For Such A Time As This
Esther 4:12-14
Upon being told what Esther had said, Mordekhai asked them to give Esther this answer: "Don't suppose that merely because you happen to be in the royal palace you will escape any more than the other Jews. For if you fail to speak up now, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from a different direction; but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows whether you didn't come into your royal position precisely for such a time as this."
In just eight short days, I will be taking a group of 21 people with me to Israel for the AM Israel Tours Spring 2022 Tour. I am so excited about this tour for several reasons, one of which is for the mere fact that this particular tour was scheduled for 2020! However, one of my favorite sayings is, “everything happens for a reason”, and it’s true. Initially, I had almost 50 people booked and ready to go, now I have 21 and with myself, that makes 22. So, 22 people going to Israel for the Spring 2022 Tour!
I don’t believe in coincidences and because again, everything happens for a reason, Wednesday, March 16 is Erev Purim (Eve of Purim). What is Purim you may ask, well, I’m glad you asked. Perhaps you may not know who the little Jewish girl by the name of Hadassah was, but you do know who she grew up to be...Queen Esther.
Every year at this time, Jews read the book of Esther to remember how the Jews of Persia were saved from annihilation by the evil Haman. We read about how Hadassah became Queen Esther and how God ordered the steps so that she could be in a place of authority and find favor in the sight of the King. In so doing, she was able to help save her people from death.
This reminds me of a certain man, a modern-day Biblical Hero, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the grandson of a holocaust survivor who grew up to be an actor/comedian, who also received a law degree and how God ordered the steps of this man so that he may be placed in a position of authority to help save his countrymen from death.
I am so glad that God doesn’t call upon the equipped, but He equips those whom He calls! I am reminded of another hero of the Bible. He was one of many brothers, there is now a city and a citadel named after him…King David. David was a shepherd boy who tended his father’s flock while his older brothers were fighting a war against the Philistines. One day David’s father asked David to take food to his brothers and upon arriving David saw that the Philistines were taunting the Hebrews. They had a giant on their side who told the Hebrews to send a man to fight him and if he won that the Hebrews would become slaves to the Philistines. What was worse was that the Hebrews were afraid and not doing much to retaliate. After David confronted his brothers and the king, Saul, David decided he himself would confront this giant. David, a young boy who couldn’t even fit into the military armor nor carry a military sword, decided that he needed to confront this giant to save his people. GOD ordered the steps so that this young man may be placed in a situation to overcome the enemies of his people, thus saving them from death. I like what David says in 1 Samuel 17 to King Saul, “Your servant has defeated both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has challenged the armies of the living God." David then, “took his stick in his hand and picked five smooth stones from the riverbed, putting them in his shepherd’s bag, in his pouch. Then his sling in his hand, he approached the Philistine. The Philistine looked David up and down and had nothing but scorn for what he saw—a boy with ruddy cheeks, red hair and good looks. The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog? Is that why you're coming at me with sticks?"—and the Philistine cursed David by his god. Then the Philistine said to David, "Come here to me, so I can give your flesh to the birds in the air and the wild animals." David answered the Philistine, "You're coming at me with a sword, a spear and a javelin. But I'm coming at you in the name of ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of the armies of Isra'el, whom you have challenged. Today ADONAI will hand you over to me. I will attack you, lop your head off, and give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines to the birds in the air and the animals in the land. Then all the land will know that there is a God in Isra'el, and everyone assembled here will know that ADONAI does not save by sword or spear. For this is ADONAI's battle, and he will hand you over to us." Again, another great example of God equipping those whom He calls!
It is such an awesome honor to be able to take people to Israel so they can experience the Biblical sites first hand and put a location to the historical event in scripture. The City of David & David’s Citadel are just a few locations you will visit and see on a tour to Israel. You may even see the Valley of Elah where the battle took place between David and Goliath, but the fact is that God always wins. He’s victorious in every situation and He has defeated the enemy and continues to do so over and over again.
I remember growing up, there was a cartoon character named Mighty Mouse and his catch phrase was, “never fear, Mighty Mouse is here!” Well, throughout the Bible, God is telling us to never fear, God is here and is with you wherever you go! The promise can be found in Joshua 1:9. Haven't I ordered you, 'Be strong, be bold'? So don't be afraid or downhearted, because ADONAI your God is with you wherever you go."
May you go in Shalom and be without fear in knowing that God is with you wherever you go. Baruch HaShem, Praise the LORD!
