Ester 3

Ester 3

Vernon McGee writes that... It is not likely that either Hitler or Haman—or contemporary anti-Semites—are cognizant of or pay much attention to Isaiah 54:17. But anyone who is tinctured with anti-Semitism ought to read this: No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD. Ray Stedman relates the preceding passages to our daily lives reminding us that... there's such a principle of evil at work in every human heart. In the kingdom over which you reign, there is a "Haman" who is an "Agagite." Just as the solar system is a vastly expanded duplicate of what goes on in the atom, so, in effect, the history of the world is a vastly expanded duplicate of what goes on in an individual human life. In every life there is this satanic principle at work. It is called in the New Testament, "the flesh ." It lives for but one purpose, reflected here in the story of Esther -- in order to exalt itself. It never enjoys life more than when people are bowing and scraping in front of it. It is forever seeking status and position in the eyes of others. You know well this feeling, don't you? It appears to us as a trusted friend, just as Haman appeared to King Ahasuerus as one he could trust. And yet Haman's true purpose was to advance himself and to see that everyone bowed low before him. So we treat this strange invader in our lives as though he were a friend -- we promote him and advance him. Isn't it interesting that we are not ashamed of our pride? We boast of it, we trust it, we regard it as an essential to life. We think that this principle, which demands that we think of ourselves first, is the very essence of living -- if this were destroyed, we would lose all. Thus we may recognize the Haman in our lives. (Ed: None of can identify with that can we? Click to read his full explanation of The Struggle for Power in Esther 3) As an aside, assuming that Haman was indeed related to King Agag whom King Saul willfully choose not to kill, the book of Esther demonstrates the potential long term ramifications of failure to obey the will of God, a truth that should make all God's children tremble the next time we are tempted to disobey the clearly revealed will of God! Advanced him - Observe the ironic contrast with Mordecai's "reward" in Esther 2:21-23! Remember that in the original Masoretic (Hebrew) text there were no chapter division and this juxtaposition would server to highlight and heighten the contrasting fates of these two men. But wait! We have not heard "the rest of the story" a phrase Paul Harvey made famous (Listen to a favorite Paul Harvey Rest of the Story) Swindoll remarks... Now, wait a minute! What’s going on here? Mordecai’s the one who saved the king’s life. Right? Mordecai’s the one who told Esther, who then told the king. Mordecai’s the one who uncovered the plot and saved the king’s life. So why is Haman getting the promotion? I forgot to tell you: Life’s not only painful; it’s also unfair. Perhaps you are thinking right now that you will be promoted because you have worked the hardest, you have come up with the big ideas, you are the one who’s done the most for your boss; therefore, it’s only right that you be given that special position you’ve been anticipating. Well, be prepared. It probably won’t happen. I’m not trying to be pessimistic, just realistic. Wrong happens! Because life isn’t fair. Why? Because of evil. When righteousness rules, justice reigns; but when evil lurks in a heart, injustice follows. And that’s exactly what happens when Haman, of all people, is advanced, given authority, and promoted. (Esther A Woman of Strength and Dignity) His authority - Literally "his chair" or "his throne". Over all the princes - In Esther 1:14 we see a fact about the princes that clearly becomes important in Haman's subsequent interactions with King Xerxes. If Haman was over all the seven princes of Persia who are listed in Esther 1:14, he undoubtedly had unfettered access to the king's presence and sat in the first of the first places in the kingdom! God providentially allowed Haman access to King Xerxes in order to be able to strategize his plot to annihilate the entire Jewish race. Jobes writes that... Haman has risen to his position of power, but both Esther and Mordecai are also now in position to be agents of the later deliverance of their people. But of course, they cannot see what is ahead. Both Esther and Mordecai have come to this place through the injustice and wickedness of others. Yet even so, they both had made decisions to live as they did in the Persian court. These unfolding events begin to show the inscrutable interplay between circumstances thrust upon us, sometimes unjustly, and those the result of our own behavior, often flawed. God’s providence marvelously moves through both in his own good time. (The NIV Application Commentary) Barry David summarizes the Esther 2 compared to Esther 3... Life for the Jews in exile could not have been much better. One of their own was queen (although most would not have been aware of that fact, cf. 2:10, 20) and one of their own had just rescued the king and was certain to be rewarded for that heroic act. Humanly speaking, they were as secure as any exiled people possibly could be. All of that, however, would quickly change. The Jewish stock on the Susa Board of Exchange, which in chapter 2 reaches all-time highs, plummets in chapter 3 to all-time lows. Chapter 3 begins innocuously enough—a promotion of one individual and a seemingly insignificant act of defiance on the part of another. The chapter ends, however, with the shocking revelation of an entire nation of people being placed under a sentence of death. The Jews are made to pay for a crime committed by one of their own. Ironically, the same individual who in chapter 2 is instrumental in bringing about the meteoric rise in the Jewish stock now becomes the reason for its dramatic drop. (Ruth & Esther: God behind the Seen) Esther 3:2 All the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage.: But Mordecai - "But" is a term on contrast which marks a change of direction and always begs the question, what is being contrasted? What is the change of direction? In this case, the change marks a contrasting attitude of Mordecai which led to the subsequent events that placed the entire Jewish race in peril! Vashti refused to obey the king's command and it cost her her role as queen. Mordecai would have been aware of this and apparently was willing to count the cost. This helps us understand the degree of Mordecai's resolve to not bow to Haman. NET Note... The reason for Mordecai’s refusal to bow before Haman is not clearly stated here. Certainly the Jews did not refuse to bow as a matter of principle, as though such an action somehow violated the second command of the Decalogue. Many biblical texts bear witness to their practice of falling prostrate before people of power and influence (e.g., 1 Sam 24:8; 2 Sam 14:4; 1Ki 1:16). Esther 3:3 Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you transgressing the king's command?": Why are you transgressing the king's command - A fact which is true, which is interesting in light of Paul's words in Romans 13:1-7. Esther 3:4 Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.: For - Term of explanation. In this case it explains why the king's servants went to ask Haman if Mordecai's Jewish lineage was a legitimate reason for not bowing to Haman as commanded by King Xerxes. Esther 3:5 When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage.: WHAT FILLS YOU... CONTROLS YOU! When he saw - This little detail suggest Haman had not really noticed that Mordecai had not bowed down. But once the king's servants ask if Mordecai had a valid reason for not bowing, that Haman took notice and became enraged. Haman was filled with rage - Haman's reaction was predictable. What fills a person ultimately will control them. So if one is filled with the Spirit, he is controlled by the Spirit (Eph 5:18-note, notice the first thing Spirit filling "controls" - Eph 5:19-note = our tongue!!!). Attitude begets action. As explained in Esther 3:6, Haman's attitude led to his seeking a way to destroy all of the Jews, not just Mordecai. The phrase "filled with rage" occurs only 4 times in all the Bible (Esther 3:5, Lk 4:28, Lk 6:11, Acts 19:28). The use in Luke 4 is instructive... And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things (Jesus' words of compassion for a Gentile = Lk 4:24-27, note how quick they turned = Lk 4:22) 29 and they (the Jews) rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff (Ed: Their rage drove them to desire to kill Jesus!). 30 But passing through their midst, He went His way. (Ed: Note that God protected Him, for it was not His time to die.) (Lk 4:28-29) Comment: Haman's hatred of Mordecai and the Jews somewhat ironically parallels the hatred of the Jews for their Messiah. Note the simple but clear dynamic -- The emotion or thought (rage) leads to action or reaction (kill). Lesson: Be careful what you say and do when you sense you are under the control of your emotions, especially emotions such as rage and anger! What comes out may not be able to be restrained and may not be "pretty" as they say! Lord, teach us to submit to the filling/control of the Holy Spirit so that we in turn might be enabled/empowered to walk by the Spirit and thereby not fulfill the strong desires of the flesh (such as self-vindication and responding with harsh words, etc), all now possible because of the One Who indwells us by His Spirit, Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen. Esther 3:6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.: HAMAN'S ANTI-SEMITISM STIMULATES DESIRE FOR JEWISH EXTERMINATION NET Bible... But the thought of striking out against Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed of the identity of Mordecai’s people. Holman Christian Standard Bible... And when he learned of Mordecai's ethnic identity, Haman decided not to do away with Mordecai alone. He set out to destroy all of Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout Ahasuerus' kingdom. God's Word Translation... Because the king's advisers had informed him about Mordecai's nationality, he thought it beneath himself to kill only Mordecai. So Haman planned to wipe out Mordecai's people-all the Jews in the entire kingdom of Xerxes. NIV... Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes. New Jerusalem Bible... And, on being told what race Mordecai belonged to, he thought it beneath him merely to get rid of Mordecai, but made up his mind to wipe out all the members of Mordecai's race, the Jews, living in Ahasuerus' entire empire. New Living Translation... He had learned of Mordecai's nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. International Children's Bible He had been told who the people of Mordecai were. And he thought of himself as too important to try to kill only Mordecai. So he looked for a way to destroy all of Mordecai's people, the Jews, in all of Xerxes' kingdom. Disdained (0959)(bazah) is a primary root word which means basically to accord little worth to something and so to despise, to disrespect, to disdain or to hold in contempt. Our English word disdain implies an arrogant or supercilious aversion to what is regarded as unworthy and as that which is looked on with scorn. The idea of disdain is to treat as beneath one’s dignity and in the present context undoubtedly includes Haman's feelings of contempt and scorn, especially the idea of contempt for what is beneath one. This word is used in the Book of Daniel to describe the evil "anti-Christ-like" Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes who was depicted as a despicable (bazah) person who scorned God Himself (Da 11:21). To lay hands on - Literally "to send a hand against."