WEBVTT 00:00:30.300 --> 00:00:32.566 Well, good morning Valley View. 00:00:32.566 --> 00:00:35.966 It's great to be with you while we continue our study in the book of Esther. 00:00:35.966 --> 00:00:39.133 We're going to be in Esther chapter six today. 00:00:39.133 --> 00:00:43.365 And I've been praying that today would be a little less eventful than last week. 00:00:43.365 --> 00:00:52.799 I don't know about you, but with all the power outages and storms and craziness, just praying it'd be a little less crazy this week. 00:00:52.799 --> 00:01:01.232 Speaking of craziness, as I was preparing for this, I was reminded of an experience when I was four years old, 4 or 5 years old. 00:01:02.033 --> 00:01:03.500 This was a winter day. 00:01:03.500 --> 00:01:05.566 I was staying with some friends. 00:01:05.566 --> 00:01:10.700 My parents were at work and the dad and mom decided they needed to go out somewhere. 00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:22.865 I don't know why because it was snowy, icy cold and here I am in my, you know, puffy jacket can barely move slick pants, trying to open the door to the car and it won't open because it's frozen shut. 00:01:22.865 --> 00:01:24.433 The dad gets the other side open. 00:01:24.433 --> 00:01:25.632 So I go over there and get in. 00:01:25.632 --> 00:01:35.700 And you may remember in the 70s, those long bench leather seats in the back of the car that were a mile long and like a slip and slide if you got on them, and especially when everything was cold. 00:01:35.700 --> 00:01:39.433 So I get in there, we leave the house and we ran. 00:01:39.433 --> 00:01:43.799 The first road out of the house was the sharp corner, and I think the dad thought he was a NASCAR. 00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:49.832 He hit that corner and I go slinging across the seat on that slip and slide into the door. 00:01:49.832 --> 00:01:51.965 It flings open and I'm out on the road. 00:01:52.965 --> 00:01:57.400 Yeah, I wasn't laughing. 00:01:57.400 --> 00:01:58.465 In fact, I was tumbling. 00:01:58.465 --> 00:02:00.500 It felt like I tumbled into Indiana from there. 00:02:00.500 --> 00:02:03.165 It was like going forever. 00:02:03.165 --> 00:02:08.566 And I finally come to a stop and I look up and the car just keeps going with the door swinging open. 00:02:08.566 --> 00:02:19.000 And I thought, they've left me! Like, the fall hurt, but I start crying hard at that moment because I feel like I'm being abandoned and left behind and forgotten is the phrase. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:27.832 In fact, as I thought of our story today, I think probably the Jews at that time felt like they had been forgotten. 00:02:27.832 --> 00:02:31.500 And by the way, they stopped probably almost immediately and got me. 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:33.332 But it seemed like eternity to me. 00:02:33.332 --> 00:02:35.432 Laying there on the road. 00:02:35.432 --> 00:02:39.032 But have you been in those moments in life where you feel like you've been forgotten? 00:02:40.265 --> 00:02:41.265 God, where are you? 00:02:41.265 --> 00:02:42.633 Have you forgotten your people? 00:02:42.633 --> 00:02:44.300 Have you forgotten me? 00:02:44.300 --> 00:02:46.599 Where are you in this moment? 00:02:46.599 --> 00:02:55.400 What we're going to see today, and we've seen glimpses of it all throughout Esther, but we're going to see it today, is that God has not forgotten his people. 00:02:55.400 --> 00:03:01.532 In fact, we're going to see four ways, in particular in this passage where he remembers his people in Esther chapter six. 00:03:01.532 --> 00:03:07.665 So if you have a Bible, turn to Esther chapter six, and if you have a church Bible, it's on page 385 in that Bible. 00:03:07.665 --> 00:03:12.265 We're just going to read the first verse to get our setting here, and you can follow along. 00:03:12.265 --> 00:03:26.500 As I read in Esther chapter six, verse one, on that night the king could not sleep, and he gave orders to bring the books of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 00:03:28.566 --> 00:03:31.599 Many times people have asked me, who's your favorite Bible character? 