WAITING: The Story of Esther
Esther 4:9-17, 5:6-8, 7:2-4, 8:3-11 and Psalm 33:20-22
Song: Canvas and the Clay by Pat Barret
One of the most fascinating aspects of the book of Esther is that God is never mentioned. This begs the question as to why God would want His name absent in one book of the Bible? Is He absent throughout the book of Esther? By the end, we can identify that that is not the case.
The book of Esther is set in Susa, a predominantly Jewish community, 100 years after the exile of the Israelites. Now Esther was a Jew, and when Esther became queen to King Ahasuerus, a man named Haman whom the king favored, created a decree to have all the Jews in Susa killed because of Esther’s cousin Mordecai refusing to honor Haman. It is then placed upon Esther to save the Jews since she is queen. However, there was a law during this time to converse with the king, he had to summon you, or you would be killed. Therefore, Esther needed to decide, would she risk her life? Mordecai spoke these words to Esther, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14). Mordecai was pointing to something greater, would she choose to trust God?
Esther decides to speak to the king, but she waits for three days, asking the Jews to fast before she meets the king. She knows that there is a chance that she will die, but she is willing to place her trust in God to save the Jews. Esther came before the king three times before her people were saved, not knowing in each of those times what would happen to herself, what the decision would be, and how the king would react. Yet, as she continued to wait, her trust in God seems to be present even without the mention of Him. Esther was waiting with urgency. In her waiting, her people could have been killed, and her meeting with the king could have gone badly. Yet, because she chose to wait, she was trusting God’s timing.
What we see is that even though God is not mentioned at all and is still at work. God used Esther to save His people from being destroyed. Esther had to wait three separate times to get to that outcome. God often asks us to wait for Him, but it is in the waiting that brings us closer to Him. He will fulfill His promises to us. Esther had to wait to enter the king’s presence, and to trust and have hope that stepping into the king’s presence was what she needed to do for her people. God is all about saving and redeeming His people, so even though He isn’t mentioned He is still working behind the scenes, in the waiting.
Where is God asking you to wait and trust in His timing?
Where do you need to believe that God is working behind the scenes in your life?
