The Unseen Who Sees: God's Providence in Esther

Well, tonight, I want you to guess the scripture. I know in the bulletin it said for tonight's message there was a question mark where the text was. Well, that was not a typo. I want you to guess. See if you can picture the scene. Sparkling into brilliant light of an eastern sun, we see a royal palace of great magnificence.

Near its massive outer gate, in strange and striking contrast with the splendor around him, sits a man of venerable appearance, clothed in sackcloth and with ashes on his head, apparently wrapped in the deepest sorrow. We look again. Issuing from the palace with a light and elated step, we see a man in rich attire who receives salutations of the crowd with a pompous and exulting air, but as he passes the mourner, who sits motionless in an attitude of deep dejection, his countenance assumes an expression of rage and hatred.

We look again. Proudly stepping from the same gate is a splendid charger, magnificently comparisoned, on which is mounted a man in regal attire of purple and gold, and wearing on his head a jeweled crown. We recognize in this princely person. The noble features of him who we saw so lately as a despised mourner.

And in the man who holds his bridal rein and proclaims his title to the people, we see the haughty and assuming courtier whose looks now betray anxiety and abject fear. What book am I preaching from tonight? Esther, very good, very good. Well, there's an eastern gate up there, an ancient gate.

And if these gates could talk, if this gate could talk, several scenes took place in front of such a gate as this. Much of the book of Esther centers around the king's gate. You can turn to Esther. It's a curious book. And what's so strikingly curious about it is God's name is never mentioned.

The Lord is never mentioned. God is not referenced. Throughout the Bible, there's well over 4,000 references to God. There's, I mean, using the name God. There's References to the Lord over seven, nearly eight thousand times, and many other thousands of times that God is referenced tens of thousands of times, and yet in Esther, not one time.

Very curious, and yet, in the book of Esther, we see the providences of God. There is an unseen hand at work throughout it all, it's God's providence. Tonight, the message is the unseen who sees God's providence in the book of Esther. Because Esther is really a book about God's providences.

There are all these seemingly unrelated and random events that happen at various times in various places, and they work together for God's good purposes and for the welfare of his people and for his own glory. Seeing God in the providences around us, God is a God who has work and doing things all around us.

But see, our problem is we. Want to see God in the dramatic. Somehow, we don't associate God in the mundane things or the little things. We don't typically see Him there. We look for Him in the dramatic and the spectacular. We don't often look for Him in the seemingly small ways that He is at work all around us.

But at some point, we get down the road and these small, little details come together, they converge. And then we can look back and see that God was at work all the time in various ways, things we couldn't piece together, and then all of a sudden we see His providential hand guiding our lives.

He's been present, He's been at work. You see, the littlest things can testify to God's nearness as much as the great and big things, because it's the same God behind the big things who is behind the small things. And so, God's nearness is sometimes most profoundly testified to by some of His providential things in our lives.

The little things testify of His nearness. Well, the writer of Esther caught sight of this, and it moved. Him to write the book. He wanted to encourage us to trust in God's providence at all times. Even when you do not sense His presence, even when you do not sense His favor upon your life, or maybe you feel abandoned by God, look around.

His providences are present. The book of Esther has a message for all times and for all peoples, but especially for us. Esther is a book filled with many providences, and some of them are very painful providences. Consider for just a moment the setting of Esther. The Jews are in Persia, modern-day Iran.

They are there because of their sin, and they are experiencing the discipline of the Lord. So the very setting of this book reminds us of God's discipline and the painful providences of God in bringing about His discipline upon His people. But even as we look at these providences, Provinces, providences.

They're encouraging. Even though they're painful, they're encouraging. The opening, chapter one, two. Just look over there for just a second. Chapter one, the book opens really with a bunch of drunken men having a feast, a banquet. King and queen having banquets, their own. And then, verse 10, on the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded his servants to basically bring forth Queen Vashtai before all these drunken men to display her beauty.

Because she was very beautiful. Don't know exactly what he was asking her to do. Some suggest that he wanted her to do some kind of lewd behavior. But that's where it started. But for whatever reason, she refused. Maybe she was still pregnant with Artaxerxes. Succeeded the king. But that's how it starts.

A bunch of drunken men, a non-compliant queen. And then it goes on to a bunch of pagan manhead men who are afraid of losing control of their household. And that's where it goes. If the queen acts like this, then we're going to have a problem nationwide. All the women are going to act like this, so we've got to put a stop to this.

King, you've got to banish or you've got to remove Queen Vashtai from her royal position. And so he did. Queen was excommunicated. Then in chapter 2, there's this beauty contest. These are painful provinces. You wouldn't think that God would be able to control all these, and yet he is.

A beauty contest. A new queen named Esther comes on the scene. Look at chapter 2, verse 17. The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashtai.

Strange. All these events taking place involving sin. Involving strife, involving political strategies, involving the romantic preferences and favor of a king's heart. Yet behind all of this, God was orchestrating these events for his good purposes. Though he is not the author of sin and doesn't entice anyone to sin, yet he is able to control the sinner and use the sinner's thoughts, actions, and deeds, and even use those to work together for his good purposes.

There's a wide spectrum of God's providential care of his people and the things that he uses. He is Lord over all people, high and low, evil and good, and over all circumstances and all details that are at play here. That's the message of Aster. And so I want to relive the three scenes that I just read to you.

Painted a picture, hopefully in your mind. If a gate could talk, an eastern gate in modern-day Iran, it has witnessed these three scenes that I just read to you. And so, That is what I want to do this evening. I want to read the first scene to you again, and then we'll look at the text where it is found.

Sparkling into the brilliant light of an eastern sun, we see a royal palace of great magnificence. Near its massive outer gate, in strange and striking contrast with the splendor all around him, sits a man of venerable appearance, clothed in sackcloth and with ashes on his head, apparently wrapped in the deepest sorrow.

Who is this man? Mordecai, Mordecai. Now, why is Mordecai mourning at the gate? Well, let me read the text to you. Chapter 4 and verse 1, the scene I just described. When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.

He went as far as the king's gate, for no one was to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was a great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing, and many lay on sackcloth.

And ashes. Well, there he is. He's mourning. But why is he mourning? Good question. Why is he mourning? Well, let's look at the events that led to Mordecai's mourning. And these are the events, those providential events of God at work. And let me show you some of the things that God used.

Now, you can't see him at the time. They just seem. But at some point, the writer of Esther was able to put it all into perspective and see a God behind the scenes, the unseen God. Well, look at chapter 3 and verse 1. After these events, King Haserus promoted Haman, the son of Hamadatha, that agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him.

So there's an appointment of an evil person to high office, an agagite. Now that's another story. What is an agagite doing here? Well, enough to say he hates the Jews. Deep history there. But there, there's an appointment of an evil person to high office. And then, look at verse 5.

When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. So here is an offended person. Not only is there an appointment of an evil person to high office, but this person is offended at Mordecai, because Mordecai will not bow down and pay homage to him.

And this anger of Haman turned into murderous thoughts. Look at verse 6. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were. Therefore, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasarus.

So a holocaust is planned. Destroy them all, not just Mordecai, destroy them all in the whole Persian Empire. That is a very, very large area. It was. Pretty much the known world. The geographic region was vast, and the number of Jews was vast. So a Holocaust was planned.

And then in verse 13, we learn that the Holocaust was approved by the Persian state. Look at verse 13. Letters were sent by courtiers to all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder.

And so this Holocaust, state-sanctioned Holocaust, was approved. And this is why Mordecai is mourning. Chapter 4, verse 1. When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and ashes. And so it's in this situation that then Queen Esther. Comes on the scene, and Mordecai appeals to Queen Esther and appeals to Queen Esther to go into the king and to intercede on behalf of the Jewish nation.

And she is reluctant. She says, Look, if I go in there and I haven't been summoned, I will die. That's what happens to everybody. Well, she ends up going. She goes into the presence of the king, and the king extends the golden scepter to Esther. And she comes in and she makes a request, and he hears her.

Well, that's the first scene at this gate in ancient Persia. There's a second scene. Let me read it to you. We look again, issuing from the palace with a light and elated step, we see a rich man who receives the salutations of the crowd with a pompous and exulting air.

But as he passes the mourner, who sits motionless in an attitude of deep dejection, his countenance assumes an expression of rage and hatred. Who is the richly attired man? Haman, who is the mourner? Mordecai. Look at chapter 5 and verse 9. This picture comes from verse 9. Then Haman went out that day, glad and pleased of heart.

But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. So, what were the events that led to Naaman's being enraged? This is the scene where Naaman is enraged at the gate. What led to it?

Well, after Queen Esther had gone into the king and the golden scepter had been extended to her, he says, ask, what do you want? And in verse 8, Esther says, this is my petition. If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says.

And so, look at what happens next. Verse 9, then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai. But Haman controlled himself, however, and went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife, Zarish.

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 been promoted 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 banquet which she had prepared.

And tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king. So Naaman's idolatrous love for promotion. That's Naaman. He's all into himself. He loves pomp. He loves circles. He loves to be seen. He loves promotion. And the thing that excited him was that even Queen Esther, now he doesn't know the ecstatic connection between Mordecai and Esther.

God's providence, he didn't know that. But here he is, all excited that the queen, just he and the king, and he is over the the top. But then he marches out, and then he's reminded, Mordecai doesn't worship me. And that put him into a rage. Even after all that had happened to him, look at what he goes on to say in verse 13 of chapter 5.

Yet all of this, all this promotion, does not satisfy me. That's the nature of idolatry. Never satisfied or sow into itself. Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the gate. Then Zarish, his wife, and all his friends said to him, have a gallows 50 cubics high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it.

Then go joyfully with the king to the banquet. So by the way, on your way to this banquet that you're going to have with Esther, make this huge gallows to hang Mordecai on. And then go, be excited, and really enjoy your time with Esther and the king. That's the advice of the wife.

So Naaman's idolatrous love for promotion involved a hatred of anything or anyone. Wouldn't worship him. And so that's the nature of idolatry. When you don't get what you want, when rage takes hold. And so that's what happens in Naaman. He loved promotion, and when Mordecai wouldn't give him what he loved, he hated Mordecai and all of his people.

Incredible. Well, there's a third scene at the gate that if these walls could talk, they witnessed another scene. Let me again read this third scene to you. We look again. Proudly stepping from the same gate is a splendid charger. That's a horse. Magnificently comparisoned, that is, clothed, coated, on which is mounted a man in regal attire and purple and gold, and wearing on his head a jeweled crown.

We recognize in this princely person the noble features of him who we saw so lately as a despised mourner. And in the man who holds his bridal rein and proclaims his title to the people, we see the haughty and assuming courtier whose looks now betray anxiety and abject fear.

So who now is the man? in regal attire with a jewel crown. Mordecai. And who is the one who has to honor him? Haman. And who is the one who is now in abject fear? Haman. Look at chapter 6, verse 10. Then the king, this is the scene in the text, 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 said. So Haman took the robe and the horse and arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square and proclaimed before him, thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.

Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate, but Haman hurried home mourning with his head covered. Haman recounted to Zarish his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zarish his wife said to him, If Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.

And at that moment, the king's eunuchs arrive, just so happened to arrive, to bring Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared. So what led, what happened at this third scene? Mordecai was honored and Haman was shamed. What led to this? What were the providential things that took place that brought about this situation?

Well, we've already seen that Haman is a man with murder in his heart and personal glory on his mind. But we need to back up a little bit. What happened to bring about this change of events? Well, go back to chapter 2, verse 21, right after Esther becomes the queen.

Verse 21, chapter 2, in those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bicthen and Teresh, two of the king's officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hold, lay hands on King Ahaserus. But the plot became known to Mordecai, and he told Queen.

Esther and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name. Now, when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows, and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king's presence. So, Mordecai saved the king, and it was recorded in the book of Chronicles, Chronicles of Persia.

So, there was an insurrection and a heroic deed that took place long before this event of Haman wanting to kill Mordecai. Just in the back there, something. Wow, no recognition, anything, just something happened, was recorded. And then, chapter 6, verse 1, there's a sleepless night. The king can't sleep.

Look at 6, verse 1. During the night, that night, which night? The night when Haman is out building all these gallows to hang Mordecai. That night. During that night, the king could not sleep. See, God, providentially, a sleepless night, controlling even the small, couldn't sleep. So, what do you think?

Do when you can't sleep? Well, you do some good reading. What did he want to read? So he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. Well, yeah, let's go get the chronicles of our country. Let's just read them to me so I can.

What an unusual set of events. And he's reading. Verse 2: it was found written what Mordecai had reported concerning Victania and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who were doorkeepers, that they had sought to lay hands on King Ahasarus. And the king said, What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?

Then the king's servants who attended him said, Nothing has been done for him. Wow. So there he is. He can't sleep. You see, God in the providences of even a king, pagan king, who can't sleep at night. Do you see how God... And now, all of a sudden, you know, I want to read the book of Chronicles.

