Queen Esther In Twelve Unlikely Heroes

As Giorgio Armani once stated, “elegance is not about being noticed, it’s about being remembered.” Queen Esther from the Old Testament truly embodied what it means to make a positive impact on a community, despite not always being the center of attention. In the book Twelve Unlikely Heroes, John MacArthur retells her story and explains how she helped save her people through God’s power. Although she was a woman of true excellence, Esther’s existence and emotions were not directly stated because they were not the main point of her story. However, her mind was full of opinions, reactions, and ideas. Queen Esther’s elegance and respected position concealed her true thoughts about the events she found herself in, even though they were evident through

In Persia, “no one, including the queen, could appear before the king without his express invitation,” because they could be subjected to death on the spot (MacArthur 138). According to human nature, it is probable that Esther was fearful of carrying out the task because she could end up losing her life; yet, she was valiant and risked sacrificing her life for the Jews. Esther’s decision to take the risk can be linked back to Mordecai’s words of wisdom. He told her that no matter what happened, she would always be a Jew and that her position as queen would not exempt her from the annihilation of the Jews. She was conflicted, but became brave when Mordecai consoled her and said that it was through God’s will that she has “come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). When Esther heard these words, her mind must have been flooded with waves of new ideas and encouragement that she could use to compel herself to face the king. When she finally executed the task, her heart must have been racing with fear and anxiety, which was immediately calmed by the king’s gentle concern for her wellbeing. Surely, Esther was delighted to know that the king was on her side, but remained nonchalant because she had to meet certain professional standards. Once she had the king and God on her side, Esther knew that she could save her

When Esther told the king that someone was putting her life in danger and that “the adversary and enemy [was the] wicked Haman,” Ahasuerus became enraged and ordered for Haman to be put to death on the same gallows he built for Mordecai (Esther 7:6). At this moment, Esther may have been overwhelmed with relief and even a sense freedom. Haman had tormented her cousin for a long time, so it must have been comforting to know that he was going to get punished for his wrongdoings and exit their lives for good. She was gaining justice not only for Mordecai, but for all of the Jews living in Persia. Esther was aware that her “risky and courageous action had not only saved Mordecai’s life, but also cancelled a decree to destroy the Jews” and she had the right to be prideful for that (MacArthur 144). With Mordecai by her side, Esther must have felt like a hero for risking her life and attaining justice; she knew that this is exactly what God intended for her life.

Throughout the book of Esther, readers are left to infer Esther’s thoughts and feelings as she rose to power and attained justice. She was a woman of excellence, who was forced to hide her emotions behind the pretense of a tranquil queen. Yet, Esther was not fearless; instead, she used her fears to motivate herself to do what was best for her people. Followers of God should do the same and let themselves be motivated by