God delivers - 19 September 2024

God has always delivered his people from peril, extinction and destruction. Conversely, the devil has always had his mind on the destruction of the Jews and, ultimately, the progeny who would fulfil God’s promise to humankind.

In the Book of Esther, where God’s name is not ever mentioned once, the book is laden with God-evident events. Certain annihilation of the Jews, organised by Haman, is thwarted by a Jewish woman in the guise of Queen Esther who manages to speak the language of her husband’s heart.

When Jacob, the patriarch, suffered harsh conditions during a famine in Canaan, God delivered his family. Graciously, they found themselves in Goshen enjoying the fat of the land. Joseph, a personal hero of mine, had been the forerunner who God had moulded to be in a position to keep his servants safe, fed and settled.

I marvel at a God who never leaves his people to their own devices. Both stories are evidence of God who works with an almost invisible hand behind the scenes.

Edith Sher’s “Unmasking Esther” illuminates the interesting similarities between these two instruments of redemption. “In both accounts the setting is a foreign land: Egypt in the case of Joseph and Persia in the case of Esther. In both instances a Jew in disadvantaged circumstances is positioned by God in a key role. In both cases they are thrust unwillingly into prominence: Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt, while Esther is taken to the king’s palace. Joseph is imprisoned because Potiphar’s wife had found him so attractive. Esther is confined in the royal harem because she is so attractive.”

Furthermore, she notes, “Looked at in purely human terms, Esther has little to be proud of. She has denied her people, has forsaken Torah, and goes along with the process that will result in her marrying a pagan Gentile. … Nevertheless, God has chosen her to be his instrument of deliverance, and like Joseph a period of preparation is vital to mould her for his purpose.”

Incredible, isn’t it? And there are many more. The women in Jesus’ genealogy are all case in point – not quite angel material, yet nobody can fault them for their faith.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for using us even with all of our flaws. Thank you for using imperfect vessels to achieve divine purposes. We praise your name. Amen