David Bahn – Reflections

Today’s readings: Malachi 1-2, Psalm 117

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Malachi 1:2-5

“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob ³ but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” ⁴ If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the LORD of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.’” ⁵ Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the LORD beyond the border of Israel!”

Malachi is the last prophet of the Old Testament era and offers some interesting questions and answers between God and the people of Judah. God speaks of his love for his people, then offers a look into their hearts, asking rhetorically, “How have you loved us?” The LORD is pointing out the real issue between himself and the people of Judah. They really didn’t believe God loved them. They were not confident of the goodness of his gifts. They did not trust that he had their good at heart – or even, if so, whether God’s gifts were truly the best.

I’m reminded of Martin Luther, who for some time struggled with God. “Love God! I hated him,” he is supposed to have said. He did not believe that God truly loved him. He was not convinced that God’s goodness could be his. All he knew was that he was a sinner and, as such, stood under the judgment of God. He could read Malachi 1:4 and believe it applied fully to him: “The LORD of hosts says, ‘They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called “the wicked country,” and “the people with whom the LORD is angry forever.”’”

It would be some time before Luther discovered the kindness and grace of God, his gift of righteousness – justification – and was freed from guilt and shame. And though he grew to love God, he never forgot his need for God’s mercy and grace.

This is the stuff of faithfulness before God. We never stop needing God’s mercy, because we never stop being sinners this side of eternity. And God is ready to receive us when we repent and come to him through our Lord Jesus Christ. Malachi will make this point and more in the chapters to follow. He will expose deep-seated sin, challenge faithless disobedience, and condemn false religion. He does so because false religion rests on false hopes and can offer no true salvation.

We may sometimes wonder whether God loves us when we face difficult situations, give in to temptation, or fail to live up to God’s commands. We may even try to make it on our own. But God’s love does not finally rest on our circumstances, our performance, or even the strength of our faith. He is the one who saves. He is the one who forgives. And he has made his love unmistakably visible in the life, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus – a love that has reached far beyond the borders of Israel to embrace people of every nation, including you and me. When we wonder, “How have you loved us?” God points us to Jesus.

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.

Click the image below to watch the Bible Project video for Malachi. Or click this link: https://bibleproject.com/videos/malachi

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Today’s readings: Nehemiah 13, Psalm 116

Nehemiah 13:4-14

Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, ⁵ prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. ⁶ While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king ⁷ and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. ⁹ Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

¹⁰ I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. ¹¹ So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. ¹² Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. ¹³ And I appointed…treasurers over the storehouses…and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. ¹⁴ Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, he discovered that many of the reforms the people had promised to keep were already unraveling. First, Eliashib the priest had given Tobiah – one of Nehemiah’s longtime opponents – a room in the temple intended for offerings and supplies. Second, the people had stopped providing tithes for the Levites and singers, forcing them to return to their fields to support themselves. Third, the Sabbath was openly disregarded as people worked and conducted business.

Finally, Jewish men were again marrying women from the surrounding nations, and some of their children could not even speak the language of Judah. Israel was again allowing the faith and identity of the next generation to be swallowed up by the surrounding culture. What especially incensed Nehemiah was that the people had specifically promised God that they would not do these very things.

So while I have to chuckle when Nehemiah reports that he pulled out the hair of some of the offenders, I get his frustration. Leave them for a while and the reforms begin unraveling. But I also shake my head in sadness. After everything God had done for them, they were returning to the same patterns of unfaithfulness. It’s a wonder Nehemiah didn’t pull out his own hair!

I love Nehemiah. There are so many great leadership insights in this book. Leadership begins with a burden – Nehemiah’s heart is broken by Jerusalem’s condition, and he takes that burden to God in prayer. Burden becomes vision when joined with belief: something must be done, and with God’s help something can be done. He enlists others, perseveres through opposition and distraction, and courageously confronts what threatens the mission. Through it all, he knows that “the good hand of [his] God was upon [him]” (Nehemiah 2:8).

