“…and who knows whether you are come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
Dear Ones:
All through Scripture we find the concept of the existence of God before the creation, and before “tomorrow.” With that idea comes the truth of “predisposition,” a wisdom beyond our comprehension concerning time, the past, present, and future. To God who is eternal, it is one and the same, for He is the Sovereign Creator and Maintainer of it all. With regard to us, there are some very important implications to this concept, and truth, of the foreknowledge, or prescience, of God. But to come to understand the practical application, and expectation of it, in our experience, we need to begin with the nature, character, and disposition of the heart of God.
In the first letter written by the Apostle Peter, he writes of Christ, …a “lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” (1 Peter 1:19,20). In the mind and heart of God, there was the intent and will of God, that Christ should be that spotless of Lamb, concerning which John would declare: “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” (Jn. 1:29) Can we fully grasp this concept of the eternity of God, the mercy and provision of God for lost sinners? I do not think so, but we can ACCEPT it, believe it, and live in the light of the truth of it. God, in looking down the corridor of time and space, is always previous, with the intent to save and bless. He, being perfect love, did not, and will not spare Himself, but will do ALL, so that men might be saved to show forth the excellencies of the greatness and beauty of Christ. But, how does this idea of the “prescience” of God affect us?
The moment that a person surrenders himself, and all that he has, to Christ, Jesus takes the life, the soul, in hand. From that moment on, there is nothing that comes to that believer, but that it first comes through the mind, heart, and hand of God. One of the most dramatic examples of this is the life of Job. Even in the face of Satan’s attempt to destroy Job, God is previous in His purpose, and provision. Job will overcome tremendous adversity to glorify God. But, how is it that Paul can write concerning the believer, “…We KNOW that all things work together for good to them that love, God, to them that are the called according to His purpose?” (Rom. 8:28)
In the book of Ester, when Haman, the enemy of God and Israel, comes to power as a type of “prime minister” of the king, there arises a situation where the entire Jewish people face eradication. In exile, the spiritual enemy of Israel seeks to destroy the entire nation through Haman. God, who is “previous,” and “prescient,” will provide for their deliverance in a way that is uniquely of Him, in His wisdom, in an unexpected way. It will be through Esther, daughter of Mordecai, and queen of the Persian empire. It would seem that on this one life, the entire existence of the Jewish people would depend. God had foreseen the coming of this situation, nothing had taken Him by surprise. The issue at hand was never that God had not taken the initiative to provide for the protection of the people…He had. Rather it was whether He could find someone who would trust Him, even at the expense of their life, so that He could accomplish through them His purpose, in His way. He would find in Mordecai a faithful servant, and uncle to Esther. He would also, and principally, find in Esther, a faithful, humble, and self-less servant, who would give all for the saving of her people. God was previous, and will always be. But will we BELIEVE that we have been created, like Esther, for such a time as this? Can we believe that He is STILL prescient, and never makes mistakes? And, can we believe Him through the circumstances of His choice, to bring about His blessed purposes, and perfect will?
Dear Father, give us grace to see and know that NOTHING is by accident, or haphazard in the believer’s life. You have called us to believe you, accepting the circumstances of Your choice, so that in them, we might believe you to work wonderfully. Strengthen our hearts to respond to Your committed intervention in our lives, and in those around us. Accomplish the wonderful thing today, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad