Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to have lived in a certain period of history? Maybe to be a knight in the Medieval England? Or an explorer in the 1500s? Maybe even to have been in the Battle of Jericho? Today’s blog is about little bit of a bunny trail off the highway of Apologetics. To fully understand and show the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world we must first understand why we are here! It is not enough to simply say we believe things about the Bible but not have a settled heart about where we are as Believers in this world. So lets consider something we all have mused about at least one time in our life: Why wasn’t I born in a different era?

Let’s first dive into some verses for our basis of today’s study. Our title comes from a verse in Esther chapter 4; so let’s start there. In the middle of Mordechai’s weeping over the plans of Haman, Esther asks him what’s wrong, he then explains and then says this: “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” What a powerful speech to deliver to someone who’s not sure of their place! But let’s look at that phrase “for such a time as this”. Is that elsewhere in Scripture?

Let’s look at some other examples of this idea to find that yes, it is in other places! The biggest verse you can look at to understand God has appointed times is in Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, & 17, but especially verse 11. It reads “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” Or what about Ecclesiastes 8:6 which says: “Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.” Now the key word in this passage is PURPOSE. It’s the Hebrew word ḥēp̄eṣ, which translates to mean anything of value. So what Solomon is saying is that every valuable thing is time and judgment. And the affliction (sin) of man is on His mind! So just in these few passages we see that God has appointed times, He cares about the burdens, and He has plans! So does God put us in “such a time as this” in my life, or your life? Absolutely!

Other verse about God’s working in appointed times are found in 2 Samuel 24:15, Job 38:23, Psalms 31:15, Jeremiah 33:15, especially Jeremiah 8:7 in a serious sense of being ready for God and knowing that He works and rules over man. These are just a few that deal with God, and His time. So if God’s wants all mankind to come to Him (John 12:32) then he has a plan! And in some small way He will move and direct in your life to bring about His will in some one else’s life! Proverbs 16:9 says this: “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” So we can trust with confidence that in our birth and placement in time that God has a plan about why we are here. And just for further proof read Psalms 139:13-16 clearly states God has formed us and knows us. What a Creator!

So He made us unique, placed in a specific time, and gave us specific steps, and that he wants all men drawn to Him in Christ. Big deal right? Actually yes, yes it is! You see that flies in the face of staunch Calvinist teaching of Predestination, and gives us hope that God has a plan for us even when we might struggle to understand why am I here! God further states it in Ecclesiastes 12:13 as “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” The “fear” Here means to reverently fear Him in an active sense because of something. That something being that He is God, he is awesome, magnificent and Holy. So because of that we want to do something about it, like keep His commandments. And we know the Law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, so by understanding Old Testament Jehovah, than we WANT to surrender and follow New Testament Jesus. Make sense? So again we are moved, directed and guided by God from birth for what? To give Him praise and keep His commandments, i.e. surrender to Him.

But how does all this tie to me accepting where God has placed me? It ties in this: The God of Creation has guided each of us, as His children, in a certain time, in a certain place to bear His message of Salvation. The Great Commission bears that out. When Jesus was telling the Apostles what to do in Matthew 28:16-20 is a clear message to take what they’ve been taught and seen to all tribes, and people’s in the world. That message also is carried out in John 17 (where modern day believers are listed in verse 20). Still doubting? Let’s go further.

A couple little stories that we might gloss over in the Old Testament Scripture gives a great example of what’s been said, and it’s what we talked about some last week. It’s the Amorites, and the city of Ninevah. Go read the stories. The Amorites are specifically mentioned in Genesis 15:16 that their “iniquity…is not yet full”. Meaning their sins were not ready to be judged, God was being gracious. Also to the city of Ninevah, God sent Jonah to pronounce judgement on them and when they heard it they repented and God forgave them. But how does this show me God has a plan for me? God withholds the things, or judgements He knows we deserve now because he gives time for us to submit, and or repent. And when you realize the God of the Bible who does that will certainly have a plan for my here-and-now to grow me and mold me to be in His image!

So just like Abraham Lincoln was used in his time. Or Winston Churchill was placed on earth for his day, or even some of the Reformation figures we’ve looked at; let’s rest in knowing that our God and Shepherd will continue to place people in His fields to do His work as long as He tarries.

We’ll work till Jesus comes,
We’ll work till Jesus comes,
We’ll work till Jesus comes,
And we’ll be gathered home.

Amen and let’s get our thinking caps on for next week’s lesson on: The King Arthur of Israel