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When in life did you discover that life’s not fair? Growing up with two older siblings, one of the frequent cries out of my mouth was, “This isn’t fair!” You know, “How come he gets to stay up later?” “How come he gets to choose what to watch on TV?” The most frequent and least satisfying response I heard to my heart-felt cries was, “You are right, it is not fair. Neither is life.”

It reminds me of the story of a mother who was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin who was five, and Ryan who was three. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. She said, “If Jesus were sitting here He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.’” Kevin, the oldest turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”

If you read the book of Esther, you will notice that God’s name is not mentioned once. The only hint of God is when Esther calls for a fast before she approaches King Xerxes. But it does not say who they are praying and fasting to, or what exactly they are hoping would happen. That is it, no mention of God.

I believe the author is leaving God name out of the picture for a reason. The reason is because we all had times where we did not see God at work in our lives. We have all felt alone and wondered where is God? The Book of Esther teaches us to rely on faith, and not our feelings. In other words, even if we do not see God, faith says God is here.

One of the tools we have when we ask where God is, is to look to His Divine Providence. Divine Providence is God's intervention in the universe to preserve and govern all things according to His original design. Everything that happens in the early chapters seems unfair. It does not seem fair that Queen Vashti is dethroned because she did not want to be gawked at. It does not seem fair that Esther was taken from her home and became a possession of the king. It does not seem fair that Mordecai, who saves the King’s life, is not honored but forgotten. It does not seem fair that Hamman, the evil one, is promoted when Mordecai is not. It does not seem fair that the King Xerxes gives Haman whatever he wants, including the order to annihilate the Jewish race. It does not seem fair. For us to understand the book of Esther and this idea of Divine Providence, one needs to read providence backwards. Until we read providence backwards, life will always seem unfair.

Today in our text Esther is now queen, and Mordecai sits daily at the gate of the king. The king’s gate is more than just a doorway; it is a vast building. A place where legal matters and business transactions are completed. For Mordecai to be there day in and day out, it appears he is in the position of a civil servant. It is also a place where these two men, Bigthana and Teresh, stand guard. But these are men who for some reason are plotting to assassinate King Xerxes. Mordecai was in the right place at the right time to overhear the plot. He goes and he communicates their deception to Esther. The king investigates it, and the Bible says that they were hung on the gallows.

Historically speaking, Persian kings were known for their generosity to subjects who served them well. What Mordecai did was recorded in the King’s chronicles. But what kind of reward does Mordecai receive from the king? Nothing! Which is perplexing and mysterious. Mordecai saved the king’s life and the king does nothing.

Between chapters two and three, about five years have gone by. Five years, and Mordecai has heard nothing from the king. Then in chapter 3, the story takes a dramatic and frightening turn; the author tells us that a new character enters the story and he is the villain Haman. Haman creates a crisis that is so wicked, so evil: he wants to destroy an entire race of people. Why? Because Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman.

That seems like an extreme answer to just being ignored. The author of Esther gives us important clues to help us understand. At the beginning of chapter 2, we are told that Mordecai was a “son of Kish a Benjaminite.” (2:5) Then we read in chapter 3 about Haman was the “son of Hammedatha the Agagite.” Why is that so important? Because if you turn to I Samuel 15, you will read about King Saul wo was a Benjamite, the son of Kish. King Saul goes to war against an Amalekite king known as King Agag. There has been animosity between Haman and Mordecai’s families for generations. It is like Hatfield’s and Macoy’s.

As we know in Esther 1, King Xerxes can be easily manipulated by his nobles. Haman goes to the King and says, “There is a certain group scattered who does not keep the king’s laws. If it pleases the king, send out a decree that they be destroyed. And I will give you 10,000 talents-of-silver. (That is equivalent to three hundred tons of silver) The king has visions of wealth dancing before his eyes. The king agrees with him and gives Haman his signet ring.

Esther reminds us that we are locked in a real spiritual battle. Day in and day out the enemy wants to kill, steal, and destroy! When we walk through trials and tribulations, we at times wonder where God is in all this. When we are in the middle of a challenge and we cannot see God, remember, that God is working in the margins. When we look at providence backwards we will see that.

Mordecai providentially hears the plot to kill the king, and he and Esther save the king’s life. If Xerxes would have died, Esther would have died as well. Who was second in command shortly after? Haman. He would have destroyed Jews and Esther would not have been there to intervene. Mordecai being overlooked is unfair, but latter we see in chapter 6 how God used that to preserve the Jewish people. Haman cast lots, but he had no idea that God was the one determining when the lot was cast.

Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is the LORD’s alone.”

Esther and Mordecai are living in the middle of God’s providential plan. Yet God is nowhere to be found. The author makes sure that we never see Him. But God is there, He is in the story, and He is in our story as well.

Until Next Week When We Meet at the P.E.W.

(Pastor’s Encouragement Weekly)

Pastor Joel