Jesus in Esther
April 26, 2023
It’s remarkable that in Esther, a book of the Bible, the name of God isn’t ever mentioned. Neither is prayer. And the book is never quoted in the New Testament, not even in a casual reference. The book is also named after a woman—a rarity for sure.
The beauty of the book of Esther is the romance of God’s providence—how God directs our universe. In fact, it’s the way He directs all of His creation.
Back in Deuteronomy 31, God outlined Israel’s history for them. He told them about how Jerusalem would be destroyed, how they would be taken in the Babylonian captivity, and then it would happen again in the Roman captivity. And it actually happened that way. God says in Deuteronomy 31:18 that they were sent into captivity because of their idolatry, and now He says, “I’m going to hide My face from them.”
In the book of Esther, God has hidden His face from them. But we can say, “God stands in the shadows keeping watch over His own” (see also Deuteronomy 32:10). Though they are not in His will, we see God directing them. How? By His providence. They forgot God; they’re far from Him. They didn’t call on Him or praise Him. But He never left them.
Providence is how God directs all things—both animate and inanimate, seen and unseen, good and evil—toward a worthy purpose. Providence is the means by which God’s will finally prevails. (See Ephesians 1:11.)
So our God is running the universe today, friends. Many of us think it has slipped out from under Him, but it hasn’t. Who’s running it? Well, the Lord Jesus Christ is, upholding all things by the word of His power. His hand is in the glove of human events. He’s the coach on the sidelines calling signals to the runner on second base. That’s the way providence moves. Jesus Christ is the unseen rudder on the ship of state. He’s the pilot at the wheel during the night watch.
God’s name may not be mentioned in the book of Esther, but He’s on every page, directing the events of history to accomplish His will.