Seventh In Ramah

Read: Esther

When we meet Esther, we learn about the oppression of her people. It precedes what we can see, but the effects are engrained.

She gets taken to the king. Not out of desire, but out of decree. She receives favor again and again, and becomes queen. Years pass, her people remain in their same circumstances. 

Mordecai alerts Queen Esther of a conspiracy to kill the king. She brings it to the king’s attention, and you think this is where it gets better for them. It gets so much worse. 

Enter Haman. His father served King Agag. Agag was an enemy of Israel. All Haman’s ever seen or known is hatred of the Jews, and he was just promoted to second under the king. 

Haman sees Mordecai going against his command, and before long has the king’s signet ring on a decree to wipe out Mordecai’s entire people. You can’t take back a decree. 

Panic hits and Esther charges fasting all around. Walking in courage, she approaches the king. She hosts a banquet for him and his second in command.

Despite all his honors, Haman’s hate only grows stronger. He, with his family, devise a 50 cubit high plan to publicly end Mordecai. 

Esther is fasting.

Mordecai is fasting. 

Their people and the people around Esther in the palace are fasting. 

After years and years of oppression, things are only getting worse. 

There’s a date for their end that drives them to their knees. 

The sound of construction fills the air. 

Haman is walking toward the palace to put the last piece together. 

But the king can’t sleep..

It wasn’t thunder and lightning or fire from Heaven. The king couldn’t sleep, and it changed the course of history. 

Haman’s plan for evil is immediately turned for Mordecai’s good. 

Haman got knocked off his high horse to lead someone else’s horse. 

Esther told the king of Haman’s plan to destroy her people. This time, he’s the one sent to his knees. Then his own gallows. 

There’s still a decree. 

Esther is given the house of Haman, and Mordecai given the king’s signet ring. 

Instead of a plan for life to go back to how it’s always been, the Jews were given the freedom to fight. 

To fight against anyone causing them harm. 

To fight for their future. 

To fight to end the life of oppression. 

Fight to make the days ahead different than the days before. 

Everyone good rallied with them, outnumbering their enemies. They were now truly free. 

It may feel like a life of one bad thing after the other. A life of oppression. 

It may appear that what looked like the chance for things to change has gone the opposite direction.

You may feel like the last breath has been knocked out of you. 

The news might be getting worse. Your enemies might be getting stronger, more powerful. You may be watching the gallows being built. The footsteps might be getting closer. 

But our King never sleeps. 

He is orchestrating every evil aimed against you to turn for your good. The day marked for your end will be the day you rise in victory. Your past will not be your future. 

Don’t believe how it looks. 

Keep praying, keep fasting, keep the faith. 

The King isn’t sleeping.

And everything is about to change.