Levi, Esther, and Learning Who I Am

There’s been many things over the past few weeks that have brought these two things to my mind: inheritance and identity.

First of all, this month (November) is Adoption Awareness month. Being an aunt of some of the cutest kids alive (and I'm not biased!), one of which God brought to our family through adoption, this month has made me reflect on all the events leading to Levi’s adoption. The struggles, the joys… and of course thinking about his adoption always testifies to my heart about my adoption as a child of God. The scriptures say I was a God-hater, lover of self, lover of evil, and many other HORRIBLE things, then God called me and declared me His child. He gave me an inheritance into His kingdom, an identity as His daughter, His beloved one.

Geez! If that doesn’t give me reason ALONE to rejoice, nothing else can!

But He hasn’t stopped there with bringing these thoughts of inheritance and identity to mind. I think living in a culture such as the one I’m in, where your identity and inheritance are established at birth it's hard not to be confronted with thinking about these two things. This is a culture where based on your last name, people can tell many things about you. It tells them what ethnicity you are, what you are brought up to believe, and where your allegiances lie. So again those two words are continually before me: INHERITANCE and IDENTITY.

And now, I’ve also started studying through Esther. As it usually happens in my life this theme of identity and inheritance once again show themselves. See, Esther is an Israelite living in a land where obviously things like beauty, extravagance, luxury, and abundance are prevalent, in many cases you could even say they are “life” (sound like any places you know?). She is an orphan who is raised by a cousin, Mordecai, who chose not to take her back to the promise land when God made provision for return. Rather they stayed, though we aren’t told why, just that they are living in this culture of luxury at the time of this account. Like many characters throughout scripture, this young girl, who by the eyes of the world, is pretty common (other than her beauty), is eventually put into a position of authority, she’s made Queen, and then God uses that position to save His people. Though His name is not mentioned you see God’s hand working in the events of Esther continually.

I’ve read this story many times. There’s many “themes” that people can draw from Esther, history of the Israelite people to be learned, and it’s just an amazing account of God once again saving His people from annihilation. However, as I’ve been reading through it this time, these two words again came to mind: inheritance and identity.

Esther is told to hide her identity, not to reveal who she is to the king, but to remain silent. It says specifically, “she did not reveal her ethnic background of birthplace”. But then...at just the moment necessary, she does. Esther, in an act of boldness, approaches the king and wins his approval. Then later she requests that he spare her people, and reveals just who her people are.

So, what is it about identity and inheritance that can be learned? 

That we should hide who we are and only when necessary reveal it?

I would say, “No, that’s not a good rendering of the story.”

I think more than an EXAMPLE of identity, I’ve been faced with questions. Questions like, “What do I do when my identities tested?” “Do I hide it?” “Am I bold?” “What does my identity and inheritance mean?” “How deep does it run?”
Esther is clearly tested. She has a blatant choice: approach the king, and reveal who she is OR don’t do this. The testing lies in the fact that she can be killed (literally) for approaching the king. But her people, those whom she shares an inheritance with, those whom her identity runs deep with, THOSE people are being threatened.

As a believer in Christ, I’ve received an inheritance, I’ve also been given an identity. The New Testament is filled with declaring who Christ is, and who we become IN Him.

But I think having grown up in a culture where things like inheritance aren’t really talked about. I mean maybe when a relative dies you get something, but other than that it doesn’t really define you, I’ve had to learn more about what this means to have an inheritance in Christ. Now that I’m living somewhere that I see that played out firsthand, I get it more.

Inheritance is a big deal! 

Identity is a big deal!

It not only tells you about who YOU are, but it tells you what people you belong to, it tells the world what people you are willing to defend, willing to band together with, willing to “go before the king” if necessary and loose your life that those you share an inheritance with might live. It tells you that you share promises, a future, a story, a history, and a life with “these” specific people.

To use my nephew as an example, once he became a Polk, he will ALWAYS be a Polk. He now shares our families' (both Polk and Brady) past, our families' present, and our families' future. He is a member of our family and that will never change. I will defend him, I will support him, and I would lay down my life for him. He is apart of my identity and he shares in my inheritance because HE IS MY NEPHEW.

In realizing these truths about what identity and inheritance mean it has caused me to reflect on the church, the Body of Christ. THESE are the people I share an inheritance with. These are the people who are one in identity with me. Do I look at them and all I’ve listed above and see them in that light?

Am I willing to defend them?

Not talk about all their failings?

Am I willing to band together with them (especially when they are struggling)?

Not complain about what I wish they’d do different and divide from them?

Am I willing to loose my life (my selfish desires, goals, dreams), that they might live, grow, and cherish Christ more?

I am not my own!

I belong to Christ.

And with that it means I share an inheritance and identity with other’s who belong to Christ. 

Do I live like that? Do you live like that? I can only speak for myself for sure, but maybe we all need to learn more about what it means that we have an identity and inheritance in Christ, and who it is we share that with.

“This is how we have come to know love: He (Jesus) laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.” 

1 John 3:16