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:36.300 And often I've answered John, understandably so. 00:03:36.300 --> 00:03:37.832 But now I have a new one. 00:03:37.832 --> 00:03:41.199 Ahaseurus likes to read late at night when he can't sleep. 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:52.866 He is now my new favorite Bible character, and what I appreciate is that he has specific books read to him in this moment, so he's not able to sleep. 00:03:52.866 --> 00:03:54.000 He has books read to him. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:08.332 And what in particular it says is that the books of memorable deeds, you know, at this time they would have captured important things that happened in the culture in order to remember them, which is, I think, really important to do. 00:04:08.332 --> 00:04:16.233 It's part of the reason why I journal regularly try to write down in the morning, here's the things God has done in my life, because I'm hard wired to forget. 00:04:16.233 --> 00:04:16.632 It's not. 00:04:16.632 --> 00:04:20.500 If I'm not intentional to remember, I naturally forget. 00:04:21.466 --> 00:04:30.033 And in this story he's reading likely things that occurred 4 to 5 years prior, and I was reminded even recently. 00:04:30.033 --> 00:04:35.199 It's crazy how you can forget some amazing ways God works in your life out of the blue. 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:44.733 I was talking with my oldest son recently and just remembered an event that I had completely forgotten about when we were in seminary together, my wife and I starting out in seminary. 00:04:44.733 --> 00:04:45.565 We lived in Phoenix. 00:04:45.565 --> 00:04:51.365 This was in 2006, and we came with a plan, and it was going to cost a fair amount of money. 00:04:51.365 --> 00:04:57.932 And about halfway through we ran out and this was there was a week left to sign up for classes I had signed up. 00:04:57.932 --> 00:05:02.500 There was a week left to pay, and we didn't have the means, and I didn't know what I was going to do. 00:05:02.500 --> 00:05:05.233 I thought, we're just going to have to move back to Arkansas. 00:05:05.233 --> 00:05:07.565 I was in Phoenix doing ministry in Arkansas. 00:05:07.565 --> 00:05:08.733 I don't know what else to do. 00:05:08.733 --> 00:05:10.500 I've tried every means possible. 00:05:10.500 --> 00:05:20.800 I didn't feel like it'd be proper to borrow money to do ministry degree, or you're just going to lose money, likely, but I so I didn't know what else to do. 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:26.132 I mentioned it as a prayer request with the pastor friend of mine to the church we go to. 00:05:26.132 --> 00:05:28.333 And no joke, a few days later I just mentioned it. 00:05:28.333 --> 00:05:29.432 Off the cuff, was a prayer request. 00:05:29.432 --> 00:05:30.766 I don't know what to do. Would you pray? 00:05:30.766 --> 00:05:32.132 A few days later he comes back to me. 00:05:32.132 --> 00:05:34.865 It was actually the day before the money was due. 00:05:34.865 --> 00:05:37.000 just so you know, a guy at church said he's going to cover it all. 00:05:38.300 --> 00:05:41.766 Not just this bill, but everything to come. 00:05:41.833 --> 00:05:44.800 We're talking thousands and thousands of dollars. 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.766 And he-- I say he-- I don't know who it was, he didn't tell me. 00:05:47.766 --> 00:05:50.766 I have a suspicion who it might be. 00:05:51.800 --> 00:05:54.300 Covered it all. 00:05:54.300 --> 00:05:59.432 How easy we forget God's provision. 00:05:59.432 --> 00:06:01.533 We need to be intentional. 00:06:01.533 --> 00:06:03.399 I need to be intentional to remember. 00:06:03.399 --> 00:06:07.533 And so the king in this moment, he's tired. It's late at night. 00:06:07.533 --> 00:06:12.100 Come read to me of the great things that have happened in our nation. 00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:16.000 Now, the question we need to start with, though, is why can't he sleep? 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:24.600 We've all had nights where you've struggled to sleep, and we know from last week that he's struggling to sleep because of the conversation he had with Esther. 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:29.632 Esther comes to him in her royal capacity, and I've got an issue I need to bring up with you. 00:06:29.632 --> 00:06:30.466 It's so important. 