But here is the greater lesson. Rebuilding the walls – necessary as that was – could never solve Jerusalem’s deepest problem. Nehemiah could rebuild walls, restore worship, confront sin, and even pull hair! But he could not change the human heart.

Nehemiah begins with broken walls, but by the end we discover that Jerusalem’s deepest problem was never its walls. The walls could be rebuilt. The human heart needed something far greater. And so does ours.

That is where Jesus comes in. He did not come merely to straighten us out or give us another set of reforms to keep. He came to deal with the sin within us. Jesus took our rebellion, wandering, and broken promises upon himself and carried them to the cross. There he won our forgiveness, and through his Spirit he gives us new hearts and calls us again to faith and faithfulness.

Nehemiah could rebuild the walls around God’s people. Jesus came to rebuild God’s people from the inside out.

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.

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Today’s readings: Nehemiah 10-12, Psalm 115

Nehemiah 12:27-43 (selected verses)

And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall. . . .

The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people. . .

So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God. . . .

–Nehemiah 12:27, 30–31a, 38a, 40a, 43

The wall around Jerusalem had been rebuilt—despite threats and ridicule from Sanballat and other detractors. The danger had been real enough that some worked on the wall while others stood ready to defend them.

But now that was behind them. The people had rededicated themselves to faithfulness to God’s covenant. They had heard God’s word, confessed their sins, and wept in repentance.

And now they celebrated.

Two great choirs made their way along the wall from opposite directions. Levites and priests joined the procession. There was singing and thanksgiving, cymbals, harps, lyres and trumpets. Nehemiah tells us, “God had made them rejoice with great joy.” Even the women and children joined in, and “the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.”

Their joy was rooted in something deeper than a rebuilt wall. Israel was rediscovering its identity as God’s chosen people. They remembered the God who had delivered their fathers from slavery in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land. They had returned after decades of exile. The temple had been rebuilt. Jerusalem’s wall had been restored.

And they knew why they were there. Not because they had been so faithful to God, but because God had remained faithful to them.

Their history was filled with sin and unfaithfulness. They had abandoned God’s covenant and turned to other gods. The temple had been destroyed and its sacred vessels carried away. Yet God had not abandoned them. He had brought them home. He had restored the temple and the city. Their celebration was ultimately a celebration of the mercy and faithfulness of God.

At the funeral of our organist, Van Glynn, it was mentioned that his motto was, “All’s well that ends loud.” Van loved to bring out the zimbelstern—a delightful organ stop that sounds tiny bells—for the last stanza of a hymn. His postludes were often loud and glorious.

So at his funeral the organist hit the tutti button. With one button, essentially all the stops come into play and the organ fills the room with sound. It’s the kind of sound especially fitting for Easter.

If ever there were reason to pull out all the stops, it is the victory of Jesus Christ—our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. He has conquered sin, Satan, and death for us. And unlike Jerusalem’s rebuilt wall, his victory will never crumble. Our celebration rests not on our faithfulness to him, but on his faithfulness to us.

That was finally the source of Jerusalem’s joy too. God had been merciful. God had restored. God had kept his promises.

One day we will join Nehemiah and all the redeemed in praise before God. Until then, every Sunday—whether or not somebody hits the tutti button—we get to rehearse.

And when that day comes, all really will be well. And I suspect it will end loud.

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.

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Today’s readings: Nehemiah 1-3; Psalm 112

Nehemiah 1:4-11

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. ⁵ And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, ⁶ let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. ⁷ We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. ⁸ Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, ⁹ but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ ¹⁰ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. ¹¹ O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Now I was cupbearer to the king.

The night before we were to travel to Los Angeles, I couldn’t sleep. It was April 29, 1992. I got up and turned on the TV. Los Angeles was on fire. Unrest had broken out following the verdict in the trial of four LAPD officers charged in the beating of Rodney King. We changed our flight itinerary to avoid the worst of the danger and continued with our plans, which included a presentation to church leaders there.

