(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)
There is a saying that "timing is everything." It is true in cooking, where the difference of a few minutes can mean the roast is underdone or overdone. It is true in finance, where a person might buy stock just before or right after a company releases its hot new product. Timing is everything.1
Among all the books in scripture, Esther has the distinction of not mentioning God. It does, however, note His activity behind the scenes on behalf of His people.
This activity is...
* XX VIII. The Foremost Concealment
which represents...
After becoming queen, Esther learns about a plot to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire. It is the concoction of Haman, a self-absorbed and self-serving nobleman whose uses his influence in the royal court to avenge a personal insult. Esther reveals the plot to Mordecai, her uncle, who says that she must intercede with the king on behalf of her people. She is reluctant, though, because anyone coming to the king without his prior invitation, including the queen, could be summarily executed. Mordecai warns that her silence now might not spare her in the end. Although the king is currently unaware of her Jewish lineage, such information would eventually become known, endangering her as well. In any case, with or without her, God will find someone to help His people.3 Please turn to chapter 4.... In v. 14, Mordecai says to her...
Esther's dilemma illustrates a common situation, although most people do not experience the same element of urgency or danger. The similarity is when, like Esther, you wish God would make His will clear, but He does not. That is Esther's predicament. If God wanted her to go before the king, He could have eliminated her doubt by telling her directly, through an angel or a prophet. Alas, He did not. Likewise, you might wish He would do the same thing to resolve your own uncertainty. Alas, He does not. Consequently...
resolved to do what she could.4 Esther said in...
Few situations require choices that are both difficult to make and dangerous to undertake, but some situations may still demonstrate the guidance and providence of God, especially in their timing. You may not see it until it comes or understand it even when it comes, but God's timing is perfect. My uncle's cancer, which he battled for several years, had progressed to the point where the doctors could do no more for him. He was in hospice care and knew the end was near. When I spoke with him on the phone, he asked if we might come. I was puzzled by the gentle insistence of his request. He said he would even arrange our transportation. Over the years, we would see him at Christmas but rarely at other times. His immediate family members—his wife, children, and grandchildren—were very supportive, so I did not know why he was so intent on seeing me. I was just a nephew. Linda and I went, and he was obviously pleased we were there. He wanted me to conduct his funeral service. Again, I was puzzled. He and my aunt were attending a church, and they seemed to have a good relationship with the new minister, but I did not question the request. I was able to see him twice, and we spoke about a few details: some hymns and a Psalm.
Linda and I stayed at Mom's. It was good we were there, and not just because of the situation with my uncle. When the weekend came, it rained...a lot...ten inches in twelve hours. It was probably the most rain in the shortest period in fifty years. The only other time I can recall its having rained that much was when I was about seven years old. I remember standing at the door, looking at the street in front of our house...and watching a boat go by. Since then, the town improved the storm sewers, and the ten inches of rain that weekend did not flood the Street...but did flood the basement.
There was no reason for Mom to go down in the basement or even to look down the basement steps. In the past, the two sump pumps managed to deal with any rising ground water. Linda, however, wondered about this storm. When she checked in the morning, there were four inches of water in the basement. By the afternoon, the rain and rising tide had increased the water level.., to four feet. It knocked out the furnace and the hot water heater. We called the largest plumbing service in the Yellow Pages. (Mom's was not the only residence affected. We learned later that some houses had water running out the front door.) The water table under Mom's basement was so high that it took four days to pump out. My sister and her husband were working, so their availability was limited. My brother and his wife were in Florida dealing with another family matter, so they could not be with Mom. At eighty-three, and with her mind not as sharp as it once was, I was thankful we could be there, especially with all the decisions that had to be made, not the least of which was to replace the furnace. (The storm also exposed the need to make some electrical repairs.) There may be a rerun with the now advancing hurricane, but because it is the weekend, the rest of the family is available, so Mom has support, although if her new furnace will survive is uncertain... That week, after the first storm, my uncle slipped into a coma and passed away.
God is the consummate multi-tasker. Unlike us, He is not limited to doing only one thing at a time. Moreover, why God arranges some things may be obvious, but why He arranges others may not be obvious, at least, not immediately. We went to Long Island ostensibly for one reason, my uncle, but were then on Long Island for an additional reason, my mother. After we arrived, I understood the importance of our presence for my mother and, before we left, I came to understand it for my uncle (as well as for my aunt), even though I am just a nephew.6
This is often the way God operates, arranging events behind the scenes, and He may not explain the process or the intended result. He has a schedule, though, of what He wants to accomplish, and He moves it inexorably forward.7 As I thought about other examples in scripture, one in particular stood out. Paul stresses the precision of God's timing with regard to Jesus' first advent when he says in...8
The biblical writers make the point that God's ways are often inscrutable, that the motives for His plans and actions are beyond man's ability to comprehend.11 So Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions...
