let us turn again to God's words
in that third chapter of the book of Esther and the last verse
Esther chapter 3 verse 15 and the post went out being hastened
by the king's commandment and the decree was given in Shushan
the palace and the king and Haman sat down to drink but the city
Shushan was perplexed. In that last sentencing where
we're told, and the king and Haman sat down to drink but the
city Shushan was perplexed. I'm sure many of you are aware
that there's no mention anywhere in the book of Esther of the
divine night. No immediate direct reference
to God himself. And yet in the book there is
a remarkable unfolding of God's sovereignty in his providence.
And I know we have in time past on a Thursday of course considered
something of the contents of this remarkable book. In it we see that there is a
great and a deep mystery concerning that providential dealing of
God. It's hard for us to not only
understand God's providences but harder still for us to bow
in meek submission to his sovereign will. We are told in the Psalms,
are we not concerning God and the ways of God? Thy way is in
the sea, thy path in the great waters, thy footsteps are not
known. Mystery surrounds all the strange
ways and works of God. And one of course has been much
reminded of that in recent days with so many being struck down
with sickness, And it is strange, oftentimes confusing to us to
understand, to perceive just what the Lord is doing. And thinking
of these things, my thoughts went to these words that I've
read as our text here at the end of this third chapter in
Esther. The city, Shushan we're told,
was perplexed. perplexed at all that was transpiring
with regards to the king, Perseus, and his new queen, Esther, and
this man, Mordecai, and how that this decree had been issued wherein
it was intended that all of those who were of the people of Mordecai,
all the Jews, should be slain. How bewildering! It must have
been for the city at that time. And how bewildering they say
sometimes it is to us when God comes into our lives in strange,
mysterious and deep ways. Well, as we come to consider
these words for a while this morning, at the end of this fifteenth
verse, the end of this third chapter in the book of Esther,
I want us to consider something of God's providential dealings
and what is to be our response to God and His ways. First of all we need to recognise
that God's timing is always right. It is too good to be mistaken too kind to be unwise, as we
often sing in the hymn. He is that God, of course, who
has appointed all things, and we're reminded of that, are we
not, in the book of Ecclesiastes. To everything there is a season
and a time, to every purpose under heaven. Nothing ever takes
place by mere chance. All things come under the sovereign
hand of God. And we see that in this particular
chapter, which was the principal part of our reading this morning,
though we read in the context the end of the second chapter,
the principal chapter that we read was what we have here in
chapter 3. And in the opening words of the
chapter we are told, after these things, those three first words
of the chapter, after these things, that is all that has been recorded
in the previous chapters, did King Asuerus promote Haman the
son of Hamadetha the Agagite and advanced him and set his
seat above all the princes that were with him. After these things,
all was now ready you see. for the revelation of this man
who was the great enemy and the oppressor of the Jews. And so it is described in verse
10. The king took his ring from his
hand and gave it unto Haman the son of Amadath for he aggregate
the Jews enemy, the Jews oppressor. God had so ordered events that
it was now the right time, the ordained time, when this enemy
of God's people was to be made known. And what was the preparation
that had to be made? Well, Vashti had to be removed
from her position as the Queen, and that's what we read about
in the opening chapter. nothing much commendable about
the behaviour of a husband as you are. And yet all of this
under the hand of God and we see this woman Vashti being disposed. In verse 12 of chapter 1, the
Queen Vashti refused to come at the King's commandment by
his javelins. Therefore was the King very wrought
and his anger burned in him. And so then, in verse 19, it records the commandment that
was given from the king, that there go a royal commandment
from him, that it be written among the laws of the Persians
and the Medes, that it be not altered, that Vashti come no
more before King Ahuavis. and let the king give a rod of
steak unto another that is better than she. That is amongst the
things that God had appointed in order to prepare the way for
what is recorded in this third chapter. And then in the second
chapter, as I said, as we read, we see that there are these various
maidens who are to be brought, presented to the king, and it
is Esther who is the one that the King delights in, and she
is made the Queen. There in verse 16, in the time
when Esther was taken unto King Osiramus into his house in the
tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of
his reign, and the King loved Esther above all the women, and
she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the
virgins so that he set the royal crown upon her head and made
her queen instead of Vashtu. One of the significant things
with regards to her appointment is that no one knew that she
was a Jewess because this Mamordikai had brought her up as his own
child and he had instructed her and she obeyed his words It instructed
her that she should not make known what her nationality was. In verse 10 there, Esther had
not showed her people nor her kindred for Mordecai had charged
her that she should not show it. And she was obedient, as
I say, verse 20, Esther had not yet showed her kindred nor her
people as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther did the commandments
of Mordecai like as when she was brought up with him. And the outcome is that she is
made the queen and this man who was as her father really, sits with the king's servants
in the king's gate. At the end of that second chapter,
we see him exalted to some position amongst the servants of the king.