We drove past burned buildings and saw National Guard soldiers, firefighters, and police officers in the streets. The sight left quite an impression on both of us.

The following Sunday, we attended St. John Lutheran Church in Orange. The congregation’s youth presented the musical Oh Me! Oh My! Oh Nehemiah! After what we had seen, its account of a damaged city and people working under guard struck us deeply. Later in Nehemiah, some stand guard while others rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, with swords at their sides.

But Nehemiah’s work begins before anyone lifts a stone. When he hears about Jerusalem’s broken walls and gates, he sits down and weeps. He fasts and prays. He confesses his own sins and the sins of his people. And he holds fast to God’s promise to gather his scattered people.

Nehemiah isn’t telling God something God has forgotten. He is praying on the strength of what God has promised. He asks God for favor as he approaches the king. The king grants his requests, and Nehemiah tells us why: God’s gracious hand was upon him.

Nehemiah saw what needed to be done, and he believed it could be done with God’s help. His vision grew from both burden and belief. The broken walls weighed on his heart and gave him a reason to begin. God’s promise to gather his people gave him courage to continue, even when the rebuilding became dangerous. Without that burden, he might never have started. Without that belief, he might have given up.

Yet Nehemiah prayed for more than a repaired wall. He held fast to God’s promise to gather his people and dwell among them. In Jesus, God comes to gather us to himself. He sees our sin and suffering, has compassion on us, and comes to bring us back to God. Through his death and resurrection, we have forgiveness and a hope that no broken wall – or broken life – can take away.

So we can face what is broken without looking away. We can pray, trust God’s promise in Jesus, and take the next step he gives us, relying on his gracious hand, and great promises.

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.

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Today’s readings: Ezra 8-10, Psalm 111

Ezra 9:5-9

And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, ⁶ saying:

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. ⁷ From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. ⁸ But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. ⁹ For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.

I became good friends with the Episcopal priest while we lived in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He and I would joke about our theological tendencies. He was liberal in his thinking, and I was conservative. When we played golf together, it was even more noticeable. He had a consistent hook off the tee. I had a slice. He went left. I went right. “Yeah,” we’d say, “true to form.”

We got to know each other pretty well and soon discovered that at least some of our preconceived notions about liberal and conservative tendencies were a bit overblown.

One thing I especially appreciated about John: he could make good fun of himself. He was actually an adult convert to the faith, and when he let that be known, one of his friends quipped, “I might have known, John, that when you caught religion, you would catch it in its least virulent form!” Virulent or not, his faith was real, and I am thankful to have been his friend.

Ezra, however, would not be accused of catching religion in its least virulent form! His was a deep conviction of his place before God and the responsibility he had to lead God’s people as they returned to Jerusalem. We read of the offerings of gold and silver entrusted to him, which he in turn entrusted to the priests. By today’s precious-metal prices, the silver and gold would have been worth more than half a billion dollars! That’s not a token offering. That’s not just symbolic. It represents an extraordinary devotion to God and his purposes.

And Ezra was equally serious about seeking God’s protection. Rather than relying on an escort from the king, he called the people to fast and humble themselves before God, asking him for a safe journey.

But we see another conviction in these chapters as well. Ezra is deeply convicted of his own and Israel’s sin. Their abandonment of true religion, purity of faith, and faithfulness in keeping God’s ways weighs heavily on him. And those convictions are brought to bear on the people he is leading. He was ashamed and blushed to lift his eyes to God because of this conviction of sin.

This makes me think of Jesus’ telling about the two men who went up to the Temple to pray. One stood proudly before God, touting his religious piety. The other would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Jesus said the latter went home justified.

There are convictions of faith that enable us to stand against the tide of worldly values. And there are convictions of sin that shake us to the core and call us to repentance. We need both. We can thank the Holy Spirit for strengthening us to stand firm in faith—and when our sin is laid bare, we can look not to the strength of our convictions, but to Jesus, who has borne our sin and gives us mercy, forgiveness, and a place to stand before God.

