Esther 6

Glory be to God! You may take your seats. Banner Kids, you are also free to go. Good morning, everyone. It is an honor to share God’s word with you this morning. If we have not met yet, my name is William, and I serve here on staff at Banner. If you have your copy of God’s word, I want to invite you to open to Esther chapter 6. You will find the book of Esther towards the front half of your Bible between the books of Nehemiah and Job.

If you have not been with us these past few weeks, we have been going through the book of Esther chapter by chapter. And over the past six weeks we have gotten established with King Ahasuerus, who is King of Persia, his former queen who he banished, Queen Vashti, Mordecai, a Jew who is still in Persia after the Jews were removed from the promised land by the Babylonians, his little cousin who he raised as a daughter, Esther, who goes on to be Queen in place of Vashti, and Haman, an Agagite who is seeking the destruction of the Jewish people. These are our major characters in the story. And up to this point in Esther, Haman has been on the move to try to destroy the Jews. We have also seen Mordecai serve as a faithful servant to the King by revealing a plot to kill the King. This is important for what we will cover this morning, as it will come back up. So, now that we are up to speed, I want to invite you, if you are willing and able, to stand with me as we read God’s Word. Esther chapter 6, starting in verse one, and we will read through verse 13. Esther 6:1–13 “On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king’s young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’ ” Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.” Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

Thank you, you may be seated. And as you take your seats, I want to invite you to join me in prayer as we begin our discussion of today's text. (Pray for the Lord to use this text to display His glory and His providence in the way He acts for His people.)

If you have been with us through the book of Esther, you know that it has mostly seemed as though things were only getting progressively worse for God’s people. So this chapter feels like a turning point. And while it might seem that way from our perspective, and certainly from the perspectives of Esther, Mordachi, and the Jews, the Lord has never once lost control of the situation. That’s because this chapter really puts on display God’s Providence.

God’s Providence

Providence is our $20 word for the day. It should not be an intimidating word, though. John Piper has a really good book just on the subject of the Lord’s providence, and in there, he gives a good definition. “The providence of God is His purposeful sovereignty by which He will be completely successful in the achievement of his ultimate goal for the universe. God’s providence carries His plans into action, guides all things toward His ultimate goal, and leads to the final consummation.” -John Piper. My point here is to say that the Lord has had a purpose in everything that has led up to it and has even willed it to be. As we left off last week, Haman, who is a bitter enemy of the Jews and a tool used by Satan to persecute God’s people, has found a lot of favor with the king. And now, he has devised a plan to have Mordachi hanged. And he is so confident in his plan that he has already prepared the gallows for Mordachi to hang from before he has even gotten permission from the king to do so. But let's look at how God’s providence shows up here in the story. Esther 6:1 says, “On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.” So the very night that Haman is preparing for the fall of Mordachi, the King unexplainably could not sleep. And it's not that the King just slept poorly. I don’t know about y’all, but I do not always sleep great, and the night that I am not sleeping great, I just end up in a horrible cycle of waking up for a minute or two, rolling over, falling back to sleep, and then 20 minutes later waking back up. And I will do this throughout the whole night. But I am never really up up. I am somewhere between asleep and awake. That’s not what is happening here to the king. This night, something kept him from sleeping. There was no going back to sleep until something happened. And the king, who is desperate for sleep, calls for help. And keep in mind, he has the whole nation at his disposal. And instead of the normal music or song to be played to help him sleep, he instead asks for his history book to be read. Essentially, the king needs him a bedtime story about his own life. While this would probably be effective in getting him to sleep, it's nonetheless an odd request. And as we read in the next verse, of all the things that could have been read to the king, it is Mordachi’s faith to the king some five years earlier. This is not chance; it is God’s providence. The same providence that spoke the world into existence. The same providence that promised Abraham and Sarah a son after waiting for one for some 80-plus years and brought Isaac to be born in Genesis 21. It was God’s providence that before Abraham would offer up his son Isaac, He would send them a ram to be the sacrifice in his place in Genesis 22. It was God’s providence when Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel so Leah could be the mother of Judah in Genesis 29. It was God’s providence that Joseph would be despised by his brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt, where he would later rise to power and save his family from drought. God’s providence sent the infant Moses down the river so he could one day lead God’s people out of Egypt. God’s providence provided mana and commanded the quail to be a food for the rebellious Israelites while they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. God’s providence commanded the walls of Jericho to crumble. It was God’s providence over creation that delivered David from the paw of the lion and the bear in 1 Samaul 17. It was not David’s skill or strength that took down Goliath but God’s providence that guided the stone the entire way. God’s providence commanded the storm to hit the ship that occupied Jonah in his rebellion. God so too sent the fish to swallow up Jonah and then to spit him back out. When Jonah returned to his rebellious ways, God’s providence commanded the plant to grow and offer Jonah shade and then the worm to come and kill the plant. God’s providence commanded the rise of nations like Assyria and Babylon to enact justice on God’s own people because of their sin. God’s providence sent them into exile. It is God’s providence that has kept many of the Jews, like Mordachi, in exile under the Persians. It is God’s providence that has kept the king awake and has reminded the king of Mordachi’s faithfulness. We see that God is a perfect orchestrator, so why then has he reminded the king of Mordachi and how he saved the king? Well, it is because God is a God of justice.

