( Log Out /  An ordinary woman who God raised up to be a Persian queen for a purpose she never could have imagined. “If I die I die” (Esther 4:16). ( Log Out /  God's Deliverance - The Lord raised up Esther as he raised up Moses, Joshua, Joseph, and many others to deliver his people from destruction. Not only was Esther an ordinary woman living in a foreign land, but she was part of a minority race held in low esteem. Then, risking her own life, brave young Esther approached the king with a request. The Bible book of Esther is a dramatic account which can give us insight into God’s special and purposeful plan for our lives. God is able to save his children. The other is the book of Ruth . We see God's interaction with man's will, his hatred of racial prejudice, his power to give wisdom and help in times of danger. The plot was thwarted and Mordecai's act of kindness was preserved in the chronicles of the king. Her love for God and for her people took precedence  over her love for her own life. I’d never heard this biblical account of the orphan who grew up to be a courageous queen, saving Israel from annihilation. We find in the book of Esther in the character of Ahasuerus an example of how God controls world affairs through the arrogant and sometimes foolish designs of wicked men. 460 and 331, after the reign of Xerxes I but prior to Alexander the Great's rise to power. Waiting on God’s timing is often difficult but His timing is always perfect. Mordecai was promoted to Haman's high position and Jews were granted protection throughout the land. Imagine, she would lose her virginity in the process and whether or not the King chose her as his wife, she would become his property––never allowed to return to her life with Mordecai (Esther 2:14). He told Esther about a plot to kill the king that he’d uncovered, which saved the king’s life (Esther 2:21-21). Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it. Rhonda Stoppe’s book Moms Raising Sons to be Men is mentoring thousands of moms to guide sons toward a no-regrets life. See 21 examples and a timeline. Although they were free to return to Jerusalem by decree of Cyrus, many had become established and probably did not wish to risk the dangerous journey back to their homeland. With so little control over her past or future, another woman might have reacted by turning into a control freak, but not Esther. Esther is one of only two books of the Bible named after a woman. Not Jazebelic or fashionable Esther 2 vs. 15. The author of Esther is unknown. He took extra care to recount Esther’s initial response was not one of courage. But Esther’s humble spirit shined brightly and she won favor in the eyes of all who saw her, including Hegai the king’s eunuch who had been put in charge of the virgins (Esther 2:15). When my children’s pastor spoke those notorious words my heart beat hard in my chest as I pondered, Would I have the courage to say those words should God call me to a similar circumstance?