11/11/2023
WHY IS THERE NO NAME OF GOD IN THE BOOK OF ESTHER?
The Book of Esther has it all: a brave, beautiful queen replacing a proud one, the rise of a villain against a people, a declaration of religious fast by the wondrous queen, and her call for intercession to do the unthinkable, insomnia of a king, reversal of death (what the Nigerian church would call “back to sender”), the elevation of a slave, a happy ending for the people, but yet something very crucial was missing in this Book – The name of God.
You might ask, what is a Bible book without the name of God? Because of this, the Book of Esther has been considered to be a secular book, an unspiritual one. The Book of Esther falls under books called the Antilegomena (alongside other books like Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Ezekiel, and Proverbs) because of this singular reason. (Antilegomena are canonized books whose inspiration by God – the basis for their canonization – is disputed by some scholars due to reasons tied to each book).
First, though we do not see the name of God explicitly in the book, we see Him working behind the scenes. A careful study of the book of Esther reveals God’s presence so evidently. Queen Esther calls for a fast and intercession, and she displays faith by going to the king when she is not called for. We also see the origin of a feast called Purim, with an allusion made to it in the New Testament (John 5:1).
‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’
Esther 4:16
Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix put it this way, “the absence of the name of God is overshadowed by the presence of God in the preservation of His people” 1. John Wesley rightly wrote: “The name of God is not found in this book: but the finger of God is, directing so many minute events for the deliverance of his people” 2. Perhaps the point is that God is always at work, even when we can’t see that work explicitly.
It is important to note that the Jews are involved in this story, and we know what place they hold in the heart of God despite their numerous rebellions. So, God is ever ready to preserve His people, and He would always do this when they turn to Him. So, the Jews must most assuredly have prayed to Yahweh to deliver them. The author was deliberate about excluding the name of God, for there are many places he could have included the name of God, and he didn’t. Even the author’s name is anonymous to this day (though some claim Mordecai authored it, there are shouts for Ezra and Nehemiah as well).
The reason for this can be due to the polytheistic nature of Susa, and one way to escape punishment by the king and enemies was to not include God in the writings. Attributing such deliverance or story to God might attract some levels of persecution and sanction for the author.
In Norman L. Geisler’s From God to Us, two suggestions were explained, “the Persian Jews, not being in the theocratic line, did not have the name of the covenant God associated with them”. The other is, “the omission of the name of God is intentional to protect the book from the possibility of a pagan plagiarism by substitution of the name of a false god”.3
In this book, we also saw Divine Providence when Mordecai addressed Esther concerning her response to the threat that the Jews were facing. It is obvious that there’s a figure (in this case, God) whom Mordecai strongly believes in, who can bring deliverance for them through any means. So, the Jews with their representative Mordecai surely have an Object of Faith. They may be under threat, but they know that God, by His providence, will help them as He has always done.
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’
Esther 4:14
The book of Esther might have been disputed by many as being secular, but with several allusions to God, faith, hope, intercession, and divine providence, as well as religious feasts, we can really say that, though the name of God was absent, the acts and providence of God were evident.
Tim Mackie and Whitney Woollard put it this way: “Far from being secular, Esther pushes us to look at our own lives and consider how God might be actively working behind the scenes, even in the face of great threat or tragedy, to accomplish his good and perfect purposes. We’re called to trust in God’s providence even when we can’t see it working or don’t understand what’s happening. The message calls us to deeper levels of faith where we choose to believe that no matter how horrible things get, God is committed to redeeming his good world and overcoming evil.”4
REFERENCES
1. Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986), 149.
2. John Wesley, Notes on the Whole Bible, (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 2007), 129
3. Norman L. Geisler & William E. Nix, From God to Us, The Extent of the Old Testament Canon
4. Tim Mackie & Whitney Woollard, Bible Project, Esther: Secular or Sacred, A Brilliant Literary Design.
https://thewordheralds.wordpress.com/2023/11/04/why-is-there-no-name-of-god-in-the-book-of-esther/
