Five Minutes with The International Director Oct/Nov 1978
Dear Child of the King,
The place was Shushan, the capital of Persia. The time, about 480 B.C. The atmosphere, critical. Under the influence of Haman, a decree had gone out from King Ahasuerus to kill all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire. The decree was sounding the death toll of the Jewish people (Esther 4:7). The light over the people of promise was about to flicker and fade – it was almost midnight. But . . .
. . . it was almost midnight when Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord and lived through the flood to repopulate the earth (Gen. 9:1).
. . . it was almost midnight when God appeared to Moses and said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt . . . And I am come down to deliver them . . .” (Ex. 3:7-8).
. . . it was almost midnight when a young shepherd lad, in the power of his God, did battle with the giant Goliath in the valley of Elah and later became the first divinely appointed king of Israel (1 Sam. 17:50).
. . . it was almost midnight when Elijah appeared at the head of the Mount Carmel mountain range to confront and defeat the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:22-38).
At “midnight” moments of history, God has always had His men and women. In the days of King Ahasuerus of Persia, the divine instrument was a beautiful Jewess. Her name was Esther (Hadassah) which means “star”. And she, by her faith and courage, like a shooting star would light up the darkness of that hour.
Mordecai, realizing that the Jewish people were under the sentence of death, asked Queen Esther to reveal her Jewish heritage to the King and intercede for her people. Esther responded,
All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter that he may live; but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days (Esther 4:11).
Mordecai’s response to Esther can be summarized with three statements:
- Don’t think you can escape the decree just because you are the queen living in the palace.
- If you won’t intercede for your people, then deliverance shall come from another source.
- It may have been that you were brought to the kingdom FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
(Esther 4:13-14)
Esther’s heroic response – “. . . I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16b) – has reverberated down through the centuries like an ensign blowing in the breeze, summoning men to courage and great exploits for God.
Queen Esther entered the inner court of the King, the golden scepter was extended, she was warmly received, and through her intercession the Jewish people were delivered.
I deeply believe that it is “FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS” that God has raised up The Friends of Israel. Events are moving rapidly and immutably toward the Rapture of the true Church and the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7).
Time is short. There is an urgency called for by the present hour, the fields are white unto harvest. We must not, we dare not remain silent.
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, we must remain true to the Word of God. It is that Word alone which is “living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12).
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, we must not be deceived into thinking that we can accomplish divine objectives through human methods – it is “. . . Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6).
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, we must not be swayed from our central purpose and rationale for existence – that of leading men to the harbor of life and safety through Christ alone. Too many are putting bandages on cuts and blisters, while souls are dying because of a heart problem.
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, we must have the vision to do great exploits for God – “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Pro. 29:18). Having put on deep-sea diving gear, we have no intention of pulling stoppers out of bathtubs.
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, we must affirm our commitment to Israel’s right to safe, secure and defensible borders. There is no simplistic human answer to the Arab-Israel dilemma. But, biblically, historically and morally, Israel has a right to the land given to Abraham and his posterity as an everlasting possession (Gen. 17:8).
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, we ask unashamedly, and in Christ’s stead, for your prayers, encouragement and support – but only when it comes honestly, enthusiastically and courageously, out of a deep-seated commitment to the Saviour and as the indwelling Holy Spirit burdens your heart until it breaks – FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
Warmly yours, redemptively His,
Marv Rosenthal
