Our attention now turns to the king. It just so happens that he can't sleep that night. Even after such a happy meal with so much wine! Maybe he's lying awake wondering what his queen will request from him.

Well, what do you do when you can't sleep? I hope you don't play games on your iPad or fiddle with your smartphone, because all the digital excitement will interfere with your sleep patterns. You should read something boring, of course! When people ask if they can read my PhD thesis, I say, ″Sure, if you have trouble sleeping!″ And when my wife couldn't sleep in the past, she used to pull out the tax guide!

The king orders that the historical chronicles of his reign be brought and read to him (Esther 6:1). Maybe he hopes the boring recitation will help him sleep. The king's readers just so happen to choose a particular volume. This volume just so happens to fall open at the page that describes how Mordecai saved the king's life (as we read in Esther 2:21-23).

″What honour and recognition has Mordecai received for this?″ asks the king (Esther 6:3). ″Nothing,″ reply the king's attendants (v. 3).

The king realises that not honouring Mordecai is a serious oversight that he needs to correct. At that moment, it just so happens that Haman steps into the king's court. He can't wait to get Mordecai hanged, so he arrives to work very early. The king asks Haman, ″What should be done for the man the king delights to honour?″ (Esther 6:6).

It just so happens that the king can't sleep that night. And then it just so happens that he finds out how Mordecai hasn't been rewarded right before Haman can ask about having him hanged. Coincidence?

One way that God's actions are presented in the book of Esther is through these ″chance happenings″. From our viewpoint, we are surprised that things can just fall into place so easily. But don't be fooled: there are too many ″coincidences″ in the book of Esther for it to be just luck or chance. Again, it is the hidden hand of God working behind the scenes.