Peace in God: Our Protector

Throughout Scripture, we see God protecting His people. In Genesis, God protected Adam and Eve by guarding the way to the Tree of Life so that they could not eat that fruit and live in that sinful state forever. At the end of Genesis, God protected Joseph after he had been sold into slavery and elevated him to 2^nd in command over all the storehouses of Egypt. In the book of Exodus, God protected Moses’ life when his mother placed him in a basket in the Nile River. Later in Exodus, we marvel at God’s protection as Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea on dry ground and away from the Egyptian army. In 1 & 2 Samuel, we see God protect King David when Saul was planning to kill him. In Daniel, we see God’s protection of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in the fiery furnace. In the book of Ruth, God protected two widows through a kinsman redeemer. In every book of the Bible, you can see God’s hand of protection in some way or another.

Of all these biblical examples, perhaps my favorite story of God’s protection is found in the book of Esther. After Queen Vashti upsets her husband, there is a decree that all young girls be brought to the King’s palace. From these virgins, he would choose a new Queen. A young Jewish girl, by the name of Hadassah, enters the King’s harem. For twelve months, she was given beauty treatments and after her one night with the King, she wins his favor and is made Queen Esther. However, the King’s chief minister, Haman, conjures up an evil plan to annihilate all of the Jewish people. It is then that Queen Esther is encouraged to speak to the King. Her cousin Mordecai’s famous words challenged her.

13 Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. 14 If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”
Esther 4:13-14 CSB

Here we see God’s hand of protection twice! First, she could have been killed for coming to the King unsolicited. However, she is willing to die as she intercedes for her people.

“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my female servants will also fast in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. If I perish, I perish.”
Esther 4:16 CSB

Yet, God protected her and gave her favor to speak to her husband. Second, as Queen Esther reveals Haman’s evil plan, God protected His chosen people.

3 Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if the king is pleased, spare my life; this is my request. And spare my people; this is my desire. 4 For my people and I have been sold to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn’t be worth burdening the king.”
Esther 7:3-4 CSB

And he grants her request! The King allows the Jews to assemble and fight back on the day they were to be annihilated. God protected the entire Jewish race, and they still celebrate this protection every year with the Feast of Purim!

God is our Protector indeed. My Nana always quoted Psalm 121. She was a tiny 4’11” woman who was married to an alcoholic. She raised her five sons by herself, as her husband would often be out in bars drinking after work. She pawned much of her jewelry just to make ends meet. It wasn’t until I was reading her favorite Psalm recently that I realized how many times God’s protection is mentioned in these few verses. Maybe that’s why she clung to these words so much.

1 I lift my eyes toward the mountains.
Where will my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
your Protector will not slumber.
4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel
does not slumber or sleep.

5 The Lord protects you;
the Lord is a shelter right by your side.[a]
6 The sun will not strike you by day
or the moon by night.

7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;
he will protect your life.
8 The Lord will protect your coming and going
both now and forever.
Psalm 121 CSB

How beautiful are those words! God is our Helper and Protector. He does not sleep or slumber. He never leaves His throne. He stays with us, right by our side. Like a shepherd, He is with us day and night. He protects our very lives. He keeps us from harm. He protects our ways, both now and forever. Praise be to our Good Shepherd!