Esther — The Woman Whose Courage Saved a Nation

And so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to law: and if I perish, I perish (Esther 4: 16).

   Esther may well be called a woman who saved a nation. The text which points this up is Esther 4:14 which says, "Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther lived in a period of crisis for the Jewish people and God used her as the means of delivering them in this crisis.

   It is necessary for us to recognize that western civilization is in a desperate crisis today. Mr. Nikita Khrushchev has said, "We will bury you," and "Your form of society is doomed." As a consistent Marxist, Mr. Khrushchev believes that history has decreed the dissolution of western Christian culture. Mr. Averill Harriman reported after two lengthy interviews with Mr. Khrushchev that he thoroughly believes the West is doomed.

   Mr. Frol R. Koslov, the Soviet First Deputy Premier, during his visit to the United States in 1959, declared, "Force will be met with force," if the Berlin dispute reaches the stage of open conflict. The only reason why there is a conflict concerning Berlin at all is because Communists have repudiated their agreement concerning the four-power control of Berlin. If the West abandons free Berlin to the east Germans and thus to the Russians, it will have lost all moral leadership in Europe. In the light of the above statements, it is possible that a small

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war will be unleashed by the Soviets in Germany in which the eastern Germans, as subject peoples, will fight the cause of the Soviets and Russia will not be embroiled in the war at all. This could easily be a repetition of what has happened in Korea, in Viet-Nam, and what the Communists attempted to do in Formosa.

   Since the Communists are dedicated to Marxism, we should ask ourselves what are the basic principles of Marxism. Three should be singled out: First, the principle of godless materialism — namely, that there is nothing in the world except matter. There is no mind, no spirit, no soul, no God but merely the relationship of matter. Thinking is the functioning of a physical brain. The soul is the functioning of the composite man. Since such materialism rules out the existence of God, it also eliminates all such things as absolute morals or ethics and all values derived from the belief in God and in spirit.

   The second principle is that man is a material animal with no soul. He is the fruit of the evolutionary process. He is of no value in himself and may be sacrificed upon the altar of social revolution.

   Third, is the principle of economic determinism. This principles declares that the economic struggle for bread on the part of mankind is expressed in class struggle which interprets all human relationships. Thus, loyalty, love, sacrifice, heroism and other values are derived from the economic struggle. History has determined or destined that the masses, whether they are called plebes, serfs, or proletarians will ultimately dominate and that government will ultimately be a government of the proletarian class.

   The goal of Marxism is world revolution. It seeks to promote revolution through the propaganda and activities of the Communist party in individual nations. When the balance of power has finally been turned in favor of the Communist movement an all-out struggle will be launched to establish the world revolution. Lenin said, "Strike the bourgeoisie as it is necessary. Strike him only in the chest when you are sure of victory."

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   Thus, the strategy of the Communist movement is to encircle the free nations by Communist nations that have been established by revolution and to incite class war within the free nations through the instrumentality of the Communist party. By this means Communists intend to promote chaos, confusion and conflict. They play upon the conflict of classes, of races and of creeds. They seek to produce degeneracy and corruption until the people are ready for a change, regardless of what that change is. Any activity of the Communists which promotes the revolution is called a peaceful activity. Any activity of the free nations in resisting Communism is called a warlike activity. It is the Communist belief that if they can promote their program, a nation like America can fall like a ripe plum to Communism without warfare.

   From the above brief sketch it is evident that the free world stands in great danger of extermination. The warnings, the threats and the actions of the Communists all point toward their seeking to bring about world revolution. Hence, it should be helpful for us to turn to a story of a parallel situation when a people faced extermination but found deliverance. Our deliverance will come through enlightenment, dedication and defense in spiritual depth. Perhaps by studying the conditions in the time of Esther, who was used of God to deliver the Israelites, we may have some principles of guidance.