Verse 19, Mordecai sat in the king's gate, and he becomes aware
of this conspiracy by these two men, these Chamberlains, Big
Fan and Teresh, who kept the door. They were seeking to rise
against the King, to destroy the King. And the thing was known
to Mordicai. I told it on the request of the
Queen and Esther certified the thing that the King thereof in
Mordicai's name. When the matter is investigated,
inquisition was made, the matter is found to be as Munikaya had
reported and these two men are taken and both of them are hanged
and then the affair is written in the book of the Chronicles
before the King. Now remember, although we are
familiar to the divisions that we have The chapters and the
verses, they are not part of the original Hebrew text here.
There is a definite connection then between what we are told
here at the end of chapter 2 and what follows here in chapter
3. This is written in the book of the Chronicles before the
King after these things. That was the most significant
event that had been discovered by Mordecai. We see the significance of it
later in the history when we come to chapter 6. There was
a certain night when the king was unable to sleep. His sleep
was taken from him and that is of course God's work. God gives
his beloved sleep. God can deny us sometimes our
sleep. We're awake in the small hours, we're tossing, we're turning.
All this is under God's sovereign hand. On that night could not
the king sleep and he commanded to bring the book of the records
of the chronicles and they were read before the king. Here he
is awake you see and he thinks maybe that the reading of these
things will make him begin to feel tired. We might go to bed
and take some literature with us and they read these records
and it was found written that Mordicai had told of Bithana
and Teresh, two of the king's chablins, the keepers of the
door, who sought to lay hand on the king Asuerus, and the
king said, what honour and dignity has been done to Mordicai for
this? Then said the king's servants
that, minute of untimely, there is nothing done for him. That's
the most significant event, as you'll see if you read the remainder
of the book. All of these things then are
under the sovereign hand of God and all is according to what
God himself has ordained, all is taking place in the precise
order that God had appointed. All these events are then in
his hand after these things. All our times, all our times,
all the events of our lives are in the hand of God and the Psalmist
of course does remind us of that great truth does he not in the
31st Psalm and verse 15 my times says David I am in thy hand deliver
me from the hand of mine enemies and from them that persecute
me how apt that would be to a man like Mordecai and to Esther the
Queen and to the Jews at that time. All their times, all these
events that are befalling them then in this book are according
to what God himself has appointed. First of all then with regards
to Providence we must recognise that God's timing is perfect. As he does according to his will
among the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth,
and none can stay his hand, or say to him, What doest thou? We recognise the Lord's times,
and we must also in the second place recognise this, that God's
sovereignty is an absolute sovereignty. An absolute sovereignty. There
is nothing outside the will of God. And we see it. in what is recorded here concerning the design of this man, Haman, who
thinks it a light matter just to seek the destruction of Mordecai. He wants to destroy all the people
of Mordecai. and we are told how he goes about
these things in verse 6 he thought scorned to lay hands on Mordecai
alone for they had showed him the people of Mordecai wherefore
Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the
whole kingdom of Asuerus even the people of Mordecai and what
does he do? we are told in verse 7 in the
first month that is the month Nisan. In the twelfth year of
King Asuerus they cast Pur, that is the Lot, before Haman from
day to day and from month to month to the twelfth month, that
is the month Adon. It is the first month in the
twelfth year of the King's reign, the first month in the twelfth
year and Haman has them cast Lots. from day to day, from month
to month. It doesn't mean that on the ensuing
days they were casting the lots. On that very first day they cast
the lots concerning all the days and all the months that are to
follow. And then we see what happens
as the lot is cast. Verse 12 Then were the king's
scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month. Remember what we are told back
in verse 7? It was the first month in the
twelfth year when they were cast in the lots. And there is the
thirteenth day of that month when the scribes are called and
there was written according to all that Haman had commanded
unto the king's lieutenants the governors that were over every
province, the rulers of every people of every province, according
to the writing thereof to every people after their language,
in the name of the king, and it's all sealed with the king's
ring, and their letters were sent by post unto all the king's
provinces to destroy, to kill, and of course to perish all Jews,
both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even the 13th day of the 12th
month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them
for a day. So the lot has fallen on this
