Lechem Panim #102 "The Revenge of Haman" (Esther 3:3-15) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today.

A Worldview of Providence vs. Blind Chance— This past week I was helping my son with his schoolwork (which is all online for the moment due to the current state of things); and he was learning about fossils and dinosaurs. And because he goes to a Christian school, he is learning those things from a Biblical perspective, which I am very thankful for. But I remember one night last week sitting with him in bed reading from his Bible the Genesis account of creation. And I told him that some people do not believe that God created everything; some people believe that at one time nothing existed except a tiny little speck, which they believe exploded and everything somehow came together from that explosion. And of course I was talking about the big bang. And I remember he simply couldn’t believe that by chance everything in the world that seemed so rich with design could come together randomly by chance. And I directed him across the room to his box of Legos and said it is like believing that your Lego box could explode and somehow form a house. And he immediately saw that as being complete nonsense. There would have to be intelligence behind any creation like that. If there is a design, there has to be a designer. And I think agreed with me when I pointed out how much more sense it made that God created the world. But though we as Christians know that, sometimes we forget that the God who created the world is also the God who sustains the world. And (to get specific), let’s consider the major world events like the ones we are facing today). Some people (even some Christians I know) seem imprisoned by fear. But what we as Christians have to remember is that we believe in a Divine Creator; a being who is orchestrating all things together for the good of those who love Him. Nothing is outside of His control; and while things may seem chaotic, we know that God has a purpose and plan that is being worked out. And this is what we see so clearly here in the book of Esther. The name of God is not mentioned anywhere in the book, but the author still points to Him as the main character; as the Great Orchestrator, defending and shielding His people as He slowly but steadily moves everything towards the fulfillment of His purposes. And we will see this theme play out more and more as we progress through the book. God is the great Defender of His people.

Haman the Agagite— Now last week (as we began Esther chapter 3) we saw a man come to power who comes from the Amalekite people generally (the ancient enemies of the Jews whom God had cursed for coming against and attacking His people when they first left Egypt) and from the line of King Agag specifically, the Amalekite king whom Saul had failed to put to death as God had instructed him to. And so this man who comes on the scene here carries a centuries-old grudge against the Jewish people. And of course his name is Haman. Haman is honored by the king and all are ordered to bow down and pay him homage. However, there is one man who refuses. And this was Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai (an official who sits at the kings gate, most likely in the role of a judge). He refuses to bow to Haman. And this is a very public refusal. Verses 3-5 say…

Esther 3:3-5 (ESV)— 3 Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king's command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury.

The “Wrath” of Haman— So we see that when Haman is told about Mordecai’s refusal and when he sees it himself, he is absolutely livid. In fact, [Haman’s name sounds something like the Hebrew word for wrath (Heb., hemah), an apt description of his temperament and role in this story.] 

Mordecai Open About His Jewish Identity— Now one of the fascinating things in this passage about Mordecai is that it says [he had told them that he was a Jew. Mordecai did the very thing he had told Esther not to do in her situation (Est. 2:10, 20).] He tells the king’s servants he’s a Jew. And no doubt Haman wasted little time finding out what family he came from, his history; and when he found out, that made Haman hate him all the more, so much so that the scripture says…

Esther 3:6 (ESV)— 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

An Excuse to Destroy the Jews— Now Haman’s pride is hurt. And he has been hating the Jews all along. And so he determines to exterminate them throughout all the kingdom (which by the way included Jerusalem; those who had returned from exile). And so it says in…

Esther 3:7 (ESV)— 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus {(And the twelfth year reveals to us that [Haman has been biding his time for five years.)]}, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) (Pur is the persian word for “lot”; [A lot would be like modern dice which were cast to determine future decisions (cf. the Hebrew lot, 1 Chr. 26:14; Neh. 10:34; Jonah 1:7).] It was [A traditional way of seeking divine guidance (Josh. 18:6; Prov. 16:33) or, as here, finding the most opportune time to do something.] And so these lots were being cast, it says…) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

Biding Time; Passover Connection— Nisan was [The first month of the Jewish religious calendar, which began in spring with the Passover (Ex. 12:1–2). While the Jews prepared to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt, Haman plotted their destruction.] And until the twelfth month (the month of Adar) Haman has been casting lots against God’s people. Now Haman may have cast the lots, but neither he nor chance were in control. God was in control. It says in…

Proverbs 16:33 (ESV)— 33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. [God providentially controlled the outcome of the lot.] It says in…

Esther 3:8-13 (ESV)— 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them. (Notice how he is making it seem like this is in the king’s best interest.) 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay (by which he means collect)10,000 talents of silver [that’s a huge sum, by the way; about 12 million ounces; over 300 tons of silver] into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries.”  [Haman…appeals to the king’s need to replenish the treasury depleted by Xerxes’ disastrous war with Greece.]

10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand ([A ring used to seal official documents (Jer. 22:24).]) and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews (which of course made it so that [Haman is empowered to act with royal authority.]). 

11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.” (So [Ahasuerus authorizes Haman to use as much of the 10,000 talents of silver as he needs to implement his plan.])

12 Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month ([Presumably of the following (13th) year of Ahasuerus’s reign (see v. 7).]), and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. 

13 Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14 A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

God Preserves The Righteous— Now one of the things you are going to see in the next few chapters is an unraveling of Haman’s plans. Everything just kind of goes haywire. And out of this story rises the theme of God’s victory over the enemies of God’s people and the lifting up of the righteous. Those who are righteous; those who walk with God may be hated by the world; yet we see that God defends those who walk in faithfulness with Him. It says in…

Job 5:12 (ESV)— 12 He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success.

God’s Deliverance of His Righteous Ones— And this is really one of the central themes in this book. God thwarts the plans of the wicked and helps the cause of the righteous. He blesses the humble and humbles the proud. He honors those who place Him first and remain obedient to Him. And we can take courage in the fact that, even though we are going through persecution, God will deliver us by His sovereign hand. When we walk with Christ, we will often find that people will take offense at us; because our lives (the Light we live in) exposes their darkness. If everything is dark, nobody seems to care. But when you have somebody stand for something, it shames those who are bowing to everything.

Mordecai and Obedience— But in Mordecai we are reminded that we (as followers of Christ) cannot pay homage to anything that God has cursed. We cannot leave anything alive in our hearts that God has called us to destroy. We have to commit to walk with Christ in obedience because obedience in our hearts and lives to His will is the very fruit of salvation. And if we see anything from this story, we see that God never overlooks disobedience. He didn’t overlook Saul’s; Saul was punished. He didn’t overlook Israel’s (His own people’s sin); even they were punished, having been sent into exile. And God won’t overlook your sin and mine. Saul tried to separate his love for God from his obedience to God. But that is something we cannot do. Jesus Himself said in…

John 14:15 (ESV)— 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

1 John 5:3-4 (ESV)— 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

May we overcome the world the world through our faith this week. And may we discover the freedom that comes through living lives of obedience to God. Amen.