Behind the scenes, God is there

 

READ Esther 5-10

At the halfway point in Esther’s story, she approaches the king. He welcomed her, even offered whatever she wished up to half his kingdom. Had she been greedy, the story may have ended there, but she simply asked him and Haman to dinner. After that, Haman plotted to hang Esther’s uncle, the Jew Mordecai in his backyard.

I often wondered why Esther didn’t expose that man at this first dinner. However, she merely asked for the two men to come the next day to another feast. This reminded me of the day I strongly felt I should not keep a gym appointment. It turned out that had I gone, I would have missed an extremely important conversation, but didn’t know that at the time. Esther must have had one of those nudges from the Lord.

The reason for the second dinner was God’s timing for another event in this incredible story. Earlier, her uncle had rescued the king from a plot but the king didn’t know it. However, “On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.” (Esther 6:1–2)

This king decided to honor Mordecai and asked Haman what should be done for the man he delighted to honor. Full of himself, Haman thought this had to be him so laid out a grand plan where he could be exalted, only to discover that Mordecai was to be the recipient. After Haman had to do for this man what he wanted done for himself . . .

Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.” (Esther 6:12–13)

This event and her prophecy was humiliating, yet not the end of it, for at that next dinner with the queen, Esther told the king of Haman’s plot to kill her people. The king was outraged and Haman was hanged on the gallows he built to hand Mordecai.

Like most good fiction stories, this real life plot was given another impossible twist. According to the law, the edict to destroy the Jews could not be overruled. The day loomed, yet the problem was solved — the king wrote another law allowing the Jews to defend themselves. Before the dreaded day came, they rejoiced and celebrated to the point that “many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.”

It turned out that the Jews destroyed all their enemies. The king honored Mordecai and his queen. Mordecai became “second in rank to” the king and was able to seek the welfare of his people. For this deliverance, the Jews began a celebration called Purim, which is still happening today. A Jewish website says, “Purim reminds us that even when we aren’t experiencing open miracles, there is Someone behind the scenes, arranging events for an unfathomably amazing outcome.”

God isn’t mentioned in the book of Esther yet His presence is obvious. Like today. I had a very early appointment and in the same location, another that was two hours later. Traffic and road conditions not great. Yet I drove there (and home) in a bubble . . . no vehicles pressuring me. I finished the first appointment and as I walked down the hall to wait for the second, my name was called and they put me in for the second. I thanked God to be safely home, to sit here reading Esther and writing these thoughts, and the clock says it is time for that second appointment. I don’t know why the staff where I was bumped my time up two hours, but I feel so blessed.

I do know that God is ‘behind the scenes’ whether it is in such a little thing as reducing two spaced out medical appointments or a much more important issue involving the lives of His OT people. He arranged events for the amazing outcome in Esther’s story and He still arranges events for His people, for me. What a glory to know Him and to know His loving care. I am so blessed!