Thu May 15

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the names Mordecai and Hamaan.

Reading

Esther 6—God’s Providential Dealings

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

God controls all things.
Even your sleep is under God’s control.
God honors those who honor him.

Questions

(some read these before notes, then ask them after)

What are some difficulties with the book of Esther?
What happened when the king couldn’t sleep?
How was Mordecai honored instead of Haman?

Notes

Esther is in some ways a difficult book in the Old Testament. Difficult because God is not mentioned by name in the book. Yet, as Benn points out, God is never mentioned by name. Nonetheless as we study the book, we discover that God is everywhere at work in every situation throughout the book. That in itself says a great deal.

Yet even some of these providential acts of God are difficult. Esther becoming queen in the first place (chapters 1 & 2) was far from a holy courtship. Yet, for such a time as this (4:14) God made her queen of Persia.

In today’s text we see God’s providential working. It starts with the King’s insomnia. Ever have trouble sleeping? God is in control of that. Think of him as you lie in bed. Seek him prayer. Ask for him to give you, one whom he loves, sleep. Even if you don’t get sleep, you can have sweet fellowship with God in the night.

The King’s insomnia directed him to read the palace journals. There he found an account of Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, saving the king’s life. So, he decided to honor Mordecai. Haman, a fierce enemy of the Jews, came early to the king’s court. When asked what the king should do to honor someone, Haman, proudly thinking he would be the one the king wanted to honor, gave a plan. Then, to his deep shame, he had to honor Mordecai as he had wanted himself to be honored. He found out the hard way that Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall (Prov 16:18).

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday reading for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 15a, 84a

Prayer

Pray that you will humbly trust God’s providence in your life.
Pray for the preparation for preaching God’s word this Sunday.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.