Esther 2:4 (KJV)
And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
One of the most important principles of Bible hermeneutics—really, of interpretation in general—is understanding:
- Who is writing?
- Who is the intended reader?
- What are the circumstances of the writing?
This passage is a clear example of the importance of that principle.
We know that God the Holy Ghost is the ultimate Author, but God used human penmen to write each of the books of the Bible. In a manner only God could accomplish, each penman was allowed to write in his own style, using his own personality and offering his own perspective, while still writing the 100% infallible, God-breathed Word of God.
Every Word of God is true, pure, given by inspiration of God, and is:
"...profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (KJV)
That does not mean God approved or endorsed every event or action of man that is faithfully recorded in His Word.
What happens in Esther chapters 1 and 2 "pleased the king." It did not necessarily please the Lord. The Bible faithfully records the deeds of men. God chose to include these events for our profit, and He even used them to bring about a good outcome. But that does not mean He approved of the events themselves.
What we see in the book of Esther is God's ability to use circumstances brought about by the corrupt nature of mankind and turn them to His purpose.
We need never fear that some act of man will be so evil, so wicked, or so wrong that it can thwart the ultimate plan of God.
Things happen that are terribly wrong. We sometimes wonder why God did not bring events about differently. Yet nothing happens that can alter God's ultimate purpose for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
#DailyVisitWithGod #BibleHermeneutics #StudyTheBible #BookOfEsther #GodsProvidence
Does the Bible Approve Everything It Records? Read Carefully
What do you think? Have you ever noticed the difference between what the Bible records and what God approves? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear from you.
For more daily Bible studies, biblical insights, and Christ-centered resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org.
For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment