His Hidden Hand (Book of Esther)

In Season 6, we are going to take a journey through the Book of Esther, a remarkable narrative set during a time of upheaval, uncertainty, and divine silence. Though God’s name is never mentioned in the text, His sovereign hand is unmistakably present, guiding events both large and small. Esther’s world mirrors many of the anxieties of our own: fear about the future, instability, and the sense that God feels distant. Yet the book powerfully demonstrates that even when He seems hidden, He is actively working behind the scenes to preserve His people and accomplish His purposes.

In this episode, we explore the historical setting, the book’s debated place in the canon, and its major themes—reversal of fortunes, providence, and God’s use of imperfect people in impossible circumstances. Esther is a literary masterpiece with deep theological weight, and understanding its structure and background prepares us to see God’s faithfulness anew. This introduction lays the groundwork for a season-long journey through a story that reminds us that God is sovereign, present, and never caught off guard.

Transcript

Speaker: 0:00

Hello and welcome to season six Before we jump into this new take a minute to give some of on where things are with our There has been a little bit of a delay in the podcast lately, and some of the episodes have taken longer to make than they normally do. As most of you know, this is not our full time job, and that means that we have many hours a week spent doing things other than ministry. Even though our desire would be to do ministry full time, that's just not where God has us at this point. And in the end of last year, we Incredibly busy times. Times where there was no extra And so we had a bit of a lag at But that was not by design. And we're looking forward to this new year, to getting back on track and releasing more consistently so that you will have a new episode every month or so. That's our goal, and we're praying that God opens up the door for us to stick with it so you can be in prayer for us, that we can find the extra time that we need to produce this podcast because we love doing it. It is the burden of our heart. It's the mission that God has more of it. So pray for us as the Lord additional time, additional to be more consistent in the That being said, we have looked through the scriptures for where to go after James and we had a couple of different books in mind. But then out of the blue, God brought Esther to the forefront of the books that we were looking at. And the more we looked at it, We really felt that this was perfect for this moment in history. It was perfect for the right that is written in the middle of It is a time where things are and it is a time where God is book anyway, to his people, and They are relying on him for salvation and he's nowhere to be found. So it seems in the text of the So we felt like this was just situation that our world is there is a lot of uncertainty, There's a lot of people who are fearful of what the future may bring. And as we walk through this book, you're really going to see that God's hands are never out of control. God's hands have a firm grip on nothing occurs that is not That doesn't mean that there That doesn't mean that there that grieve the Lord. But what it does mean is that even through all that, he is a good God who raises up people to counteract the evil in the world. That he steps in himself at times to counteract the evil in the world, and that he cares deeply about his creation all the time. That never changes. And he is never caught off He's never caught by surprise. His sovereign providence overrules all, and he is able to even step in in specific, minute actions that change the course of events when he desires to do so. So we're going to see that God for him when he wills it, and he impact circumstances to bring he desires to do so. So with that in mind, let's talk a little bit about the Book of Esther. Let's look at a little background information on this book that is is quite interesting. In fact, this book has been both a blessing and a controversy throughout the history of the church. It has been argued over fought, It's got quite a past, actually. And there are multiple versions The one that exists in our Bible And then there are longer much debate by many godly men seeking to figure out where believers should approach it. And so it's important to have I will say this, however, though looking at the Book of Esther. There is a more conservative, which is the view that we're And there is a more liberal, non leans towards, well, it's just a And so that's something that we because as you listen to this where we're going to come from. Otherwise what we say won't make So starting off with that discussion and I'm really not disparaging one side or the other. What I am saying is that our convictions push us firmly into one side, and so we view the other side as being an incorrect view. So understand that that is our This is how we see the book of When I say that we view the Book of Esther conservatively, that means we view it as a historical text. There's no reason not to view it Now, if you read the backgrounds there will be arguments of, history with Esther very easily. It's difficult. And because we have Jewish names it's hard to tell. You know, who's who. And all of those are valid But the reality is that there is