Esther 1
“Vashti is never again to come before King Ahasuerus. And let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.” (Esther 1:19, ESV)
The book of Esther is unique in the Bible, for God is not mentioned once. And yet it is obvious that He is working behind the scenes to accomplish His plans for His people. This should give us confidence that He is sovereign in the kingdoms of men. He raises one person up and deposes another. He turns tragedy into triumph. He works in and through people to accomplish His will and glorify His name.
In the opening chapter, King Ahasuerus of Persia (aka King Xerxes) puts on a great party for all his officials, nobles and princes of the 127 provinces that lasts 180 days. It was intended to impress them so that they would follow him into war against Greece. Following this, they opened the doors for one week to anyone from the city who wanted to come. On the seventh day, the king was in high spirits because of the wine. He ordered his eunuchs to bring in Queen Vashti to show off her beauty to all the people, but she refused to come. This made the king furious, so he consulted with his trusted advisors. They reasoned that if Queen Vashti was not punished, then all women throughout the Persian Empire would rebel against their husbands. They convinced the king to pass a decree, according to the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that the queen would be removed and another would take her place. This law could neither be altered nor revoked.
Now all this set the stage for a young Jewish woman named Esther. God had plans for her that could not possibly have known.
Likewise, God is working behind the scenes in the circumstances of our lives. Whether international, national, or local, He is sovereign in the kingdoms of men and gives it to whomever He will (Daniel 4:17). He has a work for each of us to do for His glory, for we are his workmanship. Many times the circumstances are not pretty. There may be bad actors involved. We don’t understand why things are happening the way they are. But through it all God wants to teach us to trust in Him and be men and women of action and courage. God is working out His plans even through the foolish, selfish and prideful ways of men. The battle belongs to the Lord, and we are in His army!
“Heavenly Father, thank you that you rule in the kingdoms of men, and you have a purpose for each of us to do your will and glorify you. Help us to walk by faith today in all your ways. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”