Mark Vincent - Class 1: When God Isn’t There in Esther

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:01

   Well, good evening, brothers and sisters. The book of Esther is a strange one, isn't it? And it's strange amongst the biblical books for a number of reasons, and one of the chief of those reasons must surely be that God does not appear in the book. So why is that? Why is it that there is no reference to him?

2. 0:23

   Why is it that there is no reference to religious activity in the book? Perhaps you might call the fasts that take place religious activity, but it's not specifically stated that they are religious fasts. They could just be fasts for personal dedication. There is no reference that Israel, when threatened with this great threat of Haman's decree to destroy all the Jews, that Israel, in that predicament, cried unto the Lord. No reference at all.

3. 0:52

   There's no reference that Mordecai or Esther prayed to him and asked for his help. The events just happen, and God isn't there. Or is he? And that, of course, is the issue in the book. So, from that perspective then, the book of Esther seems somewhat unbiblical, doesn't it? Because it doesn't refer to precisely the sorts of things that most of the books of the Bible refer to.

4. 1:23

   We need to have doubts about that if we believe in God's activity in inspiring the Bible. The book of Esther is in the Bible, and therefore it is a biblical book. And if we believe that God was active in the formation of the canon, which, of course, we do, then, quite clearly, the book of Esther is a biblical book.

5. 1:47

   So, we've then got this question, well, why is it that God doesn't appear within it? Well, I think there are two parts to the answer of that question, which we'll explore during our first talk. And one is why God isn't referred to, and the second is why there isn't any reference of the characters, Esther, Mordecai, and Israel, showing any apparent religious devotion.

6. 2:15

   So, firstly then, the question of why God isn't referred to. And I don't think the answer is to say, oh, but actually he is, if you take these letters backwards, or if you count the 13th letter of, you know. I don't think that's the answer. Now, that may well be true, that we can find God in the book of Esther in that way, and indeed people have.

7. 2:38

   But that's not the main point behind God's apparent absence in the book. So, let's propose a theory and think about it together and see if it makes any sense. The book of Esther, this is our theory, is designed to explore the question of whether or not God is there. It's designed to ask whether God is there behind the scenes, even though you can't see him.

8. 3:22

   See, there are times in the Bible when Moses stretches out his arm, and the rod of God is held high, and the waters of the Red Sea part, and there's no doubt that God is there then. But there are times when a man like Haman arises, and a decree is passed that all Jews in the Persian Empire should be exterminated.

9. 3:42

   And it's not so certain when something like that happens, that God is there. These aren't facile questions. These are deep questions of faith. And the book of Esther is inviting us to think about those questions. Can we trust that God is in control in a world where Hitler can arise and the Holocaust can take place?

10. 4:06

    Can we trust that God is in control of the world behind the scenes in a world when the apostles are persecuted, or when Pharaoh commands that all the babies, the men children, are cast into the river? Can we believe it then? And how do we know that God is there? And how strong can faith be?

11. 4:31

    And what is the evidence for having a faith in the first place? And these issues are at the very heart, I think, of what the book of Esther is all about.

12. 4:44

    So God isn't acting on the surface. The question is whether God is acting behind the scenes. And that's exactly the same issue that we face today.

13. 4:58

    There was that time, wasn't there, the intertestamental period when there was no open vision. There was that time after the apostolic period when prophecy as a gift ceased. And then there is apparently silence. And we live in an age now in which the waters of the Red Sea are not parting when someone lifts their arm in the air at God's command.

14. 5:26

    We're living in a different dispensation to that. And the book of Esther examines all that. So we have not seen God, of course, in that sense. And we have not heard his voice physically beat the airwaves upon our eardrums. And yet we know he's there. And why do we know he is there?

15. 5:54

    What makes us sure that he is there? The book of Esther is a case study to show us how we can be sure that we can trust him to be working behind the scenes.

16. 6:15

    Well, that sounds feasible, doesn't it? Let's see now whether it seems to work out in practice. Now, what happens as we start in Esther chapter 1 and read through to the end of the book of Esther is that there is an incredible reversal. And we reverse from a position in which there is certain death and extinction for the Jews to a position where there is victorious life at the end of the book.

