We come this evening to consider another night scene of Scripture. The night scene that we want to consider tonight is spoken of there in verse 1 of Esther chapter 6. On that night could not the king sleep, the king Ahasuerus. And he commanded to bring the book of the records of the Chronicles. They were read before the king. Yesterday, and again this morning, in every Jewish synagogue, the book of Esther was read just after the evening service. And it was read amidst the sound of clapping, cheering, stamping of feet. For yesterday marked the beginning of the Feast of Purim, and it is the happiest holiday in the Hebrew calendar. Through the reading of the Book of Esther, the listeners relive the miraculous events of Purim. The word Purim is the Hebrew word for lots, for casting lots. In remembrance of the Pur or the lot cast by the wicked Haman to determine the month and the day in which the Jewish people were to be killed throughout the mighty Persian empire. Turn please to Esther chapter 9. Esther chapter 9 and verse 22. Esther 9 verse 22. that the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day, that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another and gifts to the poor. And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them. Because Haman, the son of Hamidasah, the Agite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast fur. That is the law. to consume them and to destroy them. And when Esther came before the king he commanded by letters that his wicked device which he devised against the Jew should return on to his own head and that he and his son should be hanged on the gallows. Wherefore they called these deaths Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore, for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writings, and according to their appointed time every year, and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their feet. So there we have the founding of the feast of Turin. And it was to commemorate or remember the day that Haman had chosen by lot. He would come before the false gods of Persia and seek their guidance as to what day he would set for the wholesale slaughter of the Jews that were found in the great kingdom of Persia. But isn't it amazing that the day that Haman had set as the day of slaughter and the day of killing and the day of genocide the Jews turned that day into a day of feasting and a day of rejoicing. Rejoicing over the defeat of Haman. And whenever the book of Esther is read and the Jewish synagogue to this very day, I heard it announced on the radio this past week. I just heard it announced this past week. And I was thinking about this night scene. This was the very night scene I was thinking about. And lo and behold, I heard it announced on the radio. And I thought, well, is this not the providence of God? And I read up on the feast of Purim. And whenever the book of Esther is read in the Jewish synagogues, and as I say, to this very day it was announced that it would be read yesterday and this morning again in the synagogues. When it is read, as I said, it is read amidst clapping and cheering and stamping of feet. And some Jews will even write the name Haman on the soles of their feet, so that when it is stamped They're standing on the name of Haman, and they're clapping because Haman was defeated. And they're rejoicing, and they don't want to forget that day. We live in a day in which we're told, oh, we ought to forget the past. Not so. The Jews do not forget their past, and neither should we. We should not forget our past or our heritage. And here we have the Feast of Turin. And that's what the Jews do this very day. They give gifts to the poor. And it's a time of feasting and it's a time of rejoicing. Now, Haman's number one enemy was Mordecai. Mordecai, of course, was a Jew. Mordecai the Hebrew, he was cousin to Queen Esther, the wife of Ahasuerus. And Haman hated him. We've read about his hatred for Haman. Or his hatred for Mordecai. Haman's hatred for Mordecai. And he hated Mordecai, because Mordecai refused to bow the knee before Haman. Haman wanted everyone to bow the knee before him. And as far as Mordecai was concerned, he would bow the knee before no one but God. And Haman hated Mordecai for that very thing. He hated him because he refused to bow before him. He hated him so much that he was prepared to kill him. After he received an invitation to a banquet that Esther was preparing for the king and for Haman, Haman was so pleased because very few people were ever invited to a banquet that was given for the king, but Haman was invited. And on his way home he passed by Mordecai. And Mordecai refused to bow before Haman. And Haman went home and he gathered his friends into his house and he spoke with them and he spoke with his wife and told them, I'll never be happy until this Mordecai is dealt with. And they suggested, well, why don't you build gallows and hang this man? Just remove them all together. And we are told that the thing pleased Haman. In chapter 5 and verse 14. And the thing pleased Haman. And he caused the gallows to be made. The gallows were to be made that night. The next day. Mordecai was to be put to death on these gallows the very next day. And so the workers were involved in building the gallows that night in preparation for the hanging of Mordecai the next day. But on that night, the king could not sleep. We know that the book of Esther is all about the providence of God. And as we mentioned a few minutes ago, I was singing a preaching on this very text and didn't realize that the book of Esther is read in every Jewish synagogue. And I thought, well, isn't that wonderful? Here's a book all about the providence of God and the providence of God. We were led to preach on this text this very weekend, in which the Jews celebrate the Feast of Purim. Mordecai was to be hanged the next day. But that night, God intervened providentially And