It's good to be with you. I'm glad you're here tonight. And of course, our time together both tonight and tomorrow and then, God willing, on Sunday as well, we'll center around this woman whose name is Esther. Let's pray together and ask God to bless our time this evening. Would you pray with me? Our Father in Heaven, again, we do give You thanks for Your Word and would ask that You would draw near to us. We pray that we might know something of Your Spirit among us, convincing us of the truth and helping us not just to be hearers of the Word, but that we might be found doers. And so meet with us in our time together, we ask. For we ask these things in Christ's name, Amen. The book of Ezra and Nehemiah tell us the story of the Jews who returned back to the promised land. The book of Esther tells us the events that transpire in the lives of those Jews who remained in Persia. Now, the book of Esther is a very interesting book. It has been noted that God is never mentioned. No prayer is ever offered in the name of God in the book of Esther. No one ever says in the book of Esther, God is here. And yet, as you study the events in the life of this woman, you will find God's fingerprints all over this book. Matthew Henry puts it this way, Though the name of God be not in it, the finger of God is directing the minute events for the bringing about of His people's deliverance. The particulars are not only surprising, and very entertaining, but edifying and very encouraging to the faith and hope of God's people in the most difficult and dangerous times. The immortal, invisible hand of God is working behind the scenes throughout this book. And though never seen by human eye, God is at work in this orphan girl and her cousin Mordecai in a very dramatic story that is filled with adventure, suspicion. It is a fascinating book of suspense and surprise. God watching over His people and caring for them and delivering them in a time of real adversity and trial. And so this evening, before we actually look at the events of this woman, what I want us to do this evening is to consider together the One that is never mentioned. And I want us to play detectives. And I want us to brush for fingerprints. And when we find those fingerprints, I want us to examine them that they might encourage us that our God is a great God even to the end, that He is worthy to be trusted even in the midst of adversity and calamity, in the midst of danger and hardship. God can be trusted. Even at times when we may go through seasons, when we feel all alone, and God doesn't seem near, that we might be convinced that though we might not sense His presence, He does care for us and love us and will always do us good. I'm reminded, if you just take your Bibles for a moment, we noticed this passage last Lord's Day in our worship service, but Job chapter 23. Hear the words of Job. Job 23 and verse 8, Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backwards, but I cannot perceive him. When he acts, On the left, I cannot behold Him. And He turns on the right, and I cannot see Him. But He knows the way that I take. Do you hear the confidence of this man? I go forward, He's not there. I go backwards, and I don't have a sense of His presence. I go to the left and he's acting, but I don't behold him. And I go to the right and I cannot perceive him. It seems to be a season in my life in which there is no sense or there is no feeling that God is with me. But notice, he does not act on his feelings. He acts upon the fact that he has confidence that God knows my way. And when I am tried, I'll come forth as gold. Jerry Bridges writes, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith and not of sense. And so this evening in our time together, and I know some of you have had a busy day. You're the ideal audience to preach to. Many of you have had a busy day. You just enjoyed a meal. You're in a warm building. And you're sitting there saying, preach it to me, brother. But what I want to do is I want you to consider with me three essential truths about God. Truths that are seen in Esther. And truths that we must embrace and believe if we're to trust God, even in the midst of adversity. Most of these truths will not be new to most of you. Your pastors have proclaimed these truths for many years. But this evening, may we be reminded of them that we might trust God and be able even to say with the psalmist, I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be in my mouth. How is one able to say that? One is able to say that when he has a grasp of these truths in the midst of all his circumstances. And so the first truth that I want you to consider with me this evening is that God is absolutely sovereign. God is absolutely sovereign. Again, to quote Mr. Bridges, As he writes about the essence of God's sovereignty, he says that the sovereignty of God is that He does whatever He pleases and determines whether we can do what we have planned. Let me say that again. The sovereignty of God, in essence, is that He does whatever pleases Him and determines whether we can do what we have planned. The psalmist put it this way in Psalm 33, verses 10 and 11. The Lord foils the plans of the nation. He thwarts their purposes of the people. