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Part 2: Story
Esther 4:14 “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”
So What’s the Point? If Haman’s plan to exterminate the Jews had succeeded, not only would Esther and Mordecai have died, but the people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would have disappeared. Virtually every Jew in the world at that time lived within the boundaries of the Persian Empire. God had promised, however, that the people of Israel would survive even the worst attacks. God had also promised that a Deliverer, a Messiah, would come from Israel who would bring great blessing on the world. If Haman had succeeded, we would not celebrate Christmas, because Jesus would have never been born. His human ancestors would have been wiped out! If Haman had succeeded, God would have failed to keep his promises. So God worked through Esther’s courage, through normal circumstances, through the unfolding events in Xerxes’ kingdom, to bring about deliverance for the Jewish people. What was true of Israel then is still true today. People and nations may forget God’s promises, but God does not forget. So the book of Esther is not just about a Jewish girl who makes it to the top and valiantly tries to save herself and her people. It is also about a God who is faithful to his promises and who exercises dominion over his world in order to keep his word.