Shalom friends, 

Purim is already over, but the story of Esther conveys some important lessons for life beyond the holiday. The book reflects the topsy-turvy world of exile, in which Israel's destiny is governed by an emperor who is more klutz than king, threatened by a villain who is equally laughable, and saved through the charms of an assimilated young Jewess who just happens to be queen. Perhaps it is such oddities that lead the Jewish sages to ask, where is Esther mentioned in Torah? The answer: in the phrase, "I will surely hide My face (haster astir panai) on that day" (Dt. 31:18).

Esther's name reminds us of hester panim, the hiding of God's face, and her story unfolds in a day when God seems hidden. When the king issues an irreversible decree that all the Jews in his empire are to be destroyed, there is no divine intervention, no divine spokesman in the person of prophet or sage, only cousin Mordecai who tells Esther that she must do something. And Esther does the right something, which saves her people.

Among the many lessons of Purim, therefore, are those it gives us for the times when God seems to be absent. As the old gospel song goes, "He may be late, but He's always right on time." Conversely, God may be on the way, but He hasn't showed up yet: what are we to do in the meantime?

First, Esther does not give in to fear. Fear tempts us in two opposite but equally fruitless directions; we either freeze and do nothing, or panic and do something crazy. It is not hard to imagine the queen in Esther's story holed up in her chambers, waiting for someone else, especially a male someone else, to do something. Look at what happened to Esther's predecessor, Vashti, when she took decisive action. The king had ordered her to appear before his drunken dinner guests "wearing the royal crown"-according to the midrash, wearing nothing but the royal crown-to "show off her beauty" (Esther 1:11). When she took the bold step of refusing to appear, she was deposed and-again according to the midrash-put to death.

Esther recognizes this danger but is not intimidated. She avoids the extremes of freezing and panic. Instead, she organizes three days of prayer and fasting to undergird the step she must take. "And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" (4:16).  Second, Esther does what she can do. How many times do we miss our best chance to respond effectively because we are busy wondering why God seems absent? Esther leaves that question to others. She does not fret that God isn't showing up, but takes the action that her position and standing allow her to take. As she does, God's presence in the story becomes evident, even though He remains hidden. 

...and if I perish, I perish!

In Messiah, we discover that when we do what we can do, even though we feel powerless, His power will be at work in us. We relearn the words of Rav Shaul, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). God may be delayed, hidden by circumstances and events, but His presence becomes evident as we do what we are assigned to do.

Finally, Esther maintains a broad focus. Fear produces a tunnel vision that focuses only on the danger before us, and whatever immediate escape routes might open up. Esther, however, sees the big picture-even though God is hiding His face, the issue is centered on Him and His purposes for humankind, beginning with Israel.

Esther acts on behalf of all Israel and we have similar opportunity today. In some ways, within the Messianic Jewish community, God has still to show up. We are still seeking to connect deeply with the larger Jewish world in the name of Messiah, to reach Jewish people, and our own younger generation, in significant numbers, to see lives turned around and transformed through the spirit of Messiah in our midst. But this is not a time for discouragement, which is after all just a low-grade and chronic form of fear. Instead, it is time to follow Esther's lead and mount a prayer effort for the salvation of all Israel. The days of Purim remind us of this imperative.

This year we will be able to respond not only during Purim, but also through the UMJC 49-day prayer campaign that begins a month later, on April 3, and continues through Shavuot, May 22. Our theme this year is "Tikkun Olam: Restoring the World in Messiah." Our response to the needs and shortcomings within the Messianic Jewish community is to pray for restoration, not just for our community, but, like Esther, for the whole house of Israel. We know from the rest of Scripture that it is not just all Israel, but all humanity that is at stake. Let's follow Esther's lead in renouncing fear and seeking God's face, even though it may seem hidden, during these critical times.

Russ Resnik

The UMJC Prayer Campaign runs from April 3 through May 22--Passover to Shavuot. Watch www.umjc.org for details, or to subscribe to your daily online prayer guide.