Fingerprints of God: In Divine Direction

If God appears to be silent in your life right now, trust God’s providential hand— that everything in your life is guided in divine direction for His people.

Esther 2 - ¹ After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. ² Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. ³ And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. ⁴ And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.

⁵ Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, ⁶ who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. ⁷ He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. ⁸ So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. ⁹ And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. ¹⁰ Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. ¹¹ And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

¹² Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women— ¹³ when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

¹⁵ When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. ¹⁶ And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, ¹⁷ the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.

¹⁹ Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. ²⁰ Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. ²¹ In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ²² And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. ²³ When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

Have you ever had a moment in your life when you thought what had happened could not be a coincidence? My life is full of such moments. After salvation, two significant moments that changed the course of my life are: one, how I got out of Pakistan, and two, how I met my wife, Sarah. Neither could have happened by accident.

The problem is that many people often label those moments as coincidence, fate, or even luck, but they’re not. Behind the scenes, in divine direction, an invisible hand is carefully weaving every detail together, shaping the course of their lives.

What we saw in Esther 1 was in divine direction to bring forth what happened in Esther 2. The events in our Esther 2, were the outcomes of Esther 1. If we trace the fingerprints of God, we will see what led to the replacement of a queen in chapter 1 and to the rise of another queen, an orphan girl, Esther. Chapter 2 couldn’t have been coincidence, fate, or luck, but was divine direction.

For God’s people, there are no coincidences; what we might consider fate and luck is actually divine direction in which we are providentially positioned through secular and strange situations for God’s purposes. That becomes evident in Esther 2 through God’s plan in the process, God’s providence in the palace, and God’s purpose in the plot.

God’s Plan in the Process

When things are shaping and are in process, it hard to see God’s plan. Esther 2:1 reads, “After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.”

It seems that the king missed Queen Vashti. He perhaps realized that the decision was made in anger. Some scholars believe there might have been four years between the removal of Queen Vashti and what happens in Esther 2:1 because of King Ahasuerus' failed military campaign against Greece took four years. Perhaps that kept him busy, but now he is back in Susa, the citadel, and feels lonely. What happens next is odd, yet in divine direction.

Esther 2:3-4 reads, “² Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. ³ And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. ⁴ And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.”

Note the difference between the counsel of the princes responsible for disposing of Queen Vashti and the king’s young men. In Esther 1:19, when they talk about replacing Vashti with someone better than her, they didn’t envision a beauty pageant. It was not about the outward appearance, but rather someone who would submit to the king. The young men could not care less about that; they wanted a pretty virgin who would make the king happy. The plan was not wise or godly; nevertheless, as the story unfolded, we see it was in divine direction to aid God’s plan in the process. The lesson is, our bad and ungodly plans don’t hinder God's providence. If you look for the fingerprints of God, you will find God’s plan in the process.

Esther 2:5-6 begins to unfold God’s plan in the process, saying, “⁵ Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, ⁶ who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away.”

Mordecai’s introduction in relation to the captivity of Jews under King Nebuchadnezzar was also in divine direction. Jeremiah 25-33 tells us about attacking Judah, decimating Jerusalem, destroying the Temple, and taking the Jews into exile for 70 years that may appear to be man’s plan, but beneath the surface, it was God’s plan in the process.

Jeremiah 25:8-9 says, “⁸ “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, ⁹ behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.””

Jeremiah 29:10-11 says, “¹⁰ “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.””

Toward the end of the 70 years exile, the Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzar was taken over by the Medo-Persian Empire of Darius, and King Ahasuerus in the book of Esther was his descendant. Mordecai’s introduction shows that from the global events and world powers to the life of a powerless orphan in captivity moves in the divine direction under God’s providence.

Esther 2:7-8 continues, “⁷ He [Mordecai] was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. Hadassah was Esther’s Jewish name, and Esther was her Persian name. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. ⁸ So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.”

The language here says she “was taken” and “put in custody.” It could mean that she was forced. On the surface, that is definitely an unjust, ungodly, and immoral act, but again, in divine providence, God’s plan is in the process.

We know that by looking at what happens in Esther 2:9, “And the young woman pleased him [Hegai] and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem.” If this was a reality show with multiple seasons, she was put in the finalists in the first episode.