Mordecai's life was saved and subsequently Haman's wicked plan for the extermination of the Jews was also discovered. All in the providence of God. This is a wonderful book. I said providentially. This plan was discovered because that is what the book of Esther is about. It's all about the providence of God. This we can see from our text. On that night could not the king sleep. And he commanded to bring the book of the records of the chronicles. And they were read before the king. this evening to speak upon the king who suffered from insomnia. He couldn't sleep. The king with insomnia. For on that night could not the king sleep. I want us to consider first of all the king and his night of disquiet. It was a night of disquiet for King Ahasuerus, for no matter how he tried, he could not sleep. He who reigned, we're told in chapter 1 verse 1, he who reigned from India, even on to Ethiopia, over 107 and 20 provinces, He commanded all these provinces and yet he couldn't command sleep. Something as simple as sleep. He had no command over it. It was taken from him. He could not bring sleep to his eyes that night. The kings and sun, it came upon him the night that gallows were being built to hang Mordecai there on. I want us to consider then with regard to this night of disquiet for the king. I want us to consider Haman's plan. With the encouragement of Zeresh his wife and all his friends Haman planned to hang Mordecai on the gallows he was having set up in his own house. Chapter 7 verse 9 tells us that. that Haman had the gallows built in his own house. There would not only be murder in his heart, but there would have been murder in his own house if he hadn't been able to go through with his plan. And that was Haman's plan. A plan he thought would remove Mordecai and eventually all the Jews from the empire. But while Mordecai knew nothing of the plan to kill him, God was well aware of it. And providentially it was brought to light. It was brought to light the night that Mordecai or Ahasuerus could not sleep. But God had a plan, a plan that would expose him for what he was. And he would do it by taking sleep from the eyes of the king. The Lord had his own way of uncovering the plans of this wicked individual. And he did it providentially. We have a number of examples in Scripture where the Lord brought to light the wicked devices of men They brought them to light providentially. You turn with me to 1 Samuel. 1 Samuel chapter 15. 1 Samuel 15. Notice the providence of God here. 1 Samuel 15. Saul is king. Saul has been told he is to slay all the Amalekites, every one of them, including all the animals owned by the Amalekites. He was left to carry out God's will and God's command. He didn't do it. He spared the best of the sheep. And Samuel confronted him. And we read in 1 Samuel 15 and verse 13, And Samuel came to Saul. And Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord. Saul is trying to deceive Samuel. Saul is trying, attempting to cover up his sin. Because he had sinned against God, for God had told him to exterminate all the Amalekites, including their herds. And Samuel comes to him, and Saul says to him, Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have performed the commandment of the Lord. But Saul's sin was found out providential. And Samuel said, What meaneth then the bleating of the sheep in thine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? Samuel came and confronted Saul, and Saul said, Samuel, it's all right. I have performed my duty. I have fulfilled the commandment of the Lord. I have taken care of business as it were. Samuel is listening and in the distance he can hear the bleating of sheep and the lowing of the oxen. Providentially the sheep were bleating just at that time and the oxen were lowing just at that time. when Samuel met with Saul and confronted him about the business. His sin was found out providentially. Isn't it amazing how God works? Paul's life was saved by an act of providence. Turn please to Acts 23. 23rd chapter of the book of Acts. And there in Acts 23 in verse 15. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down, that is Paul, unto you tomorrow as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him. And we, or ever he come down, are ready to kill him. So there was a plot being hatched against Paul to kill him. And they were saying, you bring him down to a certain place. By the way, you're just wanting to know more about him. And we'll lie and wait. And when he comes by us, we'll kill him. Providentially, we read that Paul's sister's son was in the facility or in the area. We heard this plot being hatched. And we read in verse 16, And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul. And their plot was brought to light providentially. Paul's sister's son could have been a hundred and one other places that night. But he wasn't. God in his providence had Paul's sister's son in that very place where he could hear the people, the individuals, hatching this plot to kill Paul. God's providence is a wonderful thing. And in the providence of God, Ahasuerus, could not sleep that particular night, the very night that the gallows were being built to hang Mordecai on. Because it was that night, as we will see in a moment or two, that Ahasuerus found out something about Mordecai that he didn't know. And as a result of that, Mordecai's life was But it was in the providence of God that Ahasuerus didn't sleep that night. He probably slept soundly the night before. And he probably slept soundly the night after. But he didn't sleep that night. In the providence of God. And in the providence of God, Haman's sin was found out. If Saul's sin was found out, and those that plotted Paul's death, their sin was found out, Numbers 32 and verse 23, be sure your sin will find you out. And after the plan, we have the problem. The Lord had given King Ahasuerus a problem that he couldn't solve. On that night could