particular day, at the end of the year. The lot falls not on any of the
previous days, the previous month, but it falls on this day right
at the end of the year, the 13th day of the 12th month. There are then some 11 months
that will transpire before the wicked scheming of this man is
to be accompanied. Now what is the significance
of this? Well, God's sovereignty, as I
said, is absolute. And God's sovereignty is seen,
you see, in the way in which the lot falls. The wise man in the book of Proverbs
reminds us that even the casting of a lot is not a chance event. In Proverbs 16.33 we are told
the lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof
is of the Lord. The whole disposing of the lot
is of the Lord. It's not chance that the lot
should fall on that particular day. It was God, and it was the
sovereignty of God that was being demonstrated. The Hymn writer
rightly says, a fictitious palace of chance and fortune I defy. my life's minutest circumstances
subject to his eye. Now we do well friends to remember
that the minutest circumstances of our lives, things that seem
to be so incidental, we might even say accidental, and yet
all of these things are under the hand of God. God's sovereignty
is such that it precludes any idea of fortune, or chance, or
luck? Is it not so striking to us? It should be that even Satan
himself is no free agent. Now, as we've said many a time,
we certainly see that in the affairs of Job, where the scene
is set, of course, in the opening chapter. And we have that remarkable
record then of how when the sons of God come to appear in his
presence, Satan is found amongst them. And it is God who permits
Satan. It's a touch joke. There in chapter
1 and verse 12, the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that
he hath is in my power, only upon himself, put not forth thine
hand. So Satan went forth from the
presence of the Lord. Not to imagine of course that
Satan is in the presence of God, he's been cast out, he's a fallen
angel. God is of eyes too pure to behold
iniquity. God cannot look upon sin and
yet what are we being taught here in the book of Job? That
even Satan is subject to God. He is no free agent, and so he
receives his permission from God that he might come at Job,
but cannot touch him in his person, though he might touch him in
his possessions and even in his own family. All that he has,
all that he has is in thy power, only upon himself. Put not forth
thine hands, but then Though initially he comes and you're
familiar with the account, he loses his possessions, even his
children are taken. But this man, he sits down and
he worships. What a remarkable statement it
is that we have at the end of that first chapter. Job arose,
rent his Mantle shaved his head, fell down upon the ground and
worshipped. Oh, he bows, you see, to the
absolute sovereignty of God. He said, naked came I out of
my mother's womb, naked shall I return, hither the Lord gave,
the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
In all these jokes did not nor charge God Foolishly. But then in the next chapter,
chapter 2 of Job, Satan comes again. This time God permits
him to do something more. Verse 5 is Satan says to God,
this wicked devil, put forth thine hand now and touch his
bone and his flesh and he will curse thee to thy face. And the
Lord said unto Satan, behold he is in mine hand, but save
his life. Even Job himself is now in the
hand of Satan. But it is all under the sovereignty
of God. Satan is not a free agent. He is kept in chains. We are
told that. We are told that when we come
to the end of scripture there in that short epistle of Jude. He is kept, we are told, in chains,
the angels, which kept not their first estate, but left their
own habitation. He has reserved in everlasting
chains unto darkness, unto the judgments of the great day. They are not free agents, these
fallen angels, they are reserved in everlasting chains. They are
subject to God, they are subject to the sovereignty of God, and
yet in no way Are we to imagine for a moment that God is the
author of sin? That is not the case, friends.
We are not suggesting that for a moment. We are simply seeking
to assert the mystery that he set before us here in scripture
concerning God and his sovereignty. Let no man say when he is tempted,
I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man. God is not the author of
sin. And yet we have to recognise
God's sovereignty. And we see it, I say here, in
the matter of the casting of the lots. They cast lots. They cast the lots concerning
all the days of the year. And God appointed that the light
would fall on the 13th day of the 12th month. so that there
were some eleven months before this awful, this wicked decree
for the destruction of God's ancient people, the Jews, should
be executed. How are we to come then to this
matter of God's providence? We are perplexed. The city of
Shushan was perplexed as much that bewilders us. Well, I say
we are to come to it as those who recognise that God's timings
are always right, that nothing comes to us merely by chance,
and that all things are under His absolute sovereignty. And then in the third place we
come to this, we are to recognise God's gracious performances. He knows the end from the beginning.
He says to his people through Jeremiah that he knows the thoughts
that he thinks towards them, thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give them unexpected ends. And we see it here, do we not?
