 Last week, we saw Haman’s plan to kill Mordecai. We saw how his faulty joy led him to devise a wicked plan. And this week, we see what happens. While Haman has the gallows made, King Ahasuerus can’t sleep.
“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” (Esth. 6:1-2 ESV).  Who or what is the source of your joy? Faulty joy leads to sinful choices.
“And Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai” (Esth. 5:9 ESV).  I tend to be impatient when someone tells me a story. While the storyteller rambles on about this or that, I think to myself, “Just get to the point, bro.” (Though, in all honesty, it’s usually a gal). But you can only imagine how I feel when my TV show is interrupted by a commercial. To be honest, I have a hard time imagining it, too, because I never watch TV. But you get the point.
 Last week, I wrote about God’s sovereignty in Esther 4. We saw how Mordecai begged Esther to appear before King Ahasuerus and attempt to save her people from Haman’s ridiculous plan of annihilation. But there’s something I didn’t mention last week in the text that I want to address this week. Specifically, verses 3 through 5.
 God’s silent handiwork in Esther becomes ever clearer in chapter 4 as we see how He, in His providence, places Esther in a position for a purpose — to save the Jews from annihilation. This is where the well-known verse can be found: “‘… And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’” (Esth. 4:14 ESV). But what I love about Esther is that God’s sovereign work isn’t too obvious. This series is called “Sovereign in the silence” for a reason.
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