The Lord God is calling to His daughters: “Come into My presence for I want you to understand and know Me better.” In His presence He will teach us His ways so that we can walk in His paths (Is. 2:3).
The Lord spoke the following words to my heart: “This is a time of preparation and a time to be hidden away with Me. Are you willing to be hidden?"
The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. (Ps. 25:9 - 10)
A few years ago the Lord directed me to read the book of Esther again. As I did so, I discovered many wonderful qualities that Esther possessed. These are virtues God wants His daughters to adorn themselves with. They can be found in obeying His voice and doing what He commands.
In 480 B.C., Xerxes was king of Persia. His throne was located in the city of Shushan, capital of Persia, and his dominion was over one half of the known world. At this time, the Jewish people were in captivity, scattered throughout Babylon, Persia and Media.
A certain Jew named Mordecai worked at the king’s gate in the city. An uncle and aunt of Mordecai had died in captivity, leaving a young daughter named Esther. Mordecai took the orphan girl into his home and raised her as his own daughter. This is the setting of our story.
One day Xerxes called together his nobles, counselors and servants to proclaim and celebrate the greatness of his kingdom. A feast was prepared, one that would last for seven days.
During the celebration, the king sent for his queen, Vashti. He intended that she come arrayed in all of her glory. However, Vashti had other plans, and did not obey her husband. She refused to come before him. Xerxes became very angry.
Some of the men around the king said to themselves, “What are we going to do? Women of the country will follow her example and disobey their husbands; this can’t be allowed to happen.” They marched in to advise the king. “Oh king, Vashti must not be queen; she cannot remain in your court, otherwise women of the land will not obey their husbands. Let beautiful virgins be sought, and after a period of preparation let them be presented to you, and you, oh king, pick one of them to be queen.” This pleased the king.
One of the women chosen was beautiful, not simply in outward appearance but with an inner beauty that came from God. She was Esther!
The women were placed in a special house for their preparation. Esther found favor with the custodian; I wonder why? Probably because she had been taught submission in Mordecai’s house; both to himself and to those who trained her in spiritual things. Thus she learned not to murmur, argue or complain. What a contrast to Vashti!
Esther found herself in a “fenced in situation”. Have you ever found yourself in such a state at various times? I have, and I would like to give my testimony of one such experience:
I had just come home from the hospital with our fifth son. We were living in Carmel, New York at the time. The schools were crowded, and my other four sons were in a split session situation for their classes. I had children coming and going all day, each with different bus schedules. All this plus my other responsibilities; Iwas fenced in! I cried out to the Lord, “What am I to do?” He spoke to my heart, “Love your sons, bring them up in My ways and teach them My word.” I realized that I did not have to be anxious about the outside world. My mission field was before me. As I trusted the Lord, He brought me through in victory.
Can you imagine how Esther felt? She was in a strange environment with different laws and foods than she was familiar with.
During this time, Mordecai sent a message to Esther, “Don’t reveal who your kin or who your people are.” This was a word of wisdom as we shall see.
It was essential for Esther to restrain her words, or her life and the purpose for which God had planned to use her, would be in jeopardy.
Dear ones, what about our words? Do we reveal secrets that have been entrusted to us? Do we gossip? To do so can destroy a church, or hinder what the Lord is doing in His body. Do our words bring life or do they bring death (Pr. 18:21)? A good guideline is ensuring that they either edify, comfort or exhort (1Cor. 14:13). Let the love of Christ flow in our words to build up one another.
Esther had to undergo twelve months of preparation. That may seem a long time, but it requires a lifetime to prepare us for presentation to the King of kings.
The oil of myrrh was to be applied to Esther for six months, followed by six months in which perfumes and cosmetics were used to beautify her.
Myrrh speaks to me of suffering, something we all go through at one time or another. Esther must have felt resentment, anxiety and fear. She was away from home, in a strange place and surrounded by new faces. Have you not been in a similar situation? How did you react? Certainly, seeking the Lord is essential at such a time!
During this period of preparation, Esther no doubt, often went to prayer to the God whom she had come to know at Mordecai’s home.
My childhood was also a time of preparation. I remember as a young girl when I was teased about being a Christian. That was suffering for me at the time, but it prepared me. In those years, I discovered in scripture that I was to obey my parents. This also served to prepare me as they taught me to be wholehearted in my endeavors; work hard, study hard and be diligent in all things. I found joy in obeying scriptures that were made real to me. One of them is from Proverbs:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Pr. 3:5 - 6)
My counsel to single sisters is to prepare for vocational or professional employment, and keep yourselves pure for matrimony; holy both in body and spirit. The fruit of such preparation will be seen in the years that follow, for we never know what the Lord has ahead for us. It is natural to desire marriage and a family, but we must trust the Lord to direct our paths into what He has planned for us.
A single woman is free to wholly serve the Lord. The married woman must care about natural things; how she can please her husband (1Cor. 7:34). In doing so there can be suffering. Her words may sound like this: “Oh to be single again and free from the hours of drudgery, changing diapers, caring for sick children, interrupted sleep, meeting the household budget, cleaning house, etc.” These things, can indeed, be difficult, but in looking back, I recognize that they were the best years of my life. I was where the Lord had purposed for me to be. What a privilege it is to train up children in the Lord!
