That night the king had trouble sleeping, so he ordered an attendant to bring the book of the history of his reign so it could be read to him. In those records he discovered an account of how Mordecai had exposed the plot of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the eunuchs who guarded the door to the king’s private quarters. They had plotted to assassinate King Xerxes. [Esther 6.1-2]
What's up with sleeplessness?
Well, for Esther and Mordecai, Xerxes' trouble sleeping brought deliverance. However, for Haman, Xerxes' sleeplessness brought revelation of Haman's evil plot and his subsequent destruction.
Who of Haman's company could have imagined that Xerxes' inability to sleep would wreck the plan?
Interestingly enough, Haman's wife and friends, whose idea it was to impale Haman on a seventy-five foot pole, suddenly changed their story once Xerxes' insomnia came into the picture:
When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, his wise advisers and his wife said, “Since Mordecai—this man who has humiliated you—is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him.” [Esther 6.13]
What do you suppose was keeping Xerxes awake? The answer is simple: the fasting and prayers of God's people.
There are two lessons to be taken away from Xerxes' night of not sleeping well: we should all be so attentive when sleep evades us, and, we should all understand the pivotal power of our fasting and prayer.
Father, help me to be mindful to practice the power of fasting and prayer.
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