March 3, 2015 – Decision Day: Will America Stand Up and Be Queen Esther?

On the evening of March 3^rd, 2015, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address the American Congress to plead Israel’s case against Iran’s nuclear program.  This will be a historic day for America as the Prime Minister of Israel describes the choices before our country and his.  The key question is whether or not congress side with Israel in opposition to the President or remain silent?  This may be the most critical decision congress ever faces for the survival of our nation.

For people of faith that have eyes to see, there have been several hints that reflect the importance of Netanyahu’s historic speech to our country’s future.  On January 20^th, President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union address to congress.  The very next day on January 21, Speaker of the House, John Boehner, invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give another response to the President’s State of the Union address.  Then two days later on January 23, the movie Mordechai was officially released in America.  However it wasn't until Netanyahu’s address to congress was scheduled at the Prime Minister’s insistence for March 3^rd that people began connecting the dots.  

For you see March 3^rd is the eve of Purim, the Jewish holiday that commemorates Queen Esther saving her people, the Jews, from Haman who had plotted to destroy them.  I would encourage you to read this story in the Bible in the book of Esther.  It is about a young woman who is adopted by a Jew named Mordechai and later rises to become the wife of King Xerxes.

History has a way of repeating itself and there are many parallels in the story of Esther to events today.  Both social media and news have been discussing the connections between the biblical story to destroy the Jewish people and the Iranians aspirations to do the same.  For blog examples see here and here.  For example news story see here.

In the blogs and news stories, Haman is represented by Iran who also wants to destroy the Jews.  President Obama represents King Xerxes who eagerly made a deal with Haman for the money he would receive.  Prime Netanyahu represents Esther who went before the king to make her case for her people.

However, as I thought about these parallels and roles being played out, I see another possibility.  Maybe both President Obama and Iran are playing the role of Haman trying to destroy the Jews.  In this scenario, Congress would represent King Xerxes and Queen Esther who are actually in authority above Haman (I.e. the President).  Netanyahu would represent Mordechai who reported Haman’s plan to Queen Esther.  If these parallels are the case, then Mordechai’s words ring true for both Israel and America.  For his statement to Esther (those in congress sympathetic to Israel) were as follows:

Esther 4:13 – 14: Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.   For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

So the message to God believing people in congress as well as all America is that if we do not choose to stand in agreement with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel, we will perish.  For us it is decision time in the face of evil.  Do we stand with Israel against the evil of Iran or not?  What we decide in our hearts and then express with our prayers and actions, will determine our fate as a nation and individually.  May you choose wisely for who knows, maybe our country was founded by Godly men and attained our current status for “such a time as this”.  Pray for Prime Minister Netanyahu as he delivers the truth of the Iranian threat to us and pray that we have the courage to stand with God’s chosen people as Queen Esther did in Biblical times!