ESTHER
This book never mentions God Almighty yet it glorifies Him so… I hope you enjoy it in poem form…
ESTHER
These events took place
During the days of Ahasuerus,
Who ruled 127 provinces from India to Cush.
In those days King Ahasuerus
Reigned from his royal throne
In the fortress at Susa and such
He held a feast in his third year
With such a splendor and fuss
For all those far and near
It was for all his officials and staff,
The army of Persia and Media,
Over half the nobles and leaders
And they were all shown
The beneficial aspects from his throne
For the provinces
Were magnificently bestowed
And displayed the glorious wealth
This thrilled the peoples
For it showed the splendor and health
Of this type of commonwealth
To show his greatness and wonder
All was on display for all the folks
who lived under his rule
So after 180 days
Did they end this majestic display
Of such luxury they so did say
White and blue linen hangings
On marble columns standing
Fastened with fine white and purple cords
Of linen to silver embellished rods
There were gold and silver couches
That were arranged
On a mosaic floor that remained unchanged
With red feldspar, marble tones
mother-of-pearl, and precious stones.
Drinks were served
In an array of goblets of gold
Each with a different design to hold
Royal wine flowed freely,
According to the king’s lavish bounty.
The drinking was to royal decree: There are no restrictions,
So drink freely!
The king had ordered
Every wine steward
In his household to serve, which was
Unheard of and was never done before,
And whatever each person wanted to splurge
The seemingly endless reward
Was like a mighty surge
Queen Vashti also gave a feast
For the women of the Kings’ domain
With equal splendor to retain
So on the seventh day,
When the king was feeling good
From the wine and fine food
He thought lovingly of his beautiful queen
And sought to show off her beauty
For he wanted it to be seen
By all the people and every official
Maybe it was done
From arrogance and prejudicial
But the seven eunuchs were sent
Who tried in vain to convince
Her to arrive and show, but no!
For she held the king in high disdain
You see, Queen Vashti was extremely vain
And refused to come and only complained
Ignoring his command
The king became furious
And his anger burned within
He soon would consult the wise men
Who understood the nuances then
For this was his normal procedure…..
He thought first: should I then relieve her?
He would need to confer with his experts
In law and justice,
And his pride indeed was hurt
So because of his queens rejection
He met his 7 most trusted high positions
In all of the land
He hoped they could help him understand
So the king said; What should be done?
According to the law,
For everyone in my kingdom heard or saw.
My queen Vashti’s refusal
Her action took a lot of gall
It has soon become public knowledge
To all the women to wrongly encourage
Them to fall Into despising their husbands
For all their decisions and judgements
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To be continued…such an amazing story! - DJS
Thank you for sharing this message about Esther. Her story is a beautiful reminder of God's sovereign hand at work even when His presence is not immediately visible. Though God's name is never mentioned in the book of Esther, His providence is seen on every page. Esther 4:14 reminds us that God places His people where they need to be for His purposes, For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time... and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther's courage, faith, and willingness to risk everything for her people continue to inspire believers today. I am also reminded of Proverbs 21:1, The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. What appeared to be a series of ordinary events was actually God working behind the scenes to protect and preserve His people. The story of Esther teaches us that even when we cannot see God's hand, we can trust His heart. Romans 8:28 says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Esther's life reminds us that God can use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes when they are willing to trust and obey Him. Her example challenges us to stand firm in faith, even when doing so requires courage and sacrifice. I also think of Psalm 46:1, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Even in moments of uncertainty, the Lord is working behind the scenes for His glory and for the good of His people. Thank you again for sharing this encouraging reflection. Esther's story reminds us that God is always in control, even in difficult and uncertain times. He is faithful to His promises and able to accomplish His purposes through those who surrender their lives to Him. Please continue to pray for our ministry in India as we seek to serve the Lord faithfully, share the Gospel, disciple believers, and encourage others to trust God's providence in every season of life. May the Lord give us the same courage, wisdom, and faith that He gave Esther, so that we may be faithful in the place where He has called us. God bless you.