00:06:30.466 --> 00:06:31.132 I can't do it now. 00:06:31.132 --> 00:06:33.000 We need to have a feast and talk about it. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:36.199 Actually, we need another feast for me to be able to bring it up. 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:38.966 It's that critical now. 00:06:38.966 --> 00:06:43.266 The last time she brought something to him, it was a threat on his life. 00:06:43.266 --> 00:06:45.665 And the last time the Queen wanted to have a feast. 00:06:45.665 --> 00:06:48.100 Queen Vashti, she rejected him. 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:53.533 So you kind of wonder here he's going, what is the significance? 00:06:53.533 --> 00:06:55.000 This must be very weighty. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:55.699 Things like that. 00:06:55.699 --> 00:06:58.565 Or the kind of things that keep you up at night. 00:06:58.565 --> 00:07:03.665 And so here he is, late at night, wondering what's going to happen. 00:07:03.665 --> 00:07:06.165 Why can't I sleep? 00:07:06.165 --> 00:07:09.800 The other fascinating thing about this verse, though, is that phrase the king could not sleep. 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:18.766 The actual Hebrew behind it is more like sleep fled from him, and the same wording is used in Daniel chapter six. 00:07:18.766 --> 00:07:29.865 In fact, I mentioned last week and pointed out many of the parallels between the Book of Esther and the story of Joseph and there's quite a few parallels as well, between Esther and Daniel. 00:07:29.865 --> 00:07:40.665 Just the overarching story of God has one of his people in a foreign land in a significant role, who's also facing persecution, and God rescues. 00:07:41.966 --> 00:07:46.266 But Daniel chapter six, it says this sleep fled from the King. 00:07:46.266 --> 00:07:50.733 He was up all night wondering what would happen to Daniel in the lion's den, hoping he would survive. 00:07:50.733 --> 00:07:53.733 Wondering, not able to sleep. 00:07:54.065 --> 00:07:56.500 And so here we have Ahaseurus. 00:07:56.500 --> 00:07:58.199 Also unable to sleep. 00:07:58.199 --> 00:07:58.966 Wondering. 00:07:58.966 --> 00:08:02.199 Sleep has fled from him, wondering what is going to happen with Esther. 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:03.500 What are you doing through this? 00:08:03.500 --> 00:08:04.966 Why is Haman coming to this? 00:08:04.966 --> 00:08:06.100 Why is she inviting him? 00:08:06.100 --> 00:08:08.065 How is he involved in all of this? 00:08:08.065 --> 00:08:10.632 What is going on? 00:08:10.632 --> 00:08:12.300 Sleep has fled. 00:08:12.300 --> 00:08:14.399 He comes to remember. 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:16.432 And here through this, we see. 00:08:16.432 --> 00:08:21.165 And actually we'll see in the next couple of verses this first way we're reminded that God has not forgotten. 00:08:21.165 --> 00:08:23.132 In fact, let's look at the next set of verses here. 00:08:23.132 --> 00:08:23.800 Look at verse two. 00:08:25.899 --> 00:08:37.133 And it was found written how Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahaseurus. 00:08:37.133 --> 00:08:43.500 And the king said, what honor or distinction has been bestowed upon Mordecai for this? 00:08:43.865 --> 00:08:49.566 The king's young men who attended him said, nothing has been done for him. 00:08:49.566 --> 00:08:52.600 And the king said, who is in the court now? 00:08:52.600 --> 00:09:10.765 Haman had just entered the outer court of the King's palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on the gallows, 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. 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:16.932 We've pointed out that in the book of Esther, God's name isn't mentioned. 00:09:16.932 --> 00:09:25.299 It's one of two books in the Old Testament where his name isn't mentioned, but everything about the book is pointing out the reality that he's at work behind the scenes. 00:09:26.500 --> 00:09:27.700 Just this story here. 00:09:27.700 --> 00:09:32.299 There are these seeming coincidences occurring one after another. 