no reason to see this book as fictional. In fact, seeing it as fictional This is the basis of the holiday has existed ever since this hundred years ago. So you would have to start by holiday is based on a complete It's not even a real story. And so when we look at all the through here, we see very to be taken as a story that that heavily impacted the time, and is something that we Scripture for our edification. Now, as far as the book being Scripture, there's a lot of And there was debate and there were some people who didn't like it. Martin Luther, being one of the bigger names who did not care for the book of Esther, wasn't even sure it belonged in the Bible. But again, we know that these are questions that were debated by godly men who loved the Lord with all their heart, and they were seeking to do what was right. And at the end of the day, they collection of books that we now They did so through prayer and spirited debate and seeking the Holy Spirit to lead them and guide them. And I think the testimony of Esther itself to the providence of God actually is the greatest underlining fact of proof that shows that things like our current canon is something we can trust. God's providence is so overwhelming in this book that he arranges everything from the major details to the minor details. And of course, we don't just see alone, it's in the entire Bible. But Esther really cries out providence of God. And I think that teaches us that these amazing, incredible things that happen throughout history that ultimately impact the course of history, God is in these details. God is in these times and places And so when we consider the gathered together to create the today, that has stood the test years and more, we can have And so we fully hold and believe here at another twelve that Esther belongs in the canon of the Bible. We have no doubt about that And so we can say with full confidence that this book belongs in the scriptures and it is Scripture. Now ester takes place around the This is about one hundred and twenty to one hundred and forty years after the Babylonian conquering of Israel, where the Israelites were taken into exile, and they have gone through now a return back to the land, they have started to rebuild things. They've rebuilt the temple, They're starting to repopulate But there are still some Jews They remain in Babylon. They have not gone home yet. And we can debate this. There is debate about it, to remain there, whether they prompting of God and gone back. But but be it as it may, they And this is where this book And ultimately the three the nation of Israel. Post-exile. And that would be Ezra, Nehemiah They all started in Persia. They all started outside of God needed them there because or was set. And so they're there for a So whether we come to the who are not returning to the land, it's kind of immaterial. The story requires them to be where they are in the Persian Empire. And so there's no point debating They are where they are, and God There's also some debate about whether or not these characters in this story were of high moral standing. Did they do everything right? Did they? Did they make all the right decisions as they face the challenges that God brought their way? And I find this to be a rather And the reason I find it to be a useless argument is that all we need to do is pick any one of the great patriarchs, and we will find their life riddled with sin. Whether it's Abraham who doesn't wait for God's promise and fathers a child with Hagar or Jacob, who swindles his brother out of his birthright and ultimately cheats his brother and has to run away to save his own life? God still uses him or David, who falls and sins with Bathsheba, or Samson, who is a distinctly ungodly man yet used by God in incredible ways. And you could go on and on and We could just keep listing None of them are perfect except They all make terrible mistakes but never cancel out the path God still works his will through them, even though they fail, even though they are not perfect. And so sitting here in debating that are Jewish in this story the best way they could, or did if they failed here or they have as much narrative about Isaac or Jacob. We don't have nearly as much of And so this becomes a worthless The point of the book is God used these people in spite of their flaws, which we know they possess because they're human. And in the end, they displayed It's not as overt because God is not mentioned anywhere in the book. And so sometimes those steps of they're not as easily seen. But we see a very simple Testament world trial comes the God delivers, God blesses. And we see this pattern So what we can actually learn pressure was on, when the heat what was right in God's eyes. They were pleasing to the Lord. And he responded and he responded in amazing, amazing ways. So if you pick up a commentary encourage you to do so. Choose carefully. There's a lot of bad there are some excellent As you turn through these pages arguments, don't get lost. Don't lose sight of the beauty Keep your eyes focused on what people through this book. Now there's a few interesting Esther, and you'll see these if study on your own with a that this book is predominantly There are multiple reversals of fortune in the book, and these reversals of fortune are kind of couched within the story of ten feasts. So there's ten feasts in the There are highs and lows for