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever. And the purposes of His heart through all generations. Man makes plans, but they can change. Man may have a purpose, but it may go unfulfilled. God makes a plan and it will stand. God, what He purposes, will always come to pass. God is in control. He does whatever He pleases. No creature, no person, no empire can either stop Him or act outside the bounds of His will. God is the blessed controller of all things. Now, as we examine that fingerprint, first of all, I want to defend that fingerprint in the Word of God. And I want you to consider, we could have looked at a number of passages of Scripture, but I want you to notice just a couple passages with me. First of all, Isaiah 43. Isaiah chapter 43. Verses 10 through 13. You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, and my servants whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, and there will be none after me. I, even I, am the Lord. And there is no Savior beside me. It is I who declared and saved and proclaimed. And there was no strange God among you. You are my witnesses, declared the Lord. I am God, even from eternity. I am He. And there is none who can deliver out of my hand. I act And who can reverse it? When I purpose to do something, who's going to change that? I act and I'm never frustrated. Nobody can reverse what I purpose to do. Well, why? You know why? He says it very clearly. I am God. That settles it. End of discussion? You and I can make plans. But somebody can somehow enter into our lives and those plans will change and we might even become frustrated. We were getting ready to go on vacation this past summer. Now, I have two vehicles, both of them have a lot of miles, but I decided this year I was going to be wise. And so I took my van into the garage to the service station and said to them, give it the works. I mean, you inspect every part of it. You change anything you think might need to be changed. I don't want anything to happen while I'm traveling. You know where I'm going? We're getting ready to go on vacation. Everything's going well. We decide we're heading to Charleston, South Carolina, and so we decide we leave at 3.30 in the morning. We travel down. We'll be there in time for supper. I mean, everything's planned out well. 3.30 in the morning, we're up. We're driving down the road. Everything's going fine. 7, 8 o'clock, I say to my wife, you drive. I think I'm going to sleep a little bit. She's driving down the road. She'd probably been driving about an hour when all of a sudden I heard that dreaded word, Calvin! To which I, yes. I have no brakes! You have no what? Brakes! And it's not steering! Well, she had brakes. She's just used to the quick brakes. Pulls it over to the side of the road. Corbin, Kentucky. Corbin, Kentucky is a wonderful place. I know because I got to spend the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon there. As they worked on my car because it broke down. So I spent until 4.30 in the afternoon in Corbin, Kentucky, somewhat frustrated, but by God's grace, still having a good time. I'm on vacation. But you know how your plans change? God says, it never happens with me. I act. Who's going to reverse it? Look over at Isaiah 46. Isaiah chapter 46. Starting there at verse 9. Remember the former things long past? For I am God. You notice that's His argument. Here he says it again. Remember who I am. I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is no one like me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from the ancient times things which have not been done, saying my purposes will be established and I will accomplish all my good pleasure. calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my purpose from a far country. Truly, I have spoken. Truly, I will bring it to pass. I have planned it. Surely, I will do it." Do you hear that? No hesitancy in his voice. He says, I will do it. It will be accomplished. All my good pleasure. I will do. Well, we must move on. I would mention a couple other verses. Proverbs 16 and verse 9. In his heart, man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Charles Bridges refers to this text as a fine description of the sovereign government of God. Man plans his course, but God determines his steps. Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 13, consider what God has done. Who can straighten what He has made crooked? Who can straighten out what he's bent? James chapter 4 and verse 15. You know, the man goes out and sells his possessions. He wants to sell his goods. And he thinks about going to this country or that country. He's going to sell his goods. He's going to make some money. And James says, wait a minute, man. You ought to say, if the Lord wills, We will live and do this and do that. Now, James is not condemning his business, but his boasting. What he's telling them is that the right attitude of life is to recognize that God's in control of all things. And so while I may plan to do this or do that, it is only if God wills. And I will submit to Him. See, the Scripture makes it very clear. And there are many, many, many. Someone challenged a man one time to read the Scripture looking for the sovereignty of God. And the man said, I could not find hardly any place where God's sovereignty was not found. Now, having seen the defense of this fingerprint, I want you to consider with me the display of that fingerprint, even in the book of Esther. One has written that one of the reasons the book of Esther is included in the Scripture is to help us to see the sovereign hand of God at work behind the scenes, caring for His people. God was as sovereignly at work through the ordinary circumstances of the time of Esther as He was through the miracles in the time of Moses. And so, look over at a book of Esther. Esther. And one of the clearest examples of the sovereignty of God comes to us in Esther chapter 6. Esther chapter 6. It's a wonderful