17. 6:55

    And how does that happen? Well, before we ask the question of how it happens, let's just convince ourselves that it does happen and see that the book of Esther is making this point that the world is turned upside down during the course of the book, despite the fact that God apparently isn't there on the surface.

18. 7:17

    So let's start in chapter 1. And we just want to take a few examples of how this reversal takes place. Now, one of the devices that is used in the book of Esther to stretcher the book is the party or the feast. And there are, in fact, no less than 10 parties in the book of Esther, which is quite a lot of parties, isn't it, for a short book.

19. 7:57

    And, in fact, there are three already in chapter 1. And we'll just take a quick look at them. Verse 3. In the third year of Ahazuerus' reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants. Now, these parties in Esther, I mean, that's a talk in its own right, which isn't a talk tonight.

20. 8:18

    But there's one, you can see. Ahazuerus' party in 1, verse 3. And if you look at verse 5, there's another one. And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace. So there's another one. And if you look at verse 9, also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house, which belonged to King Ahazuerus.

21. 8:42

    So we've only got nine verses into the book, and already we've had three parties, which is quite surprising. And you'll notice that these are parties of the Persians. This is Persia having a good time, Persia doing what it does best. And, of course, our world knows how to party, just as the Persian world knew it.

22. 9:03

    And there they all are, and what a lot of fun they're having. But at the end of the book, we find there are three other parties which are completely different. And let's have a look at Esther 8. It talks about darkness of death being transformed into light, and here's the light in 8 verse 16.

23. 9:24

    The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor, and in every province and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

24. 9:42

    So here's a party, a feast of the Jews this time. And let's go on into chapter 9 and verse 17. And verse 18. And you see it goes on into verse 19. A day of gladness and feasting and a good day, and of sending portions one to another. So there's our three feasts at the end of the book.

25. 10:26

    We started with three feasts of the Persians, and we end with three feasts of the Jews. And these are completely different, because the one is revelry, and it's everyone doing what they think they want to do. But in fact, at the beginning of the book, there is no reference to joy. So there they are, partying away, and yet there is this gnawing emptiness inside them.

26. 10:48

    And at the end of the book, the Jews rejoice. And now, there is joy and gladness and the good day. And it's a beautiful contrast, isn't it? So how can it be? How can the world turn around like that? It's because God is there, actually. So that's one very clear contrast, then, or reversal in the book.

27. 11:13

    And there's another one. You remember how Ahasuerus took off his ring and put it on the finger of Haman? And that was when Haman and the Persian way of thinking was in the ascendancy. And during the course of the book, that all goes downhill. And someone else rises to gain the ascendancy, and it's Mordecai.

28. 11:39

    And in the second half of the book, the king Ahasuerus takes the ring off Haman's finger, and he puts it on the finger of Mordecai. And now Mordecai has the king's ring. And the two, it's a reversal again. And these two figures, Haman and Mordecai, are contrast figures in the book. It's the first Adam and the last Adam.

29. 12:01

    And it's another of the beautiful contrasts. And there are two scenes in the book of Esther in which Haman appears in his natural habitat, in his home with his wife and his friends. And it's an odd sort of scene, isn't it, really? You wouldn't particularly expect in the book of Esther to be given this little snapshot, this little cameo of Haman's domestic affairs, family life with Haman.

30. 12:34

    And yet there it is, in the first half of the book. And there it is again, in the second half of the book. And if you compare those two, and we won't do it now because we don't have time, but you'll see they're complete opposites in the way in which Haman's family respond to him.

31. 12:49

    And it's because that reversal has taken place. And the final contrast, or final example of the many contrasts or reversals in Esther, we can get by comparing two passages that are quite long-winded. But their very long-winded nature emphasises the reversal that has taken place. You might like to look at chapter 3 and verse 12.

32. 13:25

    And we're looking at the block of verses, and you see they're all very long verses. I think the longest verse in the Bible is... No, that's in the passage we're going to come to in a minute. But they're long verses, from verse 12 down to verse 15. And if you just scan your eyes across those verses, you'll see there is a lot of reference to Persian bureaucracy and the Persian propaganda machine, communication machine, Persian media.

