>> It's true that there is no explicit reference to God. However, Mordecai
>> and Esther both fasted. Esther 4:12-16 doesn't explicitly mention God,
>> it's true, but those verses seem to me to be the words of people who trust
>> that God will protect them (and fasting is the act of an individual who
>> understands that there is a sovereign God and submits himself to Him).
>>
>> I do agree with you that this is an example of God working (powerfully)
>> through events that seem ordinary.
>
George wrote
> Fasting is a pretty general religious practice, not necessarily
>related to belief in the God of Israel.
However, the account, so far as we know, was written by a believer in the
God of Israel.
Yes, I think we can assume that
>the writer intended us to see God at work in the events of the story,
>but the fact that he/she then precisely did _not_ make an explicit
>statement about that is very significant.
>
It certainly is. What exactly is the nature of the significance? What did
you tell your congregation? (go ahead and post your entire sermon if you'd
like. I for one will read it) The relevence for us living in the
twentieth century might be that more often than not we can't point to a
specific sign that God is at work in some situation, but that we are to
trust Him and continue doing what we are convinced we are called (through
Scripture, prayer, inner conviction resulting from prayer) to do.
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Bill Hamilton
Staff Research Engineer
Chassis and Vehicle Systems
GM R&D Center
Warren, MI