The Hidden Hand of God in Waiting

Introduction: Handling the Word Accurately

Welcome to the Well Community Church. If we haven’t met yet, my name is Brad, and I get the privilege of hanging out with you today as we dive into Esther chapter five. If you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn there. I want to say a special welcome to those in person, those joining us at our Fig Garden campus, our rowdy PM service, and everyone watching online.

We are on a journey through a book that I’ve argued for several weeks is often misunderstood. We tend to read Esther and assume things that may or may not be true. I think that bothers some of us—at least evidenced by the emails I’m getting! But here is the good news: our Bible is the most unique book ever assembled. It is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. This means the Bible was not written by men apart from the inspiration of the Spirit of God. Everything in it is there because God wanted it there, and everything not in it is absent because God didn’t want it there.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB)

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

When we come to the Word of God, we cannot read into it more than it says, and we cannot read into it less than it says. In some places, the Bible is very satisfying because you see evil defeated and the righteous exalted. But then you read Esther. Is she a godly woman? We’re not quite sure. Is Mordecai a godly man? We’re not quite sure. The text doesn’t explicitly say, and that is difficult for us because we are used to reading the Bible where the characters are the heroes. We want to be told to have courage like Moses or faith like James. But Esther seems to be showing us that the story is really about our God. The characters are almost muted; we see them acting, but we don’t see them doing things explicitly in the name of the one true God. This forces us to be honest with the text.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB)

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

If our journey through Esther does nothing more than open our eyes to handle the Word of truth more accurately, that is a win. The more we study the Word of God, the more we study the God of the Word.

The Scene: Life or Death in the Inner Court

Last week, we looked at Mordecai, who heard the edict of genocide sent throughout the kingdom. It was an antisemitic decree to destroy, kill, and annihilate the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to seize their possessions. Mordecai came to Queen Esther in sackcloth and ashes, telling her that if she remained silent, deliverance would come from somewhere else, but she wouldn’t be safe even in the palace. Something shifted in her. She demonstrated tremendous bravery and resolve, famously saying, “If I perish, I perish.”

Esther 4:16 (NASB)

‘Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.’

Now, the stage is set. The people have fasted, and Esther has summoned her courage. We pick up the story in chapter five.

Esther 5:1 (NASB)

Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace.

Setting the scene: the king had a throne room where he could see the entrance to the palace. If you recall, being in the king’s presence unsummoned meant one of two things: the king could offer his golden scepter as a sign of life, or the guard behind him could come at you with an axe. You had no idea which you were going to get. Esther stands there in her royal robes. We don’t know how busy the room was, but given the king’s paranoia, it probably wasn’t crowded. People likely stopped and whispered as they saw her. She’s looking as beautiful as possible, presenting herself before the king.

I think it’s interesting that she is wearing her royal robes. She’s facing a bit of an identity crisis. Her Hebrew name is Hadassah, meaning “Myrtle”—a beautiful fragrance. Her Persian name is Esther, likely named after the goddess Ishtar. Who is she in this moment? Is she Esther in her Persian finery, or is she Hadassah, defending her people? As a hush falls over the room, the king sees her.

Esther 5:2 (NASB)

When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which [was] in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.

She obtains favor. That word “favor” is the same word used in Genesis when Noah found favor in the eyes of God. The king extends the scepter, granting her life, and she touches the tip of it.

Genesis 6:8 (NASB)

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

The Request and the “Choke” Moment

The king senses something is wrong. He hasn’t seen her in a month and asks, “What’s troubling you, Queen Esther?” He offers her up to half the kingdom. Now, this isn’t literal. We see similar language in the New Testament when Herod makes a reckless promise to Herodias’s daughter. It’s a kingly way of saying, “You have my favor; I’ve got a blank check for you. What do you want?”

Mark 6:23 (NASB)

And he swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.’

Notice he calls her “Queen Esther.” This title is used eleven times in the book, and ten of those instances happen from this moment forward. The author is signaling that her story arc is moving “up and to the right.” Her influence is taking shape. So, what does she ask for? She invites the king and Haman to a banquet she has already prepared.

Esther 5:4-5 (NASB)

Esther said, ‘If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.’ Then the king said, ‘Bring Haman quickly that we may do as Esther desires.’ So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

When we hear “banquet,” we think of a wedding reception with rubber chicken and mixed veggies. This was not that. These Persian banquets were over-the-top indulgences—all the wine and food you could imagine. She has the banquet ready to go. She is all-in on this strategy.

Now, they are in the room—Esther, the King, and the villain, Haman. The king has been down this road before. He knows she wants something. As they drink wine, he asks her a second time, “What is your petition? It shall be granted to you.”

Esther 5:6 (NASB)

As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, ‘What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done.’