00:09:32.299 --> 00:09:35.265 The king just so happens he can't sleep that night. 00:09:35.265 --> 00:09:49.299 He just happens to call for these specific books to be read to him that just so happen to recover events from 4 or 5 years ago, where Mordecai had been the one to report to Esther about the threat on his life. 00:09:49.299 --> 00:09:58.299 And it just so happens that as he's reading that, Haman enters in to the room, the seeming coincidence is on top of one another. 00:09:58.666 --> 00:10:01.033 You see this and you go, these aren't coincidences. 00:10:01.033 --> 00:10:02.432 Something else is working. 00:10:02.432 --> 00:10:08.633 Someone else is working behind the scenes to allow these things to occur. 00:10:08.633 --> 00:10:19.765 Now we also see here the beginning of this great reversal occurring in the story, because we have Haman showing up and there's a significant contrast here. 00:10:19.765 --> 00:10:41.332 So we have the coincidences, but the contrast between Haman and Esther really stands out because here you have Haman coming to see the King uninvited, but he is coming to see Mordecai condemned, whereas Esther approached the king uninvited, coming to spare her people coming on behalf of her people, coming to rescue her people. 00:10:41.332 --> 00:10:49.232 You see this gigantic contrast between different intentions here, and this really is the first place where we see how God shows up. 00:10:49.232 --> 00:10:50.066 He hasn't forgotten. 00:10:50.066 --> 00:10:51.399 In fact, we see justice. 00:10:51.399 --> 00:10:53.200 Remember, this is the first point in the outline. 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:58.633 Justice remembered the first of four ways God shows that he has not forgotten his people. 00:10:58.633 --> 00:11:03.166 He remembers justice that is due to Mordecai. 00:11:03.832 --> 00:11:04.899 Now what happens? 00:11:04.899 --> 00:11:09.566 How is the King responding to Haman's presence and the news that nothing great has been done for Mordecai? 00:11:09.566 --> 00:11:11.000 Let's look at the next few verses here. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:12.666 Verse five. 00:11:12.666 --> 00:11:19.566 So Haman came in and the king said to him, what should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? 00:11:20.666 --> 00:11:27.832 And Haman said to himself, whom would the king delight to honor more than me? 00:11:27.832 --> 00:11:45.432 And Haman said to the king, well, for the man who the king delights to honor, let royal robes be brought, ones 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. 00:11:45.432 --> 00:11:59.432 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. 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:02.966 So here we have the king consulting Haman. 00:12:02.966 --> 00:12:03.600 I've not. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:05.166 He doesn't tell who it is. 00:12:05.166 --> 00:12:06.399 I've not honored someone. 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:09.399 What would you do to honor someone? 00:12:10.832 --> 00:12:12.399 It's interesting how Haman responds. 00:12:12.399 --> 00:12:15.399 He doesn't even hesitate. 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:19.166 This shows that he's been thinking about it for a while. 00:12:19.166 --> 00:12:25.600 If I could be greatly honored, here is what I would have done for me and it. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:29.799 It's also interesting to note that he assumes it's him. 00:12:29.799 --> 00:12:39.932 This is the one place so far in the book of Esther, where we actually get insight into what someone is thinking, not just what they do or say, but what they're thinking. 00:12:39.932 --> 00:12:48.133 If you look back at that phrase in verse six, he said to himself, actually the phrase there is he said in his heart. 00:12:49.500 --> 00:12:56.432 And the problem with Haman in this moment was that he was listening first and foremost to his heart. 00:12:56.700 --> 00:13:15.399 That phrase said in his heart shows up all over the place in Scripture, and there's a collection of ancient Jewish writings that actually went through this would have been contemporaries of Christ around that time who captured different thoughts of different rabbis, who said, there are two different ways to look at this view of saying in your heart. 