A Lose-lose Situation

A Lose-Lose Situation

Esther

Read: Esther 2:13-14

Esther seemed to be caught in a situation with no way out, facing two bad possibilities. After spending a night with the king, she might be taken to the harem where all the king’s wives and concubines lived. Unless King Xerxes requested her by name, Esther would just live in the harem, separated from her relatives, friends, and the people who shared her faith.

The other scenario was no less depressing. If by chance Xerxes chose Esther as the next queen, she would be married to a pagan ruler known for his drunkenness, capricious moods, and explosive temper. Following her guardian’s advice, Esther had not revealed her nationality. Since Xerxes would be breaking Persian law by marrying a Jewish girl, Esther’s secret would be a heavy burden, along with the memory of what had happened to the former queen when she angered the king.

References to God are absent from the book of Esther, and on the surface, it looked as if he were absent from Esther’s predicament. As a Jewish girl raised by a devout family that honored God’s laws, she must have been horrified at the prospect of either possibility. Yet Esther clung to her confidence in God’s character and sovereignty, while God quietly worked behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes. He used Esther’s situation to protect the Jews from an enemy who would soon threaten their very existence.

We can all relate to the anxiety Esther must have felt when there seemed to be no positive options. Instead of hoping for the best, we sometimes find ourselves trying to identify the lesser of two evils. At such times, it may seem that God is absent from our lives. If we could see past the surface, we would understand that he is there, working to accomplish his purposes.

The LORD will work out his plans for my life.

Psalm 138:8