Things Written Aforetdie For Our Learning-the Story Of Esther, Or The Ascendancy Of The Jew

by N.D.W.Miller | Category: For Young Believers | Aug 1933

INTRODUCTION.

"Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself, 0 God of Israel, the Saviour ... But Israel shall be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation: Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end ... In overflowing wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer ... No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper Tile little one shall become a thousand, and the small one a strong nation : I the Lord will hasten it in its time." (Isaiah 45. 15, 17; 54. 8, 17; 60. 22).

The words which we have given ill italics have a striking illustration bearing upon the story of Esther.

Esther shares with Ruth the very great honour of having a book to herself. It is the book of Esther-not the book of Mordecai, who waxed greater and greater: and the full account of whose greatness whereunto the king advanced him, is not 7 only written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia, but in the Book of God as well.

Esther, on the whole, is a book we hear comparatively little about. Hard things have been said about Esther and about Mordecai. Mordecai is charged with being a self-seeker - it is assumed that lie preferred to remain in exile in order to gain position and fame, rather than go up to Jerusalem in the days of the Remnant's opportunity when " All whose spirit God had stirred to go up" went up "to build the House of the LORD which is in Jerusalem."

And Esther too comes in for censure from those who criticise Mordecai, as being little more than an adventuress.

My own thoughts about Esther and Mordecai are far removed from that-they both hold a very high place in my heart's affections as being indeed saviours-providentially raised up of God in their day and time in conformity with the truth of God's Word-" No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;" and to foreshadow the ascendancy of the Jew.

What makes the book of Esther unique is, that throughout the story God is hidden-His Name is never once mentioned. But God's hand is seen where His Name is not found.

When they were in exile, God was providentially for His people, if not with

them, in the sense of dwelling among them. God dwelt in Jerusalem - not in Babylon, nor in Shushan.

As to its setting, the book of Esther is associated with Gentile rule and dominion. King Ahasuerus reigned over a vast territory, "from India even unto Ethiopia"; and this included lands once famous, such as Assyria, Egypt, and Babylonia.

"The times of tile Gentiles," which began with Nebuchadnezzar's reign, are times when Israel is the tail among the Nations, and not the head. But the book of Esther very beautifully foreshadows the ascendancy of the Jew. By the ascendancy of the Jew I mean, that, in spite of all their vicissitudes during thousands of years; and their being repeatedly peeled and scattered, and trodden down: Israel nevertheless will yet rise to absolute power, and succeed to the wealth of the Gentile Nations. They will yet be tile head, and not the tail, amid the stability and glory of Millennial days (Deut. 28. 13, ; Isaiah 61. 6, etc.).

In His sovereign dealings among the Gentiles, God is, to a great extent, silent. Strange and inexplicable things are permitted to happen, and the LORD is silent. It can well be said "Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself, 0 God of Israel, the Saviour." But yet it is true that "He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou? " (Dan. 4. 35). The great Nebuchadnezzar learned this through bitter, yet blessed experience, in Babylon in Daniel's day.

The day is coming when God will be no longer silent (see Isaiah 2. etc.).

It is worthy of note that in Daniel's Prophecy God never once owns Israel as His people. Daniel uses " Thy people " three times in speaking to God, and "Thy City" once. But God, in His speaking to Daniel, speaks of Israel as" thy people" four times, and mentions "thy city once. Later, ill recording the preservation of the Jews in Shushan and the Provinces, in the reign of Ahasuerus, God has not allowed His Name even to be mentioned. But, as I have said, God's hand is to be seen where His Name is not found. On every page of the book of Esther the providential hand of Israel's covenant keeping God is indelibly stamped.

And, as with the omission of God's Name, so is it with Prayer. Prayer is never once mentioned. But are we to read through Esther and conclude that Mordecai and Esther never prayed? For my own part, I would say, impossible! The book, in parts, breathes the spirit of supplication, and of agonizing prayer and intercession, while these things, actually, are never named.

It is well to remember that God said----" Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations. and whereas I have scattered them among the

countries, yet will I be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they are come " (Ezek. 11. 16).

Even Abraham made a great mistake when he concluded about Gerar-" Similarly, the fear of God is not in this place." The fear of God-- --unlikely though it may have seemed to Abraham-was there; and he had no need to try and take shelter behind a lie.

So for my part I conclude that the fear of God was deeply imbedded within the heart of Mordecai, and also within the heart of young Esther, although, for some reason, we never read that either of them took upon their lips "the Ineffable Name."

There is much -oh so much we may learn from this precious little book, which, although entirely without the mention of God's Name, has nevertheless rightly found its place in the Canon of Holy Scripture.

N.D.W.Miller | Aug 1933
For Young Believers