“For such a time as this”

A Christian’s Duty in Government

Esther was a remarkable woman. The niece of a government official in the Persian kingdom under King Ahasuerus, she was taken from obscurity to become the new queen of the land around 479 B.C. She was thrust into a world of privilege and wealth in which she was certainly unfamiliar, but every indication we have from the book of the Bible that bears her name tells us that she was a woman of grace, diplomacy, and wisdom. She became a queen in every sense of the word.

Eventually she was forced to make a very important choice which had, and still has, incredible ramifications upon the Jewish nation, and ultimately the entire Christian world. The account of this choice, recorded in Scripture, gives Christians a clear illustration of a vital and often overlooked principle. This Biblical principle has far reaching and powerful importance for Christians in every nation, at every time of history, of any background or education. Maybe that is why the Lord instructs Christians to give careful attention to this principle.