If Bible Heroes Followed Modern Wisdom | Esther

All around the world, children enjoy beautifully illustrated stories of heroic characters right from the Bible. These stories fill readers with awe and wonder, spark imagination, and (hopefully) instill biblical truths. I know I had my favourites, and it was fascinating to imagine myself in the hero's or heroine's position and wonder how I would've handled the situation. Recently, I've wondered how these stories may have turned out if the main characters had followed modern wisdom as accepted and promoted by the modern church, across many denominations. And this is the result. This series will feature well-loved stories of Bible heroes, retold to according to modern wisdom.

Long, long ago in a far off land, there lived a king who reigned over a large kingdom. After months of showing off his riches and splendour, he hosted an incredible feast in the palace. It lasted a whole week! The curtains hung from silver rods, the couches were made of gold and silver, and even the drinks were served in golden vessels! At the end of the week, the king had enjoyed himself so much that he became drunk. Against protocol he called for the queen to come so that he could show off her beauty as well. He felt very angry when she refused. So he made a law that she wouldn't be allowed to see him anymore, or be queen.

After he calmed down, his advisors suggested that beautiful girls be brought to him so that he could choose his favourite and make her queen. The king liked this idea and agreed to it. His officers got to work gathering beautiful girls from all around the kingdom. When Esther, an orphaned Jew raised by her cousin, was taken, her cousin checked how she was and what was happening to her every day. 

Esther was beautiful and she won favour with her custodian and all who saw her. And in this respect, the king wasn't much different than everyone else. Esther won his favour and he loved her more than all the other girls. So he put a crown on her head and made her queen. He gave another feast to celebrate, and granted a remission of taxes.

One day, Esther saw her cousin Mordecai at the king's gate wearing sackcloth and mourning deeply. She sent one of her servants to find out why, and learned that an edict had been written in the king's name instructing people to kill, destroy, and annihilate the Jews and plunder their goods on a specific day. Everywhere the decree reached, the Jews fasted and cried and lamented.

Mordecai told Esther that she should go to the king and beg and plead for the lives of her people.

She responded: “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

Then Mordecaid said: "Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

"Oh Mordecai," said Esther, "I truly do appreciate all your time and effort looking after me since my parents died, and I thank you for that. But sometimes you take things a bit far. God is mighty! He's sovereign! He is so much bigger and greater than you and I, and His plans can't possibly be overthrown by my actions."

"You know I'm not questioning God's strength, Esther. His plans will certainly succeed with or without your obedience. If you keep silent you will not overthrow God's plans, but you will perish; you and your father's house. Maybe He brought you to the throne with this situation in mind."

"Sometimes I wish all this would just stop Mordecai. All my friends used to talk about the special things they did with their parents, but I don't even remember mine! I always felt like I missed out and that was hard. Then I got dragged away from the home I did have to perform for an angry man with a drinking problem who only wants me for my body. I've been through a lot! I just want it to stop. I need a break. I want to relax and take things easy for a little while, and enjoy my new position as queen. Why do you insist on making me think about negative things again?"

Esther lay back on her golden couch to rest, her servants ready to do her bidding at any moment and save her from the trouble of ever lifting a finger again. She felt content that God was truly powerful enough not to need her, and that He gave peace to His people and therefore wouldn't expect her to think of something so horrible. She never gave the matter another thought. 

The Jews were delivered by another source and God's plan stayed on track. Esther perished along with all her father's household.

You can read the real story in the Book of Esther. There are ten chapters.