Some aspects of God's program are His alone to conduct, like the creation of the universe and the redemption through His son. You contributed nothing to those events, neither to their planning nor to their implementation. Other aspects of God's program are interactive in that He expects your involvement, as He did with Esther and recently, with me. You may recall events whose timing was clearly not mere coincidence but was the providential work of God, His activity behind the scenes on behalf of His people, perhaps even on your behalf. In such instances, God does not require your comprehension, only your compliance. You need not understand Him; you need only obey Him.
Esther did not realize that her having been chosen to be queen was not simply because of her beauty. She probably was quite stunning, but God had rigged the contest, so to speak. It was The Foremost Concealment, His providential hand at work, discreetly influencing the outcome to ensure that she would be in a position to help His people. God may do the same for you. Even if you are not beautiful, He may use you in a way you do not see or even understand. He may put you in a particular place during a particular period for a particular purpose. All He asks is for your trust...trust that His timing is perfect.
Having considered The Foremost Concealment, we will look next at The Foremost Conferment, which is the prize from God, in 2 Tim 4:7-8.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
An irate customer called her local newspaper office with a complaint: "Where is my Sunday paper?" Despite the fact that she had waited patiently for it, the Sunday edition she so enjoyed reading had not arrived. "Ma'am," the newspaper employee replied, "today is Saturday. The Sunday paper is not delivered until tomorrow, on Sunday." There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, after which she muttered... "That's why no one was at church today!"Timing is everything. That principle is evident in God's activity as well, even when His role may not be obvious, as in The Foremost Concealment.2
Among all the books in scripture, Esther has the distinction of not mentioning God. It does, however, note His activity behind the scenes on behalf of His people.
This activity is...
* XX VIII. The Foremost Concealment
which represents...
- The providence of God (Esth 4:14)
After becoming queen, Esther learns about a plot to kill all the Jews in the Persian Empire. It is the concoction of Haman, a self-absorbed and self-serving nobleman whose uses his influence in the royal court to avenge a personal insult. Esther reveals the plot to Mordecai, her uncle, who says that she must intercede with the king on behalf of her people. She is reluctant, though, because anyone coming to the king without his prior invitation, including the queen, could be summarily executed. Mordecai warns that her silence now might not spare her in the end. Although the king is currently unaware of her Jewish lineage, such information would eventually become known, endangering her as well. In any case, with or without her, God will find someone to help His people.3 Please turn to chapter 4.... In v. 14, Mordecai says to her...
Esth 4:14a ...if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.Esther's position as queen offers the best (though not the only) chance of foiling Haman's plot, and her station may even evince God's sovereign preparation for that outcome. Her elevation to the throne may be His provision at this moment in history to save His people. So Mordecai adds...
Esth 4:14b ...who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?God may have put you in this place (of distinction) during this period (of danger) for this purpose (of deliverance).
Esther's dilemma illustrates a common situation, although most people do not experience the same element of urgency or danger. The similarity is when, like Esther, you wish God would make His will clear, but He does not. That is Esther's predicament. If God wanted her to go before the king, He could have eliminated her doubt by telling her directly, through an angel or a prophet. Alas, He did not. Likewise, you might wish He would do the same thing to resolve your own uncertainty. Alas, He does not. Consequently...
1. Your response may be confused when you do not know His will....keeping you from taking any action as you wonder...
...and...a. Is God involved in this situation?
Such was Esther's dilemma. Until Mordecai made the connection between her position and Israel's problem, she was uncertain what she should do. Having made that connection, though, her path was clear even if the outcome was not, and sheb. Should you be involved in this situation?
resolved to do what she could.4 Esther said in...
Esth 4:16c ...I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.Esther's decision illustrates the proper response. Similarly, there are times when you know what God wants you to do, even though the result is in doubt.5 At that point...
2. Your response must be concerted when you do know His will....compelling you to take action, confident that....
...and...a. God is involved in this situation!
That was Esther's decision. She realized, even though she might not see it or understand it, God was involved, and she needed to be involved as well.b. You should be involved in this situation!
Few situations require choices that are both difficult to make and dangerous to undertake, but some situations may still demonstrate the guidance and providence of God, especially in their timing. You may not see it until it comes or understand it even when it comes, but God's timing is perfect. My uncle's cancer, which he battled for several years, had progressed to the point where the doctors could do no more for him. He was in hospice care and knew the end was near. When I spoke with him on the phone, he asked if we might come. I was puzzled by the gentle insistence of his request. He said he would even arrange our transportation. Over the years, we would see him at Christmas but rarely at other times. His immediate family members—his wife, children, and grandchildren—were very supportive, so I did not know why he was so intent on seeing me. I was just a nephew. Linda and I went, and he was obviously pleased we were there. He wanted me to conduct his funeral service. Again, I was puzzled. He and my aunt were attending a church, and they seemed to have a good relationship with the new minister, but I did not question the request. I was able to see him twice, and we spoke about a few details: some hymns and a Psalm.
