Esther 5
Today's Passage: Esther 5
My kids were young when Veggie Tales was in its prime and having lived far from family at the time, we did a lot of traveling in the van. My kids would constantly ask to watch the Veggie Tales version of Esther. It is pretty much still ingrained in my head.
Chapter 5 is a story of contrasting characters. A queen and a right-hand man who had two very different desires and two completely opposing hearts.
At surface value, this seems like a pretty straightforward event and act of kindness on the part of Esther, but in reality, this was a super risky ask, even for the queen. To be granted access to the king was no small task, for he held the authority to not only deny access to himself but to also put to death anyone he desired.
Esther knew that to be of help to her people, it would come at the risk of her own life. She had on her mind the salvation of the Jews when she stood at the entrance to the king’s inner chamber, not herself. Her main goal was the sparing of life.
On the other hand, we see the contrasting picture of Haman. This is the second-in-command leader who had a very different goal in mind: the extinction of the Jews (and one man in particular, Mordecai). Even though Haman had it all (see v. 11-13), he was consumed by an intense hatred for God’s people and built an elaborate gallows meant for the destruction of Mordecai.
One leader who wanted people to live, another leader who wanted people to die.
It shows us the leadership conundrum that many people face when given authority of some sort: will I use it for the good of other people or the good of myself? Will I risk saying and doing the hard thing because it’s the right thing, or will I have an insatiable thirst for satisfying self at the expense of others?
Choose Esther. Lead with humility and embrace the hard choices of loving people over yourself. What does that look like for you today? Is God asking you to give something up for the sake of someone else? Is there a particular way you can die to self in order to see another person flourish?
This is the model of Jesus Christ, too. The one who risked it all for the salvation of His people. The true shepherd didn’t consider Himself, but the life of His sheep. As we follow the lead of Jesus and as we consider the heart of Esther; choose to leverage your leadership to serve others. This is what truly honors the King.
Written By: Drew Dukes
My kids were young when Veggie Tales was in its prime and having lived far from family at the time, we did a lot of traveling in the van. My kids would constantly ask to watch the Veggie Tales version of Esther. It is pretty much still ingrained in my head.
Chapter 5 is a story of contrasting characters. A queen and a right-hand man who had two very different desires and two completely opposing hearts.
At surface value, this seems like a pretty straightforward event and act of kindness on the part of Esther, but in reality, this was a super risky ask, even for the queen. To be granted access to the king was no small task, for he held the authority to not only deny access to himself but to also put to death anyone he desired.
Esther knew that to be of help to her people, it would come at the risk of her own life. She had on her mind the salvation of the Jews when she stood at the entrance to the king’s inner chamber, not herself. Her main goal was the sparing of life.
On the other hand, we see the contrasting picture of Haman. This is the second-in-command leader who had a very different goal in mind: the extinction of the Jews (and one man in particular, Mordecai). Even though Haman had it all (see v. 11-13), he was consumed by an intense hatred for God’s people and built an elaborate gallows meant for the destruction of Mordecai.
One leader who wanted people to live, another leader who wanted people to die.
It shows us the leadership conundrum that many people face when given authority of some sort: will I use it for the good of other people or the good of myself? Will I risk saying and doing the hard thing because it’s the right thing, or will I have an insatiable thirst for satisfying self at the expense of others?
Choose Esther. Lead with humility and embrace the hard choices of loving people over yourself. What does that look like for you today? Is God asking you to give something up for the sake of someone else? Is there a particular way you can die to self in order to see another person flourish?
This is the model of Jesus Christ, too. The one who risked it all for the salvation of His people. The true shepherd didn’t consider Himself, but the life of His sheep. As we follow the lead of Jesus and as we consider the heart of Esther; choose to leverage your leadership to serve others. This is what truly honors the King.
Written By: Drew Dukes
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