Where is God?

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Liz Nixon answers:

What did I like about today’s passage?

This King knows how to party! A total of 187 days of feasting and drinking, showing off his splendour and wealth - the guests would have been incredibly drunk, so I don’t blame Queen Vashti for refusing to come out and parade in front of them!

I like the small details in the Bible which change my view on a story and it’s clear that this was more than a beauty contest – this was a contest to see who could satisfy the King in the bedroom! After an evening with the King, Esther left the place of the virgin women and moved in with the other concubines of the King. It’s a murky start for Esther but it’s not the end!

A villain arrives in the shape of Haman. He is a descendant of King Agag of the Amalekites. In 1 Samuel, Saul was told to destroy the Amalekites, but he failed to do so, costing himself the throne, and enabling the Amalekite line to continue all the way through to Haman. It’s easy to imagine the dislike between the Amalekites and the Jews down through history. So, when Jewish Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman, we see Haman’s animosity and dislike fan into flames of hatred and murderous plots of genocide.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

Given that God isn’t mentioned in the book at all, it’s an invitation to search through the chapters and see where He is working to save individuals and His people. Like the book of Ruth, there are way too many God-incidences for Him not to be involved and up to something!

Here’s a few just from these first chapters: Esther is naturally very beautiful; she is taken to the place; Esther wins favour with everyone who sees her and gets special privileges; she pleases the King, who has the most beautiful women in the empire to choose from; Mordecai happens to overhear a plot to kill the king and in telling Esther, the assassination plot is thwarted with his name credited for it. That’s too many co-incidences for them not to be God ordained!

It would be easy for the Jews to think God had abandoned them, given that they had been exiled from Israel for the last 50 + years. But God had been moving his people into position at the right time – He had created Esther to be incredibly beautiful, knowing her beauty would please the King and that he would make her his Queen, able to save God’s people.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Accept God’s invite to see where He is at work and work with Him, expecting He’ll give me the favour I need for doors to open.

Who am I going to share this with?

My husband.