This is the moment! They are in private, he’s fed, he’s in a good mood, and he’s pulled out the checkbook for the second time. But look at her response in verse seven. She says, “The petition and my request is…” and then there’s an awkward pause. She doesn’t say it. From a literary standpoint, the text just stops mid-thought. You’re rooting for her, thinking, “Come on, girl! Ask him!”

Esther 5:7-8 (NASB)

So Esther replied, ‘My petition and my request is: if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and do what I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says.’

She completely chokes. She asks them to come back tomorrow for another banquet. Why? Did she get cold feet? Did she sense the king was in a bad mood? Did God stir her heart to wait? We don’t know. But here is why I’m encouraged: even in her stumbling, God is faithful.

If the story ended there, we’d think she ruined everything. But look at chapter six, verse one. It just so happens that because of that delay, the king couldn’t sleep that night. It just so happens he asked for the chronicles to be read. It just so happens the servant read the exact page where Mordecai saved the king’s life. All of that happened because she said, “Let’s do this again tomorrow.” The hidden hand of God was at work in the waiting.

The Anatomy of Pride

While Esther is waiting, the scene shifts to Haman. He is living his best life—drinking the king’s wine, invited to private banquets, rising in power. He has everything, except for one thing: he can’t stand that Jewish guy, Mordecai.

Esther 5:9 (NASB)

Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai.

Haman is full of rage because Mordecai won’t tremble before him. This is a special kind of awful. It’s one thing to want respect; it’s another to need people to fear you. Haman has a massive complex. The Hebrew word for anger here is hema, which sounds like Haman. He is a man defined by fury.

He goes home and brags to his friends and his wife, Zeresh. He recounts his riches, his many sons, and his promotions. He’s basically pulling out his old yearbooks and MVP awards, obsessed with his own stat sheet.

Esther 5:11-12 (NASB)

Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every [instance] where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king. Haman also said, ’Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king.

Haman is the embodiment of pride. We all relate to this because pride is the besetting sin of humanity. It didn’t start with Haman; it started with Lucifer. In Ezekiel 28, we read that Satan was in the garden of God, an anointed cherub. He was in the most holy place, yet he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to be like the Most High.

Isaiah 14:13-15 (NASB)

’But you said in your heart, ’I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ ’Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

Pride is autonomy. It’s the desire to do life without God. We see it in Adam and Eve, and we see it in ourselves when we think, “I’ll call on God if I need Him, but I’m doing fine on my own.” But the Bible is clear about pride.

Proverbs 16:18 (NASB)

Pride [goes] before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

1 Peter 5:5 (NASB)

You younger men, likewise, be subject to [your] elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.

Haman has everything, yet he says, “All of this does not satisfy me” as long as Mordecai is at the gate. His wife gives him terrible advice: “Build a gallows fifty cubits high and ask the king to hang him.” Fifty cubits is seven stories tall! That is complete overkill, a monument to Haman’s pride. Ironically, as we’ll see later, he will end up hanging on his own gallows.

Application: Drawing Near to a Better King

As we wrap up, I want us to think about what it means to find favor with the King. Esther approached a scoundrel king with fear and trembling. She didn’t know if she would receive grace or an axe.

Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is nothing like the Persian king. He is holy, just, righteous, patient, and compassionate. Because of Christ, we don’t have to come to Him with anxiety or shame.

Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We come with confidence because we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. If you haven’t embraced the Gospel, standing before a holy God is terrifying. But for those in Christ, the certificate of debt has been canceled.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)

He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Hebrews 10:19-22 (NASB)

Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since [we have] a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [clean] from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Because of what Jesus did, we can draw near. And when we approach Him, what is His posture? Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock. He reminds us that if earthly fathers know how to give good gifts, how much more will our Heavenly Father give what is good to those who ask Him?

Matthew 7:7-11 (NASB)

’Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ’For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ’Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? ’Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? ’If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

You can ask Him anything. Now, we have to be careful. God is not a vending machine or a genie. Sometimes He says “Yes,” sometimes He says “No,” and sometimes He says “Not yet.” All three are answers from a Father who loves us.

1 John 5:14 (NASB)

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Waiting on God is a feature of the Christian life, not a bug. In the waiting, we give up our control, our autonomy, and our anxiety. We say, “God, I know You are good, and I trust Your timing.” Even when we “choke” or feel like we’ve ruined an opportunity, God’s will cannot be thwarted. He holds it all in His hands.

If you are in a season of waiting today, be patient. He is working for His glory and your good. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You that we don’t walk this journey alone. Help us to remember who we are in Christ. We want to come to You with the boldness that the Gospel provides, knowing that You give good things to Your children. We humble ourselves before You today. We reject pride and autonomy, and we thank You for the grace we have through Jesus. It’s in His name we pray, Amen.