Gods perfect Timing and an Uno Reverse Card

Esther 6:1-14

Credits: Exalting Jesus in Esther, a commentary by Landon Dowden,

Truthfully, I found this commentary while praying and studying and I really liked the structure and breakdown of events. So instead of trying to reinvent the wheel I thought I would share what God provided. Borrow some from the commentary, and add what I felt God wanted me to add.

Recap:

We are picking up after Esther prepared a fest for the king and Haman, this was part of Esther’s plan to intercede on behalf of her people. However, she chose to host yet another feast with the king and Haman the next day. Now, unbeknown to Esther, after the feast Haman had another mood killing run in with Mordecai and lets just say it did not go over so well. He then went home, maintained his composure staying calm and controlled . He then called for his wife and friends. After hearing all of Haman’s gripes and frustrations the best suggestion they could come up with was to have some gallows built 50 cubits high (75’)

*Fun Fact The word gallows is translated from the Hebrew word עֵץ ʿēṣ meaning a tree or cylindrical wooden pole. aka a Pike. These where not the gallows with a noose we are accustomed to seeing from western culture, no, a common form of execution during these time was a Pike for impalement.

So Haman, with the guidance of his “Friends” and Wife (There is some irony here that we will get to towards the end of chapter 6) planned to have Mordecai impaled high for everyone to see, They wanted it to be a spectacle. I do personally have question around how they got someone up there, but that really doesnt matter.

Intro:

Now, this brings us to day, where we will continue to see Gods plan unfold.

But, before we get into it, there is one thing I think we need to notice, and that is the fact no one outside of Hamans group knew what was planned for Mordecai. Esther, Mordecai and the king had no idea. Now, this is important for us to notice. when the law went out to have the Jews killed, Mordecai was there to bring awareness to Esther, When the plot to kill the king was made known to Mordecai he was able to intervene, but no one from Hamans camp was talking.

What does this setup? Without a doubt the only intervention that could happen now is GOD.

Karen Jobes, wrote in her commentary,

Exalting Jesus in Esther Consider the Providential Insomnia (Esther 6:1–2)

By making the pivot point of the peripety (

Body:

In Esther 6 we are going to see two things that stuck out to me

A. Two Opposing Personality's, Which I find coincidentally relatable to Pastor Johns Sermon last Sunday.

A Prideful and blindly Arrogant man fueled by hatred and a selfish desire to be recognized and praised by others.

A humble and patient man, striving to follow God, in Gods own time, and protect his people with no regard for self.

B. Gods Perfect Timing, (and the best uno reverse card).

Any thoughts on last week before we get started??

Gods Providential Insomnia

Esther 6:1–2 LSB

During that night, sleep had fled from the king, so he said for them to bring the book of memoranda, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. And it was found written what Mordecai had told concerning Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from those who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to send forth their hand against King Ahasuerus.

In the first two verses we see a couple of things happening,

We see On THIS night of all nights, the king was not able to sleep.

(**The word Book is translated from the Hebrew word se.per Meaning enscription, something written, or a Scroll)

We also see that he had a book of memoranda, the chronicles. Basically a Scroll of affairs and happenings relevant to the king read to him. (Imagine a world where email, calendars, text reminders etc. didn't exist).

What are the odds that on that very same night the king would request to have that book read, which sounds like terrible night time reading to me. But hey, who am I to judge. What are the odds that on this night, from that book, those people would recount the record of Mordecai saving the kings life 5 years earlier. 5 years, Mordecai went unacknowledged for 5 years.

So, lets just take a second to really think about all the things that would happen in a kingdom in 5 years, all the things that would have been recorded, and how many scrolls that would amount to, and somehow they still ended up on a 5 year old event. At this point we really start to see Gods plan unfold right? The odds have to be near impossible right? On this night of all nights, the lack of sleep, the chosen reading, the 5 year old detail, I would say those odds are pretty impossible....... but God.

2. Gods Providential Investigation

Esther 6:3 LSB

And the king said, “What honor or greatness has been done to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”

We don't know this, but I imagine these fellows reading started to panic and really looking for some record of reward right?

Something I have learned while preparing this, The Persian kings, and I am sure others did as well, but they would reward those that foiled attempts on the kings life so that more people would be willing to also tattle on those trying to kill the king. it wasn’t just an act of kindness or appreciation, it was an act of self preservation. So , now the king is aware, a man is out there unrewarded for essentially saving his life. He couldnt just let that stand, this had to be corrected.

Lets read on,

3. Providential Interruption

Esther 6:4–5 LSB

So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had entered the outer court of the king’s house in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had set up for him. And the king’s young men said to him, “Behold, Haman is standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.”