example of God's sovereignty behind the scenes. Before we actually go to chapter 6, go to chapter 1. Keep your fingers there in chapter 6, but go to chapter 1. Take that chapter 2. Esther has been recognized as the new queen. And then we read, because Mordecai is her cousin who was taking care of her, starting there at verse 21. In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, And Tiresh, two of the king's officials, from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Hasherus. But the plot became known to Mordecai, and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name. Now, when the plot was investigated and found to be so, They were both hanged on the gallows. And it was written in the book of the Chronicles in the king's presence." That seems like a very ordinary circumstance. Mordecai sits at the gate. He gets word that these two in the king's regiment were about to kill the king. And Mordecai finds out and he lets the king know. The king writes it down in his book of Chronicles. And then we read on about Haman and some of the events that go on. But then we come to chapter 6. And here in chapter 6, we begin reading. During that night, the king could not sleep until he gave an order to bring the book of records, the Chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning Pigthin and Tirish, two of the king's eunuchs who were doorkeepers. that they sought to lay hands on King Hasheras. And the king said, What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this? Then the king's servants who attended him said, Nothing has been done for him. During one night, The king couldn't sleep. You know what those nights are like. You sort of toss and turn. And if you're like me, you debate, do I get up and do a little reading? Do I stay in bed? Do I turn on the radio? What am I going to do? Well, the king thinks, I'm going to have the chronicles read to me. I don't know if he did that because he thought they might be boring and put him to sleep or whatever, but nevertheless, he asked him, bring in the books and let the chronicles be read to me. And so they come in with all the history books and they pick out one volume. And they open it up. Of all things, they turn to a time in the history where there was this man named Mordecai. And he found out about a plot of some who were trying to put you to death. And he let it be known And therefore, your life was spared. The king thinks back, wow, did I ever do anything for that man? Did I ever honor him? And the answer came back, no. Why was it that the king couldn't sleep Why was it that the king would pick out that volume? And how did he happen to turn to the page about Mordecai? How did that all come to pass? The answer is, God was in the field working. when he was invisible. God was sovereignly in control. And the amazing thing, I don't know if any of you read the story of Esther. I trust you're somewhat familiar with it. The fascinating thing is to see how God's at work doing all kinds of things. Because if you know anything about it, you know that Haman has plotted for all the Jews to be killed. We'll look at that more later. But he's made this plot so that all the Jews are going to be killed. And especially, he doesn't like Mordecai. And on this particular night, when the king could not sleep, when the volume about Mordecai is read, guess who shows up about the time when the king realizes, I've never done anything to honor this man. I love the way it says, verse 4, had just entered the outward courts. Wow, there's good timing. Haman comes walking in. And then the king looks at Haman and says, Haman, what do you think I ought to do to a man to honor him? And Haman thinks, who deserves more honor than I do? He must be talking about me. And so he says, here's what I think you ought to do. I think this would be a wonderful idea. Look at verse 8. Let them bring royal robes, which the king has worn, and the horse upon which the king is ridden, and on whose head the royal crown has been placed. And let the robe and the horse be handed over to the one, the king's most noble princess. and let them array that man whom the king desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square and proclaim before him, thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor." I think that's a wonderful plan. And then the king says, I do too. Go call Mordecai, Haman, and lead him around the city. Crying out, here's what the king does to the man he wants to honor. Isn't it amazing how all that just falls together? How could that be? How did Haman walk in just as the king's having a conversation about wanting to honor Mordecai? How did that happen? God is absolutely sovereign. And you see that over and over again in this book. Over and over again you read things like, and after these things, this happens. And after this, this happens. Dear people, whatever comes into your life, is controlled by the sovereign hand of God. And you may not always understand it, and at times it may even hurt, but God is still in control. He's never once sitting on the throne saying, oh no, oops, Never frustrated. He's absolutely sovereign. But second truth, He is infinitely wise. He never makes a mistake. God knows what He is doing. He always knows what is best for Us and how to bring that to past. William Hendrickson writes, God's wisdom is His ability to select the best means for the attainment of the highest good. God's wisdom is His ability to select the best means for attainment of the highest good. God knows what He's doing. God knows why He is doing what He is doing. And though at times