Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: Did you realize the Book of Esther never mentions the name of God? Not once. Nor does the author point to obvious miracles or signs from heaven. Even so, Esther’s compelling story clearly illustrates the hand of God in rescuing his people from complete annihilation.

Thanks so much for joining us for today’s Insight for Living because Chuck Swindoll is launching a biographical study on Esther, a woman of strength and dignity. Throughout this study, we’ll be reminded that God may be silent but he’s always at work. Chuck titled today’s message, God’s Invisible Providence.

Chuck Swindoll: God’s presence is not nearly as eloquent as his absence. His voice, as important as it is at times, is not nearly as intriguing as his silence. Who of us has not had the experience of longing for a word from God or a sense of his presence or a hint of his power so that our physical eyes could grasp all that only to find that he seems absent from the moment? And yet, later on, we realized how very present he was.

It was far back in 1867 when the Scottish preacher and poet put the words together, “Immortal, invisible, God only wise. In light inaccessible hid from our eyes. Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days. Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.” And I love that, “unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might.”

Just because God is invisible in no way means that he lacks anything in his invincibility. And that is the main lesson of the Book of Esther. Though absent from the pages by name, he is nevertheless present in every character and in every movement of historical events and finally brings everything to a marvelous climax as he proves himself Lord of his people, the Jews.

But first, let’s learn a little theology before we learn some history from the Book of Esther. My Bible is open to Romans chapter 11, the last part of the chapter, because I want us to gain an understanding, a deeper understanding of God so that we might grasp a greater appreciation for a book that never once names his name that is so like life.

I’m looking at verse 33 of Romans 11. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways!” I can’t help but believe that Paul, in writing the letter to the Romans, didn’t take pen in hand and bear down hard on the parchment as he wrote verse 33 of chapter 11, bringing to a climax this grand doctrinal treatise, this personal credo of the apostle.

First, please observe that God has a mind described in verse 33 as unsearchable judgments. Unsearchable says it best. It defies the human mind to find the depths of the mind of God. His judgments are, the text reads, unsearchable. Theologians will spend a lifetime searching out the traits, the characteristics, the hand of God in all scripture and in all of time, and they will end their lives expressing without reservation that they have hardly scratched the surface.

This is never true of a human being. This is always true of God. We can plumb the depths of another’s mind. We cannot begin to scratch the surface of the unsearchable judgments of God. As the prophet Isaiah wrote from God, “My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9.

Look at verse 34. “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who became his counselor?” Those words first fell from the lips of one of Job’s questioners and later the prophet himself. He asks with negative answer in mind: Who has known the mind of the Lord? No one. Who has ever given God counsel? No one. His mind, his judgments, are unsearchable. Mark that down in your mind and never forget it.

God also has a will called here in verse 33, unfathomable ways. No human being can predict, can plumb the depths of God’s will. We cannot unravel the tapestry of his plan. And yet God never once knows frustration. He never once makes an observation of this world and scratches his head, if you please, wondering what in the world he’s going to do next with a people like us or with a nation that seems at odds with itself or with another nation.

And yet God can be known deeply in the heart. One theologically minded man wrote this, “That God can be known by the soul in tender personal experience, while remaining infinitely aloof from the curious eyes of reason, constitutes a paradox.” If you come toward God with sheer reason in mind, you will find yourself stiff-armed, at a loss to understand his ways. They are unfathomable.

But if you come with open heart in faith, you will find him there with open arms, ready to accept, to receive, and to fill you with power. And that’s next. The power of God. It is implied here, but it is stated so beautifully in Daniel chapter 4. So turn from the New Testament back to the Old, from the writing of an apostle to the writing of a prophet, from Paul’s words to Daniel’s words, Daniel 4. And I’m looking toward the end of the chapter.

When we think of the power of God, I think the words sovereign control say it best. God is in sovereign control not only of the events in Paul’s day, not only of the events in Daniel’s day, God is in sovereign control in our own day and in the midst of those circumstances that today have you baffled, wondering what you’re going to do or even how you’re going to go on.

God’s mind, which is beyond searching, his will, which is beyond measurement—it is unfathomable—works these things. These things work their way out into life in his power, which reveals itself in sovereign control. A little bit of history. This comes on the heels of an incredible experience in the life of a man named Nebuchadnezzar. He was a king. He thought he ruled the world.

The world in his day was Babylon. This vast empire that had taken over not only other kingdoms but had even consumed the people of Judah, the people of God. One day he considered himself responsible for all of his achievements and he strutted about its kingdom with great delight, with great conceit and arrogance. And just as the prophet had predicted, he fell into a time of insanity where he lived in the field like a beast.

