Esther 2026

So if you'd like to open your bibles, we're going to be reading Esther chapter 6, and Grace is gonna come and read that for us.

ESster chapter 6. That night, the king could not sleep. So he ordered the book of the Chronicles, the record of his reign to be brought in and read to him. It was found recorded there that Modachi had exposed, Big Fannor and Terish, 2 of King's officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Cerces, What honor and recognition has Moducar received for this? The king asked.

Nothing has been done for him. His attendants answered. The king said, who is in the court? Now Hammond had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Modachi on the pole he has set up for him. His attendants answered, Hammond is standing in the court, bring him in, the king ordered.

When Hammond entered, the king asked him, what should be done for the man the kingdom lights to honor? Now Hammond thought to himself, who is there that the king would rather honor than me. So he answered the king. For the man, the king did lights to honor, let them bring a royal rope the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, 1 of a royal crest placed on its head, then let the rope and horse be entrusted to 1 of the king's most noble princes. Let them rope the man, the king delights to honor.

And lead him on the horse through the city streets for claiming before him. This is what has done for the man the kingdom lights to honor. Goats wants the king commander Hammond. Get the rope and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Modachi the Jew, who sits at the Kingskates, did not neglect anything you have recommended. So Hammond got the rope and the horse, He roped Modachi and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him.

This is what has done for the man the Kingdom lights to honor. Afterwards, Modachi returned to the king's gate, Behamein rushed home with his head covered in grief and told Sarah his wife and all his friends everything that happened to him. His advisors and his wife, Sarahish, said to him, Since Mordukai before whom you're down for has started is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him. You will surely come to ruin. While they were still talking with him, the king's UNix arrived and hurried Hayman away, to the banquet Esther had prepared.

Thank you, Grace. For reading that. Before we get stuck into our passage, I just want us to have a brief conversation on our tables. And the question is, obviously, introduce yourselves 1st. Don't just jump in.

That would strange, but just ask 1 another, what is the biggest coincidence that has ever happened to you? What is the biggest coincidence that has ever happened to you? On your tables, 2 minutes, goal. Okay. If we bring it back together, I've always been notorious for never giving anyone any nearly enough time.

So there we go. Bear those coincidences in mind. Alright? Because they will, they will be coming up again later. They will be coming up again.

Let's pray together before we look at our passage. Father, we wanna we wanna worship you with all of our hearts, all of our souls, all of our minds, all of our strength. And we pray, lord, that Jesus would be glorified. We pray that our ears would be open to listen to your word And we pray lord that your word would come with power that it would do, it's work in our heart as you want it to do, that it would not return to you empty, but it would accomplish exactly that, which you set it out. To achieve.

And we pray all of this, lord. We pray for soft hearts. We pray for listening ears in order to glorify your son, our lord, Jesus Christ. And it's in his name that we pray. Amen.

Ah, man. Well, we are in Esther chapter 6, but I'm gonna remind us of what's been going on by looking at the end of Esther chapter 5. So look down in your bibles. Should be on the same page. I'm just gonna read from verse 9, chapter 5 verse 9, just so it's familiar to us.

S to 5, starting at verse 9. Hayman went out that day happy. And in high spirits. But when he saw Mordaki at the king's gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage. Against Mordekai.

Nevertheless, Hayman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zaresh's wife, Hammond boasted to them about his vast wealth his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him, and how he'd elevated him above the other nobles and officials. And that's not all. Amen added. I'm the only person, Queenestra invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave, and she's invited me along with the king tomorrow, but all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordickeye sitting at the king's gate.

His wife, Zuresh, and all his friends said to him, oh, have a pole set up, reaching to a height of 50 cubits and ask the king in the morning to have mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself. This suggestion delighted Hayman, and he had the pole set up. So we're starting Esther chapter 6, and the situation is that the poll is built, mordecai dies tomorrow and god's people, if you remember, are next. Because back in chapter 3 verse 13, the king had given this order.

Dispatchers were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with the order. To destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, women and children on a single day, the 13th day of the 12th month for month of ADar, and to plunder. They're good. So Mordecai is about to die, and we've got a date set in the calendar, which we'll say above it, destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews. So with that all being said, Esther chapter 6 is delicious.

