Esther 6:1-14

Read the blog post on Esther chapter six here

How do you deal with sleepless nights? What’s your routine when you can’t sleep? Have you ever had a “divine” moment when you felt God’s Spirit woke you up in the middle of the night to pray for someone or something? What was that experience like?

God doesn’t speak once in this entire book, but we can see His handiwork in the way the Jews will be spared from Haman’s hatred. Look at verse 1-2 again and consider how lengthy Xerxes’ book of chronicles would have been. How is God at work in these verses? 

Instead of lulling the king to sleep, readings of his achievements, [“records of his reign”] brought to light an oversight. What was the oversight?

One could make the case that “God spoke” as a result of Xerxes’ sleepless night. Have you ever had a late night rendezvous with God? Or a time when you knew God strategically timed something you read or heard?

What on the king’s mind caused him to summon someone for advice in verse 4? Why not just make the call himself?

Was there ever a time when you sought God in prayer for wisdom on how to make a major decision? What insights did you receive?

List out every suggestion Haman presented to the king (verses 6-9). How was he able to come up with a reward plan so quickly and elaborately and what does this tell you about what he was already thinking? (Haman's suggestion is tantamount to asking for the kingship for himself).

Have you ever mistaken someone else’s praise for your own? What was that experience like?

Read Proverbs 18:6-7, how do these verses suggest trouble was brewing for Haman?

Esther 6:11 is significant for what it doesn’t say as much as what it does say. What major things does the verse leave unsaid? What do you suppose their super-awkward conversation sounded like?

The latter part of verse 13 says, “His [Haman] advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!”  What does this tell you about Persian beliefs system concerning the Jews?

How does the tone of Haman’s wife and advisers in verse 13-14 differ from the tone in Esther 5:14? Do you sense any remorse in their tone?

The story ends with God’s sovereign hand pressing the fast-forward button on Haman’s life. Have you had seasons in your life when it seemed God expedited (pressed the fast- forward) button in your life so that things turned out for good rather quickly?