Don Smith :: The Study of Providence - Esther 10

Exposition of Esther - Chapter Ten

How was God’s Providence at Work in Defeating the Enemies of the Jews?

1. In God’s providence, Mordecai wrote these things down for posterity.
2. In God’s providence, Mordecai became great among the Jews as well as the multitude.
   • He sought the good of his people
   • He spoke peace to all his countrymen, who were literally “Seed.”

Finding Hope in God’s Providence

• King Xerxes is a type of God’s sovereign Word and power.
• Esther is a type of the Church—cherished by the Lord
• Mordecai is a type of Christ—adopts the Church and faces the enmity of the serpent.
• Mordecai did not reveal himself until the right time even as Christ waited until His hour.
• Haman is a type of anti-Christ who is at enmity with Christ’s Seed.
• The tree is a type of the cross—the enmity that built the cross became the place of the enemy’s defeat.
• As Mordecai’s reputation and fame was great among Gentiles, so Christ’s fame has spread among the nations of the world.
• As the words and works of Mordecai are recorded in a book, so Christ’s are preserved in The Book, both Old and New Testaments.
• As King Xerxes reached out the golden scepter to Esther, so God reaches out His hand in love and acceptance for His Church.

Providence — by John Flavel

• “I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all things for me.” Psalm 57:2
• If God performs all things for you, how great is His condescension toward and care over His people!
• “What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, and thou shouldest set Thine heart upon him?
• And that Thou visit him every morning, and try him every moment?” (Job 7:17-18)
• “Such is His tender care over you that He does not withdraw His eye from you.” (Job 36:7)
• “Lest any hurt you, He Himself will guard and keep you day and night.” (Isaiah 27:3)
• Should He withdraw His eye or hand one moment from you, that moment would be your ruin.
• Ten thousand evils watch but for such an opportunity to rush in upon you and destroy you and all your comforts.
• You are too dear to Him to be trusted in any hand but His own.
• “All Thy saints are in Thy hand…” (Deuteronomy 33:3)”

Rest in God’s Providence

An Unnamed Poem by Edith Cherry

“We rest on Thee” – our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

Yes, “in Thy Name,” O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear Name, all other names above;
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of Glory and our King of Love.

We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling
And needing more each day Thy grace to know;
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

We rest on Thee” – our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise,
When passing through the gates of pearly splendour,
Victors – we rest with Thee, through endless days.