YEAR 3, WEEK 5, Day 5, Friday, 30 January 2026

https://esv.literalword.com/?q=esther+10

Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 30 January 2026:

Esther 10:1-3 — King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land…. For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus…

The book of Esther closes quietly, almost anticlimactically, with administration, record-keeping, and a summary of Mordecai’s elevation. There is no final prayer, no dramatic miracle, no explicit mention of God. And that is precisely the point. God’s providence has been working all along beneath ordinary structures of power, policy, and governance, and now its outcome is simply stated as fact.

“It has been well said that the Book of Esther is a record of wonders without a miracle, and therefore, though equally revealing the glory of the Lord, it sets it forth in another fashion from that which is displayed in the overthrow of Pharaoh by miraculous power.” (Spurgeon)

God’s purpose is fully accomplished, yet every person in the story acts freely and willingly. Haman pursues his ambition without restraint. Ahasuerus follows his impulses and preferences. Mordecai and Esther choose courage, restraint, and obedience. There is no visible coercion, no suspension of human choice. Each person does exactly what he or she desires, and each bears full moral responsibility for those choices. And yet, through all of it, God steadily carries forward His eternal plan for the ages, untouched by human unpredictability and unthreatened by human sin.

As Spurgeon so clearly observed, humanity remains a true moral agent—responsible for its actions, guilty when it chooses evil, and justly accountable for its consequences. If a person is lost, the blame rests nowhere but with that person alone. And yet, over and above all human willing and doing, there reigns One who governs all things, who is never complicit in sin, and who nevertheless bends even the actions of wicked men to serve His holy and righteous purposes. These two truths stand side by side in Scripture and in life. They are lived and experienced daily, even if they resist being neatly harmonized in theory.

Mordecai’s rise is not framed as personal success, but as public good. He is described as great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers because he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all of them. Authority, in God’s economy, is validated not by dominance but by service. Mordecai’s faithfulness does not culminate in withdrawal from the world, but in righteous engagement within it. He does not abandon the Persian system; he operates within it as an instrument of God’s preserving grace.

This final picture completes the arc of reversal that has run through the entire book. The orphan exile becomes queen. The overlooked gatekeeper becomes prime minister. The genocidal decree becomes a festival of joy. Evil is not merely stopped; it is outlasted, exposed, and rendered powerless. The story ends not with Israel triumphant over Persia, but with God’s people protected within a foreign empire by a leader shaped through suffering, patience, and humility.

That restraint matters. Esther does not end with national independence or visible covenant renewal. The Jews remain scattered. The temple is not rebuilt here. The exile is not fully reversed. And yet hope endures. God’s faithfulness is not dependent on ideal conditions. Even when His people are compromised, imperfect, and dispersed, He remains present, active, and sovereign.

This prepares the reader for the deeper fulfillment yet to come. Mordecai’s exaltation points forward to Christ’s exaltation, but with an important distinction. Mordecai is elevated within an earthly kingdom; Christ is exalted over all creation. Mordecai speaks peace to his people; Christ is our peace. Mordecai secures temporal deliverance; Christ secures eternal salvation.

The book closes without naming God because it has already shown Him everywhere. Providence has replaced spectacle. Faith has learned to recognize God not only in miracles, but in outcomes. Esther teaches believers how to live faithfully when God seems hidden, when evil appears organized, and when obedience feels costly and slow. It teaches that God’s promises do not depend on constant visibility to remain effective.

Esther 10 leaves us with a settled truth: God does not always end stories with dramatic closure, but He always ends them with meaning. Faithfulness often concludes in stability, not spectacle. And stability, when shaped by righteousness, is itself a gift of grace.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 30 January 2026: Examine how you define a “successful” ending. Ask yourself: Do I require visible triumph to trust God’s faithfulness? Am I willing to serve quietly for the good of others without needing recognition? Choose one act today that seeks the welfare of others through faithful presence rather than dramatic action — serve, speak peace, or steward responsibility with integrity.

Pray: “Father, thank You that You are faithful even when Your work is quiet and Your presence feels hidden. Teach me to trust You not only in moments of deliverance, but in seasons of stability. Shape my heart to seek the good of others, to serve without needing applause, and to remain faithful where You have placed me. Thank You for Christ, who reigns not only as Savior but as King, securing a deliverance far greater than any earthly reversal. Help me live in confident hope, knowing that You are always at work, even when the story ends quietly. In Jesus’ name, amen.”