When Evil Plots Against God's People - Understanding God's Providence in Uncertain Times
Have you ever wondered how God works behind the scenes when evil seems to be winning? In Esther chapter 3, we encounter one of history's most sinister plots against God's people - a plan determined by the roll of dice, yet God is still providentially working.
The Bible tells us in Esther 3:7: "In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar."
This seemingly random act of casting lots would determine the fate of an entire nation - yet God's hand was orchestrating something far greater than human schemes.
The Deeper Meaning Behind "Casting Lots"
What Does Casting Lots Really Mean?
Casting lots was essentially gambling - a game of pure chance. Think of it like:
Flipping a coin
Rolling dice
Drawing straws
Playing bingo
Spinning a wheel at a carnival
Haman used this arbitrary method to determine the day when all Jews throughout the Persian Empire would be executed. It's a chilling reminder of how evil can disguise itself in the mundane.
The Crucial Difference: Chance vs. Providence
Here's where we must turn to Proverbs 16:33: "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord."
This verse reveals a profound truth: That God has a higher purpose than that of chance, and the casting of lots cannot overthrow the purposes of God.
Haman's lot was meant to determine the Jews' destruction. However, God's disposing turning it into their date of deliverance. In other words, the disposing thereof is very different from the intention thereof!
Important doctrinal note: This doesn't mean God predetermines every outcome through games of chance. That would make our entire Christian life a game of bingo! Rather, it means that even when evil people use random methods to harm God's people, the Lord can redirect those circumstances for His purposes.
Desire: What This Means for Believers Today
We Have Something Better Than Chance
As Christians, we don't need to rely on luck, gambling, or games of chance. Romans 8:28 gives us this incredible promise: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Notice the verse doesn't say all things ARE good - it says all things work together for good. God takes even the random, chaotic, and evil circumstances of life and weaves them into His perfect plan.
The Difference Between Gambling and Legitimate Risk
There's a distinction between:
Sinful gambling: Seeking something for nothing, asking God to bless laziness
Legitimate business/farming risks: Working hard while trusting God with outcomes beyond your control
Farmers can't control weather, disease, or market prices - but they're not gambling. They're working diligently while trusting God's providence. The same applies to ethical business ventures.
When Evil Casts Suspicion
Haman's strategy against the Jews involved casting suspicion. He told the king in Esther 3:8: "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people, neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them."
Notice Haman's tactics:
He spoke in generalities ("certain people") - dehumanizing them
He mixed truth with lies (their laws WERE different, but they WERE keeping the king's laws)
He appealed to the king's financial interests
When you stand for Christ, expect false accusations. As believers, we should be the best citizens possible, obeying government authority except in three specific cases:
When commanded not to preach or teach Jesus Christ
When commanded to worship and bow down to idols
When commanded to sacrifice children
Otherwise, Romans 13:1-2 calls us to submit to governing authorities.
How Should We Respond?
Remember That Life Matters
Haman was willing to fund genocide because he saw people as numbers, not individuals created in God's image. He offered 10,000 talents of silver to destroy an entire race because one man (Mordecai) wouldn't bow to him.
Every life matters to God. Whether born or unborn, friend or enemy - all are "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14).
Trust God's Timing and Providence
The lot determined that the Jews would be destroyed almost a full year later. This "random" delay gave Mordecai and Esther time to act. What seemed like chance was actually God's perfect timing.
When you face uncertain circumstances:
Don't rely on games of chance or gambling
Work diligently in your calling
Trust that God can take even random events and work them for His glory
Remember that Psalm 146 warns us to "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help"
Stand Firm When Falsely Accused
Like the Jews in Esther's time, and like the early Christians in Acts 17 who were accused of serving "another king, one Jesus," faithful believers will face false accusations. Stand firm in truth, serve your earthly authorities appropriately, but never compromise your allegiance to King Jesus.
The Bottom Line
Haman cast lots to determine when God's people would be destroyed. But God's disposing of those lots turned the day of intended destruction into a day of deliverance. The same God who worked behind the scenes in ancient Persia is working in your circumstances today.
Don't trust in chance - trust in the God who sovereignly disposes of all things according to His perfect will and timing.
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