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How would you respond to someone who says that the book of Esther shouldn’t be included in the Bible since it never mentions the name of God?
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13 Replies
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It shows God’s providence at hand in the midst of trying historical events.
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God’s name may not be mentioned, however, the events that transpire and all that occurs are for sure God’s plan, God is consulted by His people, they fast and pray for His deliverance and God’s plan unfolds and His people are victorious as a result.
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I think that God is not mentioned forthright to show that often His hand is unseen but is working through people and circumstances. He is able to do this because He is sovereign, even over the most godless persons and nations. This is why the glossary defines God’s providence as God’s preserving and governing all things by means of second causes.
In fact, narrating the story of Esther without explicitly mentioning God is very true to reality. In real life, God often works behind the scenes, and only the man whose “eyes of the heart have been enlightened” (Eph 1:18) can discern His hand and His ways.
#Esther
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The book of Esther shows God at work behind the scenes. The Lord doesn’t always work is obvious ways. He often protects and cares for his people without big and grand gestures, but in small. intimate ways. That is how He works in this book. He is off scene making a way for the Jewish people to arm themselves and be prepared when the enemy comes, for them to continue to flourish in this culture, and and for his care for them to be scene.
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It clearly shows God’s Hand in preserving His people in Persia. His Name doesn’t have to be mentioned in order for His Presence to be known. He guided Mordecai as well as Esther in this lovely story.