Those who hate the doctrine of the absolute predestination of all things by the hand of an absolutely holy and sovereign GOD must of necessity fail to see the glorious purpose of GOD in the unfolding of the redemption of HIS elect bride. They are generally content to confine their thoughts to the benefits which accrue to men as they believe the gospel. They see salvation as a cooperative effort between the LORD who "provides" salvation and man who "receives" it. They consider one "part" as necessary as the other and that the two only meet by chance as men are persuaded by this means and that to "allow" the LORD into their heart, causing great joy in heaven as the angels breathe a collective sigh of relief that somebody helped the LORD out in HIS futile quest to save the whole human race.
Some others confess that the eternal salvation of GOD's people is indeed "predestined" but not the details of the events that have brought it to pass. That is like recognizing that someone got home but denying that they rode in a car. Still others, (this is the most odd of all) believe that the eternal salvation of the elect is "predestined" but all of the "blessings" that they enjoy in this life as a result of that "salvation" are all conditional based upon their merit and freewill.
The book of Esther provides, (for those who have been given eyes to see it), a glimpse into the intricate design of the LORD's predestination of every detail that occurs in the rescue and deliverance of a people which HE loved before HE created the world. HE shows us this by type and foreshadow as Esther, a lowly Jew, is raised by her adoptive father (Mordecai) and ultimately brought into the very palace of the King (who was omnipotent in his land) and made to be the queen in order to deliver her people from destruction.
Vashti, the original queen was deposed from her office. Little would one have guessed at the time that her refusal to put herself on display at the King's banquet was designed to make a place ready for the one who would be the deliverer of the LORD's people. She had no other purpose in her actions than to refuse the kings request to make herself a spectacle at his banquet. But GOD meant it for the benefit of HIS people.
Mordecai, a lowly Jew, taken into captivity as a young man by Nebuchadnezzar, had no idea that he would play a pivotal role in this deliverance. How could he have known that his pity upon the orphan child of his uncle would be that which would prepare a young woman to become the queen of a mighty nation and that seed of affection which he nurtured in her would be the very catalyst for her resolve?. But GOD meant it for the benefit of HIS people.
Esther, but an orphan child, could easily have been taken in by someone with nefarious designs. What power did she have to choose the one who would protect and nurture her? How came it so that she was endowed with such beauty and grace so as to outshine all of the fair maidens from across the land of Persia? She could not have known that her ability to please the King would result in deliverance. But GOD meant it for the benefit of HIS people.
Haman, a wicked man by any man's standard, was raised up to hate the Jews and to despise his arch-nemesis Mordecai. He only acted according to the wicked desires of his heart in persuading the King to make a decree which would ensure the destruction of the Jews. Acting upon the same evil desire and encouraged by his friends, he built a gallows which he intended for the death of Mordecai. But GOD meant it for the benefit of HIS people.
Ahasueras, a mighty king, even as Nebuchanezzar before him, is typical of all the rulers of men upon the earth. "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." (Prov. 21:1) Deliverance for the Jews was written by the same hand that wrote the decree for their destruction. A sleepless night, brought on perhaps by an overindulgence of food and drink, or just perhaps because of the cares of the day weighing heavily upon him, caused him to read the chronicles of the kingdom, and he just "happened" to read the exact place that recorded the deeds of Mordecai, which he just "happened" to decide to honor. He simply meant it as a gesture of gratitude to a loyal subject. But GOD meant it for the benefit of HIS people.
When one looks at all of these characters, how intertwined their lives are, and sees all of the events that transpired in each one's life, how can he help but see the predestinating hand of GOD unless he is blinded by unbelief. How could all these things just have "happened by coincidence". That is the same logic that bolsters the Darwinist's theories of evolution. HE who created the earth for a purpose, ordains and controls all events that transpire in the earth to cause that purpose to come to pass. One can as easily believe in the theories of random selection of the species as one can conclude that any event takes place in the earth outside of the predetermined design of a sovereign GOD.
Now as glorious as it is to contemplate the constant unfolding of events that are continually occurring every day according to HIS predestined will, that in itself is not THE glory of HIS predestination. It is true that neither a sparrow falls nor does a hair grow out of place upon a man's head except that it is ordered by the LORD. Yet HE has not revealed HIS predestination of all things just to inform us about sparrows or hair growth, but to magnify the glory of HIS purpose in the creation of the world to set the stage for the manifestation of HIS grace revealed in the redemption of a people which HE has loved from the foundation of that world. (see Eph.1:1-10; 3:3-11; Mat.13:11; Rom.8:28-39; 16:25-27)
HE ordained the fall of Adam. GOD cannot be taken by surprise. As surely as HE created men with the ability to sin, HE marked out the very spot where that sin took place. Had there been no sin there would have been no salvation. Yet in all of this HE is unblameable and unreprovable by the creature, for HE is absolutely HOLY and cannot be accused of wickedness. Moralists would cavil at this and try to besmirch HIS purity just as they will be aghast at the thought that Esther was ordained by HIM to pleasure the King of Persia or that some Israelites visited a harlot's house in Jericho, in order to deliver HIS people from destruction. HIS hand is not shortened. GOD will deliver HIS people.
HE ordained the DELIVERER. Just as Esther was fitted for her role so the LORD JESUS CHRIST was perfectly fitted for HIS. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Heb 5:8-9)
HE ordained the deliverance. "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight." (Col 1:21-22) Not only did the LORD JESUS die and rise again in our behalf but HE "also did predestinate (us) to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Rom 8:29) HE is presently calling HIS own to HIMSELF. (see Rom.8:30; John 10:27) As surely as the LORD was mindful of the cries of captive Israel in Babylon, so HE is mindful of those "Israelites" who cry out to HIM for mercy in the present time. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Rom 10:13)
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