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.

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Today’s readings: Esther 9-10, Ezra 7, Psalm 110

Ezra 7:11, 13–14, 21, 23, 25, 27–28

This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the LORD and his statutes for Israel: ¹³ “I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. ¹⁴ For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand…

²¹ “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence… ²³ Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons.

²⁵ “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach.”

²⁷ Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem, ²⁸ and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

How do you respond to the grace and favor of God? What do you do when good things happen to you? Sometimes we can legitimately take some credit. We work hard at our job and receive a promotion, a bonus, an award, or some special recognition. We finish a project and receive the accolades of others.

Then there are those good things that come to us through the grace of others. A friend invites you to lunch simply because he wants to reconnect and rekindle a dormant relationship. Or, as happened to us a few months ago—to our complete surprise—a “Yard of the Month” sign appears in your front yard. All we were trying to do was keep the yard looking decent!

But I recall one time especially when good news moved me immediately to praise and thank God. Our son’s medical test was negative. When the alternative is a potentially life-threatening diagnosis, negative is a wonderfully positive word. There are certainly other moments I could name, and I’m sure you could name a few of your own.

I join Ezra as he rejoices before God for the support and goodwill he has received from King Artaxerxes. God had done great things to bring his people back to Jerusalem. He had also preserved them from Haman’s vile plot, as recorded in Esther. That story takes place between Ezra 6 and 7, during the reign of Xerxes, Artaxerxes’ predecessor. Scripture makes no direct connection between Esther and Artaxerxes’ support of Ezra, but the parallel is striking. God’s providential hand is hidden in Esther; Ezra names it plainly: God “put such a thing as this into the heart of the king.”

We may not always recognize God’s work in our lives. Sometimes we may even neglect to acknowledge his providential care or name him outright. Yet he is always at work, upholding all things by his powerful word. And while every blessing may not bring the same rush of emotion, every good gift gives us reason to thank the Giver. So let’s take a page from Ezra. He received the favor of a king, but he saw behind it the gracious hand of God.

We do something very much like that whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer and conclude, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.” The good we receive ultimately points beyond itself to the One from whom every good gift comes.

And nowhere do we see that gracious hand more clearly than in Jesus, through whom God has given us far more than favorable circumstances – forgiveness, life, and salvation. So whether at the end of the day or in the very moment when some unexpected blessing arrives, we can join Ezra in giving God the glory.

Yes! May the name of the Lord be praised!

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.

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Today’s readings: Esther 6-8, Psalm 109

Esther 6:1-3, 6-10

On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. ² And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ³ And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”

 ⁶ So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” ⁷ And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, ⁸ let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. ⁹ And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” ¹⁰ Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.”

I just love this turn of events in the account of Esther, Mordecai, Haman, and the king. The king can’t sleep, so he orders the Book of Memorable Deeds to be brought and read to him. There he learns of Mordecai’s act to reveal the plot against Ahasuerus and discovers that nothing had been done to honor him (Esther 6:1–3). And because the king couldn’t sleep, because that particular book was brought out, and because that particular deed was read, there will now be a grand reversal.

It is not going to land well on Haman. He has come to the palace to ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on the gallows he has prepared for him. Instead, the king asks Haman, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” (6:6).

To make matters worse, it is Haman who will unwittingly suggest the manner of Mordecai’s honor, thinking it surely must be for himself. Dress him in the king’s robes. Put him on the king’s horse. Have one of the king’s most noble officials lead him through the city square proclaiming, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!” (6:7–9). Surely it will be for himself, Haman thinks.

Oh, but it won’t — and not by a long shot.

Don’t you love it when the high and mighty get brought low? Don’t you delight in seeing the tables turned on a brash and arrogant poser? Isn’t it great to watch the wicked con artist fall into the trap he has set for others? And this isn’t the full reversal just yet. Haman will eventually end up on the gallows he had built for Mordecai — all 75 feet of it (7:9–10).