not the king sleep. He was not the only king who wasn't able to sleep on a certain night. Read about the king of Babylon in Daniel 6 In verse 18, Daniel has been cast into the den of lions. And we read in verse 18 of Daniel 6, Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting. Neither were instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep went from him. So there's the king of Babylon. Now the king of Persia, we have king Ahasuerus who couldn't sleep. Now we know why the king of Babylon couldn't sleep. He was concerned about Daniel. That's why he couldn't sleep. But we're not told why Ahasuerus couldn't sleep. We're just simply informed That night the king could not sleep. That's all we're told. On that night could not the king sleep. Which means the king's sleep fled away. That's what the words mean. The king's sleep fled away. And we could ask ourselves, who chaste to sleep away? The Lord. No other reason is given. The Lord. took the sleep from his eyes. We read in Psalm 127 and verse 2 that the Lord give us his beloved sleep. But the same Lord is able to take sleep from the eyes of the wicked. And this King was not beyond the reach of the God of heaven. As we read in Proverbs 21 and verse 1, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water he turneth it whethersoever he will. So the Lord is able to deal with kings in any way that he pleases. They may be shut up in their palaces, they may be shut up in their defense cities, but they're not beyond the reach of God. And Ahasuerus was not beyond the reach of God, neither was Haman. And on that night, the very night that Mordecai's death had been planned, and the gallows were being built for him, on that night could not the king sleep. God had chased away his sleep. It kept him awake that night for a reason, that Mordecai's life might decease. Providence of God is a wonderful thing. That was the problem. And then you have the period. Notice how the verse begins. On that night. The Holy Spirit, the author of this book, is drawing our attention to the night, the particular night. On that night. It doesn't just say one night the king could not sleep, it says on that night. It was the night after the banquet that Esther had for the king and Haman. It was the night before the second banquet which Esther was preparing for the two The same two individuals, Haman and the king. It was the night the gallows were being erected to hang Mordecai on in the morning. The next morning. The morning after that night that the king couldn't sleep. Therefore it was a very important night for the king to have insomnia. Providentially. It could not have come on a better night. Providentially. Couldn't have happened on a better night. So the king sleeped to flee from him. If Mordecai was to be delivered, then something had to be done and done very quickly. You think of it, something had to be done that night because Mordecai was due to die the next morning. And the human being, the kind of individual he was, would have seen to it early on in the morning. And I believe that. Because when the king arose in the morning, he wanted to know who was in the outer and who was there. He was already there waiting to see the King. And so Haman was ready to hang Mordecai's soul. Mordecai's life was to be saved. Something had to be done that night. And we read then, on that night could not the King sleep. Now while time seemed to be running out for Mordecai, yet time never runs out for God. It may often be the eleventh hour when the Lord steps in and saves His servants, but it will never be too late for God. Praise the Lord, it will never be too late. God will never be too late. God will never come upon the scene too late. God will never be behind the times. We know God is always on time. His timing is always perfect. And on the face of it you would say, Mordecai's time is running out. Not in the mind of God. Because on that night could not the king sleep. You turn please to Acts once again, Acts 12. Here we have the providence of God at work. Here we have the Lord working in his own time when in the eyes of men and women he may appear to be too late. Acts chapter 12, we know the story well. Herod has killed James, the brother of John. with his sword and because he saw it pleased the Jews he proceeded further to take Peter Peter's in prison verse 5 prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him now look at verse 6 and when Herod would have brought him forth mark the words of the Lord came upon him and the light shined in the prison and he smote Peter on the side Raised him up saying arise up quickly and his chains fell off from him. When did it happen? It happened the very night that King Herod was going to get Peter. For that's what it says there in verse 6 and when Herod would have brought him forth Herod had given orders to go and get Peter. You nearly would have said, oh it's too late Peter, Herod's on his way. It wasn't too late for the Lord. Because even as Herod's officers were making their way to the prison, the Lord was there first. He sent his angel, had to awaken Peter and get him up. The chains fell off and the doors opened and Peter was delivered. The Lord's never too late. The Lord's never late. He most certainly wasn't late that night that he caused the king to lose sleep. You know, believer, often times that's how the Lord works. The Lord leaves things, as far as we are concerned, he leaves things to the eleventh hour. We think nearly too late for anything to be done. It's the eleventh hour, the Lord often comes, brings deliverance and answers prayer, as he did here with saving Mordecai. It was the very night the gallows were being built. In the morning, Lord Akai was to die. But that was the night the Lord intervened. He intervened, as it were, at the eleventh hour. For on that night did not the king sleep. And so for the king it was the night of disquiet. For the king it was also a night