Good News - March 2019

ENCOURAGEMENT 42 MARCH 2019 Good News • South Florida Edition The Jewish holiday of Purim, based on the events in the book of Esther, begins this year at sunset on March 20th. Though the story of the book of Esther is a pow- erful one, the book has been controversial in church history. Some have suggested it should not be a part of Scriptures since it doesn’t mention the name of God! You read that correctly…the name of God is not men- tioned anywhere in the book of Esther, but His work is evident throughout. The Book of Esther is important to us specifi- cally because His name is not mentioned. There are many times in our lives, no matter how faithful we are or how strong our faith is, when we encounter im- possible circumstances and when we cry out to God all we hear are crickets. He seems to be absent, gone. Esther tells the story of Jew- ish people still in the Persian Empire after the Babylonian captivity, a time where God had disciplined them because of their spiritual unfaithfulness. Through the unfolding of the story, we see two sets of circumstances playing out. First, we see the Jewish girl Hadassah (Esther) being thrust into the position of Queen through a chain of seemingly impossible coincidences. In the midst of this process, she hides her Jewish identity. Second, we see the king’s second in command (Haman) be- cause of a personal grudge with Esther’s relative Mordecai seek to destroy all the Jewish people in the kingdom. Three truths There are three truths that come to bear that apply powerfully Purim: What Is Going On When God Seems Absent? Jim Fox Chosen People Ministries Queen Esther in the Kings Court defending her people. Drawings by Gustave Dore.