Esther 4:14

...and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Esther 4:14
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

I think the phrase “such a time as this” has been used so much in Christian lingo that it has lost its depth of truth. In Esther 4, Mordecai presents Esther with a very difficult decision. He prompts her to go in to the king and ask the king to spare her people, because Haman had convinced him to sign a decree to destroy them. This was a dangerous proposition though for Esther, as she had not yet revealed to the king that she was a Jew. In addition, there was a law that whoever would come uninvited to the king in the inner court would be put to death, unless the king held out his scepter to grant permission (Esther 4:11).

Esther relayed all of this information to Mordecai through a messenger (Hatach the chamberlain), revealing her uneasiness with this request. She clearly understood the gravity of the situation for her people, but she also wanted Mordecai to understand the gravity of the situation on her end. This was no easy request. But to this reluctance Mordecai responded with what we find here in verse 14. Mordecai displayed his faith in saying that if she refuses to go to the king, then God will deliver Israel some other way. But even deliverance through another means would probably bring much death and destruction through war, and Esther would be affected by that too. There is no way for her to escape this.

Mordecai insisted that she take this opportunity to go before the king, because “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther finally did agree, and then took three days to fast and pray before going into the king. The king accepted her upon arrival, holding out to her his golden scepter (Esther 5:2), and the rest is history.

Mordecai was prompting Esther to consider that it wasn’t just good fortune that landed her in the king’s house. He wanted her to consider that perhaps God had a reason for her to be there at that time, more than just as a blessing to Esther. Perhaps God, in his infinite knowledge and wisdom, moved the pieces into place so that when this evil decree to destroy the Jews was created, the right woman would be at the right place at the right time to contend for her people.

This is what we as Christians should learn from this story. “Such a time as this” is not just a glib slogan for when blessing and opportunity happen upon us. No, “such a time as this” is a call to consider that God has placed us where we are for a greater purpose than ourselves! A greater purpose which will require self-sacrifice and faith. For Esther to go in to meet the king required her to lay on the altar her comfort, her safety, and potentially even her own life. Esther had to consider her own mortality before this mission, and she did so with fasting and prayer.

In late 2018 my wife and I made the decision to move to Hungary as missionaries. In the summer of 2019 we started fundraising, and then in early 2020 the world stopped. The pandemic halted our fundraising, but it also shut down world travel. We didn’t know how long these restrictions would hinder us. Sometimes I wondered, why God would call us to missions and confirm it repeatedly, only for us to get shut down right at the start?

But God continued to confirm to us His calling through His faithful provision. He made a way for us to get to Hungary in December of 2020, even with global pandemic restrictions. But those first couple months were difficult. There wasn’t a lot we could do practically, let alone ministerially. Sometimes I wondered, What am I even doing here? Why here, Why now?

During that time this verse in Esther stuck out to me. Perhaps God had called us to Hungary at this time for a reason. Perhaps the timing wasn’t unfortunate, but rather divine. Maybe God had us right where He wanted us “for such a time as this”. It certainly required sacrifice to be there. We missed family and friends. We missed our home church. We had to learn how to navigate a new country and culture under incredibly extreme conditions. It was not easy. But God was always working.

Did God have us in Hungary at that time for “such a time as this”? I believe so. No, we didn’t save our people from genocide like Esther. And no, there has not been massive revival since our arrival. But, nearly five years later, there is a small church. There have been new believers saved and baptized. The gospel has been preached, and discipleship is happening. And I have to think that God, who called us to this work, knew perfectly well what world events would be happening as we followed Him.

So, if there was no mass revival started, nor mass genocide prevented, how could I say that God brought us to Hungary “for such a time as this”? Because I trust the providence of God. I trust that God has a reason for all that He does. I believe He wanted us here in this place, at this time. What will be the results? I may not know until eternity. But I can tell you that there have been results within me and my family. Through these unique times God has equipped us in ways that I don’t know could have happened in any other environment. It required patience, sacrifice, and faith. And He continues to show Himself faithful to this day.

Christian, trust the providence of God. He has you where you are today for a reason. A reason greater than yourself! Whether you find yourself in a place of great blessing or great tragedy, God wants to use you for His glory. Will you step out in faith to be used by Him in a way that can affect eternity? It will require self-sacrifice and faith. Don’t sacrifice obedience to God for comfort, or even safety. Go boldly unto the throne and approach the king (Hebrews 4:16). See what He would have you do. Perhaps God has you right where you are “for such a time as this?”