The Bible in Art: Esther  

Click Here for All of Today’s Scripture Reading 

Verses for Consideration: Esther 9:1,2  (The Date is 480 B.C.)

1 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. 2 The Jews assembled in their cities in all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.

—————————–

Where were you when World War II ended, when President John F. Kennedy was shot, when the Berlin Wall came down, when the Twin Towers fell? Many people can remember where they were when they heard important news.

Where was the young Jewish woman Esther when she heard that Xerxes was looking for a new queen? She probably remembered that moment for the rest of her life.

Esther became queen, and in this Bible reading we hear about the impact her life had on the lives of her fellow Jews. God made it so she would be in the right place at the right time.

Esther was a beautiful young woman. Because of her beauty, King Xerxes chose her to be queen. Because of her position, she was able to reveal the plot to kill her cousin Mordecai and all the Jews in the empire. She had been made queen for just this purpose-to save God’s people from destruction.

God has plans for each one of us. You may think that who you are, where you live, and what you do are unimportant. But you are where you are by divine design. The Lord puts us in various positions so that we can serve him in one way or another.

Are you looking for something to do for God? Are you looking for something big to do, like what Esther did? Sometimes God calls on us to do monumental things. However, most of the time he calls us to be faithful, doing ordinary things that, in the end, are very important.

Do you feel that your life is unimportant? It isn’t. Be faithful with the time and talents and treasures God has given you. Then you will know that your work is not in vain.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for using me to build your kingdom. Help me see that every day I can do little things that make big differences in people’s lives as I show them your love. Amen.

————–

Title: The Swooning of Esther (c. 1704)

Artist: Antoine Coypel