Where’s God? Esther 2:5-23

Introduction

When Corrie ten Boom was a young, preteen girl, she made a trip with her father to help him with his business. While they were sitting on a train, she mustered up the courage to ask her father a question that had been on her mind since she had heard some older girls talking about it. She asked, “Father, what is sex?” To her surprise, her father didn’t answer her but remained silent. He had always been willing to give wise answers to his daughter.

When time came for them to exit, he stood up and asked her to carry his traveling case that was filled with watches and parts. She said, “I can’t. It’s too heavy.” (Quote On screen) He answered here: “Yes, and it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It's the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger, you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you.”

Very often, the best way to show someone something is by showing them something else. This is the essence of poetry, and this is the effect of Esther.

God’s Word

Esther’s name is on the book, but the main point of the book is that the main character is not Esther. And, it’s not Mordecai. It’s God. But, the author is showing us that God’s the main character by showing us someone else, by showing us the lives of ordinary, unsuspecting people that are used by God in remarkable ways. In fact, this is one of only two books in the Bible that never mention God. And so, you’re meant to ask as you read: Where is God?

I imagine that’s a question that you’ve asked before. Maybe when your life fell apart. Maybe when you didn’t know what to do next. Maybe when you felt so alone that it seemed impossible that there was a God who cared. Well, chapter 2 shows us What to Remember When You Wonder Where God Is: (Headline)

Life isn’t what it’s “supposed” to be.

Esther 2:5–8 “Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. So when the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.”

Most people I know don’t enjoy the genealogies of the Bible. But, they’re not just given to us to test the limits of our Southern accents. (Remember, just read them fast and confidently and no one knows the difference.) We’re given Mordecai’s lineage here, and it has a lot to say. The list terminates with the name “Kish” who was a Benjaminite, and that name matters. He was the father of King Saul. Mordecai’s family would’ve been like the aristocracy. They mattered to people because their history mattered. Netflix would’ve done a documentary on them.

“‘Supposed to’” often becomes “‘never will.’”

But, where are they now? They’ve been “carried away from Jerusalem among the captives.” They were meant to be the ruling class and yet now they’re prisoners of another king. The “supposed to’s” of Mordecai’s life had shifted drastically. He was supposed to be a leader. He was supposed to be wealthy. He was supposed to matter. And, you can imagine what a let down his life must’ve felt like when he heard the stories of who his ancestors were.

We see something similar with Esther. Esther is presented to us as a tragic figure of great irony. You’ll notice that she has two names. Hadassah is her Hebrew name, and Esther is her Persian name. Throughout the story, it seems she’s always trying to balance having a foot in both camps. She’s always torn between her Jewish ancestry and her Persian culture. In fact, her Persian name is likely a reference to the goddess of war and peace, and it’s like there’s a continual internal struggle within Esther for peace. You’ll also notice that she’s both beautiful and broken. She’s described as “beautiful figure.” Someone that everyone admires. But, she’s also described as an orphan. Her parents have died, and she’s been raised by her cousin. She’s outwardly beautiful, but inwardly broken. And so, like Mordecai, when she’s “taken” seemingly without consent into the harem of Ahasueras, it’s just a punctuation mark on a life that hasn’t been what it was SUPPOSED TO BE.

One of life’s hardest experiences is when our “supposed to’s” turn into “never wills.” That’s when was ask: Where is God? Isn’t it? “I was supposed to be a mother, but now it seems I never will.” Where’s God? “I was supposed to be successful, but now it seems I never will.” Where’s God? “I was supposed to make my parents proud, but now it seems I never will.” Where’s God?

But, you see, life isn’t what it’s supposed to be, and these genealogies we skip help us understand why. This is how Esther and Mordecai would’ve thought. They were in exile when they were SUPPOSED TO BE in the Promised Land. Why? Because their ancestors had sinned, and God had disciplined them. They were SUPPOSED TO BE ruling Israel, but they were under Ahas’ rule. Why? Their relative Saul had sinned, and God had removed him. They were SUPPOSED TO BE flourishing and thriving, but they were oppressed and broken, orphaned children and “taken” daughters. Why? Well, Adam and Eve were in this lineage too, and their sin brought the world under a curse.

