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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover how God works behind the scenes to protect His people during persecution, and learn how to respond with faith and courage when we face opposition for our beliefs.

Key Verse

Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Introduction

Jesus warned His followers to expect persecution in this world. He told us plainly that those who choose to live godly lives will face opposition and suffering for their faith (John 15:20). The apostle Paul confirmed this truth when he wrote that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). This is not a popular message, but it is a biblical one.

The book of Esther gives us one of the most powerful examples in all of Scripture of how God’s people should respond when persecution comes. What makes this book unique is that God’s name is never mentioned in its ten chapters. Yet His presence fills every page. His hand guides every event. His protection covers His people even when they cannot see Him working.

This teaches us a crucial truth: even when God seems absent from our circumstances, even when we cannot sense His presence in our trials, He is sovereign and in control. The book of Esther shows us that God works behind the scenes, positioning His people exactly where they need to be, giving them strength when they need it most, and ultimately turning their enemies’ plans against them.

Esther’s story takes place during the time when God’s people were scattered throughout the Persian Empire. They were a minority people living under foreign rule, always vulnerable to hatred and attack. When a powerful enemy decided to destroy them completely, it looked like God’s promises would fail. But God had already placed a young Jewish woman in the palace of the most powerful king on earth.

In this lesson, we’ll see how God prepared Esther for the crisis she would face, and how she responded with faith, courage, and dependence on Him. Her example teaches us four essential principles for surviving and thriving during times of persecution:

• God prepares you for hard times
• Seek God when danger comes
• Stand firm when others cannot
• Trust God to turn defeat into victory

God Prepares You for Hard Times

Long before Esther faced the greatest crisis of her life, God was preparing her for it. Her story began with tragedy – she was an orphan who had lost both her parents. Her cousin Mordecai took her in and raised her as his own daughter. This seemed like a sad beginning, but God was already working.

Esther 2:7: Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

Sometimes God uses difficult circumstances to position us for future service. Esther’s orphaned status made it possible for her to be chosen as queen, because she had no powerful family connections that might threaten the king. What looked like disadvantage became advantage in God’s hands.

When King Xerxes decided to choose a new queen, Esther was selected from among all the beautiful young women in the empire. This was not an accident or mere coincidence. God was placing His servant exactly where she needed to be for the crisis that was coming.

1 Peter 2:9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Throughout Scripture, we see this same pattern. Joseph’s slavery in Egypt prepared him to save his family from famine. David’s years as a fugitive prepared him to be a wise and compassionate king. Paul’s background as a Pharisee prepared him to reach both Jews and Gentiles with the gospel.

Jeremiah 1:5: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

But God’s preparation goes beyond just positioning us – it also includes revealing His purposes to us when the time is right. When the crisis came and Esther hesitated to act, Mordecai delivered one of the most powerful messages in all of Scripture:

Esther 4:14: For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

This phrase “for such a time as this” reveals God’s perfect timing. All of Esther’s preparation – her orphaned status, her beauty, her selection as queen, even her hidden Jewish identity – had been building to this moment. Mordecai helped her understand that her circumstances were not accidents. God had positioned her exactly where she needed to be for this crisis. Your family background, your education, your job, your circumstances – all of these are part of God’s preparation for how He wants to use you. Even the difficult things you have experienced may become tools in God’s hands to help others.

(Notebook Moment: Think about the challenges you have faced in your life. How might God want to use these experiences to help you serve others who face similar struggles?)

Seek God When Danger Comes

When the crisis finally came, it was worse than anyone could have imagined. Haman, the king’s highest official, decided to destroy all the Jewish people throughout the empire. He convinced the king to issue a decree calling for the complete genocide of God’s people. Every Jewish man, woman, and child was to be killed on a single day.

Esther 3:13: Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.

When Mordecai learned about this terrible decree, he put on sackcloth and ashes and mourned loudly in the city square. He sent word to Queen Esther, urging her to go to the king and plead for her people’s lives. But Esther was afraid. The law said that anyone who approached the king without being invited would be put to death, unless the king chose to spare them.

Esther’s first response was not to act immediately, but to seek God. She called for all the Jewish people in the capital city to fast and pray for three days. She understood that this crisis was too big for human wisdom or strength. Only God could provide the solution.

Esther 4:16: Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.

Fasting and prayer were Esther’s preparation for the most dangerous decision of her life. She knew that she needed God’s wisdom, God’s timing, and God’s protection. Before she acted, she sought His face.

2 Chronicles 20:12: We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

This is always our first response when persecution comes: we turn to God. We fast and pray, not to convince God to help us, but to prepare our own hearts to trust Him completely. Prayer aligns our will with God’s will. Fasting shows us that we depend on God more than we depend on food, comfort, or security.

James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

When believers today face persecution – whether it comes from governments, employers, neighbors, or even family members – our first response should be the same as Esther’s. We seek God’s face through prayer and fasting. We ask for His wisdom about how to respond. We request His strength to do what is right, even when it is costly.