THE COMING TO PROMINENCE OF ESTHER

   The Book of Esther begins with the demotion of the queen of the Persian empire named Vashti. Persia at this time, approximately 500 B.C., was the world's greatest empire. The Persian king had control over 127 provinces reaching from India to Ethiopia. He had chosen as the site of his palace and capital Shushan which was located in an area similar to southern California in climate and beauty. By means of irrigation, the land was a garden of Eden. Flowers of all sorts bloomed, rare birds found refuge in the trees and shrubs, fragrant gardens were attached to the homes, and the palace was a magnificent specimen of architecture with many sections

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open to the sky because of the auspicious weather. Here King Ahasuerus ruled and celebrated his great conquest. The occasion which opens the Book of Esther is a pagan bacchanalian revel which compromised virtue and decency as it always does. The king had invited his princes, lords and representatives from the provinces to a great banquet which lasted a full week. At the end of it, when the king and others were under the influence of wine and merriment, he commanded Vashti, the beautiful queen, to appear before them to display her beauty. Vashti will forever stand as a synonym for purity and modesty. She had boycotted the feast during the week and now she refused the king's command. In a Persian court this meant dire consequences as illustrated by the fact that whoever approached the king without being requested to come would be put to immediate death. Vashti was removed from her position as queen of the world's greatest empire and moved into oblivion. What happened to her we do not know, but the punishment which she received should to be to her honor. Vashti stands out as a woman of great morality, a bright light in a heathen background.

   It was then that Esther was discovered. We read that after Vashti had been removed and the king had sobered down, he remembered his beautiful queen. Then it was that the suggestion was made that his courtiers search for a new queen. This meant the bringing in of all the fair virgins wherever they were found in the empire. Inevitably Esther, who was a fair, pure and modest maiden, was found and without her consent was attached to the king's household of women.

   This leads us to ask what kind of a woman Esther was, since she was catapulted by a Cinderella story, from obscurity to the highest position of that ancient world. First, it is obvious that she was a peerless beauty. One may admire a beautiful landscape, or well-formed horse or animal, or a strong man, but there is nothing which excites admiration such as a beautiful woman. Esther was also obedient. She had been reared by her cousin Mordecai, who had taken her

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as an orphan and had treated her as his own daughter (Esther 2:7). The whole narrative reveals that she was obedient to her cousin as she would be to a father. Esther was also humble. Her attitude of leaving her case in the hands of Hegai, the king's chamberlain, and her refusal to request any gift with which to go in to the king, reveals her humility.

   On the other hand, a case has been made against Esther. It is said that she hid her nationality during the time that she was in a place of prominence and leadership in the kingdom until this crisis arose. It is often said that she sought to be the queen of a drunken and brutal king. It is alleged that she remained at Shushan when the other Jews had returned to Jerusalem, thus seeking the easy way. And it is declared that she was vengeful in killing her enemies. There is an answer to each of these allegations concerning Esther and we are led to accept the higher view of Esther because she has been given a place in the canon of Scripture which shows that her faith and obedience were acceptable unto God.

    The destiny of Esther was to be the saviour of her people. In a parallel way God is looking for men and women whom He may trust today to save His people. The people of God and those committed to righteousness are in desperate need today. There will be a showdown with Communism in the next ten years and God is looking for those who may be used in places of leadership and responsibility.

THE CRISIS WHICH FACED ESTHER AND HER PEOPLE

   It was at this time that a plot was hatched by the prime minister of King Ahasuerus to exterminate all the Jews. The provocation came in the action of one Jew, Mordecai who refused to do honor and obeisance unto this prime minister, Haman. Haman was intensely provoked by the action of Mordecai. One cannot help but remember how provoking some of these Jews can be in their aggressiveness. Instead of dealing with Mordecai, Haman extended his hatred to the whole nation. That basic prejudice had existed before this time is evident from other references in Scripture. Individual events were often

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transferred to the nation and anti-Semitism has been an historical phenomenon across the centuries, both before and after the time of Haman. One thinks of how this was the case with the Jews when they were in Egypt under the dominion of Pharaoh, of how they were made the scapegoats of the National Socialist regime in Germany, and how even today they are being persecuted in Romania by the Communists. Haman determined that he would exterminate the entire race of the Jews.

   Without our claiming that the people of the West are the chosen people of God, we do believe that there is a  parallel between this conspiracy of Haman to wipe out the Jews and the present Communist conspiracy to wipe out those who are contaminated with bourgeois philosophy. The Communist theory, based upon materialism, economic determinism, exploitation of the masses, organization of the labor, inevitable revolution, the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat, the building of state socialism and ultimately the Communist form of society declares that it is inevitable that when the revolution occurs, all those who have been contaminated or infected with bourgeois philosophy must be liquidated. This especially deals with Christians, with leaders of free society and with those who are committed to representative democracy. There is no secret of the intention of the Communists to brutally and ruthlessly liquidate a vast section of present society when the revolution takes place. The difficulty most people have is believing that the Communists mean what they say, and yet every place where the revolution has occurred, they have applied their theory.

