⛪ Lesson 11: Ruth and Esther

📘 11.5 For Such a Time as This

✨ Hope for the Final Act in the Great Controversy

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🟦 Introduction

The world seems to be falling apart. Global tensions, disasters, moral decline—many Christians interpret these signs as confirmation of biblical prophecy. But a dangerous shift in perspective often occurs: instead of viewing prophecy through the light of hope, it is seen through the shadow of fear. This Bible study seeks to help reconcile the biblical truth about the future with God’s promises of preservation, calling, and deliverance.

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📖 Bible Study

📖 Esther 4:13–14

Mordecai says to Esther: “…and who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” This sentence carries a deep sense of divine calling. Esther lives in luxury, seemingly distant from her people’s suffering—yet God has deliberately placed her there. Even though she is afraid, Mordecai calls her to act courageously. Her silence would be betrayal—not only of her people but of God’s calling.

➡️ Lesson: God positions people strategically. Your job, your surroundings, your influence—none of it is random. Maybe God has placed you exactly “for such a time as this.”

📖 Esther 5:1–3

Esther fasts, prays—and enters the king’s court uninvited. That was life-threatening! Yet she is received, and the king extends his scepter to her. She finds favor. Courage meets grace. She prepared, trusted—and is confirmed by heaven.

➡️ Lesson: Spiritual preparation (fasting, prayer) creates boldness. Grace opens doors that would otherwise remain closed.

📖 Esther 9:20–28

The deliverance is remembered and celebrated. Mourning turns to joy. Threat becomes victory. Mordecai records it—not just for remembrance, but to be passed on to future generations.

➡️ Lesson: God’s intervention in history must not be forgotten. The past strengthens our faith for the future.

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📖 Answers to the Questions

📌 Question: What do we learn from Esther’s story for our time?

Recognizing our calling: God positions His people strategically—even today. The remnant church has an end-time mission: to proclaim the Three Angels’ Message.

Facing fear with faith: The end times are not a season for retreat but for courage. Like Esther, we must pray, fast—and then act.

The King stands with us: We too have access to the King—Christ, our Advocate. Whoever approaches His throne boldly will not be turned away.

📌 Question: Why is it important to view the situation with a long-term perspective?

Because not every outcome is earthly or positive: in the here and now, there is suffering, martyrdom, and loss.

Because God sees the full picture: our perspective is limited, but God sees the end from the beginning. The victory is already assured—even if we don’t yet see it.

Because hope is an anchor: hope in Christ gives us stability, even when the world is shaking.

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✨ Spiritual Principles

✅ Calling is not just spiritual, but practical. Maybe you are exactly where you are to be a light—in the office, at school, or online.

✅ Prayer and fasting prepare us for courageous action.

✅ Faith needs memory. Write down your “Purim moments”—times when God has already delivered you.

✅ See hardships as a stage for God’s intervention—not as proof of His silence.

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🧩 Application for Daily Life

1. Live your calling—right where you are
→ Ask yourself: What if my workplace, my studies, my family, or my neighborhood is exactly where God placed me to be a light?
➡️ Application: Start the day with the prayer: “Lord, use me today—right where I am.”

2. Live each day with courage and clarity
→ Courage doesn’t only appear on big stages. It is courageous to stay kind when others gossip. It is courageous to stand for biblical values when they’re ridiculed.
➡️ Application: Choose one situation each day where you consciously make an “Esther decision”—even if it seems small.

3. Integrate prayer and fasting into your busy life
→ Fasting isn’t just about abstaining from food—fasting from social media, consumption, or noise can also help you hear from God again.
➡️ Application: Schedule one quiet hour with God each week. Turn off distractions—and listen for what He wants to show you.

4. Remember what God has already done
→ In difficult times, remembering helps. Purim was established so God’s intervention wouldn’t be forgotten.
➡️ Application: Keep a faith journal—write down how God has helped, guided, or given you peace. Read it again when your faith wavers.

5. Act like Esther—as a family or small group
→ Esther mobilized the people. Fasting and prayer were not private disciplines.
➡️ Application: Organize a prayer time in your church or small group titled “For Such a Time as This”—focusing on spiritual clarity and courage for the end times.

6. Trust God’s timing
→ Sometimes God’s action seems delayed—but He is never late.
➡️ Application: If you are waiting—for healing, breakthrough, or answers—remember Esther’s story. Prepare like she did: through stillness, courage, and faith.

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✅ Conclusion

Esther’s story is no fairy tale but a prophetic mirror: even in the end times, God’s people will be persecuted—and yet preserved. Prophecy is not a horror story but a roadmap to salvation. Whoever fixes their eyes on Jesus will not be shaken.

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💭 Thought of the Day

You are not where you are by accident. You are called—to believe boldly. To love powerfully. To stand faithfully—for such a time as this.

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✍️ Illustration – The Ambassador

Berlin, 2031.
Hannah worked as a press officer at a European environmental agency. She lived a quiet life, far from religious circles. Raised in a devout family, she had long since drifted from faith—until one day, in the middle of a worldwide crisis, she was faced with a decision that changed everything.

A global law had begun to restrict religious freedoms. Christian gatherings were suppressed, Bibles banned. When her department received a confidential letter asking them to investigate “religious extremist groups,” her heart stopped. Among the listed groups was her childhood church.

She knew: to remain silent now would mean to be complicit.

“Why me?” she asked God—for the first time in years. That night she dreamed of an extended scepter. The next morning, she fasted. For three days. Then she spoke. First to her superiors—calmly, firmly. Then to colleagues. Then to the media. Bravely, she bore witness—for faith, conscience, and truth.

There were interrogations. Threats. But also favor. Public outcry grew. Politicians backpedaled. Not everything was won—but the tone had changed. One woman had spoken. Not loudly—but clearly. And light broke through.

On the day she was suspended, she wrote in her journal:
“Maybe I was here for exactly this moment.”

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