God’s Hidden Hand

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
Print, Study and Apply

Title: God’s Hidden Hand ------------------- Date: 3/4/2003
Keywords: “trust”
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Passage: Esther 4:14*

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"

Questions

Background — The book of Esther relates the story of the Jews’ deliverance from an evil plot devised against them by Haman, a court official of King Ahasuerus of the Persians. The events of Esther took place during the sixth century B.C. Esther’s book is unique among all the books in the Bible because of the absence of any reference to God, except for the oblique reference in 4:14 (above).

1. Esther had been placed (by Whom?) in a position in the Persian Empire that gave her unique influence on the King. Against all odds, she became the Queen! Mordecai (her uncle and the speaker in verse 14) suggests that there was a reason for her quick and unlikely ascension to the throne. What did he believe that reason to be?

 

2. Mordecai also suggests that if Esther does not use her strategic position to help her fellow Jews, deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place. What do you think gave him that confidence?

 

Practical help

Sometimes, God’s movement in our lives is as difficult to discover as it is hard to find His Name in the book of Esther! We can’t read His Name in any of those ten chapters, and we may seem to find it impossible to locate Him in the details of our lives.

However, while God’s Name is not included in Esther’s book, His fingerprints are all over the place. To this day (2003), the Jews recognize the hand of God moving behind the scenes in the events recorded in Esther.

And what about you and me? We may be frustrated by trials in our lives, trials that make us wonder about His presence and care. We may even despair because of temptations — like porn, that assail us. "Why doesn’t God deliver me? Why doesn’t He take the temptation away?!"

Esther’s book suggests a God-honoring way to view both trials and temptations. In the absence of His clear and direct involvement, exercise your faith muscle and take the loooong view. Trust that God is involved. He has helped you and countless others in the past. He has proven Himself trustworthy through the ages. Look for His deliverance right around the corner!

eXXit homepage
Index of three-minute studies
Copyright 2003 by eXXit
*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."