So characters on both sides, throughout the book. And there's these major twists non-religious reader fate. But to the child of God are clearly seen as God's providence. And characters rise and mist that conceals the divine, spectacular coincidence that impacting the lives of the And the book has a loose does a full circle, right? It builds a story to the middle, and then at the middle there's a reversal of fortune, and it builds that story back out to the end. So you have matching Points at the beginning and the end of the book, and at each of the major points as you go, work your way towards the middle, the middle being that incredible reversal of fortune. It was the basis for a new The festival of Purim was book, and that lends a lot of view of the book. And this, like Hanukkah, would part of the original feasts, not celebrations that are laid out added and would have been in Jesus time. So he would have celebrated We already know that Jesus went up to the temple at the Festival of Dedication. That's what we call Hanukkah And this would have been a celebrated in his time. Jesus would have celebrated That would have been a festival would have been familiar with Because the Book of Esther has been added to the readings, the festival readings that are read as religious texts on festival days. And so this book has an the Jewish faith. And Jesus would have read it. He would have known it, he would story, and he would have was given to Mark. And finally, by the time of considered a sacred text. This book would have been looked at as part of the Jewish scriptures. So this is an important point, that we should consider. When Jesus spoke and taught, Jesus had a lot to say about false teaching. He called out the Pharisees constantly for their false teaching. He called out the Sadducees for Now he did it subtly at times, the reason they didn't resurrection was because their disavowed any resurrection. They said, resurrection isn't And so he clearly points out He pointed out the error in the divorce, and there were many put out by religious leaders of of the day that offered up complex topics like many other things, kosher And Jesus spent much of his ministry poking holes in the false teaching of the religious leaders. He would even tell his disciples, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, their false teachings. Don't listen to them. Don't listen to these things Don't read their heretical Ignore them. And the point that I want to make here is that nowhere in Jesus teaching or in any of the New Testament after that written by his disciples, do we find anything calling out the Book of Esther? We never hear anything about Jesus disavowing the holiday of Purim. We never hear anything about him saying, well, some of the books that you hold as holy books are not holy. And for all he had to say about and how his words were eternal should be obeyed, you would being reverenced in his time words, he might have had In fact, one of the books that has been incredibly maligned by modern scholars is a book that Jesus cites as historically true. And that's the book of Jonah. Jesus actually points out when he's calling down a curse on the generation that has rejected him, specifically the Jewish leadership. He says no sign will be given to But the sign of Jonah, who is in the belly of the fish for three days. This is the point. He actually points to that book, the book that many liberal scholars today consider to be an absolute fabrication. Not a true story, just a a tall wanted to convey a moral story. And he says that is the historical sign that I'm going to point to when I judge this generation. I don't think Jesus was talking about a bedtime story when he was basing a sign upon which he was going to judge an entire generation of the nation of Israel. But yet he has nothing negative He never turns around and says, take that out of the Bible. That's not Scripture. That's not my words. So I think we need to be very careful as we look into this book. We need to take it as God's We need to look at it and say God has allowed it to remain in this canon for two thousand five hundred years. We should pay attention to it, Spirit to interpret it for us. And lastly, I just want you to this book, that there are some There are some really horrid this book, and it's done so in a The writing is astoundingly beautiful, and of course, we're not reading it in the original language, so there's some things that are just lost in translation. And I don't read Hebrew, so I'm study of those who can. And so doing the best I can, I'm beauty that exists in this book English as much as I can. But I think what we should learn in the ugliest circumstances. Yes, the characters in this book, Esther and Mordecai specifically. They face some terrible scenarios that you would think. How could someone who loves God ever find themselves in that position? But they do, and they are forced out for him to guide them. And God never shows up in this God never appears in this book. All we see is their conclusion seeking God and doing what they an impossible scenario. And so we need to remember that God's providence is the overarching theme. I know I've said that a few times, but That's critical to this book. God's providence is completely and that is the point that God any way, even when we feel like Even when we don't know where he he's doing, we can have full fully sovereign and his