MC: Kings--Esther

1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles tell the stories of kings and prophets. Israel and Judah easily forget that the Lord alone is their King. When they seek other gods, the Lord raises up prophets who speak from God. They invite God’s people to return to him and warn of the consequences if they do not. The spirituality of these books focuses on loyalty to God.

Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the return of God’s people from exile. God acts through pagan human rulers to return his people to the promised land. These books are therefore books of hope. Although God’s people abandoned him, he did not abandon them. After their time of punishment in exile, the Lord brings them home.

Esther tells the story of a girl who becomes queen after winning a beauty pageant. It has no mention of the Temple, covenant, or even God! With the surrounding books talking so much of the kings of Israel and Judah, Esther is set in a different country, Persia, at the court of a foreign king. Even though the Lord is not mentioned in Esther, the book points to a God who is active behind the scenes. He is the Lord of all nations, and he works his will through his people in surprising ways. Even here, it is the Lord alone who is King.