There's a book in the Bible where the name of God is never mentioned. It's the book of Esther. But even though God's name is mentioned nowhere in the book, you sense his presence everywhere, controlling what happens. It's like a dollhouse where the top has been removed and some big father can lean in, move the people around, rearrange the furniture, and do anything he wants. That huge father nowhere appears in the dollhouse, yet he controls everything that happens.

That's how it is in the book of Esther. You don't see or hear God there, but you sense his presence dominating everything. Tonight I would like to tell the story of Esther through the eyes of one of the minor characters of the book. The man is on the palace staff, an attendant to the king. He's on the inside. He knows everything that's going on. How would this man, who never hears the name of God and yet sees everything that happens, view it? What sense would he make out of it all?

Events are unfolding that appear to be unrelated, yet God is in them.

My name is Harbona. My job? That depends on what country you're in. In Britain I would be called a personal valet. In your country I would be known as a male private secretary. In my country I am Harbona, chamberlain to Xerxes, king of Persia. You may know him by the name Ahasuerus.

At first I hesitated to take the job because you never knew about Xerxes. One day you'd be good friends with him everything would be going great and then all of a sudden without warning he'd turn on you and it was all over. For instance, once Pythius, one of his leading officials, offered Xerxes four million dollars to pay for one of the Persian military campaigns. Xerxes was so overwhelmed by that generosity that he refused the money and even gave Pythius a present besides. But then a little later when Pythius hinted that maybe his oldest son could be excused from the campaign, Xerxes was so infuriated, he hacked the boy in two and marched his army between the pieces.

That's what I mean when I say you never knew about Xerxes. Another time a storm at sea destroyed three hundred of his ships. Xerxes grabbed a strap, went down to the seashore, and beat the sea three hundred times, once for each ship. So you can see why I hesitated to take the job. But I took it. I made up my mind that I would get along with Xerxes. I would never rub him the wrong way; I'd just go with the tide.

But let me tell you about a series of amazing coincidences that have happened in Persia lately. We have had the most peculiar chain of events take place. It's funny how it all worked out. It all began years ago after what we call the Bay of Salamis fiasco. Real tragic. Xerxes was making a bid to take over Greece to expand the Persian empire. He was doing well, too, until in one naval battle at the Bay of Salamis, his entire navy was wiped out and Xerxes had to sneak back to Persia on a fishing boat.

For the longest time after that he was down in the dumps. He brooded all day long no spark, no interest. Then he started talking about Vashti: poor Vashti, how he'd done her wrong. I'll admit it had been an unfortunate affair. Vashti was the queen he had gotten rid of. But what's past is past. It wouldn't do any good to mope about it. I thought to myself. Something's got to be done to put some life back into Xerxes. I know: women, and lots of them. That'll get his mind off Vashti.

So I told him my idea: "Xerxes, why don't you gather beautiful young virgins from all over the kingdom here to the palace? You can get to know them, and maybe you'll find one you like well enough to make a new queeen." He went for the idea. It wasn't long before we had the girls in all Persia right here at the palace. The whole thing did wonders for Xerxes. All those pretty girls he saw them all.

But there was one in particular who caught his eye. He began to see more and more of her, and pretty soon she's the only one he cared about. Sure enough, Xerxes had found himself a new queen. The girl's name was Esther. As far as I'm concerned, he picked the best one. A real beauty. Only thing, though: Esther didn't look Persian to me. She was but, well, what difference does it make! She made a queen, and Xerxes was his old self again.

Things went on after that real smooth for about five years. And then one day when Xerxes was holding court, in hopped Haman. Haman was the king's favorite. He had been rising rapidly in our state department over the past few years. He was actually now number two man in the kingdom. I didn't care for Haman, though; I didn't trust him. I never told Xerxes that, you know, "Go with the tide."