of discovery. What do you do when you're not able to sleep? What did the king do when he wasn't able to sleep? Well we have here his request. On that night could not the king sleep and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles and they were read before the king. Now instead of calling for musicians to come and play a lullaby to him and get him to sleep that way, no. He asked for the government papers to be brought before him. And he wanted them read in his hearing. Government papers? I suppose he thought, well if anything's going to put me to sleep, it'll be the government papers. That'll put me to sleep alright. But not so. He had those papers read to him. We know what Nebuchadnezzar did the night he couldn't sleep. We're told he spent the night fasting. worrying about Daniel. We know how Paul and Silas spent the night. They couldn't sleep. They prayed and sang praises unto God. But God would have Ahasuerus, the night he couldn't sleep, request the government papers to be brought and to be read to him. Here we can see the Lord at work. First removing sleep from the eyes of the king and putting it in his mind and in his heart to have the book of records of the chronicles read to him. And in that book that was read to him he came across the name Mordecai. He is the providence of God again, believer. Why was that book chosen? Because I'm sure there were many books. Why was it that book, not some other book? It was all in the providence of God. It was the book that had Mordecai's name in the For it was while that book was being read, a discovery was made regarding Mordecai which led to his deliverance and then led to the deliverance of the Jews. After the request, we have the reading. We're told that when the book was brought to the king, the records of the chronicles were read before the king. Now it's interesting to note that the tense of the words here indicate to us that the readers of these chronicles read the whole night through. It wasn't just a little reading. It wasn't just reading a page or two as it were. They read the whole thing. They read right through, perhaps until the morning light. That's what the words mean, the long continuance of this reading. And it was not, as was said, just a moment or two of reading. You and I know that if we find we cannot sleep, we'll maybe reach over and get a book and put on the bedside light and start reading. 10 or 15 minutes, her eyes are heavy and she goes off to sleep. We don't get maybe too far into the book, but here this book was read the whole night. Still the hazardous didn't sleep. The hazardous did not sleep that night. But he listened to the reading of that book. And the providence of God at the start In the providence of God it was that night that Ahasuerus couldn't sleep. And then you have the record. The readers read until they came to the place where Mordecai's name was mentioned. We read in verse 2 there, and it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigfana and Teresh, two of the kings chamberlains, the keepers of the door who sought to lay hand on King Ahasuerus. Now this incident took place a long time before the night the king couldn't sleep. What was that incident? It was referred to in the King Ahasuerus read. Turn back to Esther chapter 2. Esther chapter 2. And in Esther chapter 2 verse 21 we read. In those days while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Big Sam and Teresh, of those which kept the door were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the thing was known to Mordecai. There's the providence of God again. Mordecai happened to be there and found out, discovered this plot to assassinate the king. See the providence of God. Mordecai was there. Could have been somewhere else. but he was there at the king's gate. He told it on to Esther the queen and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name. And when the inquisition was made of the matter it was found out. Therefore they were both hanged on a tree and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king. We see the providence of God here. And when these two individuals were plotting the assassination of King Ahasuerus, Mordecai discovered it. Mordecai then told Esther, Esther told the king. But there's another little detail we want to notice here. Look again at that verse 22. And the thing was known to Mordecai He told it on to Esther, the queen, and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name. Esther could have done without even mentioning Mordecai. But she told the king, this is what Mordecai told me. This is what Mordecai found out. and so it was then recorded in the chronicle Mordecai's name was written there in the book Had Esther not mentioned Mordecai's name Mordecai's name would not have appeared in the book that night that Ahasuerus couldn't sleep and he asked for the record of the chronicle and he would have had that book read to him and Mordecai's name wouldn't have been mentioned It was found out because Esther had told the king in Mordecai's name. Providence of God. People would look at that and say, my wasn't Mordecai lucky? Wasn't it just as well Esther mentioned Mordecai's name? Isn't he a lucky man? That's the way the world looks at it. But we see it through different eyes. We see here the workings of the Providence of God. So that when the book was read, Mordecai's name was there in the providence of God. This had nothing to do with luck, of course. God was already planning Mordecai's deliverance. Even way back in chapter 2, God was already planning for the future. Do you see that? Away in chapter 2, God was already planning Mordecai's deliverance. Because it was this incident that was recorded in the book that Ahasuerus read. Some people are of the mind that God simply reacts to situations and circumstances. That he just simply responds to a situation that may crop up. What solution is there? Do you know why people believe