Esther 6
- Summary
We now read of King Ahasuerus having a sleepless night and commanding his servants to read the book of records of the chronicles to him. (My study Bible explains that this book was the source from which the king's honors list was taken).
An account was read about Mordecai saving the king's life from an assassination plot. The king wanted to know how he had been rewarded but his servants told him that nothing had been done. (Apparently special services to the king were rewarded promptly and as this had been overlooked in Mordecai's case something must be done quickly).
At the moment the king is told this Haman arrived at the king's outer court intending to ask permission to hang Mordecai. The king sees someone arrive and on being told it is Haman orders him to be allowed in and straight way asks Haman what should be done to a man whom the king wanted to honour.
Haman, thinking that there could be no other man whom the king would want to honour as much as him suggests he should be dressed in the king's clothes and crown and paraded through the city on the king's horse by one of the king's prominent princes, who would proclaim that this is what would be done to the man whom the king delighted to honour.
The king orders him to quickly do exactly as he has described to Mordecai, which Haman does but then rushes home his head covered in mourning. On telling his own advisers, family and friends what had happened they predict that this is a sign that Haman will not prevail against the Jews.
The chapter concludes with the king's chamberlains arriving to quickly bring Haman to Esther's second banquet for the king and him.
- Thoughts
Although very familiar with the wonderful timing of events in this chapter, I was struck anew by verse 1, 'On that night'.
How perfect God's timing was! How amazing it was that the very night before Haman is going to ask to kill Mordecai the king couldn't sleep and was reminded how Mordecai had saved his life!
How wonderfully God had been working in the background BEFORE Haman had even requested to kill all the Jews. God knew all that was going to happen. He ordered it that Mordecai would overhear the plot to assassinate the king. God prevented Mordecai being rewarded by the king for saving his life - from my Bible study notes it would seem that it was quite unusual for someone not to have been rewarded quickly for a service to the king.
Think how amazing it was that this was the very record that was read to him on THAT night when he couldn't sleep!
Think how amazing it was that just as he was thinking how to reward him, Haman came to ask if he could kill him, but wasn't given a chance! God had ordered this that it might be used not only to save Mordecai's life from Haman but also as part of the plan to save his people from massacre.
(Perhaps we shouldn't be amazed at God's perfect timing, dear reader! Perhaps this shows how subtle our unbelief is, that we are amazed when our all powerful God demonstrates his sovereignty. May it be more of an awe as we consider the wonderousness of our God).
As we notice the wonderful ordering of events by God we don't read of God speaking. Isn't this an example of God answering prayer and speaking through providential things? It reminds me of the time in Genesis 24 when Abraham's servant prayed about a wife for Isaac at the well. We don't hear of God speaking to him in answer or telling him that it would be so, but he ordered it all to come to pass exactly as he had influenced the servant to pray! We can be tempted to think it is all coincidences, but how dishonouring this is to God as he goes before us and answers prayer!
We need wisdom here though - events may occur in our lives, which we think are answers to our prayers and God working out the way before us, but are just God permitting it. I remember a time when I was a student nurse, and events transpired that allowed me to follow a path which was wrong, and yet at the time it all seemed to be so providential, all falling into place, with things happening just at the right time.
It was similar with Jonah - he didn't want to do what God had said and decided to run away to Tarshish and it all seemed to be working out - there was a ship going to Tarshish, he had money for a ticket, he was able to get a place, and off he went (Jonah 1). The difference in Jonah and my own cases were that they were clearly against God's will, and ultimately in both cases, thankfully, the Lord intervened. This reminds us to measure 'coincidences' against what the scriptures teach us and not what we might want.
Well, may we be encouraged that our God is a great God! The one and true only God, in control of all things, working out all things to his glory. A God who knows our needs before we even ask, knows all things from the end to the beginning as it says in Isaiah 46:9,10, 'I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning'.
Do you have a difficulty today, dear reader? Do you have troubles that are too big for you to manage? Impossibilities? Are you tried that you do not hear the Lord telling you what to do? Do you think he doesn't really care about you and your life?
'Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgement is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding' (Isaiah 40:27, 28).
May we be given eyes to see the many so called 'coincidences' which he is bringing to pass in answer to our prayers, and be enabled to thank and praise him for his care of us.
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