mordecai

The entire story of Esther takes place in a distant land ruled over by a pagan king. The people of Israel find themselves living in a foreign country, far from the homeland, but not far from their God. While they had seemingly forgotten Him, He would prove Himself faithful and loving, gracious and kind.

Whether reading the story about a young Jewish girl who lived many centuries ago or simply looking at the daily affairs of our own life, it is sometimes easy for us to miss God in all that is going on. We can even assume He is not there. But God never goes anywhere. He never leaves or abandons His people. And while things in Susa appeared to indicate just the opposite, Esther, Mordecai and the rest of the Jews discovered that their God wasn’t missing at all

An amazing and God-ordained reversal of fortunes is about to take place for the Jews. Standing at the brink of annihilation, they will suddenly find themselves the unlikely victors over their more powerful enemies. Through a series of seemingly fortuitous events, they’ll be the undeserving recipients of God’s mercy and grace.

Esther has been given the unenviable task of approaching the king and begging that he spare the Jewish people by retracting the recent decree that had granted Haman’s wish to have them eliminated. But Esther is not alone. Whether we see Him or not, the God of Israel is by her side. He has given her a plan and the confidence to enact it. And whether she realizes it or not, Esther will be an instrument in His hands. Be sure to take a look at the passage when you get the chance.

Esther has just been informed by Mordecai about the king’s decree authorizing the mass extermination of all the Jews in his kingdom. This had been the brainchild of Haman. Now Esther finds herself in a tenuous position of having to use her access to the king to beg for mercy for her people.

In this episode we begin to explore the behind-the-scenes nature of God's involvement in the events recorded in the story. He is there and nothing that happens does so without His divine approval and providence.

This lesson will introduce us to Haman the Agagite, a powerful man who will become a formidable enemy of Mordecai and the Jewish people. But we will also see the sovereignty of the king come face to face with the sovereignty of God Almighty.

In this episode we begin to see how God is working behind the scenes, weaving together a series of seemingly disparate and disconnected events in order to accomplish His divine will.