2 Samuel 22:33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
For years, the drama of Esther intrigued and distracted me so much that I never moved beyond its shock value. Emotions roll and crest in her story like a storm-tossed ocean. The wild tidal waves of fear, anger, jealousy, and greed, crash against the rock-solid sureness of God’s plan for Esther. In masterful storytelling technique, God portrays the age-old human struggle for control and power. Easily identifying with Esther’s fear, I watched as she edged along the tightrope between life and death.
Eventually, (and relatively recently), the Master Director, God Himself, beckoned me backstage, behind her story. (I narrowly missed tripping over King Ahasuerus when he rushed to stage right, his regal train flooding the narrow aisle.) The dust motes slowly drifted back to the scarred floor in the dim light, and I breathed again. I was backstage with God.
Props
I stared in awe at the “props” that supported her story:
- The culture of the greatest nation on earth at that time
- The grandeur of power, beauty, and majesty
- The allure of a woman’s wildest dreams fulfilled
My eyes grew round with wonder as the Director explained His plot and methods:
- The intricate layers of deceit and manipulation in the royal court and the miracle of Esther’s loyal followers
- The literary devices in her story that underscored God’s messages to us
- The patterns that revealed powerful truths meant to transform my life
As He guided me to the prestigious green room where Esther waited backstage, I marveled at the shelves packed with obscure nuggets of wisdom glinting mysteriously in the dimness. Esther welcomed me in for a visit, talking with me gently about overcoming fear, handling a crisis, and the powerful love of God which obliterates confusion and empowers godly action. She showed me the two masks of Esther: the glittering mask of humanity, and the subtle but unmistakably regal mask of divinity.
Backstage
The contrast between these two masks enabled me to see beyond the entertainment value and opened a door of understanding for me.
What I Learned
- I learned that, despite Esther’s being tossed about by Haman’s hatred, there is a beautiful order in her story. It was just hidden by the drama, but it was there. Without God directing Esther’s story, it’s a jumbled mass of confusion, unpredictable emotions, and the sinister presence of evil. BUT, with God as the Director, Esther’s story is one of careful attention to detail and of a Supreme God who works miraculously behind the scenes. Without God directing my story, it’s the same chaos, BUT with God as Director, my story is exquisitely planned by Him. And when I go backstage with God in my story, I see Him clearly.
- Esther taught me what to W.E.A.R. to a crisis: 1) how to Work with godly people, 2) how to Eradicate the enemy described in 1 Peter 5:8, 3) how to Act wisely, and 4) how to Recognize the order of God in my life. By constructing a simple timeline of Esther, the idea that God prepares me for a trial emerged, filling me with the hope of 2 Samuel 22:33. (quoted above)
Priceless Journey
I followed the “Director” as we retraced unmistakable footprints in the dust of time from countless others who had been taught to understand the spiritual messages of Esther.
A tour backstage, into the cavernous depths of Esther’s story, revealed many precious treasures of truth tucked away in obscure corners. When the “Master Director” showed me her script’s secrets, explained her “props” and shined His spotlight on her messages, I became captivated by the lover of my soul. The priceless value of a journey backstage has forever changed the way I look at her story as it rises from the pages of Scripture!