Anyway, Haman had this little speech all prepared for Xerxes: "Xerxes, scattered throughout your kingdom is a group of people that is a very disruptive element. These people have their own peculiar laws and they don't pay attention to our Persian ones. It's really to your disadvantage to continue to tolerate them. Now I suggest that we pass a decree that they all be destroyed, and I myself will give personal funds to take care of the matter." You know what Xerxes said? "Sounds like a good idea, Haman. Follow through on it. And Haman, keep your money. Use government funds." Just like that! He didn't ask Haman who he was talking about or what it was. That's just the way Xerxes was sometimes.

Crises appear to be crises, but they really are God's hand at work in human tensions.

But it wasn't Xerxes who puzzled me as much as Haman. I couldn't see what Haman was getting at. It's not like him to be so solicitous of the king's welfare or so free with his own money unless he's getting something out of it. So I decided to find out what was going on. The fellow who taught Haman's sons was a friend of mine. You know what it was? Haman wanted to wipe out an entire race of people because of one member of that race. Just because he was irritated by one member, he wanted to destroy them all.

Here was his problem: We have in Persia what we call a citizens' council. This council is composed of one representative from all the national and ethnic groups throughout the kingdom. Every group elects one representative. The purpose of the council is to decide those minor matters that you wouldn't bring to the attention of the king. As number two man in the kingdom, it's Haman's job to drop in on the council occasionally just to check how things are going. Whenever Haman comes in, all the representatives from the national groups bow down to him except for one, the Jewish representative, who just stays seated in his chair.

That's all Haman saw: all the representatives down except for one of them sitting there looking at him. Okay for you, Mr. Jewish Representative. I'll get you and your people. That's who he was after: the Jews. Haman wanted to liquidate the Jews because their representative wouldn't bow down and I mean liquidate them. I saw a copy of the decree after he got through filling it out. It was brutal. "Destroy, kill, and annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, on December thirteen, and confiscate their property." You couldn't misunderstand it. "Destroy, kill, and annihilate" that ought to do it "all Jews, young and old, women and children, December thirteen." I thought to myself. Those poor Jews, they've got eleven months to live.

As I thought about it, the whole thing didn't make sense to me. As near as I could tell, the reason the Jewish representative wouldn't bow down had something to do with his religious beliefs. But we Persians have always been tolerant of other people's religions. That Haman gets my goat. I thought of saying something to Xerxes, but why stick my neck out? Besides that, it was too late anyway. The decree was already being circulated throughout the kingdom.

A few days later I was on the second floor of the palace going by an open window when I heard a loud commotion out in the courtyard. I looked out and saw some guy wailing and screaming and making an awful noise, and he was a mess: his hair was tangled, his face smeared with ashes, and his clothes torn. And I thought to myself, Somebody's got to tell that guy to get away from the palace.

As I was going to the stairway to go down, I bumped into Hatach. Hatach's the queen's attendant. He seemed to be going the same way I was, only he was carrying some clothes. I said, "Where are you going?" "I'm going out to the fellow out there in the courtyard. The queen wants me to take these clean clothes out to him." "Oh, OK. I'll let you handle it then. And tell him to get away from the palace." I thought to myself. That Esther. She's all heart. How many queens would care about a bum who needed new clothes?

Hatach was coming back in, and he still had the clothes with him. "What's the matter? Weren't they his size?" "Do you know who that is?" "No, who?" "It's the Jewish representative." "Oh. Well he does have something to holler about then" he'd probably seen the decree "but why come here around the palace?" "I don't know. He just gave me this piece of paper and told me to go see Esther about it."

"Here, let me see what it is. Yeah, it's a copy of the decree. But why bother Esther? It's none of her affair." "I don't know he just told me to tell her to go and see Xerxes about it." "See Xerxes about it? Xerxes doesn't know anything about it. He knows about the decree, but he doesn't know it's against the Jews. Besides, why go through the queen? What's she got to do with it?" "I don't know, but I better do like he said, OK? Let me have it." "All right."

