Latest / Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms / #186. When God Seems Hidden: Trusting God’s Providence in Esther 1–5

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#186. When God Seems Hidden: Trusting God’s Providence in Esther 1–5 · Dwelling Place: The Bible for Moms

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  This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.
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  I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today we're looking at Esther chapters one through five.
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  Who doesn't love a story about an orphan girl who's brought to the palace, given 12 months of beauty and spa treatments becoming the next queen and miraculously saving her entire people group.
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  But as you get older and you see more into the story of Esther, it loses a bit of its luster, and that's why this episode will be best for mom ears alone.
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  Thankfully, God's perfect character is not compromised in the least, despite several unsavory characters.
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  In fact, God's providence and timing is undeniable as He strategically and faithfully intervenes to protect the nation of Israel.
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  Now, don't get me wrong.
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  I do love the Book of Esther.
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  It's just a lot less of a Cinderella story than I thought when I was younger.
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  We don't know who authored this account But we do know that Esther is the Persian name this young woman is given, most likely after the Persian word for star.
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  Her Hebrew name was Hadassah, which means myrtle It was a small white flower that grew in the promised land, kind of like the Hebrew version of Edelweiss Esther is without a doubt the most controversial book that has been
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  allowed into the canon of scripture.
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  For millennia, it's been debated because there is no mention of God in the entire book.
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  even Martin Luther, one of the fathers of the Reformation, was opposed to its inclusion.
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  But it's difficult to dismiss the timing and the circumstances as anything short of miraculous and we're left to wonder why God's name is completely absent.
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  but as I research this, I am kind of geeking out over here, and I have to tell you, in spite of many scholars' objections, I am not bothered in the least.
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  Here's why.
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  let me read you three verses from the Old Testament, listen for the commonality between them.
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  in Deuteronomy 31:17, If this people goes after foreign gods, then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them Next, Isaiah 59:2, But your iniquities have made
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  a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear."
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  and Ezekiel 39:23 And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity through their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of
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  their adversaries, And they all fell by the sword Did you notice the similarity?
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  In each of these passages, God warns He will hide His face from them and here's why this is a mic drop moment for me.
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  Esther's name is obviously spelled E-S-T-H-E-R.
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  but this phrase, "I will hide," that God says about Himself Is A-S-T-I-R And if you write them in Hebrew, it's only one letter off, as Esther becomes STR, and I will hide becomes STYR.
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  I am thoroughly convinced that the absence of God's name in the Book of Esther is entirely intentional God removed his name, but left his influence and his sovereignty on full display.
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  I believe this points to a God who will be found by anyone who calls upon him and anyone who looks diligently for him And it's encouraging for us, especially as you walk with the Lord for a long time,
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  You will come into longer and longer seasons where you may not understand what God is doing When we see God's faithfulness, even though we don't read His name, it's a call to trust Him resolutely in our own lives
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  so let's look at chapter one.
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  historically, King Ahasuerus is also known as Xerxes I.
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  His reign began in 486 and in this first chapter of Esther, he's giving a feast that lasts for six months, interestingly, the timing of this would align with Xerxes' return to Persia after he had squelched an Egyptian rebellion.
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  I'm entirely intrigued by the colors and opulence that are described in chapter one.
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  Basically, no expense is spared, and the rule of this big party is give the people what they want.
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  It's kind of like the adult version of Yes Day No one is claiming that Xerxes was an honorable man.
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  He was a typical indulgent pagan king.
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  At this point for Persian and ancient parties, it was typical for the men and women to have separate gatherings.
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  Queen Vashti is in another banquet hall giving a party for her ladies when she's summoned by her husband.
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  And she blatantly refuses.
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  Scripture says that she was to come before the king with her royal crown in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was lovely to look at Now, it's not hard to understand why a
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  woman would not wanna be paraded in front of her intoxicated husband and his friends But there are some different theories about her reasoning.
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  Some believe she may have been pregnant at this point.
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  Another ancient theory is that she was being asked to attend in her crown alone and without any garments.
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  Or perhaps she just anticipated being treated dishonorably by the drunken men.
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  Whatever the case, Xerxes is infuriated and humiliated.
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  He asks his closest advisors what to do.
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  They're concerned that Vashti's unsubmissive behavior is going to fuel the Persian wives into believing that their husbands aren't their ultimate authority.
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  Together they decide that Vashti will no longer be queen and will no longer come before Xerxes And just to make sure that her rebellious streak isn't contagious, they send out a letter throughout the Persian Empire that every man
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  is still the master in his household but in chapter two, Xerxes realized, "I'm kind of lonely.
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  I miss my queen."
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  Here's something fascinating about Xerxes I in history.
