This week we learned about Haman's decree to kill all of the Jews. He was so angry because one person in a huge crowd refused to bow down to him. I understand why he felt like he needed to destroy the entire people as I mentioned in a previous blog. He got permission from Achashverosh to make the decree. Now someone needs to come in and help stop Haman from playing out the decree. He even got to the point in making a date to kill the Jews. He got this far without anybody trying to stop him.
Mordechai finally steps in and talks to Esther. Although Esther has no power, she still is in the palace with the king and has better access to talk to him than most people in the kingdom. Mordechai sends a messenger to send a message to Esther. He tells her to seize the moment. Don't just sit there and wait for someone else to save the Jews because it will happen. The Jews will have salvation, but if she wants to be a part of it then she needs to take charge.
Esther is scared that the King will kill her if she comes to the king without being called to him. Maybe Esther thinks that she is not going to be affected by the decree to kill all the Jews. Achashverosh doesn't know that she is Jewish, so what makes anyone think she will be affected because she is in the palace with Achashverosh. But Mordechai makes it clear to Esther that she is also going to be killed. She is not going to be left behind just because she is in the king's palace. So Esther has a better chance to go to the king and tell her about the decree than to stay in the palace while all the other Jews die. The king can possibly find favor in her eyes, so she should go talk to him.
The king knows what a risk it was for her to come to him, so he knew she had something extremely important to talk about. He accepted the invitation because he knew it was important.
The only way we will make a difference in this world, is if we take charge like Esther! G-d has a plan in this world, but we have to decide if we are going to help Him play them out. So seize the moment and always do what your gut tells you. It is probably something beneficial to the world.
While I agree wholeheartedly with you that taking charge can be a magnificently wonderful thing, it can also be a magnificently terrible thing. Take Haman as an example. He certainly decided to seize the moment and go with his gut when he decided to wipe out the Jews. Taking charge in this case almost got an entire nation wiped out. So maybe, sometimes, it's also good to sit down and think things through before going with whatever your gut tells you. But, like I said, sometimes this works in favor of everyone.
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