Unnamed But Quite Present
I already mentioned that God does not "appear" in the book of Esther - no LORD, no God, etc. nonetheless, it's not hard to discern how God shows up even when unnamed. And here in Esther 4, we see this happening. Esther tells Mordecai about the law forbidding anyone from approaching the king. And to this, Mordecai answers "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." Amazing! Here's the covenant restated in different words. The Jews, as the covenant people, indeed will be saved. And then here's the kicker, Mordecai continues: "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" And there is sovereignty. The belief that God is I. Control even when it doesn't see, like it at all.
Sovereignty in the Big Matters
Yesterday, I made some comments about God's sovereignty being shown in small matters such as finding a wife for Isaac (in Genesis 24). I realize of course large and small are two measures that need to be considered in context, and so I thought that today, as I begin reading Esther, I would put how "small" the matter of finding a wife for Isaac (as I would suspect that most would disagree with my considering it "small") into perspective. Esther is a problematic book for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the term "God" or "Yahweh" does not appear in the story. It seems a book that has nothing at all to do with God, and yet it has everything to do with Him. God's sovereignty is seen throughout the book, with Esther 1 standing as the introduction to the situation in which God's sovereignty will be seen in a huge way. To be sure, it is a pretty horrible thing that happened. A patriarchal society would have no problems at all with what happened to Queen Vashti, while ours would question what right the King had to demand so much from her. Nonetheless, whatever way you view their dispute and the results, God's sovereignty was at work to bring about his divine purpose.
Sovereignty in the Small Matters
Genesis 24 has another one of those "LOL" verses in the a bible (which I love). On oath to find a wife for Isaac, Abraham's servant asks God for a sign regarding the young woman he is to choose for him. Pretty much right after that, he meets Rebekah, who fulfills the sign exactly. P that's the context of the verse, "The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not." I can just imagine the servant in kind of this confused/amazed state.. I find it amusing. Hahaha. Anyway, some observations: 1) The servant praying to Yahweh is a testimony of Abraham as a master/employer. He's obviously taught everyone in his household, including the lowly servants, that Yahweh is the only true God. 2) God is obviously concerned over even the small matters such as finding Isaac a wife. Not that I think finding a wife should on love the kind of sign this servant asked God for. Just the principle of God's sovereignty in this small matter is helpful to know. 3) Rebekah's obedience is amazing to see, even though she clearly comes from a household that had respect for, but did not completely believe in Yahweh. Did she herself believe at this point? Or was she being prompted in her heart by the truth? Either way, she defied (it would seem) her family's wishes for her to stay longer, and in a way, trusted in Yahweh through her obedience to Abraham's servant.
Irrational Rationality
I was reading a newspaper article yesterday. It was an atheist writer commenting on anti-religious atheists. He basically says that these people are irrational. I won't get into the details but his point is, opposition for opposition's sake is dumb. That's true of atheists who make opposition to religion their primary goal, and it is certainly true of the "rulers, elders, and scribes". They can't refute the evidence (the "notable sign") yet they still refuse to believe and continue trying to strong arm the disciples into silence. The response? The dispels prayed for boldness to the "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them"...
God’s Sovereignty
Is there a better way to start the New Year than to reflect on God's Sovereignty? It's amazing to see how this is working out in each of these passages I read this evening. In Genesis, God merely spoke and "it came to be". While in Matthew and Ezra we see fulfilment according to his Word - In Matthew, the coming of the Messiah; while in Ezra, it's the return of the remnant from exile. Even in Acts, we saw it in the simple matter of the Apostles replacing Judas. God is in control. He is sovereign over everything.
Father, may I rest in your sovereignty; remaining "still" and simply "knowing" that you are God.