What do you do when life is not black and white, when every choice comes in shades of grey, and God seems nowhere to be seen? This sermon opens a series on the Book of Esther, the only book of the Bible that never mentions the word ‘God’, where the characters live in a pagan empire they did not choose (Esther 1-2). The story of a young Jewish woman in the court of King Ahasuerus is not a tale of a flawless hero, and that is precisely why it feels so close to our own lives. Listen if you want to discover that God works out His plan through imperfect people, even in seasons when He appears absent.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- The Book of Esther is the only book of the Bible where the word God never appears. What do chapters 1 and 2 show about Jewish life in the Persian kingdom of Ahasuerus?
- How does Esther's approach differ from that of Daniel and his friends at Nebuchadnezzar's court, and what does this difference reveal about the world she lived in?
- The sermon lists a series of events: Vashti's removal, Esther's selection, Mordecai uncovering the plot. How do you see the work of a God who seems absent in these events?
- What strikes you about God using imperfect people like Esther, and how does it change the way you see your own weaknesses?
- In what situations does reality break into your life uninvited and push you into gray choices you would rather avoid?
- The story of the missionary in Haiti shows living as if God were visible. What would that look like for you at work, school or in your neighborhood this week?
