Do You Think You Will Escape?

Practically overnight, the Persian kingdom had turned against one group of its subjects based on their religious character. Through a combination of the malice of some and the obtuseness of another, the law itself placed Jews in jeopardy. Mordecai’s reaction began with a combination of sadness and outrage (Est. 4:1-2)—understandably so—and he was soon joined by his fellow Jews throughout the country (Est. 4:3). Esther, who remained ignorant of Haman’s evil designs, attempted to comfort Mordecai, but he refused any comfort. To the contrary, he called on Esther to do something about it since she was the only one in a position to do so (Esth. 4:4-9). Esther replied honestly to his request by citing a different law, that anyone who enters the court of the king uninvited places his life in jeopardy (Est. 4:10-12). Mordecai’s rejoinder was simple and to the point: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Est. 4:13-14). Esther’s concern for her own safety within the palace because of one law kept her from truly feeling the danger posed to all Jews by another law.

For decades now Christians in the United States have witnessed their government acting in increasingly hostile ways toward the Bible and morality. Whereas in its infancy the movement slowly worked to push God out of the public square, and then promoted the doctrine of moral equivalence through the religiously accepted Trojan Horse of pluralism, in its arrogance and zeal its adherents have now stepped into sufficient power to begin dictating terms to God’s people that affect some people’s jobs and everyday life. The next few steps for American paganism would naturally include heavy fines for refusing homosexuals the use of the church building for various purposes, the arrest of preachers for condemning immoral behavior such as homosexuality under some vague hate-crime statute, and the removal of tax-exempt status from churches who refuse the new code of morality revealed by the priests of paganism residing in Washington, D.C. If you think I am unreasonable or paranoid, I would submit to you that in the past you probably would have denied we would ever be in the position we are today. But we are here. And, like Esther, it is time for people to recognize the problem for the attack that it is.

No Christian can afford to sit this one out. You will not escape. Your choices are between selling your soul or taking a stand. There is no middle ground. Therefore, it is time for Christians to rise to the occasion and declare in heart, “if I perish, I perish!” (Est. 4:16). Several years ago, a number of younger people insisted that Christians should avoid moral questions when it came to politics. We have now seen what happens when you do. When you fail to emphasize the importance of morality in society and in government, you will end up with immorality in society and in government. Now, while it may be true that people standing up for God could not have made enough of a difference to prevent this entirely, it is certainly true that God knows who stood up for Him and who just stepped aside. Which will you be?