It is delicious. Point number 1, through wincing irony, the story is flipped through wincing irony, the story is flipped. You know how preachers say that the passage that they are preaching is the most important passage that they have ever come across before, Well, well, in this particular case chapter 6 is the turning point in the whole book of Esther, and I can back it up even better. Alright? So lots of the book of Esther is arranged like a pyramid.

This is sometimes called a chiasm, and all it means is that early bits line up with later bits and the part in the middle is the turning point. So chapter 3 lines up with chapter 8. Chapter 4 lines up with chapter 7. I'll talk a bit about this later, so don't worry too much about it for now. Which means, of course, that chapter 6 is the turning point.

It is the most important passage. Oh, this is spoilers. This is ignore what's on the screen at the moment. We will come to this. There we go.

Cool. Cool. Cool. Let's look at f 2 6 then. Look down at it versus 1 to 3.

We'll do a little bit of jumping about in Esther. I think that's no bad thing just because it'll keep us familiar with the story, but look at verse 1. That night, the king could not sleep. So he ordered the book of the Chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. Now these chronicles are probably all the best things that he's ever done.

Which sounds like a great idea to me. Can you imagine the situation? Rose. Yeah. I can't sleep.

Okay. Could you read out my CV for me, please? Now, to be fair, like, Zurich's CV is pretty good. He would have in that book that was read out that he expanded the great Persian city of persepolis, how he captured, and how he burned the Greek city of Athens. If it was his CV, you probably would have given him the job.

Ignore the whole bit about spartans. That's, you know, by the by. But generally speaking, you would have given him the job. But then look at verse 2. It was found recorded there.

That is in the book of the Chronicles. It was found recorded there that mordecai had exposed, our favorite too from last time, Big Farner and Terresh, 2 of the king's offices, who guarded the doorway who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. So a few weeks ago, we saw that actually more Dekai had saved Zerxes. So if you look back with me at chapter 2 verse 23, that's when this whole situation concludes. Go back a page.

Chapter 2 verse 23. And when the report was investigated, and found to be true, the 2 officials, Bikthana and Terresh were impaled on polls. I mean, that's a bit of a theme in Esther as you might have noticed, but there we are. All this was recorded in the book of the Annals in the presence of the king. So Mordecai has saved Xerxes, but keep looking down because the next verse, the very next verse at the start of chapter 3, is very surprising.

It says after these events, King xerxes honored, well, who is he gonna honor, Hayman, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that. Of all the other, nobles. So Mordecai saved Xerxes, but in the very next verse, we see that it's actually Hayman who is exalted, but then turning back to chapter 6 looking at verses 2 to 3, xerxes remembers. Now xerxes remembers, and we'll come back to that a bit later. So look at verses 4 to 9 with me.

Look at verse 4 The king said, who is in the court? Now Hammond had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling mordecai on the pole. He had set up for him. What a sentence? They don't become much stranger than that, do they?

And look at the timing. Hammond had just entered. In order to do what? Inpaling time. He's got impaling on the mind.

But then look at verse 6, when Hayman entered, The king said to him, what should be done for the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Hammond thought to himself, who is there that the king would rather honor than me? Haiman is like, park the pole. This is a good opportunity right here. And look at his pride.

Who is there? That the king would rather honor. Than me. He has terminal main character syndrome. I think the only people that Hammond sees in the world are himself, xerxes, who can give him what he wants, and mordecai, who doesn't.

And look at verse 6, what should be done for the man, the king delights to honor? Or of course, as Hammond hears it, what do you want? How would you answer that? King Charles walks in from the back into the hub. Don't know why he'd be there.

Maybe, you know, he heard something that Pete said about the environment at some point. He's not too happy. So he comes in and he he bumps into you. He starts talking and he says, I've got all of this power and money. What do you want?

Well, Hayman in verses 7 to 9, he knows his answer. Look down at it. He's clearly practised is this? I love the idea that that Hammond sort of every morning stands in front of this mirror, and he tries to, you know, manifest it. He reads this stuff out and he's like, this is what I want in my life.

So look at it versus 7 through to 9. He answered the king. For the man, the king delights to honor, let them bring a royal robe, the king has worn, and a horse, the king has ridden. 1 with a royal crest placed on its head, then let the robe and horse being trusted to 1 of the king's most noble princes, let them rove the king, the kid, rove the man, the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets proclaiming before him this. Is what is done for the man, the king, delights to honor.