God’s Justice

We see in Esther 6:3, “And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” Mordachi, back in chapter 2, helps to put down an attempt on the king's life. And a little disappointingly receives nothing for such heroic actions. And five whole years have gone by, and nothing has been done for him. And it is not that Mordachi spoke up about the plot so that he could be rewarded, but it seems a little unjust that nothing should be done for him, not even a pat on the back. I am sure for Mordachi it would seem that it had been forgotten. Mordachi could even have pushed it to the back of his mind and forgotten it. In fact, things have actually gotten much worse for Mordachi since these events. In these very moments, Mordachi’s enemy has prepared for his death and the destruction of Mordachi’s people. And as we learned back in the previous chapter, Haman, who is seeking Mordachi’s destruction, has not only gained the ear of the king to make a petition; he has gained his heart, as the king has shown Haman great favor. However, the Lord had not forgotten about Mordachi. Let’s look ahead and see what happens. Esther 6:4–9 “And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king’s young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’ ” We see that Haman is so eager to get the king's permission to hang Mordachi that he is nearby to the king at who knows what hour in the morning. And the king, who is at such a loss because of the lack of honor given to Mordachi, calls for whoever of his court is nearby to help him. So the king ushers in Haman. And at this point, you know Haman probably cannot believe his luck. And before Haman can speak a word, the king asks him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now again, Haman has no clue that the king is speaking about Mordachi and assumes that he must be talking about Haman. And in a vain attempt, Haman tries to give himself the highest honor possible. And I am sure to Haman’s great disappointment, verse Esther 6:10 says, “Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” We see that God uses the very mouth of the enemy to bless His people because He is a just God. He had not forgotten the faithfulness of Mordachi and would not let the enemy prosper over His people. And as last-minute as this justice may have seemed, there was never a moment that God in His providence was not going to act justly and save His people. As close as the enemy may have seemed to triumphing over God’s people, He never would have. A great Old Testament author and scholar, Jason DeRouchie, once said, “Satan is like a dog on a leash; he can only go where God allows him to go.” Though the enemy's bark might have seemed ferocious, he was never going to be victorious. This leads me to my last point for us today, which is God’s Perfect Plan.

God’s Perfect Plan

Here in Esther, it can seem hopeless at times for God’s people. Haman seems like a very powerful and influential enemy. He found favor with the king and even was able to put into place an edict to destroy the Jews that was soon to be enforced by law. Hope almost seems unlikely for the Jews. But it is in the unlikely places that God is working. We have seen it here in Esther when, in just one conversation, Mordachi has been saved, and Haman has begun to fall. We see it elsewhere in Scripture as well. Genesis 3:15 says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This is God speaking to the serpent, Satan, after the fall of man. In one of history's worst events, the Lord gives hope. I mentioned it earlier, but when Joseph was sold into slavery, it seemed to be the end for him, and I am sure the enemy rejoiced at this; instead, the Lord used it for the good of His people. When King Saul rebelled against the Lord and did not kill the Amalekite king, King Agag, of whom Haman is a descendant, the enemy probably rejoiced; instead, the Lord chose David to be king, a lowly shepherd boy whom his father, Jesse, thought to be the least among his brothers. When Assyria and Babylon came to destroy the nations of Israel and Judah, the enemy probably rejoiced, thinking he had defeated God’s people; instead, it was the Lord who sent them to judge His people, and it was the Lord who chose some from among them to save and preserve in exile. When Haman came seeking to finally put the Jews down, it was the Lord who instead put Haman down. And look to the cross. When Jesus went to the cross as the humble lamb, the enemy rejoiced, thinking he had swallowed up the Son of God. Instead, it was the very thing that he swallowed up that would be a poison to him, for Jesus rose again, this time not as a humble lamb but as a roaring lion, having the final victory. And that victory is also given to those who follow Him. This is the Gospel. We who are hopeless and being oppressed by the enemy and our own sin are offered salvation through the finished work of Christ. Before the foundations of the world, this was God’s providential, just, and perfect plan. Mordachi experienced that when he was delivered from the hand of Haman, and so too can you, if you turn to Christ who has already won the victory. Unlike Mordachi, we do not have to wonder how the Lord will save us, for He already has secured our salvation in Christ. We just have to turn and trust Him, place our faith in the God who is in control of all things and is divinely orchestrating His perfect will in each of our lives. Here in a moment, I am going to pray for us, and afterward we will have a time of response. If you want to place your faith in the Lord, now is the perfect time to do so. We will have some folks in the back who can help you with that and will joyfully pray for you. So let’s go to the Lord and pray.