Neither mordecai, esther, nor the feast of purim is mentioned. Some have even questioned the books place in the bible because of it. In the story of esther, youll meet a beautiful, young queen who risked her life to serve god and save her people. On the surface, it appears to be a story about survival, prejudice, and politics. Although the name of god is never mentioned in this book, it is apparent that the jews of susa sought his intervention when they fasted and prayed for three days esther 4. It is a variation of the name of the goddess astarte. The fate of gods chosen people is at the very center of the story, but god seems to. Gods name in the book of esther by angus mac killop.
The book of esther and gods providence jack wellman. In fact, gods name is not mentioned once, though his influence permeates the narrative. Why doesnt the book of esther directly mention god. For example, when esther asks the jews to fast, we can assume this included prayer est. The book of esther may not have gods name stated directly, but his involvement is felt in many ways throughout the story, especially when esther implored the people to seek help through fasting. The book of esther, like much of the bible, tells the story of gods involvement with his people.
The book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. How can a book which fails to mention not only the name of god, but also prayer, worship, the coming messiah, heaven, hell or faith, be included in the canon of the old testament. It doesnt appear that esther actually wrote this book because if she did, she wouldnt have likely named it after herself. Without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages. The coincidences, the amazing reversals, and the poetic justice that led to the deliverance of the jews in persia all proclaim the presence of god. Jan 02, 2020 the book of esther may not directly mention god, yet it clearly reveals god at work. And in fact, the whole story of esther is a bit like a game of hide and seek first of all, you may have noticed that god himself is hiding in the book of esther he is not mentioned at all. Immigrants and foreigners in the bible the hebrew bible contains a variety of views about foreigners and their relationship to israel and to god, reflecting the fact that israel was in nearly constant contact with foreign peoples. Mar 01, 2001 it has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. Book of esther overview insight for living ministries. God, in fact, is not mentioned, esther is portrayed as assimilated to persian culture. Gods name is not even mentioned once in the book of esther.
In esthers story, gods involvement is implicit rather than explicit. Friend, the name of god is not in the book of esther, but please see that only god can do what just happened. Esther, the jewish heroine of the biblical book that bears her name, bravely intervenes on behalf of her people to save them from destruction. Esther the book of esther is one of the most beautiful stories in all literature. However, his sovereignty and providence are clearly on display in the book. Mordecai is a man of integrity, and esther is a selfsacrificial heroine. The story gives us six powerful lessons about courage. Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the time that mordecai saved the kings life esther 6.
The story forms the core of the jewish festival of purim, during which it is read aloud twice. Curiously, god is not mentioned in this volume of scripture and there is no indication that god was involved in any way in helping esther and mordecai save the jews of persia from the evil machinations of haman, who planned to kill them. The book demonstrates how god works in the lives of his people, both then. The story the book of esther touches on the life of more than esther. In 2012, a graphic adaptation of the book of esther was illustrated by j. Actually, in the book of esther, god is explicitly mentioned in the catholic bible, and in the greek septuagint which was the bible that our blessed lord used. Dear students of gods word, there is a study by professor e. The book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to. Indeed, there is no direct reference to god at all.
It was written after the death of king xerxes esth. Watch our overview video on the book of esther, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. When god seems far away book of esther unlocking the bible. It doesnt appear that esther actually wrote this book because if. Feb 28, 2011 when we read the book of esther, we never read gods name. The story of esther is one of drama and excitement that depicts heroes and villains.
We will celebrate the feast of purim on march 14, 2006. Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark. The fate of gods chosen people is at the very center of the story, but god seems to remain in the shadows. Esther was an orphan who was brought up by her older cousin, mordecai esther 2. In the book of esther, gods name is never mentioned, but you can clearly see the fingerprints of gods sovereignty throughout the book. Aug 06, 2016 without a doubt, esther is a book of great value to the child of god for all ages.
Take, for instance, the time that king ahasuerus could not sleep and his servant just happened to read the records of the. All the evidence points to the book of esther as being part of the holy bible, inspired of god and beneficial. Unlike the rest of the bible, however, this book shows gods work indirectly. But for those who know the larger story of the bible, gods hidden hand can be discerned in these events, working to protect and preserve israel. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll, is a book in the third section of the jewish tanakh and in the christian old testament. His name is not written in the book, but his fingerprints, as we say, are all over it. The book of esther in the bible is a dramatic account which can give us insight into god s special and purposeful plan for our lives. Levi lusko, lead pastor of fresh life church esther fleece allen calls believers to walk in the strength and hope of their godgiven identity and does so with great depth, compassion, and richness of biblical teaching that we find restorative. God s justice calls you to inner courts and high places, and gives you favor in the sight of those in power see esther. It has been noted by many commentators that esther is the only book of the bible in which there does not appear the name of god, or any divine title, anywhere in the book. Messianic symbols, message in the book of esther hallel. This is like a special funfact not many people notice about the book of esther.
