Do you remember your first roller coaster ride? I think I was in high school. Cedar Point. The blue and red one that you first see (oh goodness this is back in the late 70s) … gemini? At any rate it was terrifying and thrilling all at the same time. Clank clank clank up the first summit that will get the ride started. Oh how vivid that feeling is.
Over the past couple of weeks we’ve read through the back story to Esther’s roller coaster ride. It’s like buying your ticket and weaving your way through the line until you’re the one that is sliding into your car and getting strapped in for the ride. It’s go time!
Esther 5 - 8
Chapter 5: Esther is prayed up and faces the King knowing that she has no choice but to sacrifice herself. But Xerses welcomes her in and gives her a generous offer. Rather than immediately accepting the offer and create a standoff between her and Haman, she invites them to a banquet. This honor puffs Haman up even more, and successfully leads him to set up his own demise.
Her request is that there is a second banquet and Mordecai being even more puffed up prepares to avenge his hatred for Mordecai.
Chapter 6: Meanwhile the king has insomnia and ends up reviewing some of his historical records and this refreshes his memory about the hero who rescued him earlier from an enemy plot. The hero being Haman’s arch enemy, Mordecai. There is a comical exchange between Xerses and Haman the next day at work that was GOD orchestrated and PRIDE fueled which completely flips Haman’s plans to have Mordecai hanged, instead honoring him for his heroic rescue of the king. Oh my! Haman is now humiliated but has no time to lick his wounds, he must attend the second banquet.
Chapter 7: Take two. Esther speaks openly and freely about the plot to annihilate her people, the Jews. Coming from the lovely, generous Esther, the king is agast demading to know who would think of such a thing. Haman! Haman the man who just built a 75 foot tall gallows on which to publically hang Mordecai is now hooded and taken to be executed.
Chapter 8: Of course the King thinks this is the end of the story and celebrates by giving Esther the lavish gift of Haman’s estate and to Mordecai he gives Haman’s job as second in command. But Esther knows the decree for Jewish annihilation is still in play so she falls on his mercy once again and once again Xerses grants her audience. She explains the situation. Xerses give the order to Mordecai to write a second decree overrulling Haman’s that gives the Jews the right to defend themselves against threats and there is not only celebration in the land, many join the Jewish faith.
Lessons
There are some beautiful lessons to consider in this roller coaster of a story.
#1 PATIENCE
Ugg, I know. Waiting is hard. Waiting when you’re at the pinnacle of crisis is not going to happen without faith and without practice.
One of the things that makes the Book of Esther stand out is that God is not mentioned. There certainly are reasons that we don’t read about God but it seems clear to me that God is the one who empowers the patience of Esther and Mordecai. After the Jewish community in Susa took 3 days to fast and pray, Esther appears to move forward with a slow and steady confidence. She is not “making things happen” God is. She is waiting for God to set everything in order.
Remember the next time you face a difficult situation, take the time to fast and pray. And from there you can confidently wait on God to set everything in His proper order.
#2 GENEROSITY
Maybe this is an odd note, but it really stands out to me that while Esther could be “freaking out”, she could be wailing, mourning, and inconsolable as she is preparing a banquet. She is thinking of others. She is putting their needs ahead of her own. They are generous offerings…. 2 full days of feasting when she could be running, hiding, or just doing something for HER because she will be made an example of.
Psalm 23:5 comes to mind with a feast prepared in the presence of enemies. Esther prepared a feast and took the time to host and feed her enemy while God was doing the work behind the scenes to right Haman’s wrong.
#3 TRUST
All of the patience and generosity has to come from one place and that is our trust in God. He alone can turn a hopeless circumstance into a celebration. God alone can rescue our doomed souls from annihilation. God alone can recognize a faithful servant and elevate him from standing OUTSIDE the city gates to being second in command.
challenge
Which one of these 3 do you need to grow the most? Take time this week to talk to God about increasing your patience, generosity, and trust so that people can see and know the God who is changing you.