that? Do you know why people think that? Because they don't believe in a sovereign God. They don't believe in a God who knows the end from the beginning. Would you turn please to Isaiah 46? Here are verses that are worthy to be underlined in our Bible. Isaiah 46 and verse 9 Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done. My counsel shall stand, and I will do it, and I will do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country, yea, I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it. Isn't it great to have our faith and our trust in such a God and a sovereign Lord. He knows everything about us. He's an old plan ahead of time. Nothing takes our God by surprise. And the plot and the plan to kill Mordecai that had been hatched by Haman didn't take God by surprise. It was already preparing the way for Mordecai's deliverance. This is the God we believe in, dear child of God. One who is sovereign and is upon the throne. One who says, I am God, said it twice over, for I am God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like me. Then you have the reward. When King Ahasuerus made this discovery that Mordecai had saved the king's life, he asked the question, what honour and dignity has been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants, administered unto him, there is nothing done for him. Again the providence of God. This wasn't discovered until now. The king was then determined to rectify this injustice. Many saints of God perform a host of good works and good deeds. And up until now there is nothing done for them. But their good deeds do not go unnoticed. You may go unnoticed by others, but they do not go unnoticed by the Lord. For what the Father seeth and seeketh, he shall reward you openly. And when the day comes and when the time comes, the King of Kings will reward us. The King Ahasuerus could reward Mordecai for saving the King's life, but we will be rewarded by the King of Kings. And when we see him, he'll say, well done, my good and faithful. And as we read in Hebrews 6 and 10, for God is not unrighteous to forget your works. And labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. Finally, we have the King and the night of destiny. Unknown to him, and his fate was decided that night. the night that the king could not sleep. The Lord brought about the deliverance of Mordecai and the Jews and the downfall and the doom of Haman. See how Haman was humbled. You sort of have to smile when you read the sixth chapter. The Lord does have a sense of humour. Because when he wanted to put right this injustice, he asked his servants, who do we have out in the outer court? And lo and behold, Haman was there. There he is, calling in. So they bring Haman in. So Haman came in, verse 6, and the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, to whom would the king delight to honour more than to myself? The king wants to honour me. And so he really led it on. He told the king, this is what should be done. Haman answered for the man whom the king delighted to wander, let the royal apparel be brought. And he was thinking himself, oh I'm going to be dressed in royal apparel, I'm going to have a crown on my head, and I'm going to be led through the streets, and people are going to bow down before me. And the king said, let it be done to Mordecai. You just imagine how Haman felt. And better still, Mordecai, or Haman, had to lead Mordecai through the streets. Talk about poetic justice. Talk about rubbing the salt into the wound. Here it is. Haman was humble, first of all. Haman was then rendered helpless. This man of a great power had been promoted by the king. He was about to go in and see the king and request the life of Mordecai. No doubt it would have been granted to him. That request. Now we find Haman with all his power and his strength and his authority taken away. And Haman's told, Haman you're going to die. His wife told him that. And we read that he went in to Queen Esther and he fell upon her bed to plead for his life. And just at that moment, providence of God, that moment the king came in and saw him lying upon the bed of his wife. You talk about a king going mad? He should never have been there in his wife's bedchamber. And the king said, take this man out and hang him. He was humbled, he was rendered helpless, and then he was hanged on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai. We can rejoice, believer, that whatever the devil has plotted for us, We can say tonight and sing from the bottom of our hearts, God is still on the throne. And he will remember his own. Though trials may press us and burdens distress us, he never will leave us alone, for God is still on the throne. The night that the king couldn't sleep, was the night that God wrought deliverance for Mordecai and for the Jews. We believe tonight in a sovereign God. We rejoice in his providential dealings with us. Let us worship him as one who is God alone and beside whom there is none else. Most loving and gracious Father, we bless and praise thee for a sovereign God. Rejoice, our Father, that thou dost plan all things. Nothing takes thee by surprise. Lord, help us to rest in thy providence and in thy sovereignty. O loving Father, we thank thee for the book of Esther. this book that shows us so much of the movings of God, providential workings of the Lord. Make it a favourite book of ours. May we read it often. O Lord, we ask thee that we'll not only read the book, but Lord, have the book in our hearts. And write the word this evening on the fleshly tables of our hearts. May we, Lord, spend the rest of the Sabbath meditating upon thy word, upon the providence of God. Lord, be with each one. Bless those, Lord, that have a few more miles to travel than the rest of us. And Lord, return us on Wednesday night to seek thy face. Pray for thy blessing upon the work of God here. by the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Amen.