Now I know it sounds a little bit stalkery. Right? He wants to wear the robe that the king has worn. He wants to ride on the horse that the king has ridden on. But what's really going on here is he wants a quality with xerxes.

He wants to wear all this stuff that the king wares. And so what he's asking for is actually something pretty dangerous. Cause if Xerxes captures him in this weird little fantasy that he has, he's gonna be in a lot of trouble. And then, of course, we've got verses 10 to 11, which are spectacular. Look at verse 10.

Go at once. Go at once. The king commanded, Hayman. Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordicae. The Jew.

Who sits at the king's gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended. Could you imagine that? Can you feel it in the stomach? Or his face is probably flushed and hot?

But then, of course, he can't show to xerxes that he's feeling all this sort of way. And so he's got all of these feelings inside of him, but he's kinda gotta put on this brave face as he's speaking to him and pretend that there is absolutely nothing wrong. But everything, everything that Hammond has suggested his little dream is ripped to shreds and given to the man that he has turned up to kill. Oh, and he, by the way, he has to do it. He's the 1 that's gotta do all of this stuff to Mordekai.

How many years? Every morning, you know, it's part of his routine, gets in the mirror, he practices his little speech, How many years has he been doing that for and then gone? Just like that. Look at verse 11. So Hayeman got the robe and the horse, He roved mordecai and led him on horseback through the city streets proclaiming before him.

This is what is done for the man the king, delights to honor. And so we conclude this whole account with verses 12 to 14, where Hayman goes home. And just look at verse 12. It's very, very telling. Afterwards, Mordicae returned to the king's gate.

But Hammond rushed home with his head covered in grief. Greath, he he he feels as if somebody has died because this has been taken away from him. And then at the end of chapter 6, we've got exactly the same crowd that's there at the end of chapter 5, if you noticed, but even they can see that the story is flipped. We get a bit of foreshadowing in verse 13, spoilers. His advisors and his wife, Zareh, said to him, oh, since Mordekai, before whom your downfall has started is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him.

You will surely come to ruin. Thanks, guys. That might have been, you know, helpful before I I got the quote for the poll, right? Like this is a bit late in the game to be telling me all of these sorts of things. And then finally chapter 6 ends on a cliffhanger with verse 14.

All of the the the last couple of chapters of Esther have happened 1 thing, then another thing, then another thing. Verse 14. While they were still talking to him, The King's Eunuchs arrived and hurried Hayman away to the banquet Ester had prepared. The it is an awesome passage. It is so good What we're gonna do then is we've got we've got the the the the events, the things that happen.

We're gonna go 1 layer deeper about what's going on here, and then we're gonna go 1 layer deeper again, and that is where we'll finish. So 0.2, God flips the story. God flips the story. You know, I said that Esther chapter 6 is the turning point of a whole book of Esther. It's not actually true.

So now's the time for this, this wonderful diagram, if you please. Here we go. Alright. So, if you look, chapter 5 verse 9 to 14 is where Hayman plots to kill Mordecai. Alright?

That's what I read out a few few moments ago. And then it matches up with chapter 6 there, right, versus 4 to 14 that Hayman has to honor Mordecai. So he's put in to kill him, then he has honor him, but what that means is that the turning point of the book of Esther are just verses 1 to 3. The king could not sleep. Feel free to to take this down for me.

It's only verses 1 to 3 that are the turning point in the book of Esther. Why does that matter? It matters because the turning point is not Ester having a clever plan. It is not Hammond doing something unhinged. It's not Zurich's making some arrogant decision or or non decision if you know what Zurich's is like the turning point verse 1 is that he can't sleep.

A coincidence. And in a book where god prayer, the law, and prophecy are not mentioned once. You are not paying attention. If you can't see the enormous flashing aggressive sign. God was here.

God does this. God wakes, xerxes up. Because it just so happened that Mordecai overheard that plot. It just so happened it was recorded in that book of chronicles. It just so happened that xerxes can't sleep on the final night of Mordukai's life.

It just so happened that he wants the book read out. It just so happened that it is that part referring to Mordukai, and it just so happened that he chooses to reward him. It just so happened. Brothers and sisters, I want you to see your life as a whole series of it just so happened because it is the biblical way to see the world, but even more than that because in so doing, it will change your life. I remember when it changed mine, it was 20 15 I was with a student worker who was long suffering.

Bless him. I hope, you know, I hope he knows how helpful he was for me. But I did make his life very, very annoying. It was in a street called King Street, and I was pestering him with questions. I remember this.

And I was basically saying to him, surely in Romans chapter 8 verse 28, when it says, and we know that in all things god works for the good of those who love him, it doesn't really mean all things. Does it? And the long suffering student worker smiled at me. And I remembered the joy, joy, welled up in my heart as I came to know this for the 1st time. The word is is providence.

We've heard that a lot through this series. John Piper wrote a book called Providence because he writes a book about basically everything, and part of his definition for it. If we could just have it up on the screen, that would be fab. Part of his definition for providence is this. We believe that god upholds and governs all things, from galaxies and subatomic particles, from the forces of nature to the movements of nations, And from the public plans of politicians to the secret act of solitary person, it sounds like he's been reading Esther there.

Right? All in accord with his eternal, all wise purposes to glorify himself. Providence. I want you to see it in your own story. The Bible teaches that nothing in your life has ever ever been random.

Nothing in the past. Right now, nothing in the future. And of course, that is true of the really, really big milestones, whether you marry, whether you don't marry, who you marry, whether you have children, where you live, what job you have, the people we lose along the way. Yes. In all of those particular cases, god does them.

But the focus in this passage, I don't know if you saw, the magic here is just how ordinary It all is. Does god Zeus Hammond into the ground with a big lightning bolt? No. It's really, really normal. Look at verse 1.

That night, the king, could not sleep. It's in the most beige things. The things that you find boring, let alone a blazing deity, is in precisely those things. That god is doing something deep. The number of minutes that you waited for the bus today, exactly what went through your mind when you zoned out a few seconds ago, And of course, every single thing that we said on our tables earlier, those big, big coincidences, all of those things.

God, god, does them? And I know, of course, of course, it throws up questions. It throws up probably the biggest 1, the 1 with divine sovereignty and human responsibility and all that. And I know it it it can cause pain too. Right?

I think that in some ways, providence is the hardest thing in all the Bible to swallow because it means we've gotta come to grips of suffering, and we've gotta come to grips with how god relates to suffering if it's him that does all of these things. But if we accept that providence is a big pill to swallow, but it is a pill to swallow, and if we swallow that pill, it just starts getting to work immediately. Bringing a healing to all of our lives. And if you're here and if you're not a Christian, I just want you to know how amazing this is because you probably hear all the time, and you might even have said this yourself. You probably heard everything happens for a reason.

But what if that's true? What if that is true? Our experience of every moment can be changed by this. It is amazingly comforting. In my right.

In my best moments, as I've been rocking Cleo to sleep, and it's been taken over an hour, and my to do list isn't getting any shorter and I know that when she's down, I've gotta go and do this and this and this and my bedtime is getting later and later and later in the evening. In my best moments, I've thought to myself, you know what? This, this is for a reason. This is not a blip. This is not random.

This was supposed to happen. And I've I've felt that sense of peace that comes from this extraordinary extraordinary doctrine. And here's something that you can do tonight. You can start to write your own story, your own book of the chronicles to use the language of verse 1. As a puritan called John Flivell, and he wrote a book called The Mystery of Providence.

And there's a great quote here where he encourages you to do precisely this. It's, you know, it's old school, Puritan language, but it wouldn't be the same if it wasn't. So I think that we should, you know, grow to appreciate all of that. But he says, our sirs. Our sirs.

Let me tell you. There is not such a pleasant history for you to read in all the world as the history of your own lives. If you would but sit down and record from the beginning, hitherto what god has been to you and done for you. What signal manifestations and outbreakings of his mercy, faithfulness, and love there have been in all all the conditions that you have passed through. 0.3, god reveals his man.

So let's go then to the, to the final layer that we see in the book of Esther. Because none of what I've just said is at all comforting if everything happens for a reason, but that reason is a little bit underwhelming. Yeah? Like, you buy a backpack or something from team you. It's not gonna arrive and be overwhelmingly good or anything like that.

