Esther: The Protector
"If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request."(7:3)
The Book of Esther records a dramatic tale of plots and antagonism that unfolded within the Persian palace during the exile. It narrates the story of Esther, a Jewish girl who became the queen of Persia and risks her life to save her people from Haman's wicked plot to annihilate them. Notably, the book does not explicitly mention God or His covenant, and it does not specifically state that Esther prayed. However, it portrays the underlying truth that the covenant-keeping God is always at work in His mysterious providence, protecting and preserving His covenant people from their enemies.
In addition to highlighting divine providence for God's people in a pagan land, the book contains themes and principles that can be connected to Christ and His gospel. Firstly, there is a conflict between God's people and their adversaries, which traces back to the Garden of Eden. Mordecai, a devout Jew, refuses to bow down to Haman the Agagite, who serves as the king's advisor. Haman, harboring intense animosity, manipulates the king into issuing a decree to exterminate all Jews, including Mordecai. Through divine providence, however, King Ahasuerus honors Mordecai due to his loyal service, leading to Haman's own demise on the gallows he had prepared to kill Mordecai. In the end, the day intended for the Jews' destruction turns into a triumph. Similarly, Jesus, a devout Jew, refuses to worship Satan in the wilderness. Though Satan may have believed that crucifying Jesus would bring him victory, Christ turns the tables by employing the very weapon His enemy devised to destroy Him. Through His death on the cross, Christ saves all of His people and gives them a great victory.
Secondly, we have Esther as a type of Christ. The book is titled Esther perhaps because its central figure is indeed Esther. While God sovereignly saves His people, there are also individuals who embrace their holy responsibilities for His cause. Esther, specifically chosen and placed as queen "for such a time," learns of the imminent danger facing her people and courageously resolves to risk her life to save them. She declares with unwavering resolve, "If I perish, I perish." Similarly, Christ, in the appointed time, took on human form and came into the world. He willingly assumed His mediatorial office to save His own people. However, while Esther pleaded for her life to be spared, Christ willingly laid down His life on the cross. Esther and her people together fasted for three days, and Jesus prayed with three sleeping disciples before His crucifixion. Jesus alone entered the Holy of Holies, not seeking to obtain favor from the Almighty, but to drink the cup of divine wrath. And on the third day, Christ triumphantly rose from the dead, being declared as the true Son of God.
The Book of Esther goes beyond being a mere morality tale about a few faithful Jews who defend their people in a pagan land. At its core, it is a magnificent narrative that reveals God's intention to glorify Himself and manifest His Son's beauty in the lives of estranged, vulnerable exiles from covenant faithfulness, including ourselves. Regardless of the strength and wickedness of the arrogant enemies of God's people in this world, the story of Esther beckons us to join in God's triumphant laughter. We fast in this life, but let us continue to persevere until the end, when we will feast with the Lord in the Emmanuel's land.
