Connecting the Dots: A study on the book of Esther

by Barbara Fletcher, Sarah Morrow, Cary Wood

“One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.’” Wow, what a thrill it must have been to see and hear God in that moment—God visible in the form of a dove and God speaking from heaven.Surely most people would love to see God and hear His voice. After all, wouldn’t it be easier to walk by sight and sound rather than trying to walk by faith with an invisible God? The reality is, Jesus is currently in heaven and Holy Spirit doesn’t come as a physical dove to lead us through the paths of everyday life. As a result, we need to connect the dots of God’s involvement in our lives through other means. So it is in the book of Esther. God is never even mentioned, which is pretty shocking for a book included in the canon of Scripture. Consequently, throughout the ages, God’s people have had to connect the dots on their own to see God’s hand in the remarkable story of herlife. Connecting the dots in Esther is a bit like geo-caching or a scavenger hunt. There are “God clues” from chapter to chapter. In fact, by the end of the book there are so many “God clues” that His strong, invisible hand in surprising and even shocking events becomes obvious. Perhaps this study can help us learn how to connect the dots of God’s strong invisible hand in the stories of our own lives, alerting us to “God clues” day by day and week by week. Perhaps we can become like Moses who “by faith left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; [instead] he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible. Hopefully, we can then be like the apostle Paul, who declared, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

79 pages, Paperback

Published December 25, 2019