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:19.500 In fact, I've got a quote from one of the writings I'm going to put up on the screen 00:13:19.500 --> 00:13:30.200 the wicked are under the control of their hearts, but the righteous, their hearts are subject to them. 00:13:30.633 --> 00:13:32.700 Now here's what that means for us. 00:13:32.700 --> 00:13:35.865 You've heard the phrase all the time, follow your heart. 00:13:35.865 --> 00:13:37.566 We've talked about this a number of times here. 00:13:37.566 --> 00:13:39.033 Follow your heart. 00:13:39.033 --> 00:13:42.399 But no, actually the point they're making in this quote. 00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:43.299 You don't follow your heart. 00:13:43.299 --> 00:13:44.732 You lead your heart. 00:13:44.732 --> 00:13:47.100 Don't be led by your heart. 00:13:47.100 --> 00:13:51.700 Lead your heart to honor Christ in all things. 00:13:51.700 --> 00:13:52.600 This is the difference. 00:13:52.600 --> 00:13:59.700 Haman was listening to his heart to evil intentions rather than telling his heart, no, no, no, that is not the right way to think. 00:13:59.700 --> 00:14:06.200 Don't think first of yourself, but let another praise you and not your own lips. 00:14:06.299 --> 00:14:08.899 But the righteous says, I'm going to deny myself. 00:14:08.899 --> 00:14:10.765 23- deny myself. 00:14:10.765 --> 00:14:11.865 Take up his cross. 00:14:11.865 --> 00:14:12.966 Follow him. 00:14:12.966 --> 00:14:19.100 That is how I lead my heart, not be led along by whatever whim comes along. 00:14:20.832 --> 00:14:23.832 So he listened to his own heart. 00:14:24.066 --> 00:14:25.566 Now he, God uses him here. 00:14:25.566 --> 00:14:28.932 Though, it's interesting how God uses the unrighteous to honor the righteous. 00:14:28.932 --> 00:14:34.100 In fact, we saw first one of the ways we know he had not forgotten was that justice was remembered. 00:14:34.100 --> 00:14:37.100 But second, here praise is proposed. 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:41.166 And this is the second way we know that he has not forgotten his people. 00:14:41.166 --> 00:14:50.600 God uses Haman to propose the right way or a way to honor his own people and look at what he says. 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:52.432 Look at what he proposes to the King. 00:14:54.133 --> 00:15:01.533 Back in verse eight he says, let royal robes be brought, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. 00:15:01.732 --> 00:15:09.966 There was a view at the time that a royal robe, the robe itself held the powers of the king. 00:15:09.966 --> 00:15:15.500 So for him to say we should take your very robe, one you've worn and put it on someone else. 00:15:16.765 --> 00:15:23.332 He's basically saying, we need to appoint someone else as king, and he's thinking it's going to be him. 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:30.100 It's not the robe though, that makes someone- royalty is not some special super suit that you put on. 00:15:30.100 --> 00:15:31.566 It was the position of the King himself. 00:15:31.566 --> 00:15:36.832 He was the one that made the robe royal, not the robe itself. 00:15:36.865 --> 00:15:39.765 The king though, hears his suggestion and loves it. 00:15:40.832 --> 00:15:45.100 And this is where this huge reversal is set in motion. 00:15:45.666 --> 00:15:49.232 In fact, if you look back, he says, yes, go now and look at verse ten. 00:15:49.232 --> 00:15:57.732 The king said to him, 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. 00:15:57.732 --> 00:16:01.332 Leave out nothing that you have mentioned. 00:16:01.732 --> 00:16:15.399 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 it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor. 00:16:15.832 --> 00:16:19.600 So it's interesting, he says to him, and don't leave out anything. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.600 But what did Haman leave out? 00:16:23.265 --> 00:16:25.865 If you look at it, he left out the crown. 00:16:25.865 --> 00:16:28.432 Let's let's put the crown on him too when he was thinking of himself. 