Sermon Tone Analysis

While All the World’s Asleep

There are times, in each of our lives, when we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of a crisis … crisis of health, crisis in a relationship, crisis of faith … you know the situation is dire .... you know God doesn’t want you to be passive and do nothing .... so you’ve tried.

You’ve done what you can … you’ve apologized to the one you hurt; you’ve taken every medication the doctor prescribed and endured every painful test that’s been ordered; you’ve been on your face in prayer, pleading for the one you love who is destroying the one life God has given, walking in exactly the wrong direction … you’ve tried to share, you’ve tried to help .... whatever your situation is, you’ve tried.

And you’re willing to keep trying.

But right now … there’s nothing more you can do.

Truly.

You need to trust God - - You need to know the Providence of God.

Providence: God’s always interesting of showing that He is FOR His people.

Text this morning and the whole book of Esther.

“The always fascinating providence of a never slumbering God explains the preservation of His always fragile people.”

God’s providence is at work before you are aware of it.

Back to chapter 1 - the party and Vashti’s removal.

Chapter 6 begins at night.

Everyone in the capitol city of the mighty Persian empire - is asleep.

The another page on the calendar has turned.

One by one, the pages are turning - getting ever closer to the coming holocaust of the entire Jewish race, living in the vast Persian Empire - from here, in the capitol city of Susa to Jerusalem, the heart of the holy land … and everywhere in between.

And God’s people have been doing everything they can possibly do to stop the genocide.

Mordecai alerted Esther as soon as he heard the news -- and when she wavered, he pushed her to get involved: “Who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther has done everything she can do: She called for a a 3-day fast - for God’s people to get on their faces before the Lord.

She has risked her own life by approaching the king, unnanounced - a crime punishable by death, if he doesn’t want to see her - and doesn’t extend the golden scepter in her direction.

If he doesn’t welcome her - she’s dead.

It’s the law.

She has also been carrying out a plan that surely came out of the time in fasting and prayer - - when the king offered her up to half of his kingdom - she didn’t ask anything for herself, at first - just invited the king and Haman, the evil mastermind behind the genocide - to a banquet she prepared for them.

The banquet was last evening and she’s invited them back for another feast - that will be tomorrow.

That’s when Esther has promised to finally tell the king what she really wants … she’s cast the fishing line, she’s set the hook and is slowly, patiently, reeling in the king.

But right now, there’s nothing else she can do .... so she sleeps.

Mordecai has done everything he can do - so he sleeps.

In fact, he’s not even aware of the new and more pressing danger hanging over his head - he doesn’t know that Haman is so filled with hatred towards him for the way he refuses to bow and pay homage, that he can’t wait for the months to pass by and execute Mordecai along with the rest of the Jewish people … he’s planning to execute this thorn in his flesh tomorrow.

Mordecai doesn’t have a clue … he’s sleeping in his bed.

Everyone in that time zone of the vast empire is sleeping.

Everyone except for one person - the king himself.

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Providence: God’s always interesting of showing that He is FOR His people.

Text this morning and the whole book of Esther.

“The always fascinating providence of a never slumbering God explains the preservation of His always fragile people.”

God’s providence is at work before you are aware of it.

Back to chapter 1 - the party and Vashti’s removal.

Chapter 6 begins at night.

Everyone in the capitol city of the mighty Persian empire - is asleep.

The another page on the calendar has turned.

One by one, the pages are turning - getting ever closer to the coming holocaust of the entire Jewish race, living in the vast Persian Empire - from here, in the capitol city of Susa to Jerusalem, the heart of the holy land … and everywhere in between.

And God’s people have been doing everything they can possibly do to stop the genocide.

Mordecai alerted Esther as soon as he heard the news -- and when she wavered, he pushed her to get involved: “Who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther has done everything she can do: She called for a a 3-day fast - for God’s people to get on their faces before the Lord.

She has risked her own life by approaching the king, unnanounced - a crime punishable by death, if he doesn’t want to see her - and doesn’t extend the golden scepter in her direction.

She has also been carrying out a plan that surely came out of the time in fasting and prayer - - when the king offered her up to half of his kingdom - she didn’t ask anything for herself, at first - just invited the king and Haman, the evil mastermind behind the genocide - to a banquet she prepared for them.

The banquet was last evening and she’s invited them back for another feast - that will be tomorrow.

That’s when Esther has promised to finally tell the king what she really wants … she’s cast the fishing line, she’s set the hook and is slowly, patiently, reeling in the king.

But right now, there’s nothing else she can do .... so she sleeps.

