Providence Over Life’s Details

As we continue our study of the Old Testament story of Esther, the two main characters enter the story. First is Mordecai, a Jew who is a direct descendant of exiles who were deported from Israel to Babylon around 114 years before the events of this book. He is a normal Jew working at the King's Gate in Susa, the capitol city. He is also the guardian of little orphan Esther, a young and beautiful Jewish woman living in the same city at the same time. The chapter is filled with a crazy declaration by the King and his henchmen leading to the awful use and abuse of women by this king. Esther is caught up in that, but ends up finding favor with her caretaker and eventually the king himself. Mordecai and Esther represent the most unlikely of rescuers for the Jews, and their lives seem random and out of control. Yet every detail has been orchestrated for the deliverance of the Jews. At the same time, this is a reminder that the random and even broken aspects of our own lives are under the sovereign care of our Redeemer and God.