Intercession: The Throne Ministry # 16

"For Ever, O Lord,
Thy Word Is Settled in Heaven"

Beloved, as we further consider the throne ministry of intercession, we want to share with you a phrase that the Lord has pointed out to us in Habakkuk 3:4, "The Hiding of His Power." We have been prayerfully searching the Scriptures in order to find out what He is speaking to us in these few but powerful and mighty Words. Beloved, when the power of God is hidden and the saints are in an intense conflict and trial of faith, it is important for us to realize that there is a mighty warfare going on, in the heavenlies, for the emancipation of God's chosen ones from satanic bondage.

Through prayer, the Lord gave us the Book of Esther as a portion of His Word which exemplifies "The Hiding of His Power." The Book of Esther is different from all the other books in the Bible because the Name of God does not appear in it. Many commentators believe that God's name is not mentioned because the Jews were under God's judgment - He had sent them into captivity and servitude as a result of their continued idolatry. But we do not believe that God's judgment upon them is the reason His name does not appear in Esther, because other books, such as Ezekiel and Daniel, were also written during the time of the Jews' captivity and God's name appears in them over and over again. No, the reason that God's name does not appear in the Book of Esther is by Divine Design; for, as we shall see, the Holy Spirit conceals it for a Divine Reason because of the Divine Purpose. Proverbs 25:2 tells us:

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter."

Have you ever noticed that many times when we are searching for answers from God, it seems that we cannot find the way and that things seem to get more difficult instead of better? Well, these are the times when we need to faint not nor grow weary in well doing. We need to continue to prayerfully search for God's Will in the matter, for as Proverbs 25:2 says, searching is the Royal work. And if we continue to search out God's Will and Way, we will come to realize the Sovereign work of God, the Royal work of God, within our circumstances.

In Esther, we find that God does not always do things just as He has done them before. Sometimes we put God in a box (in our own square of things) and expect Him to act just as He has acted before. However, we have a God that many times "Hideth Himself" in ways that we just cannot see Him within our circumstances. We think that Mordecai and Esther must have experienced this, and at times they must have had thoughts like this: "Had not God protected and delivered Sarah from the harem of the heathenish kings, two different times?! Surely He would do the same for Esther!" But here, along with Esther and Mordecai, we can learn a valuable lesson: God does not always deal with His children in the same way, He deals with each of us according to that which He purposes in "The Christ." Therefore, seeing that each of us are different in our inward being because of heredity, environment, and circumstances, God allows in each of our lives that which will bring forth a greater increase of Christ.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 17)