Esther

• Esther (also called Hadassah) was a devout, obedient and well-mannered beautiful lady, daughter of Abihail, who was raised by her uncle Mordecai and became King Xerxes' choice of new queen, after the former queen Vashti was deposed due to her refusal to honour the king's command at an important feast
• Esther was ready to lay down her life for her people, the Jews, and became victorious over Haman, the haters of the Jews
• Esther's notable strengths


  • Consistent obedience
  • Courage
  • Reticence (not given to excessive talking)
  • Fasted (and prayed) to express her trust in God's saving ability
• Esther's notable weakness


  • Laxity (would have chosen the laissez-faire approach to handling problems, but for the stern warning of Mordecai her uncle)
• Excellence in the life of Esther

  • Teachable attitude of mind
  • Adequate preparation before engaging tasks
  • Applying divinely inspired wisdom as strategy to handling serious problems
• Godly nature in Esther's life

  • Sensitivity
  • Selflessness
  • Love
  • Wisdom
• The life of Esther teaches us that when God commits opportunities, blessings, positions into our hands, there is a divine expectation bearing on us to accomplish it
• We must be sensitive to realize where God is working and believe that our obedience will contribute to its success as long as we remain yielded and ready to be a vessel through which His plans may be fulfilled
• The decision taken by Queen Esther the day she went in unto the King outlived her and still remains a reference point of celebration for the Jews to this day (the festival of Purim)
• The challenge for us from the life of this great woman includes: Are you presently building a life with consistent practices (like obedience for Esther) that will come in handy in your future? Do your personal values hold value for others beyond yourself? Will your decisions outlive you?