Mordecai has done everything he can do - so he sleeps.

In fact, he’s not even aware of the new and more pressing danger hanging over his head - he doesn’t know that Haman is so filled with hatred towards him for the way he refuses to bow and pay homage, that he can’t wait for the months to pass by and execute Mordecai along with the rest of the Jewish people … he’s planning to execute this thorn in his flesh tomorrow.

Mordecai doesn’t have a clue … he’s sleeping in his bed.

Everyone in that time zone of the vast empire is sleeping.

Everyone except for one person - the king himself.

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1 VERSES 1-3 A TERRIBLE OVERSIGHT IS DISCOVERED

, “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.”

“On THAT night the king could not sleep”.

Isn’t that perfect - of all the nights for the king to suffer from a bout of insomnia, it just happens to be the very night that Haman has hired a construction team to build a stake, 75 feet high, so that he can impale Mordecai on it the very next day.

“On THAT night the king could not sleep.”

And do you notice what keeps him awake?

Remember in the book of Daniel, how Ahasuerus’ father, Darius had been tricked into throwing Daniel into the den of hungry lions and he was so worried about that man of God - that he couldn’t sleep the whole night?

Or before that - in Daniel chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar was so troubled in the night by dreams that needed to be interpreted - he couldn’t sleep either?

But on this night, there are no troubling dreams, there’s no worry about anything … the king just cannot sleep.

Why is that?

See the silent hand of God at work, friend.

And God doesn’t just keep the king awake - he also prompts the remedy.

I know that I’m not the only one here this morning who has a problem with insomnia - what do you do when you can’t sleep?

Pray … often sleep with earbuds in - listen to a lecture or an audio book - has to be the right kind of voice - can’t be dynamic, can’t be too entertaining … but the sound of a calm voice, talking and talking … that often does it for me.

There’s no electricity in Persia, so no late-night tv, no headphones.

But this is the king of Persia - who has everything the empire has to offer, just the snap of the fingers away.

He could have a meal brought to him, drinks brought, a woman of his choosing brought from the harem to soothe him … but none of that does he choose.

“And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.”

Volume after volume is kept in the royal library - of these records of special actions - service to the empire that has been above and beyond the call of duty.

But that makes it sound more exciting than it would have been.

This is a list of names and a record of what they have done and what reward they’ve received.

These are books of government records … you can imagine how exciting this reading material would be.

Actually - what a perfect way to get back to sleep - - So in the flickering light of the lamp flame, the king is lying in bed, with the sheets up to his neck … while his scribe drones on and on with name after name, deed after deed … can you feel your eyelids getting heavier and heavier just thinking about listening to that?

Well, it just so happens that the scribe has chosen the volume of records and is at just the place in that long volume, where the name of one man, Mordecai, is read out ...

Verse 2, “And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

(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.’”

So, out of all the volumes of the king’s records that COULD have been chosen, the scribe chooses THIS one.

And as the voice of the reader drones on and on and the king undoubtedly gets sleepier and sleepier - eyelids drooping lower and lower … the desired sleep approaching .... then suddenly, when the story of Mordecai comes up - the king suddenly snaps awake again … and out of all the exploits of all of the people to ask about - he asks a question about THIS one:

“What reward did Mordecai get for saving my life?”

The scribe runs his finger along the ledger line - under the category of reward - there’s nothing there.

“Mordecai didn’t receive anything, your majesty”.

Well, that just will not do.

Persian kings in history were famously generous in rewarding people who helped them and showed loyalty to the empire.

Not only was that a good way to make themselves look good in the eyes of the citizens, but also - think about it - - if one of your citizens find himself or herself in place where they have an opportunity to save your life - and they aren’t sure if they want to - because they really don’t like you very much … don’t you want visions of a great reward dancing through their thoughts?

“Nothing has been done for Mordecai?! Something has to be done.

Something has to be done -NOW, I can’t sleep anyways.”

So the king swings his legs out of the bed royal pajamas and all - and calls for his advisors on night-shift duty.

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2 VERSES 4-9: HAMAN PLANS HONOR FOR HIMSELF

Verse 4, “And the king said, ‘Who is in the court?’”

What kind of question is that?

“Your majesty, don’t you know what time it is?

Everyone in the city is asleep.

The black of night is just now beginning to crack on the eastern horizon with the glow of the morning sun.”

But in this chapter filled with ‘coincidences’, there’s another coincidence - - on this very day, there just happens to be someone in the outer court of the palace:

And it just happens to be Haman.