Stand Firm When Others Cannot

After three days of fasting and prayer, Esther made her decision. She would approach the king, even though it might cost her life. This took incredible courage, because she had no guarantee that the king would spare her. But she had resolved to do what was right, regardless of the consequences.

Esther 5:1-2: On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

Notice that Esther did not wait for someone else to solve this problem. She did not hope that the situation would improve on its own. She took action, even though she was afraid. This is what biblical courage looks like – not the absence of fear, but the decision to do what is right despite our fear.

Sometimes God calls His people to stand firm when others cannot or will not act. During times of persecution, many believers may be paralyzed by fear or confusion. But God raises up individuals who are willing to take risks for the sake of others. (Notebook Moment: Think of a time when you had to make a difficult choice between safety and doing what was right. What helped you find the courage to act?)

Joshua 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Esther’s courage was not based on her own strength or abilities. It was based on her trust in God’s sovereignty and her commitment to God’s people. She was willing to sacrifice her position, her comfort, and even her life for the sake of others.

Throughout church history, God has used ordinary believers who were willing to stand firm during persecution. Think of the early Christians who refused to bow down to Caesar, even when it meant death in the arena. Think of believers in communist countries who continued to meet secretly for worship, even when they faced imprisonment. Think of Christians today who maintain their faith in countries where conversion to Christianity is illegal.

Daniel 3:17-18: If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

True faith is not measured by whether God delivers us from persecution, but by whether we remain faithful to Him even when deliverance does not come. Esther understood this principle when she said, “If I perish, I perish.”

Trust God to Turn Defeat Into Victory

What happened next in Esther’s story shows us the power of God to reverse even the most hopeless situations. Through a series of remarkable events, God not only delivered His people from destruction but also elevated them to positions of honor and authority.

The king not only spared Esther’s life but also granted her request to save her people. When he learned of Haman’s evil plot, he was furious. Haman was executed on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai. The decree that was meant to destroy the Jews was reversed, and they were given permission to defend themselves against their enemies.

Esther 9:1: On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them.

This dramatic reversal shows us God’s power to turn our defeats into victories. What Satan meant for evil, God turned for good. The very day that was supposed to be a day of mourning became a day of celebration. The people who were marked for death became the victors.

Proverbs 19:21: Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

This principle encourages believers who face persecution today. No matter how powerful our enemies may seem, no matter how hopeless our situation may appear, God is able to reverse everything in a moment. The same God who delivered Esther’s people is our God today.

Isaiah 54:17: No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord.

History shows us many examples of this principle. The Roman Empire tried to destroy Christianity through three centuries of persecution, but Christianity eventually conquered Rome. Communist governments tried to eliminate the church in Eastern Europe, but the church outlasted communism. Wherever the gospel is planted, it eventually bears fruit, even in the most hostile soil. (Notebook Moment: Can you think of examples from history or from your own experience where God turned a situation of persecution or opposition into victory for His people?)

The book of Esther ends with Mordecai being promoted to the highest position in the empire, second only to the king himself. The festival of Purim was established to celebrate God’s deliverance. What began as a story of threat and danger ended as a story of triumph and joy.

Esther 10:3: Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.

Conclusion

The book of Esther teaches us that God is always working behind the scenes, even when we cannot see His hand or hear His voice. During times of persecution and opposition, we can trust that He is positioning us exactly where we need to be, providing the resources we need, and working out His perfect plan for our good and His glory.

These four principles from Esther’s life provide a roadmap for believers facing persecution today. First, we recognize that God has prepared us for the challenges we face, using even our difficult experiences to equip us for service. Second, we respond to crisis by seeking God through prayer and fasting, acknowledging our complete dependence on Him. Third, we choose courage over comfort, standing firm in our faith even when others cannot or will not act. Fourth, we trust God’s power to turn our defeats into victories, knowing that His purposes will ultimately prevail.

But Esther’s story points us to an even greater truth. The deliverance that God provided for His people in Persia was temporary and limited. The victory that Christ won for us at the cross is eternal and complete. Just as Esther risked her life to save her people, Jesus gave His life to save us. Just as God reversed the evil decree that threatened His people, God reversed the curse of sin and death through Christ’s resurrection.

Colossians 2:15: And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

The ultimate victory has already been won at Calvary. Satan’s power has been broken. Sin’s penalty has been paid. Death’s sting has been removed. No matter what persecution believers face in this world, we know that God’s victory is certain.

And just as the book of Esther ends with God’s people in positions of honor and authority, our story will end with eternal victory when Christ returns. The same God who worked behind the scenes in ancient Persia is working behind the scenes today, preparing for the final triumph when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Revelation 19:16: On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Until that day comes, we follow Esther’s example. We trust God’s hidden hand in our hard times. We seek His face when danger comes. We stand firm when others cannot. And we trust His power to turn our defeats into victories, knowing that the One who delivered Esther’s people will never fail those who put their trust in Him.

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