Is it? But the reason that we see the deepest reason is not underwhelming. It is incredible. Estable teaches that god does everything in order to save his people. Now, sometimes we actually see this now.

We get a foretaste right now. So sometimes we can play that it just so happened game here today. Here's a story. A few years ago, it just so happened that I got a text out of the blue, which was was connected to a particular job that someone was like, don't know if you're interested. Why not give it a go?

It just so happened that by joining that particular organization, I met a woman called Emily, not her real name. It just so happened that she was the only 1 that said yes when I invited the the staff to a Carol service. It just so happened that she bailed out at the last moment and didn't go to the Carol service. It just so happened, therefore, out of guilt, that she came along to a church service with Rose and I a number of weeks later. And it just so happened this happened maybe 4 years ago.

It just so happened that she burst into tears as the gospel was preached. It just so happened that she said to Rose, this is the love I've been wanting all of my life. And it just so happened that she put her trust in Jesus, and she remains going strong today. It just so happened. God does everything.

In order to save his people. But there's 1 more thing that I want us to see in chapter 6. You might have seen it already. The heart of this passage, because broadly, what I've just spoken about happens across all of Esther, what happens in this passage is that god's salvation plan involves a great revealing. There is a big reveal in Esther chapter 6 because mordecai is god's man in the book of Esther.

Alright? In Esther chapter 2, we're told that he raises Esther alone. In Esther chapter 2, we're told that he faithfully reports on that plot that saves the king's life. In Esther chapter 4, he's the 1 that challenges Esther to deliver god's people. But all of that was hidden.

All of it was hidden. And now here, it's almost like I say this relevantly, it is almost like god can't resist showing, showing his man. Look at verse 11. So Hammond got the robe and the horse. He robed mordecai and led him on horseback through the city streets proclaiming before him.

This is what is done for the man the king delights. To honor. For just a moment, mordechai is revealed for who he really is. He receives glory and honor royal robes, a royal horse, a royal crest. And in front of everyone, he shines.

500 years later, A man takes his 3 friends up a mountain, and he shines like the sun in all of its brilliance. More de Kai heard in verse 11, this is what is done for the man the king delights to honor. Jesus heard this is my son whom I love with him. I am well pleased. For just a moment, in the transfiguration, Jesus was revealed for who he really is god revealed his man.

And if through Jesus, you are god's man or god's woman Here tonight, god delight in revealing. And on the last day of creation, you will be revealed. Because there there's so much you do that is overlooked. Right? So much that you do.

Our a Christian life is an iceberg of service. Isn't it? 90 percent of it is is below the surface that that people just don't see. Here's just a list of things. Some of it might apply to you.

Some of it might not apply to you. Your Christian life being this iceberg of service. Music, youth setting up, caring for the elderly, giving money, attending home group, forgiving a friend, blocking out that thought, praying in private, telling the truth, I could go on and on and on and on, but so much of that is hidden. And for years and years and years, Mordukei raised Esther in a forgotten street in Susa. For years and years and years, Jesus worked with wood and nobody knew who he was at all.

And for years and years and years, some of us will have worked in hiddenness and will work in hiddenness. But be comforted. Nothing can stay hidden. God does everything in your life to reveal Jesus, to save his people, and on that last day. To reveal them.

Through wincing irony, the story is flipped. God flips the story. God reveals his man. Keep going. Jesus has given you his righteousness, a royal robe, a royal horse, a royal crest, so that when you die, or Jesus comes back, whichever happens 1st, he will look at you.

And you will shine with glory and honor and your overlooked deeds. And he will say verse 11, this is what is done for the man, the woman, the king, the lights to honor. This is my son. This is my daughter whom I love, with him, with her. I am well pleased.

Let's pray. Father, we praise you that in all things you work for the good of those who love you. We praise you that even though you are not mentioned by name at all, in the book of Esther, it is so clear that you are there knitting together this whole amazing story in order to bring glory to your son in order to save your people and 1 day to reveal them on that last day. Please open our hearts to to to worship Jesus, the ultimate man sent from god. And we pray, lord, that we would take great comfort in your work, in your providence, and that it might be a great source of peace to us now and for the rest of our lives, and it's in Christ's name that we pray.

Ah, man.