7 SECRETS OF SUCCESS FROM THE LIFE OF QUEEN ESTHER
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OUTLINE
1.SUPPORTERS
2.SUBMISSION
3.SINCERITY
4.SUPPLICATION
5.SACRIFICE
6.STRATEGY
7.SERVICE
THE MESSAGE
7 SECRETS OF SUCCESS FROM THE LIFE OF QUEEN ESTHER
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1.SUPPORTERS
In the life of Queen Esther we find that God had given her people who helped her and showed her favour. When she was a helpless orphan girl she had an uncle Mordecai who came forward to adopt her. When she was in the palace she had favour in the eyes of Hegai who was incharge of the arrangements. Finally she had favour in the eyes of
the king who chose her to be the next queen. To be successful we need favour in the eyes of God and man. We need supporters who will stand with us and help us.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Esther 2:7 -9
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.
8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.
9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.
2.SUBMISSION
Esther was an obedient and submissive person. She obeyed the instructions of Mordecai not to reveal her jewish identity. This was not an isolated incident but her way of life. She was always obedient to Mordecai when she lived in his house. Even when she was about to be presented before the king she allowed Hegai to decide what she had to wear. She respected the superior wisdom and experience of Hegai. We need such a submissive and teachable spirit in order to be successful in life.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Esther 2:10,15,20
10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.
15 When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.
20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.
3.SINCERITY
Esther was a sincere person with true heart of love and gratitude. When Mordecai revealed a secret plot of some palace guards against the king. She passed the information to the king giving credit to Mordecai which later helped in giving a great honour to Mordecai for saving the king's life. Esther was sincere in giving credit to Mordecai. She did not pretend as though she alone was responsible for giving this information to the king. Moreover Esther did not forget Mordecai once she became queen. She was still concerned about the welfare of Mordecai who was the one who brought her up when she was a destitute orphan. When she heard that Mordecai was in mourning she was greatly distressed and was concerned enough to find out the reason. She did not ignore the sufferings of Mordecai. We need such a sincere and grateful heart and a concerned love in order to be successful in our lives.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Esther 2:22-23 ,
22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.
23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.
Esther 4:4-5
4 When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
4.SUPPLICATION
Esther fasted for three days and called on her people to join her in the fast before she undertook her mission to save her people from destruction. She did not rush into action in pride and enthusiasm thinking she could do everything in her own strength. We need such a humility and supplication to seek God 's favour before we undertake tasks and endeavours in our lives.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Esther 4:15-16
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
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.”
5.SACRIFICE
Esther took a risk to save her people. She went to the presence of the king without being summoned which meant death. Without this willingness on her part to even sacrifice her life to save her people she would not have succeeded in her mission. We need such a willingness to sacrifice in order to be successful in our lives.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Esther 4: 10 , 11 ,16
10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,
11 “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 they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
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.”
6.STRATEGY
Esther had a strategy to accomplish her task. She used wisdom and planning . She did not rush to the king in an emotional frenzy and outburst. But she went about her task in a methodical way by first inviting the king and the archenemy Haman to dinner. It may have looked bad to give a dinner to their archenemy. Her people could have criticised and misunderstood her actions. But Esther had a strategy and only after the second dinner did she reveal her requests .She did not accuse Haman directly knowing he was close to the king. But she first told the king about the danger to her life and the lives of her people. Only after the king demanded in fury as to who was responsible for this did she reveal the name of Haman. We need such wisdom and strategy and restraint and discretion in order to be successful in our lives.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Esther 5 ; 1 - 8 ,
1. 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.
2 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.
3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”
4 “If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”
5 “Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.
6 As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
7 Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this:
8 If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”
Esther 7: 1 - 10
1. So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,
2 and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”
3 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.
4 For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”
5 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”
6 Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”. Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
7 The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
8 Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
9 Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Impale him on it!”
10 So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.
7.SERVICE
Esther used her influence to help her people. She realised that purpose of her elevation is to be usefel to others and not just to enjoy her life selfishly. Mordecai her mentor also followed the same principle of using their influence to be a blessing to their people. Today the Lord wants to bless and promote those who desire to be a blessing. Their success would benefit many others. This attitude would cause the Lord's blessing upon our lives and bring success to our efforts.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
Esther 8: 3 - 6 ,
3 Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.
4 Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.
5 “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.
6 For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”
Esther 9:29 - 30 ,
29 So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.
30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance—
Esther 10:3
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.
