Lessons From Esther – Lesson 4
One man refuses to bow to Haman and Haman wants to kill every person of the same race. That is where we stopped last time.
Est 3:4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
Est 3:5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
Est 3:6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone.
Scorn is Extreme contempt. Disdain which springs from a person’s opinion, and a consciousness or belief of his own superiority.
The thought of only going after Mordecai alone was extreme contempt to Haman. He disdained the thought of only going after Mordecai. Instead he sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom. That seems like an unreasonable and completely crazy unstable and no reason for this level of reaction to one man not bowing. Haman being an Agagite sheds light on this. Haman had the same racism and hatred that the Amalekites had handed down to him.
We had to take some time to show what being called an Agagite meant to shed light on Haman’s extreme reaction.
Est 3:7 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
It is always good to notice the passage of time. It is now the 1st month of the kings 12th year.
In his 3rd year he had a feast and deposed Vasti, In the 7th year and 10th month Esther became queen. So when we get to verse 7 about 3 years and 3 months have passed since Esther became queen.
This tells us that Esther had 3 years of experience in her position and in dealing with the king. She has no doubt learned a lot in those years. About her job as queen and what is expected of her, but also I have no doubt she learned a lot about the king. For example, how does he think, how does he react to things. What is the best way to go about talking to him.
Now a short time before this the king promoted Haman above all the princes. And the king commanded that all should bow to Haman. We know it was a short time because Mordecai would not bow and they talked to him daily about this. Haman eventually noticed. This could have only taken a few weeks, it might have stretched on for maybe a month to two.
For Haman to get promoted this far he would have had to be around a while. You don’t show up on day one and get that kind of promotion. It took time, maybe even years. Brown nosing, scheming, and working his way up the ranks. But Haman getting promoted and people commanded to bow to him is a recent thing.
In verse 7 …they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
Notice this is before Haman talks to the king. Him and his buddies most likely or others he knew that hated Jews. They cast lots to see which month they are going to destroy all the Jews. The month Adar is chosen (the 12th month). This is the Lord’s doing. They are doing this wickedness. They are casting lots to know when to kill Jews. And they are not casting lots counting on the true and only God to make His will known. They are either superstitious or they are casting lots to one of the false gods. The true God is not on their radar, but our Lord, He is controlling the timing. Time was needed for the different decrees to go out. Time was needed for prayer and fasting and preparation for their defense.
The Lord was not going to let this wicked decree be set to happen next month. Once again we see the hand of God using His almighty power in the circumstances of life.
and now Haman talks to the king.
Est 3:8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
Is Haman being guided or driven by reason?
Is Haman being guided by morality?
Is Haman being guided by the wisdom of God?
Haman is being driven by emotion. In this case hate.
Rom_15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
Haman is an example of a certain type of enemy. We see this type of thinking a lot today. We see it teachers unions, corporate boards, Politician’s, the LGBTQ crowd. In fact the entire Woke crowd. And we see it environmentalist activists. Even Valimir Putin.
What is it. What do all these people and organizations have in common with Haman.
They are all driven by feelings, emotion, and are angry to varying degrees.
And another thing they have in common is the way they operate. We can learn from this.
They all operate on this premise. The ends justifies the means.
The end they want is fueled by high emotion. They want it really bad. And they think that the end they want is what is best. It does not matter how evil it is. It does not matter how immoral, illogical, or even crazy it is.
All that matters to them is this is what I want and anything to get that is justified.
Notice several things about how Haman presented this to the king.
1 did not tell him who the people were. Haman withheld very important information. Haman did not give full details. Haman obscured many details about his plan. You see this often in White House press conferences.
He kept who this danger was a secret.
2 did not give him any details about what law is being broken.
Just these people are a danger. They are breaking the law. What law? Haman does not say. This is like our justice department declaring that parents are terrorists. They are a danger to our society and its laws. What law are they breaking for going to a school board meeting.
These people will work in darkness. They don’t want what they are really doing to see too much light of day.
Like Haman they will talk in generalities and paint their opponents in the worst light they can and without giving specifics.
