"They That Bear Witness"

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,” (John 5:39 ESV)

Usually, the Book of Esther is seen as a book of morality. For women, it is about compliance and bravery. For men, it is about being wise and about having faith in God. Of course, for all of us, it is about being proud and boastful, and the troubles these can cause in one's life. However, there is more to Esther than morality; there is the gospel. Jesus told us that the scriptures bear witness to Him. He means all of them, even one where God, surprisingly, is not mentioned once.

Like all books of the Bible, the Book of Esther binds the Old Testament to the New Testament by foreshadowing Christ as the deliverer and our mediator with God. How, you ask? Well beyond the morality and dedication to duty, Esther shows that God continued to work in the background, furthering his plan of redemption for His people.

Look at the people of Israel in this book. They were exiled, and had been for some time, all because of their sin.  Many had lost all memory of God. No longer did they know their true identity as children of God. Many did not remember or had never seen the land God had promised them. Everything they knew was under the control of Godless people, yet God remained faithful despite their being oblivious to Him and His plan.

The main point of this Book is that the success of God’s plan is never dependent on God’s people. If it were, we would all be lost. Esther also reveals that while it might seem prudent to “blend in” with society, God still delivers today, just as He did then. It is God’s manifold wisdom that drives creation. We cannot imagine the depth of God’s wisdom or its effect on even the smallest things in our lives.

In every way, the gospel is foolish to those who do not know Christ. Think of it, a crucified Savior, who was born of a virgin, hated and persecuted, wine and bread, and yet every bit of it is true. There are archaic drawings in Rome where soldiers slept mocking the crucified Savior, who is still mocked today. It is crushing His enemies through the weakness of the cross that delights God the most. To do this, God will use everyday sinners like you and me. That, my friends, is amazing.

In Esther, we see the seemingly invincible Ahasuerus, but what could he have done to separate God’s love from His people? Nothing. Esther is another account of God's unwavering assurances to His people. What God promises, He will surely do. So, Esther, the seeming book of morality, is an actual part of the glue that binds the Old Testament to Christ. Esther is a book of the gospel, just as Jesus said.

Grace and Peace.