33. 13:58

    And you've got references to things like, and rather than reading the whole passage, I'll just pick things out. The king's scribes are called. It's written according to what Haman commands. The king's lieutenants, the king's rulers. According to every province, according to the writing thereof, and every people after their language. Written in the name of King Ahasuerus.

34. 14:21

    Sealed with the king's ring. To destroy, to kill, to cause, to perish. In one day. The copy, verse 14 now, Now, the copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people. Verse 15. The posts went out. The decree was given in Shushan the palace.

35. 14:39

    And at the end of verse 15, that the city of Shushan was perplexed. Now, let's just put that on one side a second, and let's now turn to chapter 8 and look at verse 9. And every single one of those phrases that are read out, and all those complicated references to Persian bureaucracy, are now repeated almost verbatim in chapter 8.

36. 15:02

    Starting at verse 9, and going through to about verse 15. Then were the king's scribes called. And it was written, this time, according to all that Mordecai commanded. Not Haman now, and that's the difference. And there's the reference to the lieutenants, the rulers, every province, according to the writing thereof, every people after their language.

37. 15:22

    Written in King Ahasuerus' name. Sealed with the king's ring. To destroy, to slay, to cause, to perish. On one day. Verse 13. The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people. The posts go out in verse 14. And at the end of verse 15, and the city of Shushan was not perplexed this time, but it rejoiced and was glad.

38. 15:46

    And the contrast is complete and beautiful, isn't it? And the very laboriousness of the language draws your attention, doesn't it, to the contrast that has taken place.

39. 16:02

    The rules have been rewritten. And nothing is as it was. Things have been turned upside down. And we know that that is the very thing that God delights to do. And the song of Hannah and the song of Mary are all about that, aren't they? How God delights to abase the proud and the rich and to exalt those of low degree.

40. 16:24

    So what has happened then? We come back to that question. What has happened? And what hasn't happened, as we've already said, is that God has not parted the Red Sea. What happens, and what has happened, is what we read in chapter 6. Let's have a look at it again. And it's so simple.

41. 16:56

    On that night, could not the king sleep? And that is the pivot. That is the fulcrum of the whole book. And where everything was going downhill up to that point, now, with that coincidence, everything turns around and goes in completely the other direction. And all those contrast passages and contrast events that we've just been looking at occur either side of that point.

42. 17:27

    On that night, could not the king sleep? And is it a coincidence, do you believe, that it was on that night that the king couldn't sleep? That night that Haman stood in the courtyard asking for Mordecai's head. And that it was at that night that the king commanded that the annals should be brought and that the king should read about what Mordecai had done that had lain unrewarded.

43. 17:54

    And then we say, well, yeah, that is an interesting coincidence, isn't it? And there's a lot more coincidences where that one came from. Is it a coincidence that at precisely the time when Vashti refused to dance and was excommunicated from the king's household that Esther was just at the right stage in life for Mordecai to suggest that she applies for the position of queen?

44. 18:22

    And is it a coincidence that of all the beautiful virgins that the king collected to sample that he should choose that one? And we can go on on in just the same vein. Is it a coincidence that it's Mordecai, Esther's guardian and that is able to inform the king that discovers the coup and how she and Esther work in tandem to inform the king of what was taking place?

45. 19:06

    And is it a coincidence that the king's edict was reversed? And is it a coincidence that Haman ends up hanged on the very gallows that he'd created to murder his arch enemy? And so it's a question of probabilities, isn't it? I suppose you could look at all that great list of things and say, well, yeah, it's a coincidence.

46. 19:30

    Stranger things have happened. Well, of course, none of us buy that. But isn't that exactly how it is for us all about faith in God? What is the basis of our faith in God? And is it not that, you know, it's not that we can do some experiment. It's not that we've seen the Red Sea part.