While there, dew fell on him in the mornings, rain fell on him during the day, the sun, nightfall, day after day, week after week. For an extended period of time, Nebuchadnezzar lost his reason until God crushed him into realizing that he was not the God of his life. It was God and God alone who was to be praised. So that at the end of the chapter, he accepts the fact that God is indeed the only one who is sovereign, not himself.

Verse 34, Daniel 4:34. “At the end of that period”—that is, the period of insanity—“I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me.” Notice what he did. The first thing he did: “I blessed the Most High and praised and honored him who lives forever.” Whom? The immortal, invisible, all-wise God. The one who, though invisible, is invincible and, while invincible, remains sovereign.

Look at verse 35. “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And he,” not I, “he does according to his will.” His unfathomable will, guided by his unsearchable mind. “He does according to his will”—that’s power—“in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.” Put your name there.

He works among the host of heaven. He works in the warp and woof, in the fabric of everyday life, people like you and me in every generation, of every year, of every life. “And no one can ward off his hand or shake a fist and say, what do you think you were doing?” No one deserves that right. We live our lives under the careful, loving, gracious, albeit sovereign hand of our God.

And the movements of time and history are precisely according to his reckoning, exactly as he ordained it. Remember, all the while, he is invisible. Back in World War II, there was some comic character that continued to write on walls, “Kilroy was here.” And you found it on walls in Germany, you found it on walls in Tokyo, you found it on walls in America as if he was omnipresent.

God does not write himself, his name, and his presence on the walls of life, but it is there. Every day, every hour. To borrow from Schaeffer, “He is there, and he is not silent.” And that includes the journey which you will call your pilgrimage. His unsearchable mind working in concert with his unfathomable will, carried out under his sovereign control. Guess what? His presence is made known. And I think we could call the presence of God his invisible providence.

Providence. I’m intrigued with the word. Pro video is the Latin from which we get the word providence. Pro means before or ahead of time. Video, we get our word video from it. I see. I see ahead of time. God seeing ahead of time the events of life, which we, of course, can never do. We’re good at history. We’re poor at prophecy. We’re good at looking back, 20/20 vision every time, or often.

We’re blind when it comes to one minute from now. We have no idea. But God, pro video. Invisible in his pro video is continually, constantly, and successfully at work. You know what? It drives us crazy. We have highs and we have lows. He blesses and we thank him. He tests and we squirm. We weep. We grieve. We cry. We shake our heads.

And in none of this he changes. Who can say unto him, what are you doing? We blossom and flourish like leaves on a tree and wither and perish, but not changes thee. Of course not. He is God. He is not fickle nor moody. He is having his way and it will not be frustrated. And my friend, if you think he has met his match with you, you are in for one gigantic surprise.

He will bring you, if necessary, to nothing to get your attention. He will, if necessary, crush you like Nebuchadnezzar the king because God and God alone is calling the shots in this thing called life. Now then, we’re ready for Esther. You might wonder what in the world does Romans 11 and Daniel 4 have to do with Esther. I’ll give you about 10 minutes to find Esther.

There it is. Always wonder if my kids have cut it out of my Bible just to do a little sick joke on me on Sunday mornings. There it is, Esther. It’s there, but God isn’t. Ask most people what they know of Esther and those who know the Bible a little bit, and even those who know it a lot, will say, God’s never mentioned. God isn’t there. It’s the only book in all the 66 where you will not find God named.

There is no prayer to the name of God. There is no statement that says he is here with his name on it. I think it was Matthew Henry who said, “The name of God may not be present in the book, but his finger is.” He is at work. He’s not writing all the way through the book, “I am God, I’m in charge, I’m working these things out. I’m moving in the heart of the king.” Proverbs 21:1.

“I’m taking charge of this lady. I’m moving in the heart of that man.” No, no, no, it’s not like Kilroy was here. No, he’s absolutely invisible. But he works through the lives of five significant people to carry out his mind, his will, his power, and his presence. And I’ve got great news. He’s not through. He’s doing the same thing today. And your name is in the book and you’re part of the movement and workings of God.

Let me introduce to you the five people who are the main characters of the book. The first two verses of the book include the name of a man whose name is hard to pronounce. He is the king of the land. He thinks he’s ruling, but it’s God and God alone who rules. It took place in the days of—here’s the name—Ahasuerus. Ahasuerus. It’s the same one mentioned elsewhere as Xerxes.

A Persian king named Ahasuerus. He looks like he is powerful. He is reigning from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. In those days, he sat on the throne, which was located in the Washington, DC, of Persia, a place named Susa. You’ll read about Susa through the Book of Esther.