it may not be apparent to us, God knows. And God can be trusted. We can see that in the Scriptures, His wisdom. Psalm 147 and verse 5 tells us that God's understanding has no limits. It's interesting. I read this and I thought it was interesting. God never agonizes over a decision. That's unlike you and I. I mean, we've got to make a decision. And perhaps we say, I wish I had, you ever say something like this? I wish I had a crystal ball. If I only had a crystal ball that I could see, I could see what's going on and how things are going to turn out. But I don't know. Should I do this? Should I do that? We're agonizing. What's the right way to go? What's the right thing to do? God's not that way. His understanding is inscrutable. Nobody needs to inform Him about anything. He knows all things. No one is His counselor. Isaiah 40, again, it says that His understanding is inscrutable. It's beyond even our comprehension how much He knows. In that same chapter of Isaiah 40, it says, who has directed the Spirit of the Lord? Or who is His counselor to inform Him? With whom did He consult? And who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and informed Him of the way of understanding? Who is as wise as our God? I told you about my trip this summer. It only gets better. I left Corbin, Kentucky, and I get to the North Carolina line. Suddenly, the light starts flashing. Check engine, check engine, check engine. So I pull over. Welcome Center there in North Carolina. My wife gets out the book, she reads it to me. When light is flashing, shut off the engine for 10 seconds and restart. Shut off the engine, 10 seconds, started it up. I mean, the thing starts shaking. Why? I call the tow company. My wife started dealing with them, but then quickly handed me the phone. I need a toe. Yes, Mr. Waldo, you already had a toe today. I know I have, but I still need one. Well, Mr. Waldo, you only get one toe a day. My first toe was in Kentucky, I'm in North Carolina now. Didn't go by states, it went by days. It was eight o'clock at night. I said, OK, if I wait four hours and call you at 1201, will you tow my car? Yes, we will, Mr. Walden. You're going to tow my car now. They did. They towed it to a pilot gas station, a mechanic on duty till midnight. It's a wonderful providence. This guy starts working on my car. There are other things that happen that you could see that God's hand in, but I quickly move on. The guy's working on my car and he says, you know, I think if we wait a few moments, I think he put some stuff in my gas tank. I think we got it. So I'm waiting, car's still shaking. But I've got a few moments and we start talking. And he says to me, just in passing, something about, well, yesterday when I went to the doctor about my cancer, I came home after that and then he went on about something else. And I said, wait a minute, back up. He said, what? You have cancer? I said, yeah. This guy is a grease monkey, big guy, works on semis most of the time. And I said, well, what are you doing? I mean, are you chemo, radiation? No. It's terminal. And I said, so what's the prognosis? And he looked at me, and big old tears came down his eyes, down his cheeks. He said, they give me six months. Which opened the door for me to say, death can be a frightening thing, can't it? But there is one way that a man can prepare to die through Jesus Christ. And then gave him the gospel. And I don't know. As much as I hated to break down in Corbin, Kentucky, as much as I hated to wait at a rest area and then make it into this other place, what happens if I didn't break down? What happens if I didn't get that toe, but it all worked out so that if no other reason, I had a chance to talk to this man about Christ, who was very close to death? God knows what He's doing. He knows what He's doing in your life. And it may not always be clear to us, and we may not always know the same way that at least there was some understanding. If I'm going to break down, at least I had a chance to hear the Gospel. But God knows what He's doing. And we see it displayed We see it displayed in the book of Esther. Esther chapter 1. The king is in his third year of his reign, verse 3. In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all the princes and the attended officers of Persia. I mean, this was quite a banquet. It lasted 180 days. Now, that's quite a get-together. 180 days. And then we come to verse 5 and we see it's followed by a second banquet. I mean, 180 days wasn't enough. Let's have another one. And this time they realize somebody's missing. Who's missing? Oh, the Queen's missing. Bestie. And the king had apparently showed off all of his goods. He wanted to remind them what a powerful king he was and all that he had. And somebody says, we've got to bring your wife out here. Show her off. She's a beautiful woman. Let us all see her. So that's a great idea. Well, I'm showing off my thing. Yeah, bring her out. And they went to get Vesti and she would not come. She would not appear before Him. And so because she refused to come before the King, she is separated. She's divorced from Him, put out. But through all this, God knows what He's doing. Even though sometimes It seems illogical, because if you read chapter 2 and verse 1, after these things, and we'll look more at that tomorrow, but after these things, the anger of the king, Hashereus, had subsided and he remembered Vesti. He thinks about this woman who who apparently he was very fond of and he wanted her around. But now she's been set out. She's departed. She's not there. Well, why did you let her go? Why did