Definition: to speak or write in support of (someone or something) that is being challenged or criticized*
Approximate Number of Occurrences in Scripture (66)
Read: Esther Chapters 3-9 for full context (long read, but worth it!)
Esther 4:14-16(b) (NIV) 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
That Was Then
Esther, an orphaned Jew who was raised by her cousin Mordecai, replaced Queen Vashti who refused a direct order from her husband, King Xerxes. Shortly after Esther became Queen, the King promoted his noble Haman to be his deputy and commanded everyone to bow or kneel to him. Mordecai refused to bow or pay him honor. This incited such rage in Haman that he swayed the king to sign an edict to purge Mordecai and his entire race – the Jews. (King Xerxes was unaware that his queen was also of Jewish descent.)
When Mordecai heard the disturbing news, he persuaded Queen Esther to defend her people in a selfless and dangerous way: she must approach the king (without being summoned – a crime punishable by death) to convince him to reverse the edict (see Esther 4). Esther courageously accepted the burden and called a three day united fast before proceeding. In addition to being strikingly beautiful, Esther was politically savvy. Knowing this king loved a good party, she prepared a 2-day banquet to leverage her favor with him. She purposed to expose Haman’s plan and persuade King Xerxes to reverse the death sentence on her and her people. It worked. The King was so pleased he asked Esther “what is your petition… Even up to half of the kingdom, it will be granted”. Then Queen Esther answered, "If I have found favor with you, O king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life--this is my petition. And spare my people--this is my request. For I and my people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and annihilation ..." Esther 7:2-4 (NIV)
An enraged King Xerxes ordered Haman to be hanged on the gallows he had constructed for Mordecai, who was awarded Haman’s job and estate. Esther’s defense persuaded the King to pen a decree giving the Jews (then a captive nation) the right to assemble, bear arms and defend themselves against any adversary of any nationality. The Jews struck down all of their enemies in a mere two days (see Esther 9). Like many of us would have been tempted to do, Queen Esther could have focused on all of the threatening barriers (the risk of approaching the King unsummoned, accusing his top noble, reversing an irrevocable edict, and being dethroned – at a minimum) and decide not to get involved. Thank GOD she stepped up and spoke up! Who knows how things would have otherwise ended. Sometimes the price of keeping silent can cost far more than the risk of being denied.
This is Now
Before a word is spoken, there is a subconscious methodology that is applied when deciding to come to someone’s defense. First, the defendant’s plight is assessed to determine the degree of oppression, lawlessness or harassment. Next, the defendant(s) themselves are gauged for character, guilt/innocence or worthiness of such defense. Lastly, the cause, temperament and strength of the antagonist(s) are evaluated. Based on the results from these subliminal criteria, one decides to either get involved or simply look the other way. This all occurs within a span of about 90 seconds.
It takes an extraordinary person to come to the defense of another who is facing a formidable adversary. Courage, selflessness and a compulsion for justice consumes them and propels them into action. They surrender themselves fully to the cause, placing higher value on the lives of the defendants than their own. Such people are rare, and should be part of a very exclusive club. The Israeli government thought so when they bestowed the honor “Righteous Among the Nations” to a number of people who risked their lives defending and saving Jews from the horrors of the Holocaust.
One such person was Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic nurse and social worker who was a member of the Polish anti-Holocaust resistance in Warsaw. During World War II, she came to the defense of thousands of Jewish children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto to individual and group children’s homes throughout Poland. She risked her life and her job at the Social Welfare Department, which included checking for signs of typhus (a disease the Nazi’s feared would spread beyond the ghetto) to coordinate an alliance with about two dozen Zegota (codename for Polish Council to Aid Jews) members. The exact words of her proposal were not documented, but clearly it was convincing enough that these other people were willing to absorb the risk. Through this clandestine coalition, Irena set out to relocate as many children as possible. Leveraging her assignment to conduct sanitary inspections during a typhoid outbreak, she smuggled babies and small children out of the ghetto in ambulances, trolleys and trams by hiding them in suitcases and boxes (disguising them as packages). Older children were provided with false naturalization documents which allowed them to roam freely outside of the ghetto. Irena was tortured, imprisoned and sentenced to death by the Gestapo, but not before she was able to stand in the gap for over 2500 Jewish children in Warsaw. Miraculously, she evaded death. No doubt those defendants (now mature adults) are eternally grateful for her decision not to keep quiet and look the other way. **
Who Said That?!!!
“Live so that your friends can defend you but never have to." ― Arnold H. Glasow***
What Do You Say?
AFFIRMATION: "As GOD faithfully comes to my defense when I am vulnerable and in need, I do not turn away from those who are suffering or being persecuted; but stand in the gap for them when the situation warrants it."
Thanks for reading my post. If you enjoyed it, feel free to share this blog with everyone and check out the corresponding Podcast for deeper insight. You can also join our Member Community by subscribing - we'll make sure you never miss a post. Members can share comments, stories and keep the conversation going in our Discussion Forum. Additionally, you can support this blog by donating any amount on our Donate page. Until next time… be well and watch your mouth!
*www.merriam-webster.com,
**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler
***www.brainyquote.com