Sermons

October 24, 2021

Esther

For Christian readers, Esther presents the puzzle of God’s invisibility.  The book never mentions God directly.  Even the celebration of Purim, as described in chapter 9, does not explicitly credit the Lord for Jewish deliverance.  Of course we can easily see God’s hidden hand behind the “coincidences” of Esther.  When Mordecai asks Esther, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14), we understand that God has been directing the affairs, not only of Esther, but of the Persian empire as well.

Yet the inclusion of Esther in the canon of Scripture challenges us to worship a God whose presence is not always evident.  At times we see God’s hand plainly and hear his voice clearly.  At times we do not.  Nevertheless, God continues to be at work whether or not we sense his activity.  We worship God, not simply when we experience him immediately, but because of who he is and of what he has done in history as well as in our lives.  Even when we are not feeling God’s presence, we worship him because he deserves it.  As his creatures, we are most fully alive when we serve our main task in life, which is to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.”