God's Providence on Display
For Such A Time As This • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
The term “providence” isn’t in the Old or New Testament, but we see God’s providence throughout both testaments.
The dictionary definition would be something like: “God’s superintending activity over human actions and human history, bringing creation to its divinely determined goal.”
In the most basic terms, we see God’s creation as not under random chance or by fate, but that God is constantly working in and around people to bring about His purposes for all things.
Even better than a definition about God’s providence is a narrative illustration, like the one we find in Esther 6.
This morning we will not only how God’s providence has been at work to rescue His people in their time of need, but how He also will providentially bring about the fall from power of the enemy of Israel, Haman.
Body: Esther 6:1-13
Body: Esther 6:1-13
Verses 1-3
Verses 1-3
Esther 6:1–3 (ESV)
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 Big-tha-na and Tear-esh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King A-hass-u-air-us. 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.”
Xerxes cannot sleep...
God’s providence...
Has the chronicles of the kingdom read...
The incident from five years earlier where Mordecai saved the king is read for Him...
God’s providence...
It’s brought to the king’s attention that Mordecai wasn’t rewarded...
Xerxes likely didn’t realize it was the Jews who Haman wanted to wipe out...
To not reward someone who had done a good deed was seen as shameful in that culture...
God’s providence once again…held reward...
Verses 4-6
And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for him. And the king’s young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?”
Enter Haman, with a plan to have Mordecai killed on a stake...
Haman assumes that Xerxes wants to honor him, because no one was as close to Xerxes as Haman...
Verses 7-9
And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’ ”
Everything mentioned by Haman is what would be expected for a king...
In fact, because of his high position, Haman probably believed he was next in line to be king.
Clearly, Haman thought much of himself...
Verses 10-11
Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”
Imagine what was going through Haman’s mind before this moment:
“This is going to be the best day ever! I’m going to be honored like a king, with a literal parade and pomp and circumstance. Then, my sworn enemy, Mordecai, after seeing me honored like this, is going to be executed slowly and painfully for all to see. Then, to cap off the night, I’m going to have an exclusive dinner with the king and queen. Everything is turning up Haman’s way now!”
Then, as soon as Xerxes informs him that he will give everything he mentioned to Haman’s sworn enemy, Mordecai, imagine how quickly his mood changed!
And, Haman himself was to lead the processional! Now, it seems as if Xerxes had no idea about Haman’s hatred for Mordecai. But the people of Susa certainly did.
What a humiliation for Haman! No doubt people pointed and laughed at him.
Verses 12-13
Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered. And Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”
Notice the two responses:
Mordecai humbly goes back to his job.
Haman, covered his head and went home in mourning.
To make matters worse for Haman, his wise friends and his wife, all being superstitious, inform Haman that it seems like his decision to go against Mordecai and the Jewish people are going to result in his destruction.
Ironically, it was their idea to kill Mordecai just a few hours earlier.
So What?
So What?
This is another passage in Esther that doesn’t mention God once, but we can see fingerprints of God all over it, particularly His providence..
Three things this passage tells us about God’s providence:
God providentially uses various means to deliver His people from wicked men.
God providentially uses various means to deliver His people from wicked men.
Here, God doesn’t allow a godless king to sleep in order for him to hear of his oversight when it comes to Mordecai. The person who reads the chronicles just happens to read the part about Mordecai the exact moment it will help Mordecai. And Mordecai’s reward is withheld for five years, until the exact time that it will save His life.
All are illustrations of God’s providence.
The same God is providentially at work in the lives of His people today!
The righteous is delivered from trouble,
and the wicked walks into it instead.
How will God work providentially in our lives? The ways are too numerous to list. And God’s providentially actions do not depend on our actions.
However, if we want to have confidence of His providential action in our lives we need to remember two important truths:
God will deliver His righteous people from trouble...
How are we made righteous?
The wicked person will walk right into trouble...
Thus, if we are in right standing with God and we are not walking in wickedness, we can be confident that God will be at work providentially in and through our lives.
God providentially uses various means to bring about humility in people, not haughtiness.
God providentially uses various means to bring about humility in people, not haughtiness.
The term haughty isn’t used much in our modern lexicon, but it’s a great word. It means pride, but there is an arrogant superiority to others that a haughty person feels.
A haughty person believes they are the most important person in the world, and don’t mind letting everyone else know about it.
A haughty person’s mind is always on themselves; their wants, their needs, their desires...
Other words used for haughtiness are: proud, vain, arrogant, coincided, snobbish, stuck-up, pompous, etc...
But, before you point figures, realize that it’s much easier to recognize haughtiness in others than in ourselves.
And because of the culture we’ve all grown up in, we can all fall into haughtiness at times.
The antidote to haughtiness is to strive for humility.
I purposely say “strive for humility” because humility is a life-long pursuit...
A great picture of it here is the difference between Haman and Mordecai in chapter 6.
Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,
but humility comes before honor.
One’s pride will bring him low,
but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
Therefore, God’s people should not live in fear because God is for us.
Therefore, God’s people should not live in fear because God is for us.
Mordecai has known something all along: God was faithful to His promises to His people.
Yes, Mordecai could have died, but Israel would go on. Why? Because God had promised them this.
Today, the church must hold onto to this truth as well.
I believe the church will experience attacks more often in the future than we have in American history.
Slowly but surely the people in positions of power and with the loudest voices want evangelical Christian to be used in the same was as one might say “white supremacists” “Christian nationalist” “Nazi” “terrorist” or any other number of horrible titles.
But, we have a greater hope than this world!
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Beloved, God is for us, so it really doesn’t matter who is against us, because God is providentially working all things together for the good of His people!