Early in the Book of Esther we read these words: “Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so” (Esther 2:10). The polytheistic Persians did not require their conquered peoples to give up their gods but they had to worship the Persian gods too. The Jews were to worship Jehovah God only. So, the question of Psalm 137:4 is the question of the book of Esther. “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” How does a person of faith live in a faithless world?
Mordecai and Esther initially created a world of hidden identity. You know, the compulsion to hide our identity as children of God affects us all. At work, at school, or in the bowling league. But at some point, each of us has to figure out who we are and what that identity means for our lives.
