The UnNamed Hero

"Nothing whatever, whether great or small, can happen to a believer, without God's ordering and permission. There is no such thing as 'chance', 'luck' or 'accident' in the Christian's journey through this world. All is arranged and appointed by God. And all things are 'working together' for the believer's good."
                                                             J.C. Ryle




We all have times and seasons in our lives when God is seemingly silent to us.  J. Vernon McGee says that "When God is not at the steering wheel, He is the backseat. He is the coach who calls signals from the bench. He is the unseen rudder on the ship of state. God is the pilot at the wheel during the night watch." In other words, He is always sovereign and providential even when we are not aware of what He is doing behind the scenes.

Recently, Brent and I had the privilege of attending a week long seminary class on the book of Esther. The Professor who taught the course was Mark Yarbrough, who is the Dean of Students at Dallas Theological Seminary. If you ever have the opportunity to take one of his classes (there are free courses on the Seminary's website), please do so. Truly, this was one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had.

Because we were studying the book of Esther, there was much discussion on the sovereignty and providence of God. Since the book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that never mentions the name of God, the reader finds himself (or herself) looking for God behind the scenes and through a series of God-incidences that occur frequently in this story. Before we took this course, it was always my inclination to think that Esther and Mordecai were the heroes, and yet we learned that they absolutely were not.

Professor Yarbrough succinctly pointed out that both Esther and Mordecai had been given opportunities to stand against the wickedness that was occurring in Persia during this time, and yet they did not. Joseph and Daniel were two Biblical examples he gave on people who did take a risk and stand against ungodly cultural norms, but Esther and Mordecai did not. In essence, Mordecai gave Esther to be the king's prostitute, and Esther complied. It is so interesting to see that, as people, we are always yearning to find a hero and, far too often, we settle on a human one.

The real hero in this story is never even named. The real hero was working diligently behind the scenes to save His children from death and destruction. The real hero was orchestrating events with purpose to bring about His desired results. God brought Esther to Susa to live with her uncle Mordecai. Then, He moved on Queen Vashti's heart to refuse to be humiliated and abused by the king, which left an opening for the job title of Queen. Next, He allowed King Xerxes to go to war with Greece for four years, which meant that when the king returned, he was more motivated to find Vashti's replacement. Even though God was quiet, He was also very active and intentional in what He was doing.

As I thought about the fact that God was the unnamed hero in Esther's story, I began to wonder about how many times this has been true in my own life? How many times have I gotten so immersed in circumstances that I did not accurately assess what God was doing behind the scenes? How many times did I forget to name Him as the true hero that he is? How many times in my own immaturity did I not stand against the wicked forces that were relentlessly pursuing me? If I am honest, it is far more than I would like to admit.

The good news is that both Esther and Mordecai did mature in their faith. When their backs were up against a wall, they repented and fasted and prayed. They cried out to God for His help and intervention. They grew up spiritually and stood in the gap for their people. All along, God had known what was inside of Esther and Mordecai and He allowed just enough pressure in their lives to call forth the strength and loyalty that He had placed within them. He partnered with them both to bring about the results that He desired.

Not only did God accomplish his will, but He also brought about a great reversal that is still celebrated to this day. The tall stake that Haman had built to impale Mordecai upon became the same stake that was used to impale Haman. In other words, the very tool that the enemy had planned to use against God's people was instead used for his own demise. It was turned around and used to destroy the one with the evil intentions of his heart.

In similar fashion, the signet ring that had been given to Haman that gave him all authority and power was stripped from his finger and given to Mordecai. God lifted up Mordecai and honored him for his faithfulness. God also placed him in a position of power that was second only to King Xerxes. This story teaches us that one day the enemy of our souls will pay for every one of his transgressions and God's children will be honored for their faithfulness.

We may not see today all that God is doing behind the scenes, but sweet one, believe me when I say that he is actively working. He will leave no detail untouched. He may even allow things that He does not prefer in order to ultimately bring about the things that He does prefer. Today, Jews around the world still celebrate the feast of Purim, which comes from the word Pur.  Haman used the pur as essentially dice that he rolled to determine the date that the Jews would be destroyed. God took the pur that were intended for evil and turned it into the Purim that celebrates the defeat of the Jewish enemies.

God will also do the same for each of us if we trust Him for the outcome of our dilemma. It is what he longs to do for His children. He is a God of great ironies and He shows us this time and again throughout the Bible. This means that what looks like it will inevitably happen will be stayed in the hand of a mighty God. And, what does not seem like it will occur does occur when God is involved. All of this is to show us once more that His timing is perfect and so is His plan.

Each one of us will ultimately be sent out with a story of redemption that we can share with others. Our story will remind others of the covenant faithfulness of our God and the grace that He so willingly lavishes upon us. It will challenge and encourage those around us to believe, even during those seemingly silent seasons of our lives. We will name our true hero as the One, True God that He is and ascribe to Him all the glory that He is due. God never has forgotten a promise, nor does He abandon them. He didn't for Esther and Mordecai and neither will He for us! Worship and thank Him in advance and see what He will do!