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  Unlike his predecessor, his father, who had six wives, and his successor, his son who had many wives, Xerxes was monogamous.
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  He only had one wife at a time.
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  Even though he was given over to indulgence in areas, he placed a limitation on his marital status.
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  But as I mentioned, the older you get and the more you understand his scripture, the less this book sounds like a romantic young prince in search of his one true love.
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  Chapter two covers Esther's rise to the throne and will be our main reading for today.
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  When the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.
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  Then the king's young men who attended him said, Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king, and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of this kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to
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  the harem in Susa the citadel under custody of Hagai the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women.
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  Let their cosmetics be given them, and let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.'
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  This pleased the king, and he did so.
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  Now There was a Jew in Susa citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shammai, son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of
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  Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away.
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  He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother.
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  The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at.
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  And when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
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  So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa, the citadel, in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai who
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  had charge of the women.
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  And the young woman pleased him and won his favor, and he quickly provided her with cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to
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  the best place in the harem.
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  Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.
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  And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.
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  Now when the turn came for each young woman to go into King Ahasuerus after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and
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  six months with spices and ointments for women.
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  When the young women went into the king in this way, She was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.
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  In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem In custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines.
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  She would not go into the king again unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
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  When the turn came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go into the king, she asked for nothing except what Hagai, the king's eunuch, who had charge
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  of the women, advised.
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  Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her.
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  and when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she
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  won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
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  Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants.
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  It was Esther's feast.
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  He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.
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  We were provided with a lot of information there.
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  First, Esther is an orphan being raised by her cousin Mordecai.
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  Mordecai is a Jew from the line of Benjamin, and it's a little confusing from the way the commas are in the text, But it was probably his grandfather who experienced the Babylonian deportation.
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  He was born in Persia.
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  This term, young women, generally means a woman in her adolescence, and at most, her early twenties.
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  Heartbreakingly, when it says that Esther and the young ladies were taken, the word here is actually seized.
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  It may have been the desire of many women to have the opportunity to be the next queen, but this doesn't sound like it was a voluntary beauty contest, even if it does sound pretty amazing to be pampered for
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  a year.
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  If we do the math, the point that Esther is chosen to come into the king is in his seventh year of being king.
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  This is three years after Vashti was cast out of his presence.
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  Has he been engaging in this despicable practice of calling these virgins in one by one for three years?
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  Thankfully, the historical record reveals that he was actually away in battle against Greece for a large portion of this time.
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  I am in no way excusing this abominable practice, but I guess I'm hopeful that it was shorter than the text seems to point to.
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  Of course, we don't know what occurred between Esther and the king that night, but we also don't have anything to point us to an absence of immorality.
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  in God's sovereignty however, we know He can use devastating and even sinful situations and turn them for good but we did read that Esther was winsome and that her character was giving her favor with those around her now
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  I'll read the end of chapter two, because ultimately, Esther is far from a love story.
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  It's a story about the protection of the Jewish race Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate.
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  Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her: for Esther obeyed Mordecai, just as when she was brought up by him.
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  In those days as Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
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  And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, And Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.
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  When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows.
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  And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
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  Spoiler alert King Ahasuerus was assassinated several years after this It's pretty legit for a king to be paranoid.
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  And like most rulers throughout history, death is the consequence for those conspiring against the throne.
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  But don't miss the sovereignty of God in allowing Mordecai to overhear the plot.
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  I mean, his cousin and adopted daughter is the queen.
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  What kind of a fool Would speak of this plot in front of him.
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  This is one event that we can't just pass off as happenstance.
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  Mordecai does a great service to the king, and in the process, he allows Esther to gain the king's trust because she's the one that gets to report the plot to him.
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  Unfortunately, this great kindness of Mordecai's is not repaid at this point.
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  Instead chapter three reports of another man's promotion.
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  It's Haman the Agagite.
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  And yes, this character will make you want to gag throughout the book.
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  Quick genealogy lesson.
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  Let's go back to 1 Samuel 15.
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  Do you recall that there was a wicked people named the Amalekites, and God told King Saul to destroy all of them?
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  But he didn't kill their king, Agag The prophet Samuel came to confront him and revealed that God was going to cut off his throne for his disobedience.
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  Now, it's possible that Agag could refer to a mountainous region in the Medo-Persian Empire But I've usually heard that God was using Mordecai, another descendant from the tribe of Benjamin, just like Saul was, to defeat King Agag's descendant
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  Haman is on a pretty puffed up power trip, and he wants everyone to bow down to him.
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  but Mordecai won't do it because he's a Jew.
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  This seems to point to his faithfulness to God and his desire to not bend the knee to any other.
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  It makes Haman furious.
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  He's committed to not just defeat Mordecai, but the entire race of people.
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  through divination, he consults his God and decides to plot the Jews' destruction.