   This means that Christian civilization stands in very great peril. We must face the possibility of endless small wars, or of even a possible all-out atomic war. We must realize that political warfare will be endless, creating constant tensions which are intended to advance the Communist cause. We must be aware that we are facing a fanatical foe which believes in the superiority of the Marxist and the Socialist viewpoint and of the inevitable victory of that theory and movement. We must recognize that it is possible for a sneak attack to be

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launched upon our great cities which would wipe out 70% of our population. These possibilities are realities in the crisis in which we presently live.

   THE COURAGE WHICH WROUGHT DELIVERANCE

   This courage in Esther was exemplified by her statement, "If I perish, I perish." She had the courage to seek the favor of the king's scepter, in spite of the law, because of her trust in the providence of God. Esther was aware of her own insecurity. Vashti had already been removed and the law stood upon the Persian books that anyone who approached the king, invading his privacy without invitation, would be put to death. This was an oriental way of dealing with the nuisance of backdoor petitioners. Moreover, Esther had not been called into the presence of the king for 30 days. Probably her reputation with the king had been damaged by the innuendo and direct attack of Haman. Hence, she faced the possibility of her own immediate death by breaking the law so as to influence the king on behalf of her people.

   Here we should pause to call attention to the hazard which faces anyone who opposes Communism. The first opposition will be in the form of a smear attack upon the character and career of such an individual. Next, there is an attempt to organize opposition so as to remove such a person from a place of leadership. And finally, there is a personal danger to which an individual is exposed by these fanatical people who will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

   Esther had an attitude of dependence upon God. She commanded Mordecai, "Gather together all the Jews... and fast ye for me." God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther but His providence and sovereignty are implied in Esther's request for the Jews to fast and her own promise to fast. Such fasting was for the purpose of praying. Here is a good illustration of the power of prayer to change things externally. There are occasions when special providences enter the course of history. Even Arnold Toynbee acknowledges that little things

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often change the entire course of history. These things must be attributed to divine providence.

   In the crisis in which we find ourselves today, God alone can work deliverance from the menace of atheism. Granting this, what folly it is for those of the western nations to repudiate God in action by drunkenness, crime, delinquency, immorality and other sins. What wisdom it would be for us if we would humble ourselves in His presence and seek His face. The Bible tells us that God will not be mocked, that what we sow we shall reap. Israel rebelled against God and God used the brutal and atheistic Assyrians as His army to punish Israel. It may well be that God will again apply this same principle and will use the brutal and atheistic Communist armies of the world to punish the indifferent and careless people of the West.

   By Esther's action Israel was saved. The Book of Esther tells us of the diplomacy by which she approached Ahasuerus and implicated Haman in the terrible plot for her destruction and the destruction of her people. She isolated Haman from all others and made him face the accusation alone with the king at a banquet which she had prepared. In the meantime, an event occurred which revealed God's interest and control in the crisis. Ahasuerus could not sleep so he had the chronicles brought to him to be read in order to induce sleep. In this there was read the action of Mordecai in appraising the king of a plot against his life. When the reading was over, the king asked what had been done for Mordecai who had been so loyal to the king. The reply was nothing. Later, when Haman entered the king's presence, he asked him what should be done for the man whom the king delighteth to honor. Haman thought it was himself whom the king was to honor so he declared that he should be clothed in the king's garments, wear the king's crown, ride the king's horse, should be led by the king's most prominent minister throughout the town with the proclamation, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour." Then said the king, "Make haste... and do even so to Mordecai the Jew." In this we recognize the control of God over little things which change the course of

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history, such as the lowering sky and fog which prevented the German air armada from strafing the English fishing ships that evacuated the English army from the coast of Dunkirk and saved England, or such as the storm which smashed the Spanish armada which intended to invade England, or such as the snows of Russia which defeated Napoleon. We cannot help but wonder what purpose God has in permitting the present crisis. Is it one of admonition? Or reproof? Or of judgment?

   Through Esther's intercession, Ahasuerus condemned Haman to death and passes the decree that the Jews were permitted to defend themselves on the day on which Haman had decreed their extermination. Thus, the 13th and 14th of Nisan was set aside as a celebration of the Jews which is observed to this day, called the Feast of Purim, to celebrate the deliverance under Esther.

   God's sovereign providence superintends events so as to preserve His people and overthrow their enemies. As God did with the Jews under Esther, He is no less able to do for His people this day. Where there is repentance, prayer, godly leadership, the providence of God will be displayed in the deliverance of His people.

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