             "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
                                                             1 Thessalonians 5:18



                                 

The Perfect Plan

"Jehosheba, who was King Jehoram's daughter and Ahaziah's sister, secretly rescued Joash (son of Ahaziah) from among the king's sons who were being killed and put him and the one who nursed him in a bedroom. So he was hidden from Athalia and was not killed. Joash was in hiding with her in the Lord's temple six years while Athalia reigned over the land."
                                                                2 Kings 11:2-3




There always has been and always will be two powers at play in this world in which we live. There is the Kingdom of Light  and the kingdom of darkness that continually fights against one another in an epic battle that will ultimately  reach its crescendo at the end of the Tribulation. Each kingdom has warriors that fight on its behalf. And, sometimes people unknowingly fight on the wrong side, all the while convinced that they are doing the right thing.

This is what King Jehu did. He was the King of the Northern kingdom of Israel and had twenty-eight years of experience under his belt. While he prided himself on being zealous for the Lord, he also had allowed idolatry to also be a part of his reign. Jehu did some things that were right in God's eyes but he also was the ultimate politician and did whatever he could to stay in power, even if he had to murder innocents to achieve this ambition. No one ever succeeds once they give way to the slippery slope of compromise. In the end, he succumbed to peer pressure and the worshipping of golden calves.

Because Jehu had killed King Ahaziah in the southern kingdom of Israel, the throne was now empty and ready to be occupied by evil forces. And, that is exactly what happened. Athalia had been the queen mother and was also the daughter of Jezebel and Ahab. She seized the throne and then began her sole mission to eliminate the lineage of King David because she only wanted Baal worship to be allowed in Judah. She was very fierce in what she did because she was also angry at how King Jehu had tried to eliminate both Ahab's family and Baal worship in the land.

Athalia believed that she was successful in eliminating the Davidic line, and from what she could see, she really was. However, this was not God's plan. God had made covenant promises to His people and He was not about to let one evil queen have her way. Despite the fact that their situation looked grim, God had the perfect plan and He intended to use the High Priest named Jehoiada and his wife named Jehosheba to carry it out.

Jehoiada and Jehosheba were genuine believers and followers of God. They were not influenced by ambition and deceit, and they certainly were not moved by peer pressure. Instead, they let faith and courage direct their steps as they humbly sought to only do God's will.

Jehosheba was not only the wife of the High Priest, but she also was a princess in her own right. She was a daughter to King Jehoram and a sister to King Ahaziah, who Jehu had killed. This made her the aunt of Joash who was a young child at this time. It definitely was an anomaly that this godly princess could come from such an evil lineage but God always raises up a remnant to stand against the forces of evil.

Jehosheba became aware of Athalia's evil plans and she and her husband stole baby Joash and his nurse and hid them away in a room where old bedding was stored. Later, they would move him to the temple where he could move about in an inconspicuous way. During these six years that he was hidden, he was never recognized as a legitimate heir to the throne so that his safety could be ensured.

Jehoiada and Jehosheba continued to pray and seek God's timing as the boy grew. At just the right time, God gave them wisdom in how to remove Athalia from the throne and put Joash in her stead. The plan succeeded and at age seven Joash became the new king of the southern kingdom and continued on the legacy and lineage of King David.

Athalia was executed. Baal worship was eliminated. And, the Davidic dynasty continued, just as God had planned.

When you read this story, it sounds almost like a modern day soap opera. Or, maybe even a Disney movie. And yet, these were the people of God who had been thrust right smack in the middle of a major mess. There had to have been moments and times when these believers could not understand what was happening. There had to have been times when it looked as if evil would win and God's children would be defeated. And yet, that did not happen.

God's plan prevailed just as it always does. This is because God has initiated the plan even before the problem occurs. Often, it is hid in obscurity for a while just as baby Joash was. However, at just the right moment, it will always be revealed.

Circumstances may even worsen before there is a reprieve, but God is always masterfully orchestrating His victorious plan. Just as in this story, there can be so many moving parts and people who are operating in their free wills, but God is sovereign over every part of it. We can take comfort in knowing that God is never caught off-guard. Nor, is He ever scrambling trying to keep up with what is happening. We may be, but He is not.

What Jehosheba and Jehoiada did in private mattered. It mattered in the time in which they lived and it still matters to us today. Sometimes we think that then little things we do that no one sees has no importance and yet it always does. It can affect generations.

God molded Jehosheba and Jehoiada in the secret place and He raised them up to stand against wickedness in their day. This is what he longs to do in each one of our lives today, as well. As we learn to fully surrender to Him and trust in what He is doing, we will find that He is accomplishing things that are far greater than we can even imagine. He is masterfully executing the smallest of details to finish the work He has started and present to the world His Perfect Plan!


"Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
                                                           Hebrews 13:20-21