“On that night the king could not sleep…” (Esther 6:1 ESV)

When the evil Haman convinced the king of Persia to issue a decree to annihilate the Jews, Queen Esther asked her fellow Jews to fast and pray for three days. One night during this time of prayer and fasting, the king couldn’t sleep. He asked his servants to bring his book of chronicles and memorable deeds and read them to him. Perhaps he hoped to fall asleep to their bedtime reading. However, the section they read reminded him of how Esther’s relative Mordecai had helped save him from an assassination conspiracy. This led to him honoring Mordecai and eventually, hanging Haman. What a coincidence that the king’s insomnia led to reading the exact report concerning Mordecai. This little book of Esther, which is notable in that it never mentions God, is filled with such “coincidences.” While God’s people fasted and prayed, He worked behind the scenes to move the king’s hand.