of Esther. Today, we cover these points:

Sackcloth and Ashes (Esther 4: 1-4)

• Mordecai heard of the edict and he sobbed greatly, tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth and ashes. He wailed and wept bitterly on the city square at the palace gate.
• For all Jews, the happy celebration of Passover with family, friends, traditions, and food quickly turned into wailing, fasting, and prayer. According to Scripture, the Jewish people always linked prayer and repentance with fasting.
• Sackcloth, made from grain bags was scratchy, could cut the skin, and served as an act of penance and pleading with the Lord. Ashes, worn on the head or sat in, were a sign of self-humiliation and deep sorrow often over a national disaster. See Joel 2:12 and 17 to summarize this Biblical purpose for fasting, weeping, and penance.

Persian Palace Life (Esther 4: 5-12)

• Esther lived in the plush environment of the palace, but she may have become secluded from the world around her. She was not aware of Haman’s edict.
• She tried to send clothes to Mordecai. Only when he refused the clothes did she ask what was wrong. Mordecai gave her the evidence of the edict but she indicated she could not go to the king as he had not called for her in over 30 days. She could be put to death if he did not reach out.

National Fasting (Esther 4: 13-17)

• Esther called a day of national fasting.
• Throughout Old Testament history, fasting meant fervently calling out to God with a heart of repentance, sorrow, submission, and supplication to seek his help or protection, provision, and forgiveness. For example, refer to Judges 20, Deuteronomy 9, Joel 1-2, 1 Samuel, and Jonah 3.
• Every year, according to Leviticus 23, all of Israel fasted on the Day of Atonement and a scapegoat would be driven into the desert to represent the sins of the people (a foreshadowing of what Christ would do on the cross for us). As they prayed, repented, and humbled themselves, their sins would be taken from God’s sight on the scapegoat.
• See Esther 13 and 14 for examples of how to intercede/pray for a nation from Esther and Mordecai’s prayers (e.g., praising God’s goodness, repenting for your sins and the sins of your nation, pouring out your heart to God, asking for God’s intervention).

Planning a Fast

• Fasting is about relationship. It is about aligning ourselves with God—drawing close to Him, worshiping Him, hearing from Him, repenting (turning), and changing our ways.
• Fasting takes planning for most of us, but most importantly it involves replacing our time spent eating or running around in “busyness,” with prayer and time seeking the Lord.
• A fast, drinking only water or juice, can last a meal, until nightfall, a full day or more. Fasting can also involve refraining from certain foods (see Daniel 10: 2-3). or refraining from distractions like media or television, internet usage, shopping for a certain amount of time, etc.).
• For the plan, you may want to take five steps: (1) write down your objective, (2) decide how you will fast, (3) schedule time in adoration & personal prayer, (4) read God’s Word & ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you (e.g., John 14 and 15), and (5) believe that God will answer with wisdom, direction, and/or a miracle.
• In Esther’s case, an extreme response would be required for her to safely go to the King, so she called for an extreme fast— three days of abstaining from food and water for the entire nation!

Personal Reflection

Today, our story teaches us:

• At first, Esther was not aware that God had a mission for her—God planned to use her powerfully. With Mordecai’s help and the providence of God, she discerned her mission but was afraid and at first denied it.
• Esther needed fellow pray-ers. She asked her entire Jewish nation to pray, fast and repent, and seek God’s intervention. Only after three days of prayer and fasting did she find the grace and strength to proceed in her mission- to be used by God to save the Jewish People
• What is God’s mission for you at your place and time? The Lord Jesus has a mission for you. ASK in prayer. Often, it involves bringing the love of God and a testimony of Him to those around you. But, sometimes, it may be more than you ever thought possible.
• Finally, consider praying with St.  John Henry Newman’s Prayer I Have a Place. Start with praying these few sentences:  “I have a place in God’s counsels, in God’s world, which no one else has; whether I be rich or poor, despised or esteemed by man, God knows me and calls me by my name. God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission…” The rest is in a free bookmark on my website WrapyourselfinJOY.com.

Links

• You can download Bookmarks from this podcast series at my website: WRAPYourseldinJOY.com.
• For all Esther & Turnaround JOY podcasts click here:
• Check out more podcasts here!
• Click here to find the book: Esther For Such A Time As This: Prayer, Reversals, and Joy