In the book of Esther there are four main characters: King Xerxes, a Persian King who reigned over the Jews who had been exiled from the Jewish homeland; Haman, Xerxes’ right-hand man who hated the Jews and wanted to destroy them; Mordecai, a Jewish man descended from the original exiles; and Esther, a beautiful teen orphan who had been raised by Mordecai. Esther’s life sounds like a fairy tale – the King was looking for new Queen and picked her – until her life and the lives of all the Jews were threatened by the plotting of the bad guy Haman. After Mordecai saves King Xerxes’s life in an assassination attempt and then Haman, who HATES Mordecai, has to publicly honor Mordecai, the fuel for the final conflict is set ablaze.
Haman convinces the King that the Jews are dangerous to his reign and the king agrees to allow them to be destroyed. Mordecai convinces Esther to courageously intervene with the King, which she does after a period of prayer and fasting, and invites the King to two banquets. At the second banquet she begs the king, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life – this my petition. And spare my people – this is my request.” (Esther 7:3 NIV). As you probably know, the King grants her petitions, Haman is executed on the gallows he had already set up for Mordecai, and the King announces that the Jews may defend themselves against all their enemies. Modern day Jews still celebrate the Feast of Purim, where they remember how God saved the people from annihilation through the efforts of a courageous young woman.
The Biblical book of Esther, with its intrigue, betrayal, villains and heroes, is almost as exciting as any action movie, but it never mentions God. Although it seems a strange thing that a Bible book would never mention God, the hand of God is all over this story. Why was Esther chosen out of all the beautiful young women from all over King Xerxes’s territory? Why was she given favor with the king’s attendants? Why did he extend mercy to her when she approached the king uninvited, saving her from death? All these things, in my mind, are gifts of God’s guiding hand of grace and favor, poured out on her.
In the NIV translation the word “favor” is found six times in the book of Esther. In the first three we are told that Esther “won the favor” of someone around her – including King Xerxes. But in the last three she comes to the king humbly to make requests, “if you regard me with favor.…” Over 150 times in the Bible the word “favor” is used – and often it is to show God’s special love, grace, forgiveness, or blessing on someone. Sometimes “favor” is the Hebrew word hesed, which Michael Card defines as “When the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything.” * Obviously, we sinners have the right to expect nothing from a perfect and holy God – yet he gives us everything. Esther had the right to expect nothing from King Xerxes, yet she not only was saved from execution, the favor she had with the king led to him eventually agreeing to save the Jewish people. If having favor with someone means to gain approval, acceptance, special benefits or blessings,** I think you’d agree that Esther had it.
God’s favor isn’t just for Bible people, though. God is the same as he was in the Bible; he still wants to have relationships with people and he wants us to ask him for things. He chose us and wants us to ask according to his will for blessings. God does not show favoritism (Romans 2:11), but he wants to shower blessings upon ALL his children. So, with humble hearts, relishing in the hesed our Heavenly Father has for us, let us boldly approach the throne of God’s gracious favor with confidence and without fear and find his amazing blessings!
Eternal God,
Thank you for amazing Bible stories like Esther that show us your heart for us. Thank you for your hesed and for the gifts of grace and favor you pour out on us. As we approach your throne of Glory with confidence and humility, we ask for your grace, blessing, and favor to be upon us, in Jesus’s name. Amen.
*https://www.michaelcard.com/why-hesed
**https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/favor/
“Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].” (Hebrews 4:16 AMP)
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16 NIV)
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) NIV
“She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.” (Esther 2:9 NIV)
“Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.” (Esther 2:17 NIV)
“If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.” (Esther 5:8 NIV)
“Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.” (Esther 7:3 NIV)
“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.” (Esther 8:5 NIV)
“Hymn to the Kindness of God” by Michael Card
Kindness, gentleness
Tender, ardent zeal
Endless graciousness
Dependable and real
Pity, piety
Patient, sure and true
Goodness, faithfulness
Thou that’s always new
Beauty, loyalty
Generous and kind
Relentless, tenderness
Hope of human kind
Hope of human kind
Who you truly are
We hardly can believe
You know what we are
Yet you refuse to leave
Oh, your worldless power
Your almighty strength
Your matchless might
Your holiness
Beauty, loyalty
Generous and kind
Relentless, tenderness
Hope of human kind
Hope of human kind