Esther 2:10 continues, “Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known.” Some say hiding her identity shows a lack of trust in God. What we need to remember here is that she was simply obeying her uncle, who adopted her. Besides, later chapters show that she will expose her identity at a divine moment.

Esther 2:11 ends with a detail that again shows God’s plan was in the process, “And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.” Mordecai’s habit will lead to unearthing an assassination plot against the king, which will lead to defeating a plot of genocide of the Jewish people in Persia.

When I entered, Persia, modern-day Iran, for missions work, I didn’t know anyone there. I asked the Lord for favor, and he appointed a young Shia Muslim who opened his home in Tehran for me. He told me not to tell anyone that I was Pakistani, for Iranians didn't like Pakistanis. He said that if anyone asked, I should say I am Indian. Thank God I never had to lie, but I did hide my Pakistani identity; in other words, I didn’t go around telling people that I am a Pakistani Christian on a mission to evangelize Iranians. There is wisdom in the multitude of counsel. Mordecai knew Jewishness was not just an ethnic or national identity issue but a religious issue. He knew Jews were hated by Persians, and later chapters will prove that.

Application

God is at work even when circumstances seem secular or strange and that even worldly systems are not beyond God’s providence.

God’s Providence in the Palace

The narrative continues with Esther 2:12-15a, "¹² Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women— ¹³ when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name. ¹⁵ When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised.” The author of the story does not hide these facts, but the purpose of these facts is to prompt the favor of God even through ungodly people in the midst of such ungodly circumstances.

Esther 2:15b-18 tells us, “^15b Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. ¹⁶ And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, ¹⁷ the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.”

Another Bible story that illustrates God’s Providence in the Palace is the story of Joseph. In his case, he refused to sleep with his master’s wife and was thrown in prison for doing the right thing, yet in God’s providence, he was placed in the palace of the most powerful man of his time, Pharaoh of Egypt. He was made second in command.

Application

God’s favor can rest on His people even in unlikely places. God can use unlikely people in unlikely places to accomplish His purposes. Trust His positioning.

God’s Purpose in the Plot

Esther 2:19-23 concludes, “¹⁹ Now when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. ²⁰ Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him. ²¹ In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ²² And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai. ²³ When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.” Later, we will discover how, in divine direction, this report will save Jews from genocide. It is clear that hate against Jews is ancient.

I was talking to someone that since the Israel-Hamas war started, hate against Jews and Israel has increased exponentially. It reminds me of the hate that led to the Holocaust. It is shameful that people have forgotten this war was imposed by Hamas, backed by the Iranian regime. I believe, as bad as it is, even this is in divine direction, because of God’s providence.

Application

There are no wasted moments in God’s providence. He is weaving purpose through every scene and every story. In your life, if you remain faithful in small things today, they may lead to significant outcomes tomorrow.

Closing Thought

I came across a story that I want to read to you. The author writes, “Several years ago, a friend of mine missed his train home after work. Frustrated and tired, he took a seat on a nearby bench to wait for the next one. Sitting beside him was a woman who looked just as exhausted. One small comment led to a conversation. That conversation led to coffee. Coffee turned into friendship. Friendship turned into marriage. Today, they have a beautiful family and serve faithfully in their church.” The author, looking back, said, “Missing that train felt like an inconvenience… but now I know it was divine intervention.”

For God’s people, there are no coincidences; what others might consider fate and luck is divine direction in which we are providentially positioned—even through secular and strange situations.

Action Step

Look for God’s fingerprints in events and situations that at first glance look nothing but messy. I am telling you from personal experience. God has placed you strategically where you are. Through small acts of goodness today, God is preparing you for divine deliverance tomorrow. He is working behind the scenes, directing all events in your life.

Appeal

If God appears to be silent in your life right now, trust God’s providential hand— that everything in your life is guided in divine direction for His people. God is not writing your story; it is already written.  He is working in the process you don’t understand, granting favor in the places you don’t expect, and preparing outcomes through the details you don’t even notice. Perhaps in divine direction, you’re being positioned for a future purpose. So, don’t ask where God is in your difficulty. Act in obedience. Like Esther and Mordecai, be faithful in little things, and He will put you in charge over big things.

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Read more in the Esther series