Choices: Door No. 1; Door No. 2

Decisions decisions decisions.  Do I chose door no. 1 or door no. 2?  From childhood we begin making choices.   Some of us had to make choices that were not age appropriate forcing us to grow up (mentally) a lot sooner than we were ready to.  Others were handicapped by overprotective parents causing a delayed reaction in their ability to make adult decisions and then there’s everyone else who fits somewhere in between.  Oh, wait, there is another group, they believe they can stay neutral by not making any choices, just letting life happen, little do they know that no decision is still a decision.  It’s a decision to do no-thing – duh.

 

Today we’ll look into the life of a young lady that was forced into making a choice that was not age appropriate by any stretch of the imagination; and that choice changed history.  Here’s my paraphrased version of the story:  Xerxes, the King of Persia, and most powerful man in the world at the time through a huge party that lasted 180 days.  On day seven of the party he was “high in spirits” from the wine, ordered his wife, Queen Vashti, known for exquisite beauty, to the party and to show her off.  She wasn’t having it and refused.  He got so mad he couldn’t think straight, plus he was drunk as a skunk, so he asked his advisers for advice.  They said to put her out, which he did, but the next day he realized his mistake, however, it was too late.  To appease the King a kingdom wide search was made for a replacement right away. 

A young Jewish girl, Hadassah, along with hundreds of other virgin girls were taken (kidnapped) from their homes and brought to the King’s harem and undergo a rigorous process of preparation which lasted 12 months.  She was orphaned at an early age due to the death of her parents and raised by her uncle, Mordecai, a godly man who worked in the King’s palace.  Uncle Mordecai told her to hide her Jewish nationality and she did without question.  Of the “hundreds” of virgins brought before the King he chose Hadassah whose name became Esther whose beauty exceeded even Vashti’s.      

Haman, an enemy of the Jews and the King’s right hand man, was full of pride and hate.  He especially despised Mordecai because he would not bow to him when he (Haman) entered or exited a room.  When he discovered Haman was Jewish he made a decision that he wanted all Jews to be exterminated and he manipulated the King into accepting this ridiculous plan.

Victory Thought:  So far we have a bunch of wealthy high ranking officials making some really stupid decisions.  Xerxes seems like the biggest idiot of them all. 

Mordecai hears Haman’s plot to exterminate ALL Jews that has become law.  He gets word to Esther (Hadassah) who says, “hold on Unc, I love you and everything, but I can’t do nothing.  If I go to the King uninvited I could be killed.”  Mordecai tells her two things that shake her up: 1) If she doesn’t help to save her people (an entire nation) God will raise someone else, and 2) Don’t get it twisted Missy, you will die like the rest of us Jews, Queen or not.  Now Esther is faced with the decision of her lifetime:

• Door No. 1:  Approach the King without an invitation (aka breaking Persian law) and take the chance of being killed on the spot if he does not hold out his gold scepter; 
• Door No. 2:  Do nothing and hope she will escape the sword; 
• Door No. 3:  Take a stand and fight for her people even though she has no idea what to do other than to follow her instincts

This is a young woman inexperienced with the shrewdness of politics in which Haman operated.  She had the weight of an entire nation on her shoulders; this was drama on steroids to the umpteenth power.  Because Mordecai was a praying man, there is no doubt in my mind that in a tough position like this, she called on the God of her ancestors like she had been taught as a young girl.  She got word to her uncle to call all the people together for a solemn fast on her behalf for three days and nights with no food or beverages.  Esther didn’t just call the fast, she and her servants fasted as well.  During that time of fasting I know in my heart that she had to pray for favor with the King; a strategic plan to outsmart Haman and expose him for who he really was, a master manipulator with an agenda of his own and to save her people.

The book of Esther is an amazing book of the plot, plans and deliverance of God’s chosen people based on the choice that one young lady made – to trust God for.  We’re not talking about some bills that need to be paid, the need for employment, healing from an ingrown toenail, etc. this was an insurmountable problem for an inexperienced young woman who was willing to die for her people, but God ...    The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.  Proverbs 21:12 (KJV)

I know that you may feel like the choices you have to make to survive, to stay focused and in the will of God may seem overwhelming, but when you consider Esther and the choices she had to make who would you say had more at stake, you or her?  Granted, some of the experiences we have made have been life threatening, but at best it was specific to your life alone, not the lives of other people.  Like I mean all African-Americans would die if you didn’t step up your game, or all Hispanic people, or all Pacific Islanders.  Everybody, extinct, gone, poof in one day.

If God can equip Esther don’t you think he can equip you with whatever you need?  The moral to this lesson is:

• Esther considered the cost – everything costs something.   Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? ³² And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. ³³ So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.  Luke 14:31-33 (NLT) 
• She positioned herself to hear from God (fasting and praying)  Esther 3:15-16 
• She did it afraid – Philippians 4:13

I’m out of time, we will pick it up tomorrow.

In His Humble Excellence

Tania