¹¹Again, here is what I ask. The Israelites didn’t trip and fall once and for all time, did they? Not at all! Because Israel sinned, the Gentiles can be saved. That will make Israel jealous of them. ¹²Israel’s sin brought riches to the world. Their loss brings riches to the Gentiles. So then what greater riches will come when all Israel turns to God! (NIRV)

The key question for us to ponder today is, “Whose faith makes you envious or jealous?” I immediately thought of Esther who has been one of my favorite Bible characters for many years. While reviewing her story to remind myself of her faith and bravery, I found some uncomfortable truths about Esther that I did not remember. These uncomfortable truths, which are sins when viewed through the eyes of the Torah and other Old Testament laws, include marrying King Xerxes, who was a Gentile, participating in a harem/beauty contest, and concealing her Jewish identity. Even Esther tripped, but God used her faith story. Check out the Esther video by BibleProject on Youtube to dig deeper into her story.  

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When I read the book of Esther, I was reminded of and reaffirmed in the reasons why I admire her faith. She was a Jewish exile living in Persia, being raised by her cousin, Mordecai, since her mother and father had died. After King Xerxes of Persia exiled his queen because she refused to obey his command, the king’s council devised a plan to choose a new queen by gathering the beautiful, young virgins of the land, one of which was Esther. To protect her, since they were in exile, Mordecai forbade Esther from revealing her Jewish heritage, walking to the courtyard daily to check on her. Esther had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments before she could be presented to King Xerxes as a candidate for queen, which is quite a dedication to an unknown future. I admire her commitment to the unknown, since God had not revealed anything to Mordecai or Esther.

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Esther’s bravery to go before King Xerces without being invited is her act of faith that I admire the most. In 2025 that probably does not seem brave, but in Esther’s time, this simple act could have resulted in her immediate death! Approaching the king without being invited meant that person was at the mercy of the king either extending his scepter, welcoming them into his presence, or, if the scepter was not extended, risking immediate death. Esther needed to go before the king to save the Jewish people in Persia who were facing genocide! Esther 4:16 reveals that Esther knew her life was at risk when she bravely states, “If I perish, I perish!” She demonstrates extreme bravery in a foreign land, risking her life by divulging her Jewish identity to save the Persian Jews.  

Again I ask, Whose faith makes you envious? We see many parallels between Esther’s story and the letter to the Romans. Esther interceded for the Jews who were facing annihilation; Paul wrote to the Jews and the Gentiles who were divided. Esther wanted to save the Jews in Persia; Paul wanted to unite the church in Christ. The Jews in Esther’s story are in exile; the Jews in Romans had been expelled from Rome and had only recently returned. Jews from both times had been morally compromised by the Old Testament laws and faced tensions in their communities. And in each story, we see God’s faithful presence.

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In Paul’s writings and in Esther, God shows that He has not abandoned His promises. Both Esther and Paul were models of faith and hope for their people. This quote from BibleProject’s Esther video is reflected in Romans, too:

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“When God seems absent, when His people are in exile, and when they are unfaithful to the Torah, does this mean God is done with Israel? Has God abandoned His promises? No! God can and does work in the real mess and moral ambiguity of human history and uses the faithfulness of even morally compromised people to accomplish his purposes. The book of Esther [and Romans!] asks us to be willing to trust God’s providence even when we can’t see it work and to hope that no matter how bad things get, God is committed to redeeming His world.”

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Wow! What faith connection is God revealing to you between Esther and Romans today?    

Faithful God, El Hanne’eman! Thank you for continuing to reveal Your faithfulness to Your people. May we recognize how You reveal faithfulness to us and smile at Your presence in those moments. May we exhibit acts of faith that reflect You to others and have faith in hard moments and situations. May we place our faith in the blood of Jesus! Love you, Jesus, Amen.