Esther 1:13

Letters to the Faithful - Esther 1:13

Berean Standard Bible

Then the king consulted the wise men who knew the times, for it was customary for him to confer with the experts in law and justice.

King James Bible

Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:

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To the beloved of God, to the called-out ones redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, sanctified by the Spirit, and appointed to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, I write to you with earnest affection and a sober heart. Grace and peace be multiplied to you from God our Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who is exalted above all powers, thrones, and dominions, and whose kingdom shall have no end. It is with reverence for the Word of God and a desire to strengthen the household of faith that I turn your attention to a lesser-known but instructive moment found in the Book of Esther, chapter 1, verse 13: “Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times—for this was the king’s custom to consult all who were versed in law and justice.”

Here, we are introduced not to a prophet or a priest, nor to a moment of miracle or deliverance, but to a political decision set in the opulence of a Persian palace. Yet within this scene, the Spirit of God has hidden a wisdom worth uncovering. We find King Ahasuerus, ruler of the Persian Empire, reacting to a domestic controversy with Queen Vashti, who had refused his command to appear before his guests. In response, the king does not act in haste but turns to his counselors—men described as wise and as those who understood the times.

Let us pause here and consider the spiritual significance embedded in this historical moment. Though this scene is not directly about covenant people or acts of faith, it nonetheless offers a reflection on the nature of leadership, decision-making, discernment, and the consequences of counsel. Ahasuerus seeks the advice of those who were “versed in law and justice.” He understood, even as a pagan king, the importance of not acting solely on impulse. He consulted those who had experience, understanding, and presumably, a broader sense of the implications of royal decisions. How much more, then, ought the people of God—those who walk not in darkness but in the light of truth—to value discernment, wise counsel, and spiritual understanding?

It is often said that wisdom is proved right by her children. Decisions, whether personal, communal, or national, bear fruit over time. And the fruit of a decision depends greatly on the source from which it is made. We are told in Proverbs that “in the multitude of counselors there is safety,” and yet we also know that not every counselor is righteous, nor every opinion sanctified. The king sought those who “understood the times,” and herein lies a question for the people of God in every generation: Do we understand the times in which we live?

We do not need to be political rulers to be faced with weighty decisions. Every believer is called to walk in wisdom, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Each day brings choices—how we live, how we speak, how we respond, how we lead in our families, our churches, our workplaces, and our communities. Understanding the times does not mean merely reading headlines or studying trends. It means discerning what God is doing in our generation and positioning ourselves in obedience to His unfolding purpose.

Those who truly understand the times are not only observant but spiritually awake. They are like the sons of Issachar, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 12:32, who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. These are those who live not by emotion, nor by the pressure of the crowd, but by the counsel of God’s Word and the leading of His Spirit. And just as Ahasuerus sought those who knew the law and justice, we must root our understanding in the unchanging truth of Scripture, the eternal standard of righteousness and mercy, of truth and grace.

Yet we must not miss the irony embedded in the text. Ahasuerus sought counsel, but the outcome was ultimately flawed. He acted to protect his honor, to reinforce royal authority, but his decree led to the removal of Vashti and opened the way for Esther, a Jewish orphan, to rise to queenship. What man orchestrated for pride, God used for providence. Herein lies another lesson: even when the powerful make decisions according to flawed motives, the sovereign hand of God overrules to fulfill His divine purposes. We who believe must take comfort in this. We are not at the mercy of human courts or worldly powers. Our God reigns above all. The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, and He turns it wherever He wills.

In this hour, dear brothers and sisters, we need believers who understand the times—not according to the flesh, but by the Spirit. We need leaders in the Church who do not respond rashly to offense, nor impulsively to pressure, but who seek counsel grounded in the fear of the Lord. We need homes guided by spiritual discernment, not by cultural trends. We need saints who are not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but who stand firm, anchored in the truth.

And we must be cautious, too, of the counsel we receive. Ahasuerus consulted his wise men, but their advice was shaped by political expedience and cultural pride. It reinforced his authority but did not lead him to humility. Not all counsel, even if wise by human standards, is godly. There is a wisdom from above—pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruit—and there is a wisdom that is earthly, sensual, and demonic. Let us test every spirit. Let us weigh every opinion by the Word of God. Let us measure every decision against the pattern of Christ.

Practically, this means that before we make decisions—about our families, our finances, our ministries, our responses to conflict—we should seek counsel not only from those who are experienced, but from those who are spiritually grounded. Seek advice from those who pray, who live uprightly, who fear the Lord, who love the truth, who will not flatter you but will speak to you as iron sharpens iron. Be slow to act on impulse. Be humble enough to receive instruction. And above all, cultivate your own understanding of the times through prayer, fasting, Scripture, and communion with the Holy Spirit.

Let us also remember that God uses even flawed systems and ungodly rulers to bring about His will. Esther rose because Vashti fell. And while we may grieve injustice or mourn missteps, we must never despair, for God is still at work behind the scenes. He places His people where they need to be, in His time, to fulfill purposes far greater than what we can immediately see.

