Esther 3
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After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
Enter our antagonist, Haman.
Who are the Agagites?
Samuel also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”
He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
Agagites are the decedents of king Agag of the Amalekites.
Saul was told to destroy all the Amalekites, however he did not kill king Agag.
As you can imagine, the Agagites were not fond of the Israelites.
And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage.
Haman was a Big Man In Babylon! Everybody bowed to him.
Well, everyone except Mordecai.
We’re not told why Mordecai would not bow to Haman, but the fact that he won’t is a significant part of the story.
Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.
So the king’s servants talk to Mordecai.
Dude, don’t make waves. You’ll get in trouble.
We’re not told why Mordecai would not bow to Haman.
We may have some ideas, but Scripture doesn’t tell us why.
Mordecai tells them he is a Jew.
When Haman found out, he was NOT happy.
I wonder why Haman didn’t want to “lay hands” on just Mordecai?
Apparently, knowing that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman either didn’t want to go after just one,
or, he has seen an opportunity to destroy ALL the Jews.
In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
They cast lots to see when Haman will destroy the Jews.
Sounds like the plot of a bad action move.
Can we come up with a complicated way to kill someone so they have a chance to escape.
Actually what we see is God’s providence, allowing time for the His will to be done through Esther and Mordecai.
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”
Hey king, there are these people who are different.
Their laws are different and they don’t keep your laws.
Haman makes it sound like none of them obeys any of the king’s laws.
So we HAVE to get rid of them!
Not, lets find the law breakers, but lets use this rumor as an excuse to get rid of all of them.
Anti-Semitism is nothing new.
And Haman is going to use his beef with Mordecai, who he now knows is a Jew, to take his revenge on all of them.
And Haman is going to use his beef with Mordecai, who he now knows is a Jew, to take his revenge on all of them.
So what does Haman do?
There should be a law!
How dare there be anyone different in your kingdom.
Sure, Haman doesn’t bring proof any anyone breaking the king’s laws, but that doesn’t matter.
Just like today, where laws are passed to punish those who believe differently.
Sure, the Constitution says you are free to exercise your beliefs, but that doesn’t stop those who hate our faith.
At least we just face fines and jail time, not execution.
The king says, OK Haman, here’s my ring, you go write a law.
Does the church ask the government to push an agenda? Even a prejudiced one?
Do you know it was the churches that asked government to issue licenses in order to prevent certain people from getting married?
Now the government tells the church who they may or may no marry.
Using government to get your way is nothing new.
Do you know that some churches urged the federal government to force states to recognize same-sex “marriage” against all that Scripture says?
Even today people use government to infringe on the rights of the faithful, and not just Christians and Jews.
If you look, you’ll find that most of what government does stems from some group wanting to force others to do things the way they want.
Guess we’re not that different from Haman and Ahasuerus after all.
Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day.
The letters go out.
To all the governors and officials. To every province and in every language.
On one day, everyone is to kill and destroy all the Jews.
Men, women & children.
Then plunder all they have.
This was not just a suggestion, but the law of the land.
There are those who want us to be removed from society.
No, they aren’t planning on killing us.
Then again, I’m sure there were plenty in Germany who did want to deal with the Jews, but didn’t plan on killing them either.
And all of this to fulfill the revenge of one man.
How many today use government as a weapon against those they hate or to get revenge?
Look at the laws that are proposed with this in mind and you’ll see how we in this nation still use government as a weapon of revenge.
The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
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So the message went out.
One day to kill all the Jews.
Rather like Kristallnacht on steroids!
The king and his buddy Haman sat down for a drink.
Just a couple of guys chilling out after a days work.
The rest of the city was “perplexed”.
Why does the king want to destroy all the Jews?
What do we see here?
There will always be people who hate God’s people.
They may not go as far as Haman, at least not in this country, but then again they might.
There are nations around the world where being a believer in Christ is a crime.
Some of them it’s punishable by death!
The question we have to ask ourselves is, does God have a plan, even if we don’t see it at the moment?
Do we see God’s hand in everything, including the casting of lots?
Do we trust God even when there are people out to get us?
Does God have a plan, even if we don’t see it at the moment?
Will we do what is right, even if it may cost us?
So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”