Again, we see Gods handy work at play. Lets keep in mind, we don't know what time it is, and we don't know how long those guy where reading from the scrolls, but we do see when the king became aware Mordecai had gone 5 years unrewarded, lo and behold Haman is in the court to request permission to kill Mordecai, The same man the king just found out needs to be rewarded. Had Haman been up all night building, was he just so excited to get this approved?

Again, what are the odds? Also, keep in mind neither of these men know each others intentions at this point. its another dichotomy, one wants to Kill while the other wants to reward.

Lets keep going,

4. Providential Irony

Esther 6:6–9 LSB

So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What is to be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” Then Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let them bring a royal robe which the king clothes himself in, and the horse on which the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown has been placed; and let the robe and the horse be given over to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, and let them clothe the man whom the king delights to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square and call out before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’”

Now, if your at all aware of how this story plays out, I personally find this next part almost amusing. Its like those movies where we know something the villain doesn’t, and your just watching there master plan fall a part.

Now, the king asked Haman what he should do for someone he wants to honor. (Remember, Haman has no idea the king wants to reward Mordecai, and the king has no idea that Haman wants to put him on a pike).

and Haman being the man that he is, he thinks in his own selfish heart, who would the king want to honor more than me, it must be me.

(Remember what he told Zeresh in Esther 5:11–12 “Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches and the number of his sons and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king. Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the feast which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am called to come to her with the king.”)

So Haman lays out for the king what he in his own heart desires. The kings robe, the Kings horse, he wanted to be dressed by a noble prince and led through town for all to see.

I bet Haman was imagining it, This part really makes me think of those Disney style cartoons, where there thoughts show up in a cloud above there head while they have a menacing grin.

Apparently it was a good idea,

Lets Read on,

5. Providential Uno Reverse Card

Esther 6:10 LSB

Then the king said to Haman, “Take quickly the robes and the horse as you have said, and do so for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king’s gate; do not fall short in anything of all that you have spoken.”

See this is the part in the cartoon where the bubble pops and the screen darkens a bit, and the characters emotions are shattered.

What an Uno Reverse Card, the king hears the desires of Haman’s heart, not knowing thats what it was, and then tells him to do that exact thing for the Man he hates so bad he wants to kill. Can you imagine?? Talk about an emotional roller-coaster. In Hamans mind, he has went from killing his worst enemy, to get some great reward from the king to this.

Lets keep going,

6. Providential Honor

Esther 6:11 LSB

So Haman took the robe and the horse and clothed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square and called out before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

Now, I will say, Haman could have taken a complement here, If his request was for a most noble prince to dress and lead the honored party, then the king did look at Haman as such. Did Haman take it that way? No.

But, he did as commanded, he gathered all the stuff, went down to the gates, he dressed Mordecai, and led him though the city calling out, this is what happens to the man the king honors. (Remember, the king wants others to want to be honored, gotta save his own skin).

Something else I find interesting, there is no mention of Mordecai reaction in all of this. I mean imagine your sitting at the kings gate, and out walks the man who hates you and wants you and all your people dead. So much so that he has gotten a law passed and a bounty put on the Jews head. This man walks up to you, and I would imagine says something like, for your efforts to save the king 5 whole years ago, the king would like to honor you. Please allow me to dress you in the kings robe and lead you through the city on the kings horse so that honor may be upon you. or something like that.

7. Gods Providence Realized

Esther 6:12–13 LSB

Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hastened home, mourning, with his head covered. And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the seed of the Jews, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.”

So, now Haman has lived out his worst nightmare, on the day that he was planning to kill his worse enemy. We see Mordecai returns to his gate, and Mordecai runs home sulking with his head covered. Why is he in such a hurry, you may ask, he needs to go talk to his wife and friends.

This has became one of my favorite details in the Chapter, after Haman tells his wife and friends all that had happened to him, his wife and his wiseman tell him, If Mordecai, the one you are falling to, is of the seed of the Jews, you cant beat him, you will fail before him

Hmmmm, couple things in here, firstly Wife agrees with friends to build gallows to kill Mordecai(More Irony here for another day), the wife now agrees with Wiseman that you cant beat him. Seems like Zeresh is maybe not the best for advice.

We are not told this, but, I personally believe that Zeresh was saying you cant beat Mordecai because you cant beat the God of the Jews. Lots of people back in this time had there own gods. we see examples of this all though out the old testament. Back then was different than today, Today people want to debate on weather a higher being even exist, back then they debated on whose was stronger. Once again we see people conceding that they cannot beat the God of the Jews.

8. Providential Summoning

Esther 6:14 LSB

While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs reached Haman’s home and hastily brought Haman to the feast which Esther had prepared.

Now, after all that, After all that Haman had planned, After all he dreamed, After his humiliation, After his wife turns on him, its still not over for this poor fellow. He is immediately brought back to the 2nd feast Esther has prepared.

Some, or all of you know where this is leading to, but Haman's adventure isn't over.