In 1984, my mother died. Around the same time, our mentally retarded son, David, went into a deep depression. I had to call upon Jesus many times. David had been born to teach us patience, love and gentleness. How can such qualities be brought forth apart from suffering? As I cried out to the Lord, He spoke to my heart: “Get up early in the morning to be with Me, and I will pour My strength into You.” What a wonderful Savior we have; what I thought was suffering became a blessing as I obeyed!
A single parent also faces suffering. My counsel to such a one is to recognize that Jesus is right there to guide you daily in your struggle. Belonging to a home church is very beneficial because there He can build bonds of relationship to support you. However, it will require your commitment and prayers.
There is also the suffering of widowhood. As widows find relational bonds in a home church, they will have much to offer in praying for others and bringing wisdom and counsel to the young. How the church needs the older women!
The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things - that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (Tit. 2:3 - 5)
After Esther and the women with her were finished in their preparation, they were allowed to take special things when they visited the king. This included jewels, beautiful clothing, expensive ornaments, however they pleased to adorn themselves. Esther requested nothing special as she went before the king. After the presentation, the king loved Esther more than all the other women. What did the king see? It was her inner beauty.
Do not let your beauty be that outward adorning of arranging the hair, of wearing gold, or of putting on fine apparel; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. (1Pet. 3:3-5)
This is the beauty that the Lord desires His daughters to adorn themselves with.
Esther made the right choice because Mordecai had been interceding for her. We will discover how important intercession is as we intercede for one another, for personal needs and difficult situations we see in each other’s lives.
King Xerxes placed a man named Haman into a position of authority to help him reign. Haman was a very proud man who commanded the people to bow before him. However, Mordecai would not bow, for he served the Lord. This made Haman furious, and he came before the king with this accusation: “You know oh king, there are Jews scattered throughout your provinces. They have their own laws and do not obey your laws. Let us destroy all of them.” This pleased the king and he made a decree to destroy all Jews on a specific date.
Mordecai heard of the planned execution and went into deep mourning. He clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes; going into the city, he wept aloud in bitterness and sorrow. Many Jews also wept and lay in sackcloth and ashes with him.
Esther heard of these things and was deeply distressed. She sent new clothing to Mordecai, but he would not put them on for he was in great intercession for his people.
Can you see, dear ones, how important it is to intercede for the body of Christ today because of the deep darkness that oppresses us? The world must not change us; we are to change the world!
Mordecai sent a message to Esther asking her to make supplication to the King for her people. However, she replied, “No one goes in to the king without being summoned; doing so would result in death.” By these words, Esther demonstrated submission to her king. Mordecai returned a message that carried the wisdom of prophetic insight:
Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)
Esther then asked Mordecai to gather all the Jews in Shushan for a three day period of fasting, both of food and drink. Esther and her maids would likewise fast. After the fast, she would approach the king. Her words expressed her heart attitude, “If I perish, I perish”.
Esther was a prayer warrior, one who spent time in God’s presence and who knew His voice. That is also our calling today. We must distinguish between our own desires, the many voices of the enemy, and the Lord’s voice if we are to be effective in prayer. That is why we must spend much time at His feet. This is a priority!
Esther did not have a “hasty spirit”, trying to fix things in her own strength. She humbled herself, doing battle behind the scene in prayer and fasting. What a good example she set for us!
After this period of prayer and fasting, Esther put on her royal robes and went before the king. She found favor in his sight and he held out the golden scepter to show acceptance of her presence.
When we humble ourselves as Esther did, our King will also see the beautiful apparel we are clothed with, and delight in our presence. The beauty He looks for is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Gal. 5:22 - 23).
Esther went before king Xerxes and touched the scepter. She found great favor in his eyes, and he promised to give her whatever she desired, even to one half of his kingdom. The Lord gave Esther a word of wisdom in her reply:
If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him. (Esther 5:4)
Even before her acceptance, Esther had learned of the specific role she was to play in how God would answer her prayer. She was obedient and had prepared the banquet. It is not just prayers that the Lord desires, but also our obedience in what He directs us to do when we pray. Women are to be full of good works (Eph. 2:10).
At the banquet the king again asked for Esther’s petition. She replied by requesting that the king and Haman attend another banquet that she would prepare for them on the next day, at which time she would make her request known to the king.
At that time she made known her request with great humility. She never presumed in her authority as queen, only in the grace of her king. “If I have found favor in your sight, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.”
When asked who would do such a thing, Esther replied that the adversary and enemy was the wicked Haman. She revealed to the king that she was a Jewess, and asked the king to revoke the decree. This was done, and Haman was hung on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai. The Jews were set free.
It is important to note that Esther never told the king before this time that she and her people were Jews; to have done so would have caused their redemption to fail. How important it is that we do not gossip or reveal secrets. Such careless words can hinder the work of salvation in lives today, just as much as in the day of Esther.
There was great rejoicing among the Jews. It was a time of joy, gladness and honor (Esther 8:16 - 17). Their celebration was called the feast of Purim, and is celebrated by Jews today in the spring of the year.
King Xerxes remembered that Mordecai had saved his life, and he honored Mordecai by commissioning him to be second in authority over the nation. He had been faithful to the Lord, and in the end was greatly rewarded for doing so.
Esther came into a place of honor because she had been faithful in the following times of great testing.
All of these instances were used to prepare Esther, so that when the time of crisis arrived, and she stood before the king, the beauty that had been worked in her became the way of salvation for her people.
It is no different for us; the beauty of the Lord’s handiwork in our lives, the fruits of His Spirit, is how we, the bride of Christ, prepare for our King. We have been brought to His kingdom for these days!