The book of Esther is a unique book of the Bible since it does not mention God. His name is absent and there are no references to miracles or supernatural events. Nor is there any mention of prayer, or divine law, or great Jewish leaders like Abraham. But Esther is a very valuable book. It is the only Biblical record of what happened to the vast majority of Israel who remained in Persia, never returning to Palestine after Cyrus the Mede set them free. Above all, it deals with an extreme danger facing God's covenant people because of an evil man called Haman. It was overcome by God's providential rule, otherwise the vast majority of Jews would have been exterminated. There would have been no Nehemiah and no rebuilt Jerusalem. Worse, there would have been no Jesus! God's absence only makes him more conspicuous. He rules and over-rules so that when humans do whatever they choose, they unwittingly accomplish the designs of God. He uses even the mundane events of everyday human life to accomplish his covenant purposes. Esther is full of gospel truths. It is a privilege to encourage readers by explaining all of this, and to point out the many practical applications for our daily lives.