At the beginning of the year, this awful commandment This decree
that Haman had persuaded the king to pass, this is sent forth. And it is sent forth throughout
all the empire, all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. Remember verse 12, the scribes
are all called on the thirteenth day of the first month. And the
whole matter is written and then it's dispatched to the various
lieutenants and the governors and the rulers in all the provinces. And we're told at the end, verse
15, the post went out being hastened by the king's commandment. And
the decree was given in Shushan, the palace. great urgency with regards to
the way in which these matters are attended to. And what is
the decree? Oh, it's such a wicked decree,
as we see in verse 13, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish
all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in
one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. which
is the month of Adar and to take the spoil of them for a price. How do we see then God performing
a gracious work in these things? Well the matter is immediately
brought into the open. and the Jews therefore have an
opportunity now for the ensuing months to seek, if they can,
that this decree might yet be overturned and that they might
be spared. A lot could have fallen on some
day in the first month. Things could have been executed
immediately, but it wasn't so. and what we read in the following
chapters from chapter 4 through to chapter 9 is the detail of
what happened in order that these things were negated in order
that these things were overthrown when we come you see to the words
of the text that we have at the end of the chapter as the city
was perplexed the city Shushan was perplexed, what could be
done? What could be done? Can these
things really be overcome? Can there be a way of escape
for the people of God, for the Jews at this time? The important
thing surely friends is that we do not come to God's sovereignty
as those who are mere patrons. When we speak of an absolute
sovereignty we are not saying that we're just fatalists. What
will be, will be and we do nothing. We just become passive before
it. There is to be a proper response to the doctrine of God's providence
and the mystery of it. No wonder as we come to a conclusion
this morning to mention some three things with regards to
our response when we're bewildered, when we're perplexed, when we
can't understand the mystery of God and His sovereignty. First
of all, we should be those who are observant. Observant of God's
ways. We should observe the ways of
God. And that's the great thing, is
it not, that we see there in the 107th Psalm. We sang a portion
from the Psalm from the beginning And from the end, it's a great
psalm of course and it does deal in some detail with God's providence
if you read through the psalm. And when we come to the end of
the psalm, what does the psalmist say? Uso is wise and will observe
these things. A wise man is observant, Uso
is wise and will observe these things. Even they shall understand
the loving kindness of the Lord. Now what are the things that
are to be observed? Well amongst the various matters
that we are told to observe there are those things recorded at verse 27 following he speaks. Here are those who go down to
the sea, those who do business in great water. God's way is in the sin. His footsteps are not known,
are they not? There's a mystery. But what do we read of these
mariners? They do business in great waters,
they see the works of the Lord, they see His wonders in the deep.
And we're told, verse 27, they will to and fro and stagger like
a drunken man and are at their wits' end. And are at their wits'
end. For they are confused, they are
bewildered, they are perplexed, they know not what to do really,
then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble. And he bringeth
them out of their distresses, he maketh the storm a calm, so
that the wives thereof are still, and so is wise, and will observe
these things. We need to be those who are observant
then of God's providence use. The wise man will see thy name,
says the prophet. How does he see God's name? Fear
the rod, and do as appointed it. We are to be those, friends,
who are observant of God, we believe in the sovereignty of
God and we seek to discern God's hand in all that comes our way. Strange things that are appointed
to us. But there's not only the need
of observing the ways of God. Surely our response is this,
we are to attend to the word of God. We are to obey the commandments
of God. These are the things that are
revealed to us. God has revealed to us his commandments, has he not?
He's given us his holy word. Now, we have that word at the
end of Deuteronomy 29. If you want to be twenty-nine,
twenty-nine, we're told the secret things belong unto the Lord our
God. What are the secret things? God's
providences. God's providences. He does it
according to His will. The secret things belong unto
the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto
us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words
of this law. These are the things that I reveal.
All the words of this law. And this is our business, is
it not? That we should do what God himself commands. And we
see Albert Mordechai is a man who is careful to act in obedience
to what God has said. When Haman is advanced and set above all the princes.
We read in verse 2, all the king's servants that were in the king's
gate bowed and reverenced Haman, for the king had so commanded
concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did
him reverence. And why was it? Why was it that
this man Haman was different to all the others who were there,
the lord's servants in the king's gate? Why would he not reverence
a man like Mordecai? Well, two reasons, I believe.
