- Jan 29, 2025
To the First Presbyterian Church family,
“For such a time as this” God has called us to be His people and His church. While not worded as such, this was the calling for Jesus and then His disciples. And it is said here for Esther and her purpose as a daughter of God. If you look at your Bibles, you will see the book of Esther ending the section known as “the Historical Books.” This is the conclusion of chronological Old Testament history, until it picks up again over 400 years later with the births of John the Baptist and Jesus in the New Testament. This five-week series in Esther marks the end of our own long journey of going through the Old Testament narrative during the Ordinary Time seasons of summer, fall, and sometimes January/February (which is where we are right now.) Here’s a quick recap of the Biblical books series we’ve done in my nine years here:
2015 – Gospel of Mark
2016 – Genesis
2017 – Romans
2018 – Exodus
2019 – Leviticus & Numbers
2020 – Deuteronomy & Joshua
2021 – Judges & Ruth
2022 – I & II Samuel
2023 – I & II Kings
2024 – Ezra & Nehemiah
We had to skip a lot of material along the way and not just the genealogies (“so and so begat”) and legal matters (eating kosher, etc.) but also books like I & II Chronicles, which covers much of the same ground as I & II Kings. But whether you just started worshipping with us last year or have been a part of this church long before, the journey of God’s people through these books should teach us all about the journey of this congregation and our individual lives as disciples of Christ.
Last fall we ended the books of Ezra and Nehemiah with the people of God partially returning from exile and living under a more favorable foreign government. Nevertheless, not all had returned. While most still living abroad had retained their heritage and faith, for various economic reasons they stayed with their current life. This was actually the beginning of what is known as the “Jewish Diaspora,” a status that exists to this day. Furthermore, whether they were in Palestine or still dispersed abroad, they were under the rule of the Persian empire. And much like the Roman Empire of Jesus and the Apostles’ time, this looked like a tolerant regime . . . until it wasn’t.
This is the situation where we find ourselves in the Biblical book of Esther. God’s people participate in the culture and government they find themselves in – Mordecai and Esther willingly enter the government as an official and part of the King’s harem, respectively. But they recognize that ultimately God and God alone is their salvation. This sets the stage well for the mission of the New Testament. God’s people recognize they are earthly citizens with the responsibilities and duties that may entail, but they also recognize that mankind may turn against them. In that case and in all trials, salvation alone comes from God. Who knows when such a thing will happen? Who knows when that time will come? And what will God call us to do at such a time? These were the questions that came to Mordecai and Esther.
Now I hope none of us are confronted with the kind of choices Mordecai and Esther had to make. But we all find ourselves in different places in life, some of which we probably didn’t anticipate or even want. But has God put us there for such a time as this? We have already begun this series and by the time many of you are reading this we’ll be engaged in our Annual Meeting. That too is also a big part of ascertaining what is this time and to what has God called us. Though I’m looking forward to digging into this remarkable book with all of you, I won’t pretend to know everyone’s situations and opportunities. But God knows, and let’s see what He’s called this church, and all of you, to do in these times.
Esther 4:14
~Pastor Peter Martin