The secular character of the book of esther the divine name is never. The hidden face of the lamb of god in esther is the lord jesus. Nonetheless, in this short book consisting of just 167 verses, the median king is mentioned 192 times. From vashtis dismissal, esthers rise to royalty, ahasueruss indebtedness to mordecai, to the miraculous deliverance of the jews, gods control, care, and comfort for his people is demonstrated ps. Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts of scripture.
Nonetheless, in this short book consisting of just 167 verses, the median king is mentioned 192 times, his kingdom is referred to 26 times, and his. The hidden god of esther scroll of esther from the jewish museum near the dohany synagogue in budapest, hungary. The 26 times the book of esther mentions god click to tweet. The book was written no earlier than 470 bc and probably no later than 424 bc, during the reign of xerxes son artaxerxes. The book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. Gods justice clothes you with royal robes see esther 5. For traditional jewish commentators, the absence of gods name did not mean that god was absent from the book. According to most scholars, the name esther is derived from the mesopotamian goddess ishtar andor the persian word stara, star the book of daniel provides accounts of jews in exile being assigned names relating to babylonian gods and mordecai is understood to mean servant of marduk, a babylonian god. Apparently in response to the conspicuous absence of any reference to god in the book, the. Many suggest that the name esther is related to the hebrew word hester, which means hidden. The book of esther is one of two biblical books that never mention god. Many teach that while esther declares for us the incredible providence of god, it never uses the name of god himself. The god of great reversals was written to shed light on the gospel story woven throughout the only book of the bible that never mentions gods name. Dec 25, 2011 gods name in the book of esther his kingdom prophecy posted on december 25, 2011 by angus mackillop september 10, 2012 perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing.
It is the only book in the bible where god is hidden like this, but he is there. It is only in the jewish edition of the hebrew scriptures from centuries after chris. This, they insist, supports their view that god helps people in a hidden way. Waldman and appeared in volume one of the graphic canon, edited by russ kick and published by seven stories press. In it you will find that even in the darkest days, god never stops working to keep his promises and to rescue his people. In spite of the fact that the law allowing their destruction was written according to the laws of the medes and persians, rendering it unchangeable, the way was cleared. Jul 17, 2014 friend, the name of god is not in the book of esther, but please see that only god can do what just happened. Martin luther favored eliminating it from the bible on this basis. Nonetheless, on every page his hand is seen and his providence manifested.
This holiday, based on the biblical book of esther, is an appointed time to remember the victory of the jewish people in persia over the wicked haman during the babylonian captivity. Five things about esther that nobody talks about jews for jesus. Your new name is a beautiful tool to help us do just that. The book of esther, also known in hebrew as the scroll megillah, is a book in the third. In the book of esther, hegai the kings eunuch can symbolize the guidance of the holy spirit, who prepares us to meet with our king, our lord jesus, in his second coming. It is true that god is not mentioned at all in the book of esther, but then again it is. Many have noticed that god is not once mentioned in the book of esther. The book of esther never mentions god by name, there is never the word prayer uttered, and the only spiritual discipline that is mentioned is fasting but that never says anything about prayer and fasting. The book covers a period of about 12 years, falling somewhere between the events recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of ezra.
But words from god would make a good foundation for those beliefs. Satans work through the nephilim of which hamaan was a descendent was continuing, and thus satan was working to destroy the jewish nation and hinder the fulfillment of the promise of a redeemer. Bullinger, published in 1999, by the same title the name of jehovah in the book of esther, which has added information on this subject, the least being, that there is abundant proof that these acrostics are no more the mere work of man than are the acrostics in the other parts. Gods name in the book of esther his kingdom prophecy posted on december 25, 2011 by angus mackillop september 10, 2012 perhaps since sunday school, i had known the book of esther as being the only book in the bible in which the name of god is missing. All are alike, in that they are words which the holy spirit has inspired, and are in no way due to chance, or dependent on the mere. It seems the author of the old greek also found it odd that god is never. The 2 books of the bible that dont mention god overviewbible.
Note that this was not a form of secret bible code but of literary composition. Because the hebrew bibles version of esthers story contains neither prayers nor even a single reference to god, greek redactors. Using a word play with the name esther and the hebrew word for hide astir, the talmud connects the narrative of esther to the prophecy in deuteronomy. Esther is described in the book of esther as a jewish queen of the persian king ahasuerus. However, the silences of gods word, like its utterance, are full of instruction, and e w bullinger has found much teaching in the absence of jehovahs name from this old testament book.