these events happen? God knows what he's doing. Because King's going to start looking for another queen. And there's this man who sets out at the gates named Mordecai, who has a cousin who's an orphan that he's been taking care of. And she's going to be brought in. And she's going to become the queen. And that's very important because she will be the instrument that God uses to deliver His people from being destroyed. God knew. God knows what's going on. He knows what He's doing. And He knows how to bring about His varied purpose. He is infinitely wise. But thirdly, the third essential truth is that He is completely good. And by that I mean this. God will bring all things about for His glory and our good in the end. God will bring all things about for His glory and our good in the end. He will be glorified. Time and time again in the Scriptures, we read these words. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. 1 Chronicles 16.34, Psalm 118 verses 1 and verse 29, give thanks to the Lord. Psalm 25 and verse 8, good and upright is the Lord. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 11 says, We have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His own will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. He'll work all things out to the counsel of His own will to the end that He will be glorified. And then we have that verse in Romans 8.28. And this we know, that all things work together for good to those who love God and those who are called according to His purpose. I think one of the most important words in those two verses, Ephesians 1.11, Romans 8.28, the most important word is all. It doesn't say He will work some things out to the counsel of His own will. Doesn't say He'll work many things. All things to His glory and to His praise. And He will work all things together for good. And we see that in the life of Esther. Just quickly notice with me how this works out. Look at chapter 4. Look at chapter 4. Mordecai has just gotten word. Just gotten word. And the word is this. All the Jews. All the Jews. are to be killed on a certain day of a certain month, every one of them are to die. In chapter 4 and verse 1, when Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, he put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. And he went as far as the king's gate, for no one was to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth." Here we see Mordecai. He just got word. On a certain day of a certain month, we're all going to die. We're going to be annihilated. We're going to be killed. We're going to be destroyed. But you see, God's at work behind the scenes. And though we don't have time to go all into it now, go over to chapter 8. Chapter 8, God's at work and He brings deliverance. Now you see, the edict couldn't be changed. But God has intervened in such a way that the Jews are now allowed to defend themselves on this day. And notice, we find a new Mordecai. A new Mordecai arrives. Chapter 8 and verse 15, Mordecai has learned about another edict that has been pronounced And then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in robes of blue and white with a large crown of gold and the garments of fine linen and purple and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced for the Jews there was light and gladness and joy and honor." Boy, what a change. One time in saffcloth and ashes, crying bitterly. The next time, shouts of praise and rejoicing for God has brought about deliverance. God is at work even when He's at most invisible. And He will work all things out for His glory and my good. Dear ladies, this is the God of the Bible. And may I say it this way, there is nothing that will come into your life that will not be filtered through the hands of a sovereign, wise, and good God first. So when adversity comes, when hardships come, when you go through times of uncertainty, as difficult as the circumstances might be, and I won't make light of those circumstances, they may be very hard, they may be very trying, but God's still in control. He knows what He's doing. And it will be, as believers, for our good by and by. Psalm 9 and verse 10 says, They that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. They that know thy name will put their trust in him. Do you know this, God? Can you say He is my God? That can only be said if you know His Son, Jesus Christ. Perhaps you're here this evening and you've heard about this God and you've thought, oh, that sounds like a wonderful God. I want you to know Him and have a relationship with Him. But that will only come through knowing Jesus Christ and trusting in Him. So, ladies, here's the invisible hand of God at work, who is sovereign, wise, and good. It's true with Esther. It's true with us. He's the same God yesterday, today, and forever. May we put our trust in Him. Let's pray. Now, Father, we do pray that You would take Your Word and use it for good Father, we pray that these would not just be theories that we hear and then quickly wipe away, but Father, we will lay hold of them. We will embrace them. We will brand them on our hearts and consciences so that whatever comes across our path, we might have confidence in our God. And Father, for those who may be here who know you not, they've heard about a great God, but they don't know you. Oh, may today, tonight, Be a day of salvation. Show them. Show them Jesus Christ and may they flee to Him. Turning from sin, may they embrace Christ as Savior and Lord, that they might know Him whom to know is life. And we'll give you the glory as we ask these things in Christ's name. Amen.