And now, well, here's Mordecai. He saved my life. Has he been honored for that? No, he hasn't. Then look what happens in verse 4. Somebody just walks into the courtyard. Who's that? So the king said, Who is this in the court? Now, Hamilton. Haman had just entered the outer court of the king's palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared for him.

What timing is that? Well, Haman had known. Yeah, let me tell you what the king just did all night. And here comes, here's the gallows. Here comes Mordecai with murder in his heart. The king's servants said to him, Behold, Haman is standing in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.

So Haman came in, and the king said to him, What is to be done for the man who the king desires to honor? And Haman said to himself, Who would the king desire to honor more than me? Then Haman said to the king, For the man whom the king desires to honor, let him bring a royal robe which the king has worn.

Let him ride on the horse which the king has ridden and on whose head a royal crown has been placed. I mean, he's pulling out the stops here. And let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble princes, and let them array the man in the king's desires to honor and lead him on horseback through the city square and proclaim before him, thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.

And then we come to the scene at the gate. Then the king said to Haman, Take quickly the robes and the horse, as you have said. And do so for Mordecai the Jew. And there he went, and Haman had to honor Mordecai the Jew in the way that he himself wanted to be honored.

And his murderous intent was turned back toward himself, or came back upon his own head. So there was an insurrection and a heroic deed. There was a sleepless night. There was the timing of Naaman's plot. And then there was even Naaman's own advice and everything else within the book.

So Naaman was hung in chapter 7. In chapter 8, Mordecai was promoted to be second in command in all of Persia. And in chapter 9, the Holocaust was averted. You see, God, though he is unseen, sees very clearly. Mordecai, mourning at the gate. As I look upon that scene, I'm reminded of Christ's words in Matthew 5:4, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Seeing Naaman enraged at the gate brings Proverbs 10, 6 and 7 to mind. Blessed are the head of the righteous. Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.

When I see Mordecai honored and Naaman shamed at the gate, I am reminded the words of Deuteronomy 32 and 35: Vengeance is mine and retribution. In due time, their foot will slip, for the day of their calamity is near, and the impending things are hastening upon them. For the Lord will vindicate his people and will have compassion on his servants.

When he sees their strength is gone, and there is none remaining bond or free. I hope tonight, as we've taken this little excursion through the book of Esther, it's given you an appreciation for the providence of God in your own life. God sees. And he didn't just see the events back in Persia and those things.

He is the God who sees all details. He is the God who sees the nations. He sees the kings. He sees the peoples. He sees the Bashtais. He sees the Mordecai's. He sees the Esther's. He sees the Naamans. He sees all the intelligence. All the concerns and all the circumstances that surround them and you.

He sees your realm. He sees all the people in your realm. The Vashtais, the Mordecai's, the Esther's, the Naamans, the good people, bad people, high people, low people, friend and foe. He sees them all. And he sees the circumstances of your life, and he sees the tiniest details of your life.

The problem with a lot of us is we look for God to do spectacular and we put him in a box and we say, God, I want you to do this, I want you to do that, and yet we fail to see the little providences of God all around us.

Let me tell you something. The God who parted the Red Sea is the same God who put beans and gravy on your table for lunch today, or whatever you had for lunch. I had bread and oil. Oftentimes I have beans and gravy. The same God who parted the Red Sea is the same God who is making my spaghetti squash grow in my garden.

It's the same God. He is providentially at work all around. You and me. He is the one who arranges your provision, those chance meetings, those timely helps, those words of encouragements. He is the one who orchestrates and places us in the times and places of our life. He knows where we are, put us in the family, friends, circumstances, highs and lows.

And when you start seeing God in the ordinary, the ordinary starts becoming extraordinary. Let me say that again. When you start seeing God in the ordinary, the ordinary becomes extraordinary and joyful. You don't have to see a great seep heart to know that God is near. Just look around you.

Breathe in the air. He's near. His provision. Esther is a dramatic documentary to the truth of Romans 8:28. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and to those who are called according to His purpose. The unseen sees you.

And the message tonight is for you to put your trust in him to a greater degree. Reach out to him. Wait for him. But know that he is near. And one day you're going to be able to see it all. All the providences. See it all beautifully orchestrated.

Until then, we live by faith, knowing who he is and what he is doing. That's what the book of Esther teaches us about God's providence. Heavenly Father, we do thank you for all the providences we see around us.