It Is What It Is?

Sam Hamstra | Nov 8, 2010

You may remember that Xerses, the king of Persia, began a search for a new queen to replace the old one who had embarrassed him in public and had been banished from the palace. As part of the search process, the king's ambassadors gathered the beautiful virgins of the empire to the palace for an audition. One of those young women was a Jewish girl named Hadassah, or Esther, the stepdaughter of Mordecai.  She was eventually chosen to be the new queen.

 

Interestingly, Mordecai apparently went along with the program. The book of Esther does not describe any efforts by Mordecai to shield his stepdaughter from the king's search for a new queen.  There is no record of him protesting when Esther was taken from his home, or mourning the fact that she was taken from a god-fearing home to serve as the wife of god-less man. Perhaps Mordecai simply concluded, "It is what it is."  Such is life as children of God living in a pagan culture.  

 

But that’s not the end of the story. Xerses, the king of Persia, influenced by a diabolical man named Haman, issued an edict to annihilate the entire Jewish community on the 13th day of the 12th month. Mordecai was understandably upset. In response, he began an official season of mourning by tearing his clothes, wearing a potato sack, marking himself with ashes, and walking the streets wailing.  

 

News of her stepfather’s behavior distressed Queen Esther. She sent a trusted messenger to Mordecai to learn what was going on. Mordecai relayed the message about the king’s edict and asked his daughter to intervene. Esther replied with words like these, “It is what it is,” which is to say, “Nothing I can do about it, dad.”

 

But Mordecai would not accept that answer from his stepdaughter.  He offered a strongly worded, threefold response, to Esther. First, he predicted that when the hatred against the Jews burst forth into an open flame, Esther would be killed with the rest. Second, he affirmed that God would intervene and save His people – with or without the help of Esther. Third, he again asked his daughter to intervene with this question: Were you made a queen for such a time as this?  In short, Mordecai taught Esther to look behind the scenes and then conclude that life isn’t what it is. Esther received his instruction and took heroic action that saved God’s people from destruction.

 

Interestingly, the book of Esther never mentions the name of God, but the story in the book declares that God is ever-present, watching over his people, working behind the scenes, providentially caring for his people, even as they live in a pagan society. In this god-less book we discover an eternal God who is ever-faithful. Hence, life seldom is what it is! 

 

Makes me wonder if and when, as a child of God, I should ever say "It is what it is."

 

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