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Providence:. The person who walks through the world and sees no God, is declared by inspired authority to be a fool. But the wise man’s eyes, with an inner sight, discovers God at work everywhere . Psalm 115:3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases . Psalm 135:6
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Providence: • The person who walks through the world and sees no God, is declared by inspired authority to be a fool. • But the wise man’s eyes, with an inner sight, discovers God at work everywhere.
Psalm 115:3 • Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. • Psalm 135:6 • Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
Though God may at times seem distant, but He is alwaysactively at work. • Though absent by name from this book, God is present in every scene and in the movement of every event, • until He brings everything to a marvelous climax as He proves Himself Lord and Savior of His people.
What you have in Esther is not a whole lot of miracles. • There is nothing like the Red Sea opening up, or the walls of Jericho falling down. • But you do have all kinds of interwoven circumstances as God works His will.
providence • The root meaning of providence is foresight • It also assumes activity arising fromforesight • There is only One who has foresight, so only He is able to act on the basis of foreknowledge. • Divine foreknowledge and the Divine activity which arises from it.
This is what we see demonstrated in the Book of Esther. • The crisis about which the book is written is providentially anticipated • and then providentially overruled at just the crucial moment.
The Lord is working according to His will • Esther is set on the stage of real history • Ahasuerus, the Persian monarch; • Vashti, the deposed queen; • Haman, the Jew-hater; • Mordecai, the Jewish leader; • Esther, the orphaned Jewish girl who became queen.
Esther 1:8 • By the king's command each guest was allowed to drink in his own way, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished. (NIV)
Esther 1:10-12POSE OR BE DEPOSED! • Xerxes was under the control of wine • Xerxes was a proud man • Xerxes sought to selfishly promote her • Xerxes could not coerce his own queen • Xerxes could not control his own heart
What on Earth possessed this pike to take on prey that size? "Gluttony just killed that fish."
Esther 1:10-12POSE OR BE DEPOSED! • Xerxes was under the control of wine • Xerxes was a proud man • Xerxes sought to selfishly promote her • Xerxes could not coerce his own queen • ______could not control his own heart
Ephesians 5:18 • Do not be controlled with strong drink or anything else. • Instead submit to Christ for salvation and then let the Holy Spirit take control. • Be encouraged that God can even use our failures to grow our faith in Him.