00:16:28.432 --> 00:16:31.500 Let's make sure people might even think that this guy's the king. 00:16:33.299 --> 00:16:38.832 But when Haman has to execute the very thing that he wants, he leaves out the crown in that moment. 00:16:38.832 --> 00:16:40.066 But here we get. 00:16:40.066 --> 00:16:43.066 The whole thrust of the Book of Esther start to be put in place. 00:16:43.066 --> 00:16:49.232 In fact, one of the ways we know God has not forgotten his people is reversal is served by. 00:16:49.232 --> 00:16:55.500 This is when reversal begins, when the great reversal of the Book of Esther things are set in place. 00:16:55.500 --> 00:17:00.533 In fact, that whole phrase at the beginning of chapter one, he could not sleep. 00:17:00.533 --> 00:17:03.033 That is the pivot point of the whole book. 00:17:03.033 --> 00:17:05.599 Before that, everything was going poorly for the Jews. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:08.000 After that, everything goes well. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:15.432 Everything points to everything going in their favor and reversal is begun here. 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:19.766 This is where it starts. 00:17:19.766 --> 00:17:22.766 And so Haman carries out the order. 00:17:23.566 --> 00:17:25.532 Look at verse 12 and what happens then? 00:17:25.532 --> 00:17:28.732 Mordecai returned to the King's Gate after he carried out the order. 00:17:28.732 --> 00:17:32.232 After he had done these things, Mordecai returned to the king's gate. 00:17:32.232 --> 00:17:39.833 But Haman hurried to his house mourning, and with his head covered. 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:43.799 You know, as I read that, I thought this should be the moment. 00:17:43.865 --> 00:17:48.232 This should be the moment when Haman repents. 00:17:48.500 --> 00:17:55.099 This should be the moment when he goes to the king and says, listen, King, I see that you have honored Mordecai greatly. One of the Jews. 00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:59.133 By the way, this plan I put in place was to destroy his very people. 00:17:59.133 --> 00:18:08.633 And I see now that that would not honor you, that you exalt Mordecai, the one that I have ridiculed for not standing up to me now has been put over me, and I repent. 00:18:08.633 --> 00:18:09.532 I have been wrong. 00:18:10.700 --> 00:18:13.532 Don't you think a king would likely respond to that? 00:18:13.532 --> 00:18:14.099 I mean, who knows? 00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:18.665 It's hard to put yourself in that time, but this should be the moment where he goes, this is not working. 00:18:18.665 --> 00:18:21.566 I need to change my ways. 00:18:21.566 --> 00:18:22.200 But he doesn't. 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:30.833 In fact, that word for mourning, it's the same word used earlier when the Jews went into mourning, when their whole nation was going to be persecuted. 00:18:30.833 --> 00:18:34.200 But his mourning is a different kind of mourning. 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:36.400 And you know what I'm talking about. 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:42.066 And he's, he's not sorry that the Jews are being persecuted. 00:18:42.465 --> 00:18:44.865 No, he's sorry that he got caught. 00:18:44.865 --> 00:18:47.799 He's sorry that he got dishonored. 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:49.799 You've seen public officials do this, right? 00:18:49.799 --> 00:18:53.133 They get on TV and apologize and no one's buying it. 00:18:53.133 --> 00:18:54.566 I don't need to name any names. 00:18:54.566 --> 00:18:57.266 We can all pick out someone you've seen. 00:18:57.266 --> 00:18:58.566 They're sorry they got caught. 00:18:58.566 --> 00:19:00.700 They're not really sorry for what happened. 00:19:00.700 --> 00:19:02.665 You've seen it. It seems so insincere. 00:19:02.665 --> 00:19:03.700 And we can't know someone's heart. 00:19:03.700 --> 00:19:08.200 Of course, but you've seen that pattern over and over again. 00:19:09.833 --> 00:19:10.833 But he's not. 00:19:10.833 --> 00:19:14.633 He's sorry that things aren't going his way. 00:19:14.633 --> 00:19:16.032 And we see another contrast. 00:19:16.032 --> 00:19:17.032 Look at what it says. 00:19:17.032 --> 00:19:18.133 And with his head covered. 