A little later that day I saw Hatach again. He looked like he was sitting on a powder keg. "Hi Hatach. How's it going?" "Harbona? Harbona, you'll never believe it! The queen's a Jewess!" "You're kidding." "I'm serious." "No wonder she didn't look Persian to me!" "Yes, she's Jewish. And when I showed her the decree against all the Jews, she turned real pale but she didn't want to go in and see Xerxes about it. He hasn't called for her for over a month now, you know." "I know. He's having one of his moods lately."

"Anyway, she told me to go out and tell the Jewish representative. His name's Mordecai and he's her uncle. She told me to tell him that this was not a good time to go in and see the king. If she went in uninvited, he might do something severe. But Mordecai told me to go back and tell Esther that good time or no, the decree was against all Jews. Being queen won't even save her. And he said, 'Maybe she's become queen for such a time as this.' "

"So what's Esther going to do?" "She's going to take her chances and go in and see Xerxes. Harbona, do you think we ought to say something to Xerxes about this?" "Are you kidding? I'm not about to get caught between Haman, Xerxes, and Esther. Let events take care of themselves."

I thought to myself, Boy oh boy, things are going to get interesting around here! Haman's got a decree out against the Jews because of Mordecai, only he doesn't know that Esther's a Jew and Xerxes is in the dark about everything. I didn't have long to wait.

To understand God's sovereignty, it is crucial to understand God's timing.

A few days later Xerxes is holding court. A side door opens, and it's Esther. Man does she look good! She's really fixed herself up. Xerxes took a look got his scepter down real fast. She came forward, and he could tell by looking at her that something was bothering her. He can be real tender when he wants to be. You ought to hear him: "What is it, Esther? What do you want? Name it and you can have it." I thought she would come out with it then, but she didn't. Later I saw it was probably better because Haman wasn't there.

Instead she said that that day at noon she had arranged a specially catered lunch, and would Xerxes and Haman join her in the queen's compartment? When lunch time came, Xerxes again tried to find out what was bothering her, but she wouldn't tell him. Instead she said that tomorrow she had arranged another lunch, and would Haman and Xerxes join her again tomorrow for a second lunch? And I thought. What is she waiting for? Why doesn't she come out with it?

It's funny that she didn't tell him that first lunch, because a couple of very interesting things happened before that second lunch. It's strange the way these things fit together. If she had told him at the first lunch, it would have been too soon because of what happened between those two lunches.

The first thing that happened—I got this from the tutor at Haman's house—Haman practically floated home from that first lunch on a cloud. He threw a big party that night for all his friends and told them his personal success story how much money he had, how he had been promoted rapidly in the state department to the number two spot in the kingdom, and today, the climax, a private luncheon engagement with royalty.

The only moth in his Persian rug was Mordecai. Even with the decree out, Mordecai still would not get up and bow down in the council meeting. So that night, Haman and all his friends decided that Mordecai would have to go even before December thirteen. They made a gallows out of that huge tree in his back yard and agreed that first thing in the morning, Haman would talk to Xerxes about hanging the Jewish representative on it.

The second thing that happened between those two lunches this is really weird is that night Xerxes had insomnia. He couldn't sleep, though he usually slept like a baby. But about three in the morning I heard it. "Harbona!" I was in the next room. "Yes." "Harbona, I can't sleep. Bring something to read to me." "How about the memoirs of your reign?" "That'd be fine. OK." I got the scrolls and came back and started reading.

After I'd been reading for about fifteen minutes, I came to a very interesting paragraph something about how one day on his way to the council meeting the Jewish representative overheard a plot to assassinate the king, but he had tipped off the queen, foiled the plot, and saved the king's life.

Xerxes perked up when I read that. He said, "Yeah, I remember Esther telling me something about that. Harbona, was anything ever done to reward the what's his name, Mordicky?" "Mordecai." "Was anything ever done to reward him?" I scanned the next few paragraphs. "No." "Harbona, first thing in the morning you remind me, and we'll take care of that oversight." "OK."

This is a fine . Haman's going to hang him; Xerxes is going to honor him. I can't wait for morning. Sure enough, first thing on the throne Xerxes didn't need any reminding. "Are any of my advisers available?" Somebody says, "Haman's outside." "Send him in." In came Haman raring to tell the king his idea about hanging the Jewish representative. Never got the first word out.

