“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” (Esther 4:11)
Some may be envious of Queen Esther and the life she lived. In our day and age the title “Queen” carries a lot of personal benefit! But in the days of Queen Esther, the queen was none other than the favorite woman in the king’s harem, the one who found herself at the King’s beck and call. She was required to do EVERYTHING the King requested of her, even if it wasn’t exactly moral! Remember that Esther only became queen when the former queen, Vashti refused to expose herself to the King’s drunken guests! Though the Bible doesn’t go into detail about just what Vashti was to do, historical accounts of other such requests suggest that she was required to disrobe!
Is anyone still envious of Queen Esther?
Another proof that Esther’s position wasn’t exactly to be desired was that despite the fact that she bore the official title of “Queen”, she wasn’t even allowed to see the King unless he specifically invited her. And when this story takes place, Esther hadn’t been invited to see the king, her husband, for a whole month! When Mordecai, asks her to approach the King and ask him to revoke a law that is irrevocable, is it any wonder she was afraid?
But Esther DID have ONE small chance: If the king held out his golden scepter to her when she appeared uninvited in his court, her life would be spared. So Esther prepared herself by praying and fasting for three days, and she requested that all the Jews in Shushan pray and fast for her. Then she dressed in her most beautiful robes, and taking her life into her hands, she appeared, uninvited, before the king. Imagine her relief when the king held out the golden scepter to her! She had done something illegal, but the king in his grace, pardoned her!
As I was contemplating this story the other day, it occurred to me that this is a beautiful picture of our relationship with God. While we are yet sinners, we have no right to enter before the Holy God. The wages of sin is DEATH, and for anyone to come before God as a sinner, the result is sure death! Nadab and Abihu tried it. They entered into the temple of the Lord drunk, and they were instantly struck dead (see Lev. 10:1-2). Yet we are told to “Come boldly before the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:15). In fact, the Bible teaches that we are already SEATED with Christ in the Heavenly realm (Eph 2:6), and Christ is seated at the right hand of God Himself (Heb. 8:1)!
Why?
Friends, something happened between the Old Testament and the new, and that “something” was Jesus. He came to this Earth, He lived a sinless life. He died for all of OUR sins, and He rose again. All this so that we might do what no one before could do—that we might do what even Queen Esther couldn’t do: Go boldly before the King! Col. 3:3 tells us that that once we accept Jesus into our hearts, our lives are now “Hidden with Christ in God”!
So just how can we approach the throne of the King, God, without the fear that Esther felt? By preparing ourselves with Christ’s righteousness! The “righteousness from God (that) comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Rom 3:22). To anyone appearing before the throne of God wearing the righteousness that can only come by faith in Christ Jesus, to these God extends the “Golden Scepter”: His grace! “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.” (Eph 2:8)
Are you afraid to enter into the presence of the King? If you have never accepted Jesus into your heart, then you have reason to be. But the solution is a simple one. Do it today! If you’ve never accepted this great gift of faith, friend, if you still doubt your salvation, put on Jesus. Accept Him into your heart, then by faith in what He has ALREADY done, you, too, may come boldly into the throne room of God knowing with all assurance that He WILL extend to you the Golden Scepter of Grace!
Lyn Chaffart
Lyn Chaffart, moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets ( www.scripturalnuggets.org), Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org .