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  and get this irony.
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  The date that Haman is casting these lots is during the Jewish Passover.
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  On the very dates that they were supposed to be celebrating God's deliverance for them, a new enemy is seeking to destroy their entire race The final date selected is 11 months later, and in preparation, Haman goes to the
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  king and says, You know what?
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  There's this people group that really doesn't keep your laws i'm willing to pay 10,000 talents of silver just to make sure that this can get done I really don't want any enemies to your throne."
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  This would equal about 375 tons of silver, and it seems it's only possible for Haman to get his hands on this much wealth if he plans on plundering all of it from the Jews We don't even know if
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  the king asks who these people are, but he seals the deal.
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  And remember in the Book of Daniel, when a Medo-Persian king makes a law, it cannot be undone This decree goes out to every people group in their own language.
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  And of course, the king and Haman sit down to celebrate with a drink As the decree goes out to the city of Susa where Mordecai and Esther are, there was a loud and bitter cry.
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  Mordecai put himself in sackcloth and ashes and gets a message to Esther encouraging her to go before the king and cease this impending genocide Esther argues that everyone knows that anyone who approaches the king without being summoned will
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  be put to death unless he holds out his golden scepter, and he hasn't even called her into his presence in 30 days This next exchange contains the most well-known verses in the Book of Esther Mordecai responds, "Do not
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  think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.
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  For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish.
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  And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
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  Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, Go gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf.
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  And do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.
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  And do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.
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  I and my young women will also fast as you do.
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  Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law.
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  And if I perish, I perish."
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  Interestingly, Esther fasts, but it doesn't say anything about prayer.
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  There is no mention of Esther or Mordecai seeking the Lord, but Mordecai's words definitely seem to point to his trust in God's protection over the people And in chapter five, Esther courageously puts on her royal robes and approaches
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  the throne The king is moved and reaches out his scepter to Esther.
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  When she touches it, he inquires of his queen why she's come before him.
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  Esther graciously invites the king and Haman to a feast she has prepared for them they come and while eating, the king asks Esther, What is it that you wish?"
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  All she asks is that the two men come back for another feast the next night.
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  Remember, Xerxes does like these back-to-back celebrations.
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  But what happens outside the banquet puts fuel on the rivalry between Haman and Mordecai.
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  Haman is all puffed up thinking, "Wow, the queen only invited the king and me.
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  I'm a pretty big deal."
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  But who enters and busts his bubble but Mordecai, the one man who will not bow down to him.
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  Haman goes to his wife and friends telling all about the fancy feast he just came from, but states that nothing of it matters as long as Mordecai treats him disrespectfully.
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  his wife and friends prescribe that he make a gallows 50 feet high and asked the king to hang Mordecai upon it And Then finally, he can eat his food in peace and joy.
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  And that's where we'll pick up tomorrow.
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  But I wanna speak a word of encouragement to the moms out there that feel that God is hidden from their circumstances right now.
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  In fact, I have a dear friend who's been battling cancer While her husband has been in a lengthy season of unemployment Sometimes in these circumstances, it does seem that God is hidden But my hope is that we have
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  eyes to see even when God seems hidden.
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  As we look at the Book of Esther and see how God sovereignly ordained Esther to be queen, how He allowed Mordecai to overhear the conspiracy, and how He works all of these things for the good of an entire
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  nation of people, that we could also see His fingerprints in our home and in our lives to bring about His glory and our good.
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  In some seasons, He does hide Himself more than others, but it's not evidence of a lack of His love for you.
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  It's an opportunity to honor him by exercising our faith Let's pray that even when we can't see the hand of God working in our lives, that our children's faith and that our faith would be marked by a resolute
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  trust in the goodness of our God Heavenly Father, we thank you that you are not an unapproachable king like we read about today.
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  You are a king that says we can approach your throne of grace with confidence.
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  So Lord, we reach out to you today with the burdens that we carry, whether small or great, and we lay them at your throne.
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  I pray for the moms that are struggling with true difficulties, concerns for their kids, their health, their finances, Moms that are exhausted and would just like a nap.
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  Moms that are struggling with discouragement, sadness, and even anger.
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  Lord, would you provide us with a deep, unwavering trust in your goodness and in your ability to work all these circumstances so that you would be magnified in our lives?
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  We praise you that you are not a king just seeking your own glory, but you are a God who blesses His people.
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  And I pray the words of Isaiah 30, Your teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your teacher, and your ears shall hear a word behind you saying, This is the way.
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  Walk in it.'"
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  Lord, give us direction about what to do in these seasons where it feels that you are more hidden.
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  Help us to walk in obedience and faith, bringing glory to the true King, Jesus Christ.
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  It's in His powerful name that we pray.
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  Amen.