Selfless Courage Helped Save the Jewish People

Choice 2: Esther 1–8.

(a) Write a page describing the three people listed below. Include in your writing ways each of them put their own interests and safety aside to courageously stand for truth or help others in need. Include the scripture references found in Esther 1–8 that support your comments. Conclude with two or three attributes these three possessed that you would like to incorporate or strengthen more in your life. Write a brief plan of how you will develop these attributes.

• Queen Vashti (Esther 1) Refused to come before the King to show off her beauty. "She may have viewed it beneath her to be around people that had been drinking as much as they wanted for 7 days." Her rebellion towards chauvinism is commendable! She is an example for standing up to men and making sure they know we are their equals. NOT to be subservient to men just because their men. We must listen and take in their counsel when it's in line with God's. 

Queen Vashtis' resolve to not bend to the will of a man (an earthly man) even though he asked three times was noble indeed. I would like to have her attribute of strength to say "no." To say no whens its the right thing. For me its with money. I want to please my husband and he wants to please me, so we allow each other to spend to much. (we're working on it)

• Mordecai (Esther 3–4) Was able to stand and worship his God even when he might've been standing alone. How many Jews lived in the city? How many bowed before Haman? It must have been none since Haman knew Mordecai by name. Or was it that Mordecai was the only one to do it to his face. The others decided to "cross their fingers" as they bowed. Knowing that their hearts are turned to God? Is it sometime smart to be silent to save our lives? What if we are a mother who has a child in her arms? Would she stand and have the child cut from her? The moral of this story brings many questions. I understand that we should stand for Truth, but is there also a time to be silent? Did Mordecai roll the dice for all his people knowingly? 

• Esther (Esther 2–4, chapter summaries 5–8) She saves her people by risking her very life. She has been and always will be one of my favorite heroines of the Old Testament. She has the people all fast with her. She allowed them to become part of her story. Their faith together, instead of hers alone, won their freedom. I love how she includes them and God to the glory of her story. She could have done it alone so as to boast of her faith and higher place but she was humble enough to know that she was not One but manny. 

I wish I could be more willing to add the faith of others to support my struggles in this manner. To ask them more often for their prayers instead of just listening ears.