Haman’s goal is immoral and his methods are also immoral. There is no rule, there is no method, no lie, no nothing is too bad, too much to do. Why? Because the end justifies the means. That is the way they think.
3 Exaggerated There was only one command that was being broken
Haman would not stand. That is the only law being broken. And that law only affected Haman. Haman turns that into these people are breaking your laws. Plural.
neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
This is more than stretching the truth. This is a far out lie. And he says it with a straight face.
We see this in the main stream media. They lied about Covid, they lied about Trump and Russia. They lied about the effectiveness of masks. Biden lies about conservatives wanting to take away social security.
People who believe the ends justifies the means; People who are driven this way by emotions and anger; Lying does not faze them at all.
4 did not tell the king that he was the one offended.
Haman did not share the real reason behind it all.
This was all presented in deception.
And then Haman puts the icing on his cake of deception.
Est 3:9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.
Bribery and payoffs are wrong. It happens all the time today. Haman tells the king I will pay ten thousand talents of silver and have it brought into the king’s treasuries.
Some who is willing to do wrong to get what they want, they expect others to also think that way. I don’t think there was any doubt in Haman’s mind that the king might get offended at the bribe. Those doing wrong expect others to do likewise.
They have already thrown morality out the window with the ends justifies the means. So now anything goes.
Est 3:10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
Est 3:11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
Est 3:12 Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.
Est 3:13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
Est 3:14 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
Est 3:15 The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.
After the dark deal is made. After Haman did all kinds of deceitful shady spin tactics and lies that were needed to get what he wants, he sits down to party. He is patting himself on the back and celebrating all of his deception and lies. Morality does not matter to these people the only thing that matters is getting what they want. It does not matter how wrong it is or how many people it hurts. The end is all that matters. And when they have success they congratulate themselves on their ingenuity and on their success.
From the banning of fossil fuels to exposing grade school kids to all kinds of sexuality and confusion. They all operate the same way that Haman did. The ends justify the means and anything goes.
I am glad that not everyone thinks that way. Did you catch the end of verse 15. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed. The people in the city were perplexed. I mean this makes no sense. Why would the king do this. There were many Jews in Shushan, they of course are perplexed, but it says the city was perplexed. Other people greatly outnumbered the Jews. So it perplexed a great number of people.
What they were seeing was crazy. It made no logical sense. Why cause such pain and misery.
Est 4:1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
Est 4:2 And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
Est 4:3 And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Mordecai knows the score. They have no power to fix this. Once a law in this country is made it is made.
The first thing that Mordecai does. He rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes. He goes into mourning. He understands this is not just talk. He knows he is dealing with an evil man with no morality and wicked methods. And has the powerful backing of the empire.
This is no time to get proud and arrogant. This is a time to realize your limitations. Renting your clothes and sackcloth was also used in those days to seek God’s help. To show forth your great need to not only man but also to God.
Ester finds out that Mordecai is openly in sackcloth, send his clothes but Mordecai will not change course. Too much is at stake.
Mordecai then gets word to Esther of what is going on and a copy of the decree.
Est 4:8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
Est 4:9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Est 4:10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;
Est 4:11 All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
Est 4:12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
Est 4:13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
Est 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Est 4:15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
Est 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
Est 4:17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
They are faced with an enemy that follows the ends justifies the means.
What do you do in that situation? We see the answer here. You need to do two things.
- They sought God. They prayed and fasted. Only one is mentioned but the two always go together. And you fast to show forth your need to God. The idea is of humbling yourself and it is a way of saying and showing that you need an answer from God and you need His help more than you even need food.
- The second thing is you must get up off your knees and also do what you can do. God needs to work, but He uses people and circumstances. He will work, but He will use your activity.
So don’t pray and that is it. And don’t work and that is it. The answer is to do both. So pray and vote. So pray and speak out against wrong.
So pray and send money to help the orphans or the school children in Papua New Guiana. Don’t just send money. Pray and send help.
America is a mess. So don’t only pray. And don’t only send out the Gospel.
We are do what Mortdecai and Esther and their people did. Pray and do. We need to both pray and send out the Gospel.