God’s abiding presence preserved Joseph. God’s abiding presence preserved Daniel and his three Hebrew friends. God’s abiding presence rescued Peter from prison. God’s abiding presence will deliver you also from every evil adversary.
Some people find themselves in secular or ungodly environments, or in places where open display of faith is forbidden. If you find yourself where you cannot profess faith openly as Daniel did, you can still trust God for His presence and power. The story of Esther shows us that God does show His power even in such situations and circumstances.
Esther was a young orphan who was brought up by her uncle, Mordecai in a heathen nation. When the king wanted to marry a new queen, Esther was advised by her uncle to join the competition, and she did. Unlike in the case of Daniel, where we saw an open record of religious inclination from Daniel’s youth, we do not have such a record of Esther. It was not until the time of Haman’s threat, when she asked the people to fast for three days along with her, that we had an open record of her religiosity. Nevertheless, we could see the hand of God in all the situations and circumstances that led to Esther’s rise to the palace, and also to her victory over wicked Haman. So, even though there was no mention of the name of God in the Book of Esther, God’s hand was definitely at work in Esther’s life.
In fact, by never mentioning God and at the same time recording events in which we could see God’s hands at work, the author is making a profound theological point showing us that God’s providence is at work in everything to save and deliver His people. God can work behind the scenes. The Book of Esther records no direct intervention of God at all, yet all the while, things are happening behind the scenes to bring about a divinely ordained outcome.
The circumstances of the book’s writing lend credence to this line of thought. Jewish tradition claims the Book of Esther was written by Mordecai. If Mordecai is the author, it means he wrote the book in Persia while serving under King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes). Instead of directly crediting God for the victory of the Jewish people, Mordecai may have written the book to better fit the polytheistic context of Susa. This was done, most likely to avoid harm by the king or other enemies while still communicating the account of God’s work through Queen Esther. It was very likely that Ahasuerus did not want the name of God mentioned near him. However, he could not prevent the power of God at work around him. So, even when you are forbidden from openly displaying your faith, still trust God for His presence that delivers you from harm and shame. Whatever your situation, believe the Lord’s promise; “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28: 20)
To be continued
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