The Leadership of Queen Esther
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The Bible contains great leaders who exhibit and demonstrate powerful Godly leadership skills. There are Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, the Apostle Paul, and, of course, Jesus Christ, the King of kings, Lord of lords, and many more. But let me focus today on a leader who changed the direction of the Hebrew people from a position that was primarily behind the scenes. Today, I will begin our leadership journey by looking at the humility and God-honoring leadership of Queen Esther.
If you aren’t familiar with the story of Esther, please take the time to read it in her book in the Bible, Esther. It is found after Nehemiah and before Job. Let me take time today to give you an overview of the story of Hadassah.
King Xerxes
The king over the known world
“It was in the days of Ahasuerus (Xerxes) who reigned from India to Ethiopia (Cush) over 127 provinces, in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa [the capital of the Persian Empire],”-Esther 1:1-2 AMP
King Ahasuerus ruled over the known world with great authority and splendor. You may have heard of him from the film 300, directed by Zack Snyder. It’s the same guy. He has made a public demonstration of Queen Vashti, who denies him. Now, he is ready to find a new queen. He goes to great lengths to find his ideal queen, and in the end, God has divinely positioned a Jewish woman to be Queen.
This influence becomes necessary as the story’s villain emerges in the form of Haman the Agagite, who designs and orchestrates a plan to raze the Hebrew people off the face of the earth. Ironically, the failure of King Saul’s leadership from around 500 years before set up the potential demise of the Children of Israel. Now, the Lord must raise Hadassah to empower her people to save themselves and ultimately secure and set up the lineage of Jesus Christ.
The True Power of Queen Esther
Esher’s strength wasn’t in her beauty or charm but in her humility and reliance on the Hand of God.
Queen Esther was a beautiful woman. It wasn’t her beauty that saved the children of Israel; it was her leadership. Let’s outline a few of the leadership skills she implemented in this story.
She led the people to fast and pray. She sought the counsel and wisdom of her uncle, and she sought the wisdom and favor from the Lord.
She demonstrated faith and boldness. She prepared herself to talk to the king.
She put a plan in motion and carried it out.
Strong leadership demonstrated humility and boldness; not just her good looks and charm procured the results her people needed.
Prayer: Father, I ask you to help me to grow in the leadership that you have for me. Please help me learn from Esther to be humble, seek counsel, and demonstrate faith and boldness. Thank you for your wisdom and favor in carrying out your plans and purposes for my family, business, and life in order to bless and reach others. In Jesus name, Amen.