How does Esther 3:7 demonstrate God's sovereignty over time and events? Setting the Scene • Esther 3:7: “In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Xerxes, they cast the pur (that is, the lot) before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, the month of Adar.” • Haman seeks to annihilate the Jews. By casting lots he hopes for a favorable date, yet the outcome delays the decree nearly a full year. The Casting of the Pur • Lots were believed to reveal the will of the gods; Haman assumes chance is on his side. • The lot falls on Adar—eleven months away—giving Esther time to be prepared, approach the king, and expose the plot. • What Haman calls chance, Scripture reveals as divine orchestration. Tracing God’s Hidden Hand 1. Control of Chance • Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” • The outcome shows that even random events are subject to God’s command. 2. Control of Time • Daniel 2:21: “He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them.” • The long interval aligns perfectly with God’s timing for Esther’s intervention. 3. Foreshadowing Deliverance • Isaiah 46:9-10: God declares “My purpose will stand, and I will accomplish all that I please.” • The delay sets the stage for a dramatic reversal (Esther 9), turning a death sentence into a national celebration (Purim). 4. Preservation of the Messianic Line • The Jewish people must survive for the promised Messiah to come (Genesis 12:3; Galatians 4:4). • By governing the lot, God protects His redemptive plan. Lessons for Today • Apparent coincidences are often divine appointments. • God governs both the macro (history) and the micro (daily events). • Delays we fear may be strategic pauses in God’s larger purpose. Takeaway Esther 3:7 turns the roll of a dice into a testimony: no detail, date, or decree escapes God’s sovereign rule. |
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