47. 19:52

    It's not that we can do some scientific experiment which proves that God is there in that sense. It's that we look at the world around us that is so incredible and that we cannot look it in the eye and say, that's a coincidence. That just happened by chance. And that we cannot look at history and all the incredible things that have taken place in history and say, that's just chance.

48. 20:21

    And it's a question of probabilities then for us in that sense, isn't it? We can't look at what's happened to Israel and not accept that God is behind that because it is so incredible that it happened.

49. 20:40

    And so God is not on the surface, but he is there behind the scenes. And this is the heart of our faith then, isn't it? God's presence in the book of Esther, as it is for ourselves, has to be discerned. And how discerning are we of his hand at work in the world and in our lives?

50. 21:02

    And that's a very penetrating question for us all to think about. And so the quiet working of God behind the scenes of history then is just as powerful and just as effective as a mighty miracle and indeed is just as much of a miracle, isn't it? We as humans classify them into different categories, possibly.

51. 21:38

    We put them in different boxes. But it's the same God who works all things and is working all things according to his purpose. So it's extremely clever, isn't it, how the book of Esther makes us go through that process. See, you can't have a debate about whether God is there or isn't there in this piece of history that happened to the Jews if the writer of the book of Esther writes God into the text because you've betrayed your hand, haven't you?

52. 22:10

    You've shown, of course God is in there. He's on the surface. He's there on the printed page as an actor in the book. So what the book of Esther does is take God away from the surface and say, well, can you discern him there? And we've just looked at that reversal that happens and those coincidences.

53. 22:29

    And we've, I expect all of us, experienced coincidences in our lives. And we in our lives have experienced reversal. That transformation of darkness and of death into life and light through the work of God in the Lord Jesus. And that is why we believe, isn't it? Because that is so incredible. Now, very quickly now, we must look at the second aspect which is to do with why the characters in the book, Israel, Esther, Mordecai, don't appear to show any religious devotion.

54. 23:20

    Let's ask a different question. Has God, does God, will God ever cast away his people? Well, we know the answer to that question because Paul's already asked it, hasn't he, answered it for us. God forbid that he should do such a thing. Well, the book of Esther answers the same question and answers it just as emphatically.

55. 23:44

    And it shows that although God takes his people to the brink, his purposes with them will always endure and will be fulfilled. and that very fact is of course a testimony to the fact that he is there.

56. 24:06

    Now the point is then that God saves Israel from this precipice, from this certain death. He saves them despite themselves. So we don't know at this time whether Jews in general were God-fearing or whether they're as atheistic at large as they are today. The book of Esther doesn't tell us. And with respect to this theme of God's presence in the book, it's an irrelevance whether they were righteous or whether they weren't at this time.

57. 24:40

    Because despite themselves, God will save them and God will accomplish his purpose. And he will do it not for their sake but for his holy name's sake. And that's powerful, isn't it? So we don't know whether they cried to the Lord or whether they didn't. The book of Esther doesn't choose to reveal that to us.

58. 25:01

    And it chooses not to reveal it precisely so that we can know that whatever happens, God's purposes will be accomplished in his way and at his time. And I think that's the same reason why the book of Esther doesn't show the religious side of Esther and Mordecai. It's not because there wasn't one, it's because that's not the point that the book of Esther is trying to get over to us.

59. 25:29

    There are plenty of examples in the other 99% of the Bible of people who cried to the Lord and prayed diligently. So we know that's what you have to do, don't we? The book of Esther is making a different point with Esther and Mordecai. So that we can't say oh, God only saved them at that time because Mordecai was such a righteous man.

60. 25:53

    We can't say oh, God only saved them from that precipice because Esther was such a God-fearing lady. We can't say that because we don't know. We can deduce and beneath the surface there is evidence that they were deeply God-fearing people but it's not on the surface again just as God's presence isn't on the surface.

61. 26:15

    So we can't use either of those arguments. Whatever their condition was at that time God would still accomplish his purposes with Israel. And we've seen him do it again last century haven't we? Despite themselves. And despite themselves today we know that his purpose is sure and that he will stand his son and that he will gather his people unto him in his way and in his good pleasure.

62. 26:50

    And that then is a tremendous source of exhortation and confidence for us.