The absence of the name of God in the Book of Esther

[TonyChanYT]

This absence is related to the theme of the book of Esther: divine sovereignty and providence working behind the scenes. Even though God's name is not there, we can see God's handy works.

Romans 8:

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Examples of Providence in the Book of Esther:

• Esther “just happens” to find favor with the royal official in charge of the beauty contest (2:9).
• Mordechai “just happens” to overhear the plot against the king (2:21–22).
• The king “just happens” to welcome and point his scepter at Esther (5:2).
• The king “just happens” to have insomnia and read the story of Mordecai saving his life (6:1–2).
• Haman, the genocidal maniac and hater of Jews, “just happens” to perish on the very gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai (7:10).
• This emphasis on providence is reflected in the words of Mordecai when he challenged Esther to go to the king about Haman’s plan: “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place . . . and who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Est. 4:14).

 

[Webers_Home]

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All scripture is by means of inspiration (2Tim 3:16) but I really don't think
that all in the Bible is scripture.

There's a very strong possibility that the book of Esther should be taken as
myth, viz: a fictional tradition with elements of history woven in to give the
story a patina of realism. Some very good novels have been written that
way; movies and plays too.

We shouldn't let ourselves be overly disturbed to find some fiction tucked in
the Bible's pages. I mean, after all, the Song is one of Solomon's romantic
fantasies and few, if any, seem to mind. And the book of Ecclesiastes is one
man's world view, viz: a philosophical take on life from the perspective of a
man under the sun instead of a divine take on life from the perspective of a
man above it all.
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