The book of Esther is one of the simplest, and most beautiful stories of love, trust and faith in the entire Bible. It tells the story of a young Jewish girl living in a foreign country- Persia- after her people had been conquered and carried away. Her parents have passed away so she’s living with her relative, a godly man named Mordecai. When the current queen of Persia is dethroned, the king gathers beautiful young women from around the empire to “audition” for the role.

And out of all the young women Esther is chosen to be the new queen. And just in time to help save her people from annihilation. It seems an advisor to the king named Haman hated the Jewish people and tricked the king into signing an edict that would allow all the citizens of the Persian empire to attack and destroy the Jews on a certain date. If it weren’t for Mordecai’s wisdom and Esther’s bravery, the Jews might have been wiped out. It’s a great story filled with suspense, drama and God’s faithfulness to intervene in the affairs of people.

Here are a few things you might not have known about this story:

1. Believe it or not God is never named in the entire book. Even though as you read through it, you can see His hand guiding and directing every situation. God’s name is never mentioned. Esther is the only book in the entire Bible that does this.

2. Although Mordecai was older and took Esther in like a daughter after her parents died, he was actually Esther’s cousin not her uncle as many believe. It’s possible that Esther’s parents had been killed during the assault by Babylon on Jerusalem or as they were being transported to Babylon after the captivity.
   
3. By the time the book of Esther begins, Babylon had been conquered by the stronger kingdom of Persia. Persia under Cyrus the Great invaded Babylon in 539 B.C. and soon became the most powerful nation on earth. In 334 B.C. Alexander the Great led the Greek army against Persia and conquered it.

4. The story of Esther takes place when many of the Jewish people had been allowed to return to their homeland. But as is the case of Esther and Mordecai many chose to remain in the Persian capital. Zerubbabel led many Jews back to Israel around 536 B.C. Ezra led another group around 455 B.C. and Nehemiah returned in 446 B.C. The story of Esther takes place around 483-473 B.C.

5. When the story begins Esther’s name is actually Hadassah. It was a Jewish name meaning Myrtle Tree. The myrtle tree represented peace, love and prosperity. Later her name is changed to Esther which means Star. It’s interesting to note that the name Esther can also mean “hide or conceal”. Could it be that Mordecai changed her name when she was called to the king’s court because she needed to conceal the fact that she was Jewish?

6. Even though God is never mentioned in the story, it’s evident that He placed Esther and Mordecai in the right place at the right time to come to the aid of the Jewish people. It “just happened” that Esther was queen at the time of Haman’s evil plot. It “just happened” that Mordecai overheard two treacherous servants planning to assassinate the king. It “just happened” that the king couldn’t sleep one night and asked for the royal histories to be read out loud. As a result, he “just happened” to hear the story of Mordecai foiling the assassination attempt. Have you ever experienced any “just happeneds” in your life?

   

7. Probably the best-known verse in the story is Esther 4:14 when Mordecai tells Esther 
   

           “And who knows but that you have come to your royal
            position for such a time as this?”

            God has orchestrated all of the events in the story to
            save His people and to reveal His love and power.

8. Esther knew the power of prayer and solicited all her countrymen to fast and pray for three days as she prepared to go before the king. Fasting is often mentioned in the Bible and was practiced for several reasons. Sometimes it was because of sin as in the case of Israel in the Old Testament. The book of Joel says “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” (Joel 2:12). Other times as in Esther, fasting was used as a powerful weapon along with prayer in the case of a national emergency.

9. Why two banquets? Esther knew the law of the kingdom. Anyone coming into the king’s presence without being summoned could be put to death. But she bravely went before him, and he showed his favor by extending the royal scepter towards her. When the king asked what her request was, she invited him to a banquet she would prepare the next night. At that banquet she invited the king and Haman to a more private banquet the next night. Why? Could it be at the private banquet she could make her request for him to revoke the edict against the Jewish people in a quieter, more private setting? That way he wouldn’t be seen as changing his mind in front of many other people.

10. Haman hated Mordecai so much that he commanded a 75-foot gallows be constructed on which Haman would hang Mordecai. Talk about making a statement! 75-foot gallows would be about as high as a modern day seven story building!

    

So, what can we learn from the book of Esther? It’s apparent that she was really in the right place at the right time, and this was because of God’s perfect plan for her life and the lives of so many others. Where has God placed you right now? In school? Working? On a kids’ soccer or volleyball team? Even if you aren’t a queen, city leader or even the president of your class, God still has you right where He wants you. Look around- what are some ways you can show God’s love to the people around you? A smile, a helping hand or an encouraging word might be just what the person next to you needs right now. You were placed there on purpose. Just like Queen Esther, God has put you in your neighborhood, your school, your teams and even your family “for such a time as this”.