Why isn't the name of God mentioned

Why isn't the name of God mentioned
in the book of Esther?

    The name of God, YHWH, is not found in the book of Esther.  However, it is found in acrostic form.

At four crucial points in the story (1:20; 5:4; 5:13; 7:7) twice forward and twice backward, God's name (YHWH) is present.  The devout Jew would have recognized this, while the Persians would not.  This may have been God's way of preserving his sacred name from pagan perversion.¹

An acrostic is a series of lines or sentences were certain letters spell out a word or a phrase.  For example:

1. John went to the store
2. Every day this week
3. Saturday and Sunday included
4. Until Monday arrived
5. So he took a break

The first letter of each sentence spells out "Jesus".  This  is an example of an acrostic and this type of thing is what is used in the book of Esther.  It hid the name of God within its pages so that the Jew would recognize it, but the Persians would not.

 

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1.  Howe, Thomas.  When Critics Ask. Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Books; 2002, p. 219.