Friday, October 29: Esther 3- Time, secrets, faith.

Almost a decade has elapsed since the story began. It begins in Xerxes 3^rd year (1:3). The beauty contest took a number of years, the beauty treatments themselves required 12-months and the text mentioned that Esther didn’t go to the king until his 7^th year (2:16). Now as chapter 3 continues, the account we learn is Xerxes’ 12^th year (3:7). I thought about the passing of time. Esther has been a faithful queen for half-a-decade and for all that time she had kept her Jewish heritage a secret. The text is silent about this. I wondered if members of the court knew Esther’s secret. Did her attendants know? Surely some people must have known since Mordecai, the Jew, was her uncle. Was the king in the dark about her Jewishness?  Obviously, Haman was.

I wondered how she maintained her heritage and her Jewish faith in relative secret.  Secret keeping is difficult in its own right. Add to that maintaining a faith in secret…

I thought about some of the women I have met who have converted to Christianity from Islam through some medical mission efforts. Many of these women have to return to Muslim families after they are healed.  Sharing their faith in Jesus could and likely would mean expulsion from the family and possible death. Add to that the fact that women have virtually no rights and no way to feed or provide for their children should they be abandoned by their husband.  What do they do? In some instances I know they have been counseled to be quiet about their faith in Jesus. How hard it must be to maintain faith when you are isolated and alone. That, apparently, was Esther’s situation.

I began to count my blessings. I have brothers and sisters and family that share my faith, who encourage me and help me and pick me up when I fall and smile when God blesses and …

Lord Jesus, thank You for my family and friends, brothers and sisters in faith who are there to walk the walk of faith with me. I don’t know where I would be without them. I don’t know how Esther survived. I am so grateful for the family of faith You have placed around me. Thank You, Lord, thank You. Amen.