It's not about Esther

Have you ever taken the time to read through the book of Esther? I don't mean do you know the story of Esther...have you read it? Sometimes we discover that stories we have grown up hearing aren't always exactly in Scripture the way we heard them. Case in point, the story of Esther. Did you know that the book of Esther is the only book of the Bible that makes no direct reference to God? Seriously, there is no mention of God in the entire book! On top of that, there is no mention of prayer either.

But I would argue that the book/story of Esther is about God, not the winner of the beauty pageant. While the book doesn't mention God by name, His presence is evident everywhere you turn in the story. Ultimately, the story is about how God sovereignly directs every detail to ensure the continued existence of his people Israel. Remember, Haman is seeking to destroy the Jews because he hates Mordecai. But if Haman succeeds in destroying the Jews, then the Abrahamic Covenant is violated and there is no Messiah.

Instead, we see God faithfully keep His covenant to His people as he works every detail of the story for His glory. Here are some examples.

It's not coincidence or by accident that...

1. Queen Vashti has her crown removed. God needed a vacancy in the palace and He made sure there was one.

2. Esther was chosen out of possibly hundreds of girls. For whatever reason, the king picked her, whether it was her beauty, personality, etc. All those things would have been given to her by God. He made sure she would be the one picked.

3. The King found favor with Esther when she approached his presence. He hadn't seen her in a month, he could have easily been having a bad day and gotten rid of her just like he did with Vashti. But he didn't.

4. The king can't sleep one night and has his servants read to him the records of the palace, only to find out that Mordecai had recently saved his life. He finds this information out right before Haman wants to ask to hang Mordecai, thus stopping the wicked plans of Haman.

Oh, I'm sure some would chalk these events up to luck, but even Mordecai recognized that Esther had been positioned perfectly for "such a time as this." The book never mentions God. But it is indisputable that God is the one behind this entire story. We may call it the "Story of Esther" but trust me, it's a story about God. It's about His faithfulness to a covenant He established. A covenant that promises a Messiah who comes to save both Jew and Gentile. This story is good news for us. Praise God He keeps His covenant!