Coincidence or Providence?

Last week we found out that in Esther Chapter 6 God's hand was mighty!!! And we discovered that coincidence just couldn't explain all the events that lined up so perfectly in Esther's life...this week we will continue to see that God's hand is always working, He's always watching us and caring for us and protecting us and guiding us in ways we just don't see until after the fact.

Chapter 7 is only 10 verses long, but wait til you see what God unfolds...

Before we begin, I want you to do something for me.  Think for a minute about your life.  Right now.  Aren't there things in your life that you just don't understand?  A few months back for us it was, "Lord, why won't our house sell?"  A few years back it was, "Lord, why can't we get pregnant?"  There is always something going on in our lives that we can't seem to figure out or understand why God is allowing it to happen to us.  Right now there is something that you might be saying to God, "Why are you letting this happen?" or "How will this end up?"  or "When will I feel peace again?" 

Now, think about Esther's situation...she is currently the Queen, and she found out from her Uncle Mordecai that the Jewish people (her people)  are all going to be murdered on a certain day and the King (her husband) has signed this decree with his signet ring, which means, that this decree is final.  Can you just imagine all the why's, how's , and when's Esther was having?

Esther, in her own godly wisdom, decided to trust God, and move forward.  She was not going to sit back and let her people be murdered.  She was not going to rant and rave at the King.  She was not going to give up and be hopeless.  She decided to pray, and believe that God had given her a purpose in this situation.  Was it a coincidence that at this current time the new Queen was Jewish?  Was it a coincidence that her uncle Mordecai would be the one to save the King's life?  Was it a coincidence that Esther was beautiful on the inside and outside and that she had godly wisdom and patience, and that she found favor with all who came in her path?  Of course not!

So right now I want you to think of the situation you are dealing with that is causing you to say "Why, How, When?" to the Lord...and I want you to hold on and to trust His infinite wisdom and His plan for your life.  No situation is hopeless.  Our God is a mighty God!  He keeps His promises!  He has a plan for your life and He makes all things new!  Choose today to trust Him wholeheartedly because He has the Big Picture that we just don't, and can't see.  It might not make sense now but in a few days, a few weeks, months or years you will look back and say, "Oh Lord, now I understand why you did that...thank you."

Esther Chapter 7 begins with Haman and the King going to Esther's Banquet.

verse 2

² and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

 What I love about the King is he cuts right to the chase...he wants to know what is bothering the Queen and he is willing to meet her every whim!

 ³ Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. ⁴ For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.^[a]”

Esther is so wise!  She tells the King point blank, my life is in danger!  She says, if we were just going to be sold as slaves I wouldn't have even bothered you since you are so busy and important, but no this is really bad!!!  Our enemy is seeking to destroy us!

 ⁵ King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Finally!!!!!! She can tell the King who has done this, and even though the Bible doesn't say this I bet Haman just about choked on his wine at this point and dropped his goblet.  Because Haman at this point must've realized, uh oh, the reason why I'm here is not to be honored, but rather, so the King can hear the awful truth about my wicked schemes.
 

⁶ Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. ⁷ The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

So now you have Haman begging the Queen for his life, because surely the King will have him killed for trying to kill her people, and now Haman realizes that the Queen was Jewish and maybe this wasn't the best of all plans, and just as Haman is begging for his life, the King comes in and sees Haman in a comprimising position of begging which I guess might have looked like he was in fact hurting the Queen.

 ⁸ Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.
   The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”
   As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. ⁹

Then a Eunch comes in and mentions the gallows that were recently built...and you know what the King is thinking at this point...

 The king said, “Impale him on it!” ¹⁰ So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided.

And Haman dies on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai!

Coincidence or God's Providence?

Whoa!