First of all, he knew that Haman was an Amalekite. He is descended
from Agab. And if you go back to the 15th
chapter there in the first book of Samuel, remember how King
Saul is commanded by God through Samuel to destroy the Amalekites,
but he is disobedient. He was to utterly destroy all
the Amalekites, but he doesn't destroy the king Agag, and he spares the flocks. He is disobedient to the commandment
of God. And yet God that commanded the
destruction of these wicked Amalekites. In Exodus 17 and verse 16, the
Lord hath sworn, He swore that He would destroy the Amalekites
forever. It was because of the way in
which they treated the children of Israel when they came out
of Egypt. Again, in in Deuteronomy chapter
25 and there at verses 17 and 18 and 19 God says, Remember
what Hamalek did unto thee by the way when he were come forth
out of Egypt, thou he met thee by the way, and smote thee, him
most of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when they
were faint and weary, And he feared not God. Therefore it
shall be when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all
thine enemies round about, in the language the Lord thy God
giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt
blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Thou shalt
not forget it. And Mordecai didn't forget it.
He was familiar with the word of God. and he acted in accordance
with the word of God and he would not do reverence to this man
who was a descendant of Agate, king of the Amalekites. There
is a reason, you see, for his behaviour. He is one who desires
to be obedient and he knew Haman was an Amalekite. But also in
the second place Surely we see that this is a man who refuses
to do anything that would savour of idolatry. He will not reverence a man.
This word reverence suggests worship. Mordecai bowed not nor
did him reverence. He knew the commandment of the
Lord. Those commandments, the first two commandments, so explicit
are they not, against all idolatrous worship. God spoke all these
words saying, I am the Lord thy God, which hath brought thee
out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou
shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto
thee any graven image or any likeness of Anything that is
in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is
in the water under the earth, thou shalt not bow down thyself
to them, nor serve them. For I, the Lord thy God, am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children
unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing
mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. He will keep the commandments
of God. Dear friends, this is the great thing, before all that
is perplexing and all that might cause us confusion and bewilderment,
our great concern is to understand what God has said and we are
to act in obedience to His commandments. We observe His ways, we seek
to discern what God is doing, what God is saying by His dealing.
We are exercised by these things. But we come to his word and we
seek to act in obedience with his word. And so thirdly here,
what do we see? We see that concern to act only
in the fear of God. It's the fear of God that is
in the heart of this man, Boudiccaia. And later, In chapter 4 we see
how he speaks to Esther. How are they to respond to that
that has befallen them this awful decree? Well is not Esther now
in a place where she might have influence before the king? Can she not plead the cause of
her people the Jews? Can she not make known now her
people? Mordecai speaks to her at the
end of chapter 4, and he speaks solemn words to
her there at verse 13. She responds to it, he says,
Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house
more than all the Jews, for if thou altogether hold aside peace
at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise
to the Jews from another place. Paul is well persuaded that God
will yet protect his people. Deliverance will come from another
place, Esther, but thou and my father's house shall be destroyed.
And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such
a time as is? Then Esther bade them return
Mordecai, Agisantza. Go, gather together all the Jews
that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither
eat nor drink three days, night or day. I also and my maidens
will fast likewise, and so will I go in unto the king, which
is not according to the law, and if I perish, I perish." Now,
fasting is not an end in itself. When she speaks of fasting, surely
she You fast in order to pray. Prayer and fasting is what the
Lord Jesus Christ Himself said. She desires prayer. The call
upon God as she goes in, as she ventures before the King, as
she comes to plead for Him and show Him. So she comes in due
time. In chapter 8 we are told there,
verse 3, how she spake before the King. fell down at his feet
and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman
the Agagite and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
Then the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther
arose and stood before the king as he makes her plea and you
know the outcome is this wicked man Haman who is hanged upon
the very gallows that he had prepared in his vain self-confidence. He thought he would see the destruction
of Mordecai or the destruction of the Jews. But God overturns
it. God overturns it. This is what
God is able to do, to overturn all the wicked devices of men. We have to be those then who
come with fear before Him, seeking to observe His way. Desiring
that we might be those who are obedient to his words as he has
spoken to us here in the scriptures. This city, Shushan, was perplexed.
And as I said at the outset, we are often perplexed. There
are many things that come that we cannot understand. It is ours
to be those who recognise that our God is the One who is Sovereign,
our God is in the Heaven. he has done whatsoever he has
pleased. Oh, the Lord, help us then to
be those who would recognize that God's ways are perfect,
His timing is perfect, His sovereignty is an absolute sovereignty, and
He is the one who performs all His goodwill and pleasure. And it is The goodwill of Christ
is in us. He is that one who knows the
end from the beginning and has those gracious thoughts towards
his people. May the Lord help us and bless
to us his work.