There are three types of human suffering. There’s deserved suffering because of your sin. There’s innocent suffering because of other’s sins. There’s righteous suffering because you’re with God and sinners persecute you as a result. All three are present in Esther, and all three are asking the same question: Where in the world is God?

“‘Never will’” can become “‘supposed to.’”

You see, our “supposed to’s” often turn into “never wills” because sin has made life different than it was supposed to be. And, when our “supposed to’s” turn into “never wills” we’re tempted to believe that God has abandoned us, and that’s where Easter meets us. You see, Jesus was “supposed to” live in eternal glory enjoying the fullness of the exaltation that He deserves. But, He knew that if he held on to his “supposed to” that we “never would.” So, he stepped into the complexity of human experience and endured all three types of suffering himself. He suffered innocently because of the sin of others. He suffered righteously, hated for his love of God. And, He even suffered as though He deserved it because our sin was credited to his account. So, when you’re “supposed to” turns into a “never will” and you wonder: Where’s God? Look at the cross, and see him there. He joined you. He came for you. So, that eventually you would receive what only He was “SUPPOSED TO.” That is, Your ‘NEVER WILL’ — to be washed clean of your sin — is exchanged for his “supposed to” — declared righteous forever.

Life isn’t what it’s supposed to be, but it will be soon. If you’ll come to Christ!

Life isn’t what it “appears” to be.

Esther 2:15–18 “When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther’s feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.”

We often appear “hopeless.”

As you read through the Bible, one of things that ought to stand out to you is how hopeless God’s people often appear. Sometimes, they look hopeless because they’ve made a mess of their lives. Other times, they look hopeless with no rhyme or reason at all apart from evil. And so, we shouldn’t be taken by surprise when that’s true in our lives.

Esther appears hopeless here, doesn’t she? I mentioned in verse 8 that she was “taken,” apparently without her consent into the king’s harem. Well, “taken” is a major theme in chapter 2 and it comes up twice more here, once in verse 15 and again in verse 16. Esther seems have absolutely no control over her life whatsoever. Her parents die, and she’s “taken” by Mordecai. The king wants a full harem, and she’s “taken” from Mordecai into the harem. And, in the harem, essentially any plans she had for her life were completely usurped by the whims of this pagan king. Most of these young virgins would meet the king one time. They’d be subjected to having to please whatever fantasy he had. And, they would live as though a widow without a relationship with the king or the opportunity to marry and be a mother. It looks hopeless, doesn’t it?

Evil often appears “victorious.”

Now, contrast this with what we see in King Ahasuerus. Esther is doing what she has to do, but the King is doing whatever he wants to do. Just as often as God’s people appear hopeless in the Bible, evil appears victorious.

And, this is a hard pill for us to swallow, isn’t it? I know a con-artist who has left numerous families and lives just decimated. He has preyed upon others to satisfy his own desires and to stroke his own ego, completely unconcerned about the impact that it’s had on others. And, what’s he doing? Like Ahasuerus, he’s doing whatever he wants to do. He’s going on exotic trips and driving luxury cars and continuing to run his scam, continuing to ruin lives seemingly without consequence. I think of faithful families right now grieving and struggling and suffering, and they just look hopeless and yet this con-artist looks victorious.

And, when we hear stories like this and we read stories like Esther’s we ask: Where in the world is God in all of this?

God will be proven “glorious.”

Well, God’s name may not be mentioned, but his fingerprints are everywhere. I want you to notice the word “favor” that comes up in verse 15 and then again in verse 16. In fact, we’ve already seen the same word in verse 9 earlier. And, I want you to notice that following “favor” comes “so that.” “Favor” is the word “hesed,” and it’s the word used by the Jewish people to describe God’s covenant, steadfast love for his people. And so, we’re getting a wink here from God. Esther appears hopeless. Evil appears victorious. But, God is going to use both Esther’s apparent hopelessness and evil’s apparent victory “SO THAT” He can make obvious his covenant love. Esther isn’t alone. God is at work “so that” she’s exactly where she needs to be used by God to preserve his promises.

