Esther 10 is by far the shortest chapter of the book, and if you haven’t read it recently you can do so here.
On the surface, it seems to be about how great Mordecai is. We see that the King is pretty powerful and mighty (v.2), and that Mordecai was honoured pretty substantially (v.2). Mordecai seems to occupy the role of Prime Minister (v.3), and was well thought of by all he encountered.
The last few words of the book, again, foreshadow and preview Jesus, did you notice?
“…he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.”
As we wrap up Esther, consider these things today;
- There are no miracles recorded in the book, yet we still have the sense that God is great.
- God’s sovereign plans and purposes all come to pass, yet through the actions and decisions of people with free will.
- Esther intervened for her people from a position of influence, from being next to the throne, as does Jesus for you right now (cf. Hebrews 7.25).
We don’t need to get lost in the search for the miraculous, the out-of-the-ordinary, because God is at work in the day-to-day interactions of your life. Where you are, who you are with, when you are there is all part of His good and perfect plan. Partner with Him, join with Him, exercise your God-given free will in a way that glorifies Him and builds up those put in your path.
Overall through Esther we’ve seen someone taken from relative obscurity (John 1.46), put in a position of honour and influence (Philippians 2.9-11), who intercedes for God’s people in a situation that seems bleak and destined for ruin (John 12.44-50).
Therein lies the beauty of the Word of God;
are we talking about Esther or are we talking about Jesus?
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus explained to His travelling companions what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. No doubt this story of despair, redemption, victory, seeking God, and providence was part of that.
James Travis 