The Puzzle Box
“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.”
Esther 4:14
Fascinating, the book of Esther, for as many times as I have read it—fascinating in its place in history; fascinating in its complex simplicity; fascinating in the conundrum of God’s absence. Where to begin?
I don’t know about you, but I did have to be reminded why Esther and Mordecai were living in Susa, some 900 miles from their home in the Holy Land. Remember, the Jews had been deported to Babylon over 100 years before, duly warned by Jehovah not to turn away from Him and His ways. After 50 years in exile a great number (42360, Ezra 2:64) returned to rebuild the temple. But some did not. Hmm…
At first glance my mind settled on the book of Esther as a simple story of triumph and celebration for the Jewish people, till I dug deeper. The complexity of the rigors of royalty, mixed with the expectations of being a woman in a man’s world, were above and beyond. The question persists: could I have been a queen in that day? Growing up in Canada I was captivated by the young Queen Elizabeth. But living her life of protocol and public appearances—not so sure!
Then there remains God’s obvious absence in the pages of the book; ah, but not His providence “through which He fulfills His covenant promises”*. Truth is, God is always at work and our job is to join Him, as Blackaby presents in his Experiencing God study. I wonder, don’t you, when Esther and Mordecai sensed God at work in the puzzling circumstances of Esther.
Kelly Minter quotes a friend in her Esther study, p.164: “It’s much easier to put the puzzle pieces together when God gives you the box with the picture on it.” As Queen Vashti is deposed, and the king longs for a new queen, and Esther takes the throne, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall in place.
Mordecai’s challenge to his protégé will certainly be key: “who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this” (4:14).
Nancy P
*Constable, Sonic Light online
All Scripture quotations are from the NIV Translation 1973, 1978, 1984, unless otherwise noted
