God had a plan for Esther. His Providence is on display throughout the book bearing her name. Esther replaced Vashti as queen of Persia after the latter refused to obey the command of King Xerxes. Even in this pagan kingdom, God had the right people in the right place, at the right time.

Haman was a descendent of the Amalekites; the same Amalekites that God had ordered Saul to destroy but were not. As such, Haman’s hatred for the Jews was fierce and he vowed to kill them all. With the king’s approval, a plan was approved for all the Jews to be killed.

Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, encouraged her to go before the king and beg for both her life and the life of her people. Esther was afraid to act because appearing before the king without being summoned was punishable by death. Yet, in the face of this reality, she petitioned the king and he accepted her. When Haman was exposed to the king as the one who threated the queen and her people, he was executed for his crime. God had once again shown that He was always in control and the Jews were saved.

Our God is both immanent with us and transcendent beyond us. He is everywhere, in everything, and always in control. Yet, at the same time, He is above and beyond His Creation, completely unaffected by it. Our God is all power and almighty! Amen!

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Daniel was a loyal and humble servant of the Lord. In all that he did, he followed the Law of God first, then the law of men. Ezekiel even named him alongside Noah and Job in speaking of the most righteous men in Hebrew history. God blessed Daniel in all that he did.

Daniel was deported to Babylon when he was only 15 years old. God blessed him along with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. This was due, at least in part, to the fact they alone kept the dietary restrictions to which the Israelites were bound. Daniel was also given the ability to interpret visions.

Throughout his life, Daniel honored God. When Nebuchadnezzar asked Daniel to interpret a dream, Daniel told him that there is a God in heaven who had revealed the dream to him. Years later when asked to interpret the writing on the wall, Daniel told Belshazzar that he could keep his gifts, but he would reveal the meaning anyway. Daniel did not seek personal wealth and gain, but because of his humble and obedient nature to God, he was blessed with these things.

Daniel’s faith was put to the ultimate test when a law was enacted saying that he could not worship anyone but Darius for the next 30 days under penalty of being casted into a den of lions. No one could keep Daniel from offering praise to God though. Daniel did not try to escape from sentence, but instead trusted in the Lord. After a night in the den of lions the king called down to Daniel to see if he was alive. Daniel answered him, “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” The faith of Daniel and the power of our Most Holy God had prevailed.

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The Northern Kingdom never had a good ruler. Starting with their first king, Jeroboam, Israel had embraced idols and the worship of false gods. Their actions violated the covenant that their fathers had made with God. When Hoshea came to power, the end had arrived. The hedge of protection had been removed from Israel.

Hoshea began his reign by becoming a vassal to the Assyrian King and promising to pay tribute. However, when he achieved a military alliance with Egypt, Hoshea stopped paying tribute and incurred the wrath of the Assyrian empire. All of the Northern Kingdom was destroyed and the people were deported to foreign lands. The ten tribes of Israel were lost.

Judah struggled with the same sins that caused the destruction of Israel. Their own destruction was at hand. It was in that dark hour that a light of hope was seen in Judah. Because of the faith and efforts of a good king, they were temporarily spared the fate of the Northern Kingdom. This good king’s name was Hezekiah.

Hezekiah was a king worthy of David’s throne. He feared the Lord and worshipped Him. He tore down all the altars and idols in Judah and told the people to only worship at the temple. It was through his prayer that God sent an angel to destroy 185,000 Assyrians during the night, sending their army into retreat. Though Hezekiah set Judah back on the right track, it was only a short respite in a line of wicked kings.

Manasseh became king when Hezekiah died. He was as wicked as any before him, reestablishing the high places for the worship of foreign gods. It was at this time when the prophecies were given for the destruction of Judah. The covenant was broken, judgment had been given, and Judah was to be destroyed as well.

God sent prophets to His people to warn them of their sin. Yet, despite all the warnings and calls for repentance, their sins became more flagrant and abominable. They would not serve the one, true God, so judgment came upon them.

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