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Esther, Fingerprints

When it comes to the books of the Bible, most of us probably don't realize the process that went into collecting all sixty six books. When some of the books were written they weren't immediately accepted. After all the Bible came together over a period of 1500 years. This week's book is one of those contested books.

The reason the book of Esther was contested is that there is no mention of God in the book. None of God's names or titles are mentioned. There is no direct reference to God in the book of Esther.

For the ancient rabbis (in the time before the birth of Jesus) who were trying to assemble what we would call the Old Testament, this was problematic. After all, how could a book that didn't even mention God be considered Scripture? As we shall see, though the name of God is never mentioned, it is clear that he is working throughout the book of Esther.

Background

The book of Esther is another book that we really don't know who the author is. We do know that it was written somewhere around 486-464 BC, since those are the dates of the Persian king in the book. This means that Esther takes place after Zerubbabel has led a remnant back to Judah, but before Ezra and Nehemiah go to Judah. The story of Esther is a story of those who chose to remain abroad.

Themes

The story of Esther is one of the best known stories in the Bible. A young girl is chosen to be queen of a nation, only to discover that the king's adviser is plotting against her people. So she courageously goes before the king, even though it may cost her everything, so that she might expose the plot and save her people.

One of the big themes that we talk about when discussing Esther is courage. Esther is without a doubt a very courageous woman. She risks her own life in order to save her people, even though she probably would have been safe regardless. 

Another big theme we see in Esther is that she is in a unique position to help when the Jewish people need it most. The book makes it clear that Esther being the queen during the time of Haman's plot isn't a coincidence. While Mordecai expresses faith that the Jews will find deliverance from another place no matter what Esther does, it is still shown that Esther is there for a reason.

Theological Point

Though God is never directly mentioned, it is easy to see his fingerprints all over the situation. Fingerprints are one of the most convincing pieces of evidence in a crime. Each set is unique and makes it clear whether or not a particular person was present during the event.

What we see in the book of Esther is God's fingerprints. How likely is it that a Jewish girl would just so happen to be chosen as queen right when a plot against God's chosen people was about to be executed? Either it's dumb luck or it's the work of a brilliant God. As we have seen throughout Scripture, God is always on the move. 

Conclusion


The book of Esther can be especially potent for us today. We don't necessarily live in a time where people invoke God's name consistently. Our lives, sadly, don't always revolve around God. But God is still working in our lives. Look around and see his fingerprints. The evidence that God is at work is there. 

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