8th July 2024
An unexpected saviour
This is the 21st study in a series of studies about shadows in scripture
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Romans 8:34 (NKJV)
There is a lot of drinking, partying – and death – in the book of Esther, and not a mention of God. The story reads like a pantomime, with a scheming villain (Haman) who would be booed every time he appeared on stage; a beautiful heroine (Esther) who married a king and triumphed over the villain; a wise man who was promoted to a ruling position (Mordecai), all set against the scenery of an opulent palace. But where is God? Where is Jesus? They don’t even seem to have a walk-on part.
We often don’t see God, or Jesus, in our day to day struggles; our prayers seem ignored and we are seemingly left to suffer things that we plead would be taken away. But the Father and Son are still in the heavenly realm, aware of everything going on in our imperfect lives. Situations may be engineered that we are not aware of, and this is where Esther provides us with glimpses of how the saving power of Jesus works for us.
Esther finds herself the only one potentially qualified to save her people from Haman’s planned ethnic cleansing. She knows it could lead to her death, depending on the whim of Xerxes, her king and her husband. She approaches his throne, standing in the place of the rest of her people: the Jews living in Shushan, carried there in the Babylonian captivity. And she pleads for their salvation. Through her intervention, not only are her people saved, but the evil personified by Haman is completely removed. The Apostle John defines the purpose of Jesus Christ coming into the world as removing evil: ‘…For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.’ (1 John 3:8). Jesus was certain of his destiny, and it included his ultimate sacrifice. Mordecai can only hint at the possible destiny of Esther when he says, “…Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Esther’s response is to accept the possibility that it might lead to her death (v.16).
Salvation was from an unexpected source: a woman, and a woman brought into the palace only because of her physical beauty. Jesus would have been an unexpected Saviour whose teaching offended many because they looked at his humble beginnings: ‘… “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son?”…So they were offended at Him…’ (Mathew 13:54-57).
Esther’s intercession before the king saved her people. The Apostle Paul tells us that we have an intercessor who is at the right hand of his Father in heaven, continually making intercession for us. But more than that, we can, through him, come before the ‘throne of grace’ ourselves to ‘find grace to help in time of need’ (Hebrews 4:16).
Prayer
Father, we come before your throne of grace, in the sure knowledge that your Son, our Saviour, sits at your right hand interceding for us in all that we bring before you. Thank you that we have such an Advocate who understands our weaknesses. Amen.
Study by Maggie Mitchell
About the writer:
Maggie Mitchell attends the Market Harborough congregation of Grace Communion International
Local congregation:
GCI Market Harborough
9 The Point
Rockingham Road
Market Harborough
LE16 7QU
Meeting time:
Sunday 4.00 pm
Local congregational contact:
Sinead Henderson
Email: sinead.henderson@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church