Linda and I stayed at Mom's. It was good we were there, and not just because of the situation with my uncle. When the weekend came, it rained...a lot...ten inches in twelve hours. It was probably the most rain in the shortest period in fifty years. The only other time I can recall its having rained that much was when I was about seven years old. I remember standing at the door, looking at the street in front of our house...and watching a boat go by. Since then, the town improved the storm sewers, and the ten inches of rain that weekend did not flood the Street...but did flood the basement.
There was no reason for Mom to go down in the basement or even to look down the basement steps. In the past, the two sump pumps managed to deal with any rising ground water. Linda, however, wondered about this storm. When she checked in the morning, there were four inches of water in the basement. By the afternoon, the rain and rising tide had increased the water level.., to four feet. It knocked out the furnace and the hot water heater. We called the largest plumbing service in the Yellow Pages. (Mom's was not the only residence affected. We learned later that some houses had water running out the front door.) The water table under Mom's basement was so high that it took four days to pump out. My sister and her husband were working, so their availability was limited. My brother and his wife were in Florida dealing with another family matter, so they could not be with Mom. At eighty-three, and with her mind not as sharp as it once was, I was thankful we could be there, especially with all the decisions that had to be made, not the least of which was to replace the furnace. (The storm also exposed the need to make some electrical repairs.) There may be a rerun with the now advancing hurricane, but because it is the weekend, the rest of the family is available, so Mom has support, although if her new furnace will survive is uncertain... That week, after the first storm, my uncle slipped into a coma and passed away.
God is the consummate multi-tasker. Unlike us, He is not limited to doing only one thing at a time. Moreover, why God arranges some things may be obvious, but why He arranges others may not be obvious, at least, not immediately. We went to Long Island ostensibly for one reason, my uncle, but were then on Long Island for an additional reason, my mother. After we arrived, I understood the importance of our presence for my mother and, before we left, I came to understand it for my uncle (as well as for my aunt), even though I am just a nephew.6
This is often the way God operates, arranging events behind the scenes, and He may not explain the process or the intended result. He has a schedule, though, of what He wants to accomplish, and He moves it inexorably forward.7 As I thought about other examples in scripture, one in particular stood out. Paul stresses the precision of God's timing with regard to Jesus' first advent when he says in...8
Rom 5:6 ...at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.... and again in...
Gal 4:4 ...when the time had fully come, God sent his Son....Did you ever wonder: What made that time the right time? ...Jesus' death had been the basis of God's plan for man's redemption from the very beginning,9 which is why John writes that, from God's timeless perspective, Jesus was "slain from the creation of the world" (Rev 13:8b). If this is what God intended from the start, what made the first century, when Jesus actually died, "the right time" to implement that phase of His plan?10
- Why not earlier, like the time of Abraham or King David or the prophet Isaiah?
- Why not later, like the time of Martin Luther or President Lincoln or even in the future?
The biblical writers make the point that God's ways are often inscrutable, that the motives for His plans and actions are beyond man's ability to comprehend.11 So Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions...
Rom 11:34a "Who has known the mind of the Lord? ....33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34a "Who has known the mind of the Lord?"The answer is: "No one." No one understands the vastness of His intellect or the complexity of His program, and that is okay. God recognizes the limitations of your understanding and does not expect that you will fathom His reasoning before you respond, only that you will follow His leading and have faith in His timing.12
Some aspects of God's program are His alone to conduct, like the creation of the universe and the redemption through His son. You contributed nothing to those events, neither to their planning nor to their implementation. Other aspects of God's program are interactive in that He expects your involvement, as He did with Esther and recently, with me. You may recall events whose timing was clearly not mere coincidence but was the providential work of God, His activity behind the scenes on behalf of His people, perhaps even on your behalf. In such instances, God does not require your comprehension, only your compliance. You need not understand Him; you need only obey Him.
Esther did not realize that her having been chosen to be queen was not simply because of her beauty. She probably was quite stunning, but God had rigged the contest, so to speak. It was The Foremost Concealment, His providential hand at work, discreetly influencing the outcome to ensure that she would be in a position to help His people. God may do the same for you. Even if you are not beautiful, He may use you in a way you do not see or even understand. He may put you in a particular place during a particular period for a particular purpose. All He asks is for your trust...trust that His timing is perfect.
Having considered The Foremost Concealment, we will look next at The Foremost Conferment, which is the prize from God, in 2 Tim 4:7-8.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)
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Jim Skaggs