YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED TO THE KINGDOM FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

                                                                      

   Around 2500 years ago, Jewish people were facing a situation similar to today. Like Habakkuk, it is wise in difficult times to recall G-d’s awesome power in the lives of His people! Most are familiar with the story of Hadassah, also known as Esther. This is a situation that in the natural is impossible to understand. How can an exiled orphan girl and her exiled unemployed uncle save their people against a strong and mighty empire? What could possibly stop the official edict of the king from executing every Jew in his empire? Where did such hatred come from? Who can stop it? Is there any chance at all for a happy ending to such a tragic and horrible situation?

                            

These are some of the same questions Jews around the world are asking themselves right now, and especially these next few days as they remember Purim and G-d’s amazing deliverance. The land of Persia is smaller today (known today as Iran). It is no longer an empire; however, the “Supreme Leader” Ali Khomeni and the “President” Ahmadinejad have the exact same hatred and desires as that of “the wicked Haman”. Neither of these individuals makes any effort to hide their desires. In fact, in today’s news, their intentions can be broadcast to the entire world. What is it that causes such venom? Such anger? Hatred? Malice?

Again, we must look to the G-d of Israel, the author of the Holy Scriptures, the Bible. What does He say about Himself? What does he say about His people, the Jewish people?

Again, in Malachi 3, verse 6, The Lord says: For I am Yahveh, I do not change. We can conclude from this statement that Yahveh does not change His words, His covenant promises or His character. He is not “in a bad mood” some days and changes His mind on “the good days”. He is from everlasting to everlasting, the same! So, in Genesis, 17, verses 8, 15-21, G-d says:

 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an
 everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will
 be their G-d.

 G-d also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the Mother of Nations; Kings of peoples will come from her.”
 Abraham fell facedown: he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man 100 years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” And Abraham said to G-d, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”
 Then G-d said, “YES, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And, as for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will surely bless him. I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of 12 rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. BUT, my covenant, I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”

        Wow! Did G-d change His mind about these words? If not, is it possible the world rages against Isaac’s offspring in an attempt to prove G-d is a liar? He is not G-d? If what His word says comes to pass, which has happened over and over and over, then it becomes difficult to deny that the G-d of Israel is G-d. Thus, for centuries, in historical moments such as the one we are in and the one Esther was in, the “enemies of G-d” rise up to try to prove He is not who He says He is.

      

In Esther’s time, wicked Haman, second to the King, first despised Mordecai because he would not show him reverence and bow before him. Maybe Haman was not aware of the evil that had entered his heart. His anger became rage, and he eventually decided all those connected to Mordecai, his people -the Jews- should die! Sound like anyone we know today?

                                          

The President of Iran repeatedly condemns the nation of Israel and openly calls for its destruction. Ahmadinejad calls Israel a “fake regime” that “must be wiped off the map” He calls those who love Israel and the Jewish people “the most detested people in all humanity” and calls the Holocaust a “myth.” Sound a little like Haman? Sadly, more and more, he seems to be garnering support from the world community. No one seems too concerned about the extermination of Israel and the Jewish people except the Jews and some Christians.

                                   

This is when we lift our eyes to the hills where are help from the G-d of Israel comes from! He has a plan, because ultimately, it is against Him that the nations rage. In Esther’s day, no one could have come up with the plan on their own. Esther played her part by seeking G-d and denying herself food and drink for 3 days so she could hear G-d’s plan. Mordecai did his part by letting others know to do the same and pray for Esther. Then G-d did his part by releasing a plan, sparing Esther’s life, keeping the king awake after the first dinner, and opening his journal to Mordecai’s heroic act of thwarting the assassination attempt on the King. Without G-d’s part, nothing would have mattered. G-d supernaturally reversed the enemy’s course of destruction heading towards the Jews. CAN HE DO THAT TODAY?

                             

G-d, Yahveh, does NOT CHANGE. If He says something in His word, He will do it. Every attempt to discredit His honor, His truth, His word or His integrity will fail. Psalm 2, verse 2-6 says:

The Kings of the earth take their stand
 and the rulers gather together against the Lord
 and against his Anointed One.
 “Let us break their chains,” they say , “and
 throw off their fetters.”
 The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
 The Lord scoffs at them.
 Then He rebukes them in His anger
 and terrifies them in His wrath, saying,
 “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill,”

       

          This is not a time to be fearful or worried. This is a time to act like Esther, to seek G-d’s timing, His plan, to trust G-d with all our hearts. It is time as Daniel says, to do great exploits for our G-d, to see His truth and His word prevail over every evil plan. And who knows that you too, like Queen Esther, have been called to the kingdom for such a time as this!