Lessons from the name of god in the book of esther mark tabata. But many of the things that happen in the book could not be just luck. Here are some reasons why gods name may not have been referenced in esther. It relates the story of a hebrew woman in persia, born as hadassah but known as esther, who becomes queen of persia and thwarts a genocide of her people. Even though the name of god is not mentioned in it, no book of the bible teaches his providence more forcefully. The author is unknown, but it is evident from the details of the record that he was well acquainted with the persian.
The book of esther 6 powerful life lessons from the bible. The old greek septuagint version of esther translates the name ahasuerus as artaxerxes, a greek name derived from the persian artaxsa. Students of the bible know that fasting was done to draw closer to god and was accompanied by heartfelt prayers daniel 9. Esther can represent us, the followers and disciples of our beloved lord jesus. Jul 18, 2018 the book of esther is rather odd because it is the only book of the bible in which the name of god appears to be missing martin luther considered excluding it from the bible for this reason 1. Ahasuerus kingdom is referred to 26 times in the book of esther. In esther, god providentially uses two exiled israelites to rescue his. Though gods name is not mentioned, all of the events the downfall of vashti and rise of esther, mordecais discovery of the assassination plot, the shortlived exaltation of haman, the insomnia of the king, the book read to the king reminding him of mordecais heroics and the exaltation of the jewish people reflect the providential. When we read the book of esther, we never read gods name. Apr 25, 2018 in the book of esther, gods name is never mentioned, but you can clearly see the fingerprints of gods sovereignty throughout the book. When a statement is made by mordecai who is a symbol of the holy spirit gods name is found as the first letter of the first few words of the scripture.
The book of esther, though divinely inspired scripture, doesnt mention god by any name or title. Jul 23, 2017 though gods name is not mentioned, all of the events the downfall of vashti and rise of esther, mordecais discovery of the assassination plot, the shortlived exaltation of haman, the insomnia of the king, the book read to the king reminding him of mordecais heroics and the exaltation of the jewish people reflect the providential. The book of esther is one of the twentyfour books of the hebrew bible. A story of the providence of god in a pagan land page 4 introduction to the book the book of esther is the only book in the bible that does not mention the name of god. Mordecai and esther act in faith throughout the book. There are two books in the bible where god is not mentioned.
The book of esther is one of only two books in the hebrew bible that never mention god the other is the song of songs. This has led some modern scholars to claim that the book was originally intended as a purely secular history. Most scholars today agree that the kjv ahasuerus was the xerxes who reigned 486 b. Jun 18, 2019 the book of esther is one of only two books in the bible named for women. Now that israel has been released from captivity, hamans edict is the final major effort in the ot. As the first to attack israel after their deliverance from egypt, the amalekites were viewed and the author of esther views them as the epitome of all the powers of the world arrayed against god s people see nu 24. The only real criterion for the kings new wife is beauty. This question has been a source of controversy for centuries. Queen vashti rebels the book of esther is the only book. The book of esther is rather odd because it is the only book of the bible in which the name of god appears to be missing martin luther considered excluding it from the bible for this reason 1. Feb 28, 2018 god s justice clothes you with royal robes see esther 5. Even though gods name is never mentioned by name or directly referenced, its evident that his presence is. The story of esther turns on a series of seeming coincidences.
Gods justice calls you to inner courts and high places, and gives you favor in the sight of those in power see esther. This is an interesting sermon for those who hold this view, but it isnt true. Levi lusko, lead pastor of fresh life church esther fleece allen calls believers to walk in the strength and hope of their god given identity and does so with great depth, compassion, and richness of biblical teaching that we find restorative. Yet actually, god is mentioned throughout the account. The book of esther in hebrew is secular in nature, in that the name of god, the temple, and prayer are not mentioned. The book of esther has 167 verses there are 192 references to the king, kingdom, or name of ahasuerus. Many wonder why the book of esther is in the bible, because the name of god is not mentioned in it. Dear students of god s word, there is a study by professor e. However, at several points in the narrative, the author alludes to gods hand in the events. As a result of the use of acrostics, the name of god is indeed found. The main people in the book also are symbols for god, gods messiah, israel and the adversary, aka hasatan. Esther may have been a different hebrew interpretation from the proto. We dont know for sure if mordecai had gods promises to abraham and david in mind when he claimed that the jews would be delivered es 4.
Book of esther, in the hebrew bible and the christian old testament. The book of esther is a 20 movie starring jen lilley as queen esther and joel smallbone as king xerxes. Jul 24, 2012 all the evidence points to the book of esther as being part of the holy bible, inspired of god and beneficial. Unlike the many other books in the bible, throughout whole book of esther, the word god is not mentioned once. Why isnt god mentioned at all in the book of esther. Esther is the only book in the bible not to mention the name of god. Interestingly, the name of god is not mentioned in this book.
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