Let’s think about honor for a moment — and about the surprising ways God bestows it. Jesus promises that the Twelve will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). That’s real honor. The faithful servants who put their talents to work and bring a return to their master hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” and are entrusted with even more (Matthew 25:21, 23). Jesus defends the woman who anoints him for burial, saying that wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her (Matthew 26:13).

And then there’s the prodigal son. He who wishes his father dead, spends his inheritance on wild living, runs out of money, feeds the pigs, and finally comes to his senses returns to his father asking to be like one of his servants. Instead, he is given the best robe, a ring, and new shoes. And a party in honor of his return (Luke 15:11–24).

That’s grace.

It’s the great multitude who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb who stand before the throne with palm branches in their hands (Revelation 7:9, 14). It’s not the self-righteous who make their phylacteries broad and their tassels long and parade their righteousness before others who will be honored (Matthew 23:5–12).

It’s the repentant, the humble, those who wait, hope, and trust in God who will be lifted up. And think of the greatest reversal of all. Our Lord Jesus was stripped of his garments and humiliated beyond measure. He humbled himself even to death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:8–11).

And that changes the way we rejoice in reversals. Our hope is not finally the joy of seeing someone else brought down. We who trust in Jesus wait for his vindication and hope for his salvation. We look for the crown of life he has promised — and for a joy rooted not in another’s doom, but in God’s grace.

Grace! Glorious grace!

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.

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Today’s readings: Esther 3-5, Psalm 108

Esther 4:8-16

Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. ⁹ And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. ¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, ¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

¹² And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. ¹³ Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴ For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” ¹⁵ Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, ¹⁶ “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

The book of Esther is a delightful narrative with all the twists and turns of a compelling drama. First the Jewish people are threatened with annihilation. Then Mordecai hears of it and urges Esther to intervene before the king. Esther is afraid to go to the king uninvited for fear of being put to death. Then comes the powerful rejoinder from her cousin:

“Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

The phrase, “for such a time as this,” carries the weight of a defining moment, a crucial moment of critical decision. It is an invitation to think differently about what is happening and what is at stake in the decisions being made in that moment. Now is the time to act in faith and courage.

But there is more to this story than Mordecai’s urging, the Jews’ predicament, or the king’s edict. There is another character we need to consider. Haman incites the king to make the decree to annihilate all the Jewish people. He is excited about the honor he is receiving from the king and very ready to see his reputation and standing before the king rise. He is plotting and power-hungry.

This is where I’d like to pause for a moment to consider the way this drama plays out and how the idea of for such a time as this needs to be carefully considered. Haman thinks that his time has come for exaltation, honor, and glory. He is working all the angles to position himself for success and fame. Esther, on the other hand, is considering how her actions may save the Jewish people. She is risking herself in the hope that she might be God’s instrument of deliverance and service.

There is something else remarkable about Esther: God’s name is never mentioned in the entire book. Yet his providential care stands behind the entire story. Esther cannot see the whole plan. Even Mordecai says, “Who knows whether…” She is simply called to act faithfully and courageously in the place and moment she has been given.

Spoiler Alert: Their fortunes will be dramatically reversed. We’ll wait to see how that unfolds. But we can already see that the question is not merely whether our time has come. The question is what we will do with the time and place God has given us. Haman sees his moment as an opportunity to exalt himself. Esther is called to use hers for the sake of others.

Jesus lived that perfectly. When his hour came, he did not use it to save himself, but to save us. He humbled himself and gave himself into death for the sake of all people. And God raised him from the dead and exalted him to his right hand. Through faith in him we receive grace upon grace. He is the one who has intervened for us when we could not intervene for ourselves.

Because Jesus has intervened for us, every “such a time as this” moment in our lives becomes a time for humility, faith, and courage on our part. So we embrace his gifts and use the time and place he has given us to serve others in his name.

Follow the Word is a daily Bible reading and devotional ministry of St. John Lutheran Church, Cypress, Texas.