So first we have a king named Ahasuerus, or Xerxes, who sits on a throne in the capital city of Susa. He’s married to a woman named Vashti. V-A-S-H-T-I. She’s mentioned in verse 9 as the queen. Queen Vashti also gave a banquet. She’s mentioned again in verse 11, verse 12, verse 15, 16, 17. She’s seen often in the early part of the book.

Some of you folks will like her. She is a strong-minded, independent-thinking woman who refuses to cooperate with her husband’s request. Some of you won’t like her. Usually, men don’t like Vashti. She’s a strong-willed woman, independent of mind, who is determined not to be paraded before Ahasuerus’s male friends. And this leads to a major conflict. In fact, it leads ultimately to some kind of beauty contest. We’ll look at all of that next time. I’m calling next time’s sermon, “There She Goes, Miss Persia,” and we’ll introduce that later on.

The third character is a wicked officer in the court of the king named Haman. H-A-M-A-N. Chapter 3, verses 1 and 2. Get acquainted with Haman; you’ll hate him. You’ll spend a lot of time seeing a lot of people modeled in the life of Haman. He is an anti-Semitic officer, very wealthy, very conceited leader who is given influence and even authority.

Listen: “After these events, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman.” The end of the verse: “over all the princes who were with him. And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him.” Verse 10: “The king took his signet ring from his hand.” That’s like reaching into your wallet and pulling out your charge card and giving it to someone under your authority and saying you may spend as you please. As you guide this kingdom, you have the treasury of Persia in your hand. He gave him the signet ring from his hand. He gave it to Haman. So Haman is a wicked officer in the king’s court.

So we’ve got Ahasuerus the king, Vashti the queen, Haman the wicked ruler serving under the king. Fourth is a man named Mordecai. Go back to chapter 2, verse 5. He is not a Persian; he is a Jew living in Persia. There was a Jew in Susa, Susa the capital, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite. Why is he there? Look at the next verse: “who had been taken into exile.”

Now the “who” is a reference to Kish. Mordecai wasn’t taken into exile back in his genealogy Kish was. He had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. Years before, the Jews had a civil war. They broke between the north and the south.

Neither one of the groups walked with God, not consistently. And finally God judged the north and sent Assyria in and brought them under bondage. The south continued on for over a hundred years and then God brought judgment because of their disobedience and their king was a man named Jeconiah. The northern kingdom, the southern kingdom, were called different names. The northern kingdom was called Israel. The southern kingdom was called Judah.

Nebuchadnezzar was the commanding king of Babylon that overthrew the southern kingdom. And he brought with him into exile the Jews who were still living in the southern kingdom. Babylon finally fell into the hands of Persia. So the Jews were forced out of Zion and they moved in exile to live in the land of Persia. Now before too many years, they were given the freedom to go back to Jerusalem. Some stayed in Persia. That’s what Esther’s all about. It’s a slice of history from the life of many Jews who remained in Persia under Persian rule and did not go back to their homeland.

Bill Meyer: Lest you think God forgot them. What a phrase. And what a reminder for every one of us who’s ever wondered whether God has forgotten us. Well, the Book of Esther answers that question in the most remarkable way, not by shouting God’s name but by tracing his fingerprints across every page. Chuck Swindoll wants to walk you through this extraordinary story and Insight for Living has resources designed to help you go deeper.

The Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook for Esther is built just for that. Chuck’s teaching has laid the groundwork. Now this resource invites you to dig in for yourself at your own pace in your own words. The spiral design opens completely flat so it sits right alongside your Bible. And there’s enough space to record any reflections or observations of what the Lord is speaking directly to you. To purchase your copy, call us at 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/offer.

The Old Testament is filled with people like Esther, men and women who stepped up when the moment demanded it. Nehemiah was one of them. God called him to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem and the leadership principles he lived by back then are just as powerful today. Chuck Swindoll’s classic book, “Hand Me Another Brick,” draws those timeless lessons out of Nehemiah’s story in a way that will sharpen any leader, pastor, teacher, parent, or CEO.

When you support Insight for Living with a donation, this book is our gift to you. Because of friends like you, people around the world are discovering how to receive God’s grace and how to share it with others. We couldn’t do it without you. You can give a gift today by calling 800-772-8888 or send your gift and request for Chuck’s book on Nehemiah in the mail. You can write to us at Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas 75034 or go to insight.org/donate.

I’m Bill Meyer. Join us when Chuck Swindoll continues his study on Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity, Tuesday on Insight for Living.