00:19:18.133 --> 00:19:23.799 Verse 13, Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. 00:19:23.799 --> 00:19:27.432 The contrast here earlier, the last thing he told him, all that had happened to him. 00:19:27.432 --> 00:19:29.165 It was all the good stuff. 00:19:29.165 --> 00:19:30.133 And now the contrast. 00:19:30.133 --> 00:19:38.032 I'm back telling you everything has gone wrong and they're perceptive enough to see what's really happening. 00:19:38.032 --> 00:19:45.599 In fact, the fourth way we see in this passage that God has not forgotten his people is that reality has been exposed. 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:48.633 They're perceptive enough to see something has changed. 00:19:48.633 --> 00:19:51.066 Look at how they respond. 00:19:51.066 --> 00:20:05.465 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. 00:20:05.465 --> 00:20:13.732 And while they were talking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring him into the feast that Esther had prepared. 00:20:14.099 --> 00:20:17.965 Even they, those around him, those outside the situation, were able to see. 00:20:17.965 --> 00:20:19.566 Everything has changed. 00:20:19.566 --> 00:20:21.099 Reality has been exposed here. 00:20:21.099 --> 00:20:22.732 It's been exposed of your heart. 00:20:22.732 --> 00:20:30.566 It's been exposed that this situation, your evil intentions now, they're not going to go well. 00:20:30.566 --> 00:20:33.932 And a key word through this whole passage is the word hurry. 00:20:33.932 --> 00:20:35.900 You see it show up over and over again. 00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:38.200 The king said to him, hurry to honor Mordecai. 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:41.599 Now he was in a hurry to get back to his house. 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:45.665 And then, of course, the eunuchs arrived and hurried him along. 00:20:47.133 --> 00:20:57.400 And as I thought about that, I thought, there's a lesson for us to take out of this, that if you find yourself, in fact, from last week. 00:20:57.400 --> 00:20:59.633 Haman hurried to come to the King. 00:20:59.633 --> 00:21:01.365 His wife said, take the night. 00:21:01.365 --> 00:21:01.965 Sleep on it. 00:21:01.965 --> 00:21:04.299 Tomorrow morning, go to the king about Mordecai. 00:21:04.299 --> 00:21:07.299 He rushed that night, hurried. 00:21:08.165 --> 00:21:11.165 If you find yourself in a hurry. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:16.465 Reacting to something that's really difficult. 00:21:16.465 --> 00:21:23.532 Maybe overreacting, maybe reacting in the moment, rushing towards what you feel is judgment. 00:21:23.532 --> 00:21:27.665 Sometimes we just need to pump the brakes a bit, you know what I'm saying? 00:21:27.665 --> 00:21:29.465 You got to wait a little bit. 00:21:29.465 --> 00:21:32.200 You end up rushing into it, making things worse. 00:21:32.200 --> 00:21:36.566 Abraham Lincoln was famous for having a difficult conversation to have. 00:21:36.566 --> 00:21:38.099 Writing a letter. 00:21:38.099 --> 00:21:41.133 Maybe there was someone he needed to get rid of or reprimand him. 00:21:41.133 --> 00:21:43.732 Just writing it all out and then sticking that letter in his desk. 00:21:45.465 --> 00:21:47.299 Just let it sit. 00:21:47.299 --> 00:21:48.900 Just let it marinate. 00:21:48.900 --> 00:21:49.833 Let me think about it. 00:21:49.833 --> 00:21:52.000 Let me not just rush. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:56.432 How many times have you hit send on that text message or that email? 00:21:56.633 --> 00:22:00.266 And then you went, oh boy, what have I done? 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:06.232 If I could get that back, I just just let it go ahead and write it out. 00:22:06.232 --> 00:22:08.232 Get those words out on paper. 00:22:08.232 --> 00:22:11.232 But but maybe just let it marinate. 00:22:12.232 --> 00:22:12.932 Hurry. 00:22:12.932 --> 00:22:22.232 Often times puts us in a tough situation and the story is being hurried along one event after another. 00:22:22.232 --> 00:22:28.400 The reversal has begun, and now Haman is being hurried along to the feast. 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:34.000 And we know how things are moving along and it's not going to be positive to him. 