"Haman, there's a man in my kingdom that I owe a lot to. I'm deeply indebted to this man and I want in some way to show my appreciation publicly so that all will know how much I owe this man. Do you have any ideas, Haman?"

Did Haman have any ideas? He thought it was himself. "Oh yes, Xerxes, yes! Let's see now yes, whoever it might be, to do right I would put the king's ceremonial robe on him. I would put a gold crown upon his head. I would set him on the king's stallion and then I would have one of your leading officials conduct him through the public streets shouting, 'This is a man the king wants to honor.' " "Haman, that's good. Look, you're a leading official. You do all of that for the Jewish representative. Mordicky is his name. He'll be getting out of the council meeting about now. Meet him there with all the trimmings you mentioned. And Haman, shout loud, for I owe this man a lot."

Oh, I wish you could have seen Haman's face. One minute he was beaming and then the next he looked whipped. Xerxes turned to me and said, "What's the matter with Haman? Doesn't he feel well?" "No, I don't think so." See what I mean about things falling into place?

As the morning went by we got glowing reports on Haman's little parade. When noon came we all went to the queen's quarters for the lunch. When Haman got there he looked a little peaked, but he had pretty well pulled himself together. It was a good lunch Haman, Xerxes, and Esther. While they were lingering over dessert, Xerxes turned to Esther and said, "Esther, something has been bothering you for the past few days. I want you to tell me what it is. Can I do anything for you? Can I give you anything?"

I thought, Here it comes. And sure enough "Yes, Xerxes, there's something you can do for me. There's something you can give me. Give me my life and the life of my people, for we are about to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated."

You should have seen Haman's face. Each one of those words was like a slap. Xerxes says, "What are you talking about Esther? Who dare do such a thing? Name the man!" "Haman." "Haman? Against the—oh, no." And that was too much for Xerxes. He had to go outside onto the patio to think it over.

When Xerxes went out, Haman fell apart. "Esther, I had no idea! I never ... I would have Esther, please. Esther, please!" She turned her face and walked away from him. He got up out of the chair, came over to where she was, got down on his knees, and began to beg, but she wouldn't pay any attention. He began to grab her to make her listen. She had to shove him away. Just then Xerxes came back in, took one look, and came up with the wrong idea. "Will you molest the queen in my own palace? Cover his face!" And that was it for Haman. When you cover the face, when you drop the death veil, it's all over.

I spoke up then. I don't usually, but it seemed safe. "Uh, Xerxes? Haman had fixed up that huge tree in his back yard to hang Mordecai on. Makes a high gallows." "Hang him on it!" And they did.

They also passed a new decree. You can't take back a former one in Persia but you can pass another one to balance it off. The new decree said that when December thirteen came, the Jews could use whatever means they wanted to defend themselves against anyone who came to do them harm. In fact, it even said they could band themselves together and take the initiative against any of their enemies, and the government would ask no questions. You should have seen the Jews dancing in the streets when that one came up!

Later that day I was at that window, thinking back to the amazing chain of events: Esther being picked queen out of all those girls, Mordecai being the Jewish representative saving the king's life, Xerxes having insomnia on just the right night. As I looked out the window and saw the Jews celebrating in the streets, looked over the palace wall into the distance and saw Haman dangling from the tree, and thought how all those coincidences had worked together, I thought to myself, Those Jews they sure are lucky!

Now to the God who never slumbers, never sleeps; to the God who knows your coming in and your going out; to the God who hovers around you to preserve you from harm and to give you the future he's planned for you; to our great and good God be glory and praise forever. Amen.

Donald R. Sunukjian is professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership/Homiletics. Prior to this he was associate professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary in Texas.

Donald R. Sunukjian

Preaching Today Tape # 36

www.PreachingTodaySermons.com

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Donald R. Sunukjian is professor of homiletics and chair of the Christian Ministry and Leadership Department at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California.