In a world where God seems silent, the story of Esther reminds us that He is never absent. As we begin a new sermon series through the book of Esther, we’ll journey through a tale of risk, reversal, and the quiet providence of the Sovereign God working through ordinary people for His extraordinary purposes. In the first sermon, we looked through Esther 1:1-2:18 to see the introduction of key characters and the historical setting of this narrative. We were introduced to a powerful and proud king Ahasuerus, who was humiliated by his defiant queen Vashti. This led to the surprising and risky rise of Esther’s queenship, who was part of a captive and vulnerable Israel. The vivid detail of King Ahasuerus’ actions and folly is meant to show him as an anti-type of a better King. The New Testament speaks of Jesus as the true and better King who rules by cleansing and dying for his bride the church. Esther’s role proves to be a sign of God’s hidden hand where His steadfast love and favor is at work even in a corrupt and godless empire. As this story unfolds throughout the coming weeks, may we find the courage to trust God even when He seems absent.
