FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS ………

Greetings to you all in the mighty name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Albert Einstein  once said “ Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous”. Many times we wonder as to how certain things happen at the right time, in the right place , to the right people. We often call it luck or coincidence.  When a child is born, parents and elders give it a name of their wish and choice. No one knows what the future holds for that child !  As they say,     what is there in a name ?  They named her “Hadassah”. She was born to the captive Babylonian jews belonging to the tribe of Benjamin who chose to stay back even after the decree of King Cyrus. As we all know Hadassah means a “myrtle ” famous for its symbol of sacred, beauty, healing, prosperity, innocence, love and spirituality. One important feature of the myrtle tree is its bright star like fragrant flowers especially the white ones. Today also fragrant sprigs of myrtle is included in wedding bouquets /crown as  a symbol of love and beauty. The Holy Bible mentions it in many places including in Isaiah 55 : 13 : “ Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Briers and thorns came up in this earth only after the disobedience of Adam and this curse was borne on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ who bore a crown of thorns.

As the story goes, the child lost both her parents and the orphaned child was being brought up by her elder cousin Mordecai. This child grew up into a young and lovely woman ( Esther 2:7). However a time came when this girl had to hide her jewish identity while she was taken to the King’s palace. She was named “Esther”. Esther was a popular name in Persia after the goddess of “ishthar” meaning the “star”. But the jewish roots of the name “Esther” is “ to hide or conceal”. What a coincidence !

This story has so many instances of coincidences that many times it is difficult to believe it as true as it takes nail biting twists and turns endangering the very existence of the jewish people in the then known world. King Saul (of Benjamin tribe) was given the task of totally eliminating the agagites. He left the job unfinished. Centuries later we see Esther becoming the queen and the agagite descendent Haman being elevated next to the King. This  time it is for the agagites to cast “pur”(lots) to decide on the date of extermination of the entire jewish diaspora in the kingdom. That night the king looses his sleep and by chance reads the portion of chronicle about Mordecai saving the King but yet to be honoured. By chance Haman enters the King’s room only to be directed by the King to honour Mordecai for whom Haman had just erected a 23 feet high post for hanging him. If I write all such coincidences in this romantic but nail biting story it will run to pages. Going back to Einstein’s quote above, we should better understand that,  it is all divine providence and not by happenstance. As Mordecai states, hadassah aka ester was born, brought up and made to be  the queen only for “such a time as this”  ( Esther 4:14).

Finally a mention about the conspicuous absence of the Name of the Lord in the Book of Esther. For so we thought. I have read that jewish scholars are very skilled with “acrostics” (arrangement of letters in sentences in a sequence to make a word).  I have read that the name of the Lord appears five times in the jewish bible well hidden in the form of acrostics.

Now what is the take away for today’s youth from this story ? Rest be assured that our God of our forefathers is our God today also. He is the Lord of hosts. Jehovah is His name. He is the controller and conductor of events. He has aptly named you even before you were born and called you by name and He has a specific task for you in your life in these end days. Obey your father and mother and elders in Christ. And stand up for Christ as Esther did. Keep your body and soul holy like the myrtle tree.

Remember : “ And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.”  ( I Samuel 17:47).

Yes. Haman was hanged in the same pole which he prepared for Mordecai.

 And God saved His people.

Prayer : Dear Lord Jesus,

We come to you with folded hands and on our knees bowed. Please enable us to keep us holy in our youth and raise like Esther only to serve You.

We ask this in the mighty name of our Lord and saviour Jesus.

Amen.