The book of Esther describes an event that took place while the Hebrews were in exile. It is obvious as we read this text that the Jews were not being oppressed like they were in Egypt. They are living among the people of the land. The theme of the book of Esther is the sovereignty of God. Repeatedly throughout this fascinating book we see the mighty hand of God at work providentially on behalf of the Jews.

Haman is plotting against the Jews because of his hatred for Mordecai. He has convinced the king to issue an order for them all to be exterminated. Earlier Esther, a Jew, was picked as Queen. Her nationality was not known to the king or to Haman. Haman is so consumed with hatred for the Jew Mordecai that he erects gallows and is coming to the king to ask permission to hang Mordecai.

That night the king has trouble sleeping and has the historical records read to him. During this reading he is reminded that Mordecai had earlier uncovered a plot to assassinate him, and Mordecai had not been rewarded. Just as the king is reading this Haman comes in to ask the king to hand Mordecai over to him to hang him. Instead, the king tells Haman to honor Mordecai. Can you imagine the humiliation that Haman would have felt to be honoring the man that he was determined to kill? Ultimately Haman is hanged on the gallows that he planned to hang Mordecai on.

God is sovereign! That means that He is in complete and total control. God arranged for Mordecai to uncover the plot to kill the king. He arranged that Mordecai would get no immediate reward for this good act of service. God arranged that Esther, Mordecai’s uncle’s daughter, would become Queen rather than one of the several hundred other women that were being ‘interviewed’. God arranges for the king to have trouble sleeping and then arranges that the thing that is read to him be the very thing needed to prevent Haman’s plot from succeeding.

Every detail of this account is laid out by God so that we can see that God sometimes works in very unusual ways to get to the place where He can do a great thing for His people. No detail of our lives is accidental or unimportant. Everything that goes on in our lives is part of this great plan that God is unfolding in front of us. Some seemingly unimportant event in your life, like a bad night’s sleep, might be the very thing that God is going to use to do something miraculous. We need to see every event in our lives as the sovereign hand of God at work and be watching for what He is going to do next. Jesus, help me to look for You in the smallest details of my life.

Read: Esther 4:1-7:10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-26; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 21:21-22