Now, does that not bring the resurrection to mind? Jesus appears hopeless. Caiaphas and Pilate are doing exactly what they want to do. As Jesus’ executioners nail him to the cross, they scoff and ask: “WHERE IS YOUR GOD?” So, Jesus looks hopeless. Evil looks victorious. And yet, the cross happened “SO THAT” God would be proven glorious. You see, the cross wasn’t what it appeared to be. The cross was a victory, not a defeat.

And, your life isn’t what it appears to be either. Our lives often look like graves. We often look and feel hopeless. But, when you feel hopeless and when evil looks victorious, remember that God is going to be proven glorious! Don’t lose hope when your life looks like a grave since you know that resurrection is coming. Everyone wondered, “Where’s God?” when Jesus was laying lifeless in the tomb, but when the resurrection came, they knew that God had been at work the whole time. That’s the case for God’s Son. That’s the case for God’s people. That’s the case for you.

Life isn’t what we “make” it to be.

Esther 2:19–22 “Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.”

(show quote) In the 1937, Napoleon Hill wrote: “You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be.” And, I’m guessing he must not have had his vertebrae shattered by a drunk driver or had to quit his job for chemo. By the time our children graduate, they’ve heard thousands of times that life is what you make it to be. Well, good luck trying to convince Esther. She had virtually no say in her life.

One of the interesting features of Esther is that there’s a lot of moral ambiguity. The author actually seems to go out of his way to prevent us from having an overestimation of Esther or Mordecai. They hide the fact they’re Jews, unlike Daniel who went to the second story and prayed at his own expense. Esther doesn’t flee apparent sexual immorality at her own expense like Joseph does with Potiphar’s wife. We’re given virtually no insight into the thoughts or motives or attitude of Esther or Mordecai.

Life isn’t on “us,” but “God.”

What’s being shown here is that they aren’t the major actors in this story; God is. He’s the one saving his people and conquering evil, and He’s doing it by working through the complexities of human experience, even human sinfulness, for the good of his people and the glory of his name.

And so, chapter two closes with an interesting story. Mordecai is at the city gates. He’s a lawyer or gov’t official, likely having received an appointment b/c of the newly appointed queen, his cousin. And, there he discovers a plot on Ahas’ life. He quickly tells Esther, and she reports it to the king, saving his life. And, this is the theme of the book. God, not in a way that is overt like the parting of the Red Sea, but subtle and in the background, is going to make sure that they are always in the right place at the right time to do exactly what has to be done so that God’s promises are kept and God’s people are saved.

And so, as we ask repeatedly throughout the book: Where’s God? The answer we’re meant to realize is: God is with us. Even when it doesn’t feel like it and even when it doesn’t look like it, God is with us, and He’s positioning us exactly where we need to be to know what we need to know to do what we need to do so that we can, like Esther and Mordecai, participate in his divine providence and subtle glory. Life isn’t on us. It’s on God. And, that’s Good News.

You see…

Life isn’t “random,” but “arranged.”

What appears random to us is arranged by God. Your family. Your suffering. Your shortcomings. Your strengths. Your job. Your difficult marriage. Your rebellious children. Your disability. Your dashed dreams. Oh, I know it’s hard to hear they aren’t random, but isn’t it good to know they aren’t pointless? Jesus was convicted to die by the very people He came to say, and they mocked him: “Where is your God?” Jesus hung from the cross and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” “Where is MY God?” But then, Jesus was raised so that all of his disciples beheld him and said, “Behold! THERE IS GOD!”

The cross wasn’t an accident, and your sufferings aren’t either. Life isn’t what you make it to be; it is what God is making it to be. And, He’s turning your cross into a crown.