The Theology of Silence
I Have a Confession…
I’ll be honest: For a long time, I didn’t know what to do with the Book of Esther. As a Christian (and a woman who loves structure!), I look for clear signs in Scripture. I look for the prayers of David, the fire of Elijah, or the red letters of Jesus. I want to see God moving. I want to hear His voice. But when I opened the Book of Esther, I found… silence. Did you know that God’s name is not mentioned a single time in the entire book? Not once. No Yahweh, no Elohim, no "Lord." There are no miracles. No seas parting. No prophets declaring, "Thus says the Lord."
Instead, it reads like a suspenseful, plot-driven story of a power struggle within a political system full of parties, beauty treatments, and fragile male egos. To be transparent, it feels "worldly." I found myself asking: Where is God in this mess? Why is He silent? And why is this even in the Bible?
The God Who Hides His Face
When I dug into the margins, and I realized that the silence wasn't an accident. It was the entire point. There is a Hebrew concept called Hester Panim, which means "The Hiding of the Face." It comes from Deuteronomy 31:18, where God warns His people:
"And I will surely hide (haster) my face in that day…"
The name Esther actually shares the same root word as hester (hidden). The author didn't leave God out because he forgot Him. He left God’s name out to mimic the reality of the people living in the story. They were in exile. They were in Persia, far from home, living in a culture that didn't know their God. They felt abandoned. They felt like God had ghosted them. The author forces us to read the book the same way we often have to live our lives: Looking for God’s hand when we cannot see His face.
Silence is Not Absence
In my work as a nurse, and in my own walk with the Lord, I have learned that silence is tricky. I and maybe you as well often interpret silence as abandonment. If I don’t "feel" God, or if I don't get the miracle I prayed for, I sometimes assume He has left the building (A life lesson here is ASSUMPTIONS KILL). But the Book of Esther teaches us a different theology. It teaches us that God is just as present in the silence of a political palace as He is in the thunder of Mount Sinai. He didn't need a burning bush to save His people in Susa; He used a King's insomnia, a forgotten library book, and a brave woman's timing. The silence of the Book of Esther is actually its loudest message: God does not need to be named to be sovereign. We see in this book that although God’s name isn’t spoken, His presence is sought. In Esther 4:1, we see Mordecai clothe himself in burlap, and in verse 16, Esther fasts. In a book about human pride, the heroes succeed only by total dependence on the 'invisible' God." So, how do we seek a silent God today? I probably am not going to put on literal sackcloth or sit in ashes in my living room. ( I can’t be the only one!) But the posture of Mordecai and Esther is the key to surviving the silence. If we feel like God is hiding His face, here is what their example teaches us to do:
Check Your Assumptions: Like I said, assumptions kill. Stop assuming the silence means He is angry or absent. Remind yourself that the Teacher is often quietest during the test.
Put on "Spiritual Burlap" (Humility): Mordecai’s sackcloth was a physical way of saying, "I cannot fix this." Seeking the silent God starts with surrendering our need to control the outcome.
Fast from the Noise: Esther didn't add more noise to the situation; she subtracted food. Sometimes, to hear the "hidden" God, we have to turn down the volume of the world. We have to starve our distractions so we can feed our dependence on Him.
For the "Exiles" Reading This
Maybe you feel like you are in "Susa" right now. Maybe you are in a season where God feels silent. You’re praying, but it feels like your prayers aren’t being heard. You are looking for a miracle, but all you see is politics, stress, and "coincidences." This series is for you. Over the next few posts, we are going to walk through this book—not as a fairy tale, but as a case we need study and investigate. We are going to look at the mental health of the villain, the trauma of the heroes, and the invisible hand that turned it all upside down. If you have ever felt hidden, overlooked, or abandoned, stay with me. We are about to find out that God does His best work in the dark.
A Prayer for the Silent Season
"Lord,
Thank You that You do not need to be loud to be present. Forgive me for the times I have assumed that Your silence was Your absence. Forgive me for believing that if I couldn't see Your face, You had removed Your hand. Today, I put on 'spiritual burlap.' I admit that I cannot fix what is broken, and I cannot control the outcome. I surrender my need for a sign and choose to trust Your sovereignty instead. Give me the humility of Mordecai to wait on You, and the courage of Esther to walk into the unknown. Open my eyes to see Your providence in the 'coincidences' of my life. I trust You in the dark just as much as I trust You in the light.
Amen."
I want to try something new for this series and have a reflection question, not only for you but for me!
When was a time in your life where you felt God was silent, but looking back, you realized He was moving the whole time?
Next Up: We need to talk about Queen Vashti—and why her "No" might be the most misunderstood moment in the Bible.