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:53.599 Reality has been exposed, and I think probably the main lesson for this whole passage for us to take away from this, when we think that God has forgotten us, when it seems that he is not anywhere, you never know how he is working behind the scenes. 00:22:53.665 --> 00:22:59.032 You never know how he is working in even small, seemingly imperceptible ways. 00:22:59.032 --> 00:23:03.365 Even things like a king being up all night. 00:23:03.365 --> 00:23:06.133 You never know what he's doing. 00:23:06.133 --> 00:23:09.965 Walk by faith and trust that he is moving. 00:23:09.965 --> 00:23:11.865 Had a situation a few years ago. 00:23:11.865 --> 00:23:17.099 This was before I came here as pastor, where I was asked to speak at a men's event and I was honored. 00:23:17.099 --> 00:23:18.266 I really want to do it, it’s our church. 00:23:18.266 --> 00:23:19.633 It was at our church in little Rock. 00:23:19.633 --> 00:23:27.965 I said yes, but for whatever reason, about a month out leading up to it, I was feeling overwhelmed by a bunch of other stuff in life, and I just felt like, I can't do this. 00:23:27.965 --> 00:23:30.299 I don't want to do it. I don't have time. 00:23:30.299 --> 00:23:31.633 I was dreading it at that point. 00:23:33.066 --> 00:23:34.299 So I called a friend of mine. 00:23:34.299 --> 00:23:36.200 He actually works as a counselor. 00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:37.900 He was a good friend before he became a counselor. 00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:40.165 But a lot of times he'll give me good insight and advice. 00:23:40.165 --> 00:23:43.799 I called him, I said, man, here's the situation feeling overwhelmed. 00:23:43.799 --> 00:23:44.633 I don't want to do this. 00:23:44.633 --> 00:23:45.232 What do I do? 00:23:45.232 --> 00:23:48.400 And he said, well, can you can you call the guy who heads it up? 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:50.599 Can you tell him, hey, I don't think I can do this. 00:23:50.599 --> 00:23:52.665 You know, maybe he'll understand. 00:23:52.665 --> 00:23:53.432 I can't do that. 00:23:53.432 --> 00:23:54.900 I committed to this. 00:23:54.900 --> 00:23:58.032 I don't know that I would feel right about doing that. 00:23:58.032 --> 00:24:06.032 And so he said, well, John, put on your big boy pants and figure out how to get your head in the space to do the thing you committed to do. 00:24:07.465 --> 00:24:11.365 And that was the last time I called him right? 00:24:12.633 --> 00:24:15.165 No, that was exactly what I needed to hear. 00:24:15.165 --> 00:24:19.732 I didn't like hearing it, but he was right. 00:24:19.732 --> 00:24:27.432 And what's interesting, when it came time to, I was talking with the search team here at the church, probably a year later after that event, it went great. 00:24:27.432 --> 00:24:30.232 It was a great experience. 00:24:30.232 --> 00:24:32.665 They said, we'd really like to have a video of you speaking. 00:24:32.665 --> 00:24:39.566 I only had audio clips, and the only video clip I had of me speaking anywhere was at that men's event, you know? 00:24:39.566 --> 00:24:44.066 Now, that wasn't the only piece in the puzzle of us having a conversation about coming here or not. 00:24:44.066 --> 00:24:47.799 But I thought, man, if I hadn't gone through that, I wouldn't even have a single video to share with him. 00:24:47.799 --> 00:24:50.833 And of course, I would want to see a video of someone speaking. 00:24:50.833 --> 00:24:54.432 If I were trying to hire someone to be a pastor. 00:24:54.432 --> 00:25:00.299 I also made a key connection there with the pastor, who became an important mentor to me in the transition to coming here. 00:25:00.299 --> 00:25:07.766 So you never know what God's doing behind the scenes, and even ways that you may not feel like in the moment. 00:25:07.766 --> 00:25:10.799 And you wonder where he is and you're feeling overwhelmed. You. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:12.400 You never know. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:16.932 Our call is to walk by faith and to trust him. 00:25:16.932 --> 00:25:21.266 I think that's at the heart of what we see in Esther chapter six today.