Therefore, beloved, walk wisely. Redeem the time. Understand the times. Speak as those who know the truth. Act as those who serve a King far greater than Ahasuerus. And trust that even when others cannot see it, the unseen hand of God is writing a greater story—a story of deliverance, of restoration, and of His kingdom that shall never be moved.

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O Eternal and All-Wise God, Creator of heaven and earth, whose dominion is without end and whose understanding is infinite, we come before You in humility and awe. You are the Lord of time and the Master of seasons. You are not bound by the affairs of men, nor do You sleep when nations rise or fall. All things unfold beneath the canopy of Your divine providence. Your purposes are hidden from the proud but revealed to the humble. You lift one up and bring another down. You set kings on thrones and remove them. You turn the counsel of rulers to serve Your own redemptive design. And so, Lord, as we ponder the sacred text of Esther 1:13—where it is written, “Then the king said to the wise men who understood the times (for this was the king’s custom to consult those who were versed in law and justice)”—we come to You, longing to be such a people in our own generation: those who understand the times, who walk in the fear of the Lord, and who seek counsel from heaven more than the applause of earth.

O God, we see how King Ahasuerus turned to his advisors for wisdom. He did what was customary, but not what was holy. He looked to those who understood the times, but they understood with the eyes of the world, not with hearts tuned to righteousness. And yet, in Your mercy and power, You used even their flawed counsel to unfold Your hidden plan. You used their judgments to remove one queen and raise another. You worked through earthly courts to seat Esther upon a throne—not only for beauty or status, but for a greater deliverance yet to come. Lord, what comfort and warning this gives us: that human wisdom can never hinder Your will, but that without Your Spirit, our wisdom becomes vanity.

So we pray, O Lord, teach us to be a people who truly understand the times—not by trends or news cycles, not by polls or shifting cultures, but by the counsel of Your Word and the illumination of Your Spirit. Let us not be guided by the wisdom of man, which is temporal and shallow, but by the wisdom from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Grant us discernment in these last days, when evil disguises itself as enlightenment, and compromise masquerades as compassion. Give us eyes to see the deeper battle beyond every controversy, the spiritual forces behind every earthly throne, the eternal stakes behind temporary decisions.

We confess, Lord, that too often we have relied on human reasoning when we should have sought Your face. We have looked to popular voices, to political power, to worldly experts—forgetting that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Forgive us for sitting at the tables of kings while neglecting the counsel of the King of kings. Forgive us for being content with insight that makes us appear clever before men, but leaves us powerless before Your throne. We repent, and we ask that You would raise up in our midst men and women like the sons of Issachar—those who understand the times and know what the people of God ought to do. Raise up shepherds, prophets, teachers, and counselors whose hearts are saturated with Scripture, whose tongues are governed by truth, and whose lives are laid down in obedience.

We pray especially for those in authority—within the Church, in families, in communities, and in government. May they not be like Eli’s sons who abused their position, nor like Ahasuerus’s counselors who flattered and feared men more than God. Instead, may they be like Daniel, who stood in Babylon but bowed only to You; like Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh’s dream because You gave him understanding; like Mordecai, who discerned the times and prepared Esther for her moment. Let our leaders not merely react to crisis, but respond to Your Spirit. Let their decisions be shaped not by self-preservation, but by eternal perspective.

We also ask, Lord, that You would prepare Your people for the hidden purposes that are even now unfolding. Just as You used courtly decisions in Persia to prepare a place for Esther, so You are working through the systems of this world to position Your people for redemptive purpose. Help us not to panic when laws shift, when cultures rage, when justice seems perverted. Help us to remember that You are still on the throne, that You are never caught off guard, and that even when Your name is not spoken—as in the Book of Esther—Your hand is not absent.

Make us bold like Esther, even if our moment has not yet come. Make us prayerful like Mordecai, even if our counsel goes unheeded at first. Make us watchful like the prophets, who warned of judgment but also proclaimed restoration. Let us be a people prepared, discerning, and steadfast, who know that You often work behind veils, but never in vain.

And finally, Lord, may we be people who do not merely seek wisdom for decisions, but wisdom to live righteously. Let our homes be governed by Your truth. Let our conversations be seasoned with Your Spirit. Let our gatherings reflect Your priorities. Let our lives point not to the wisdom of Persia, nor the splendor of palaces, but to the cross of Christ—the true axis of history, the ultimate expression of justice and mercy, and the eternal throne from which our Redeemer reigns.

We thank You, Lord, that Your wisdom is not far off. It is revealed in Your Word, poured out by Your Spirit, embodied in Your Son, and available to all who seek You with humility. We seek it now. We cry for it. We depend on it. Make us, by Your grace, a wise and discerning people who understand the times and who walk faithfully until the day You return in glory.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and coming King, we pray.

Amen.