Women in the Bible: Esther - Chloe Yeung

The iconic 1996 film Mission: Impossible speaks of Ethan Hunt’s near-impossible mission to single-handedly uncover the truth about a traitor to the CIA while fighting framed charges of espionage. The task at hand is not only difficult and life-threatening, but seems entirely impossible.

Queen Esther’s mission seems equally impossible: when Haman, the Persian King’s right-hand man, evilly convinces the king to order the death of all the Jews in Persia, she must go to the king to persuade him to save her people. Yet approaching the king without being summoned by him is a crime, the punishment for which is death.

Esther’s first reaction to this insurmountable task is fully understandable; she hesitates, and says no - after all, doing it means being put to death. But upon being persuaded by her uncle Mordecai, her response changes: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me... I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:16) Three days later, the king finds Esther standing in his palace - and finds favour with her, so much so that he exempts her from death; Esther’s request to prepare a banquet for Haman and the king is granted, and at that banquet she exposes Haman’s plot to wipe out the Jews. Haman is executed, and the Jews triumph.

Esther wasn’t rich, esteemed or well connected to royalty; in fact, she was just your average girl with an ethnicity that was frowned upon at the time. Even though she was beautiful, she probably didn’t ever foresee her beauty going so far as to win her the national pageant and make her Queen of Persia! Yet God chose her anyway, and not just to make her a Queen - but to bring through her the huge triumph of the Israelites, and the glorious reversal of impending tragedy. In the same way that God had amazing plans for Esther’s life, He plans to use each of us in amazing ways as well. Our God doesn’t need us to be extraordinary; He alone is, and we can be used for the extraordinary through Him.

But God’s extraordinary plans can often call for extraordinary courage and submission; Esther, for example, was called to a radical, dangerous and literally life-threatening task. Yet her response - “if I perish, I perish” - overflows with boldness: she was ready to be used by God, even if it meant handing Him her life.

In these moments where extraordinary boldness is called for, God doesn’t intend for rashness or for us to rush into martyrdom; instead, He instructs us to look to Him. In her apprehension and hesitation, Esther fasted for three days and three nights, imploring the people of Israel to fast along with her; she knew deep down that the cure for her fear was not to try thinking of alternative plans or backing out. It was to discern with prayerful wisdom that this was “the moment for which [she] [had] been created” (Esther 4:14), to let herself be filled by the courage and boldness that came exclusively from her God, and to trust that He would come through with victory for her people. Because she went to God first, she was able to act in the determination, submission and fearlessness needed for the challenge that awaited her. In the same way, our courage needn’t come from ourselves; when we wait on God with a prayerful and submissive heart, He will equip us with everything we need to participate in His plans in extraordinary ways (Hebrews 13:21).

Our God is a God who does big things. He comes through in the best ways when the cards are stacked the highest against His people - and that means we can act in courage and boldness, even when it seems like the cards are stacked against us. Even when failure and impossibility and harm await us, He is good; He has equipped us for what He has purposed us to do; and He is always victorious.