ESTHER 3...
Haman’s determines to destroy the Jews.
Verse 1 tells us. “After these things King Xerxes promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.”
Haman was an ungodly man, but God had a purpose in allowing him to be promoted. Haman was a descendant of Agag, who was the king of the Amalekites, the people who were Israel’s sworn enemy for generations (Exodus 17:14-16).
Verses 2-3 Mordecai’s refusal to bow before Haman or to pay him homage.
“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. Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?”
Verses 4-6 tells us that the wounded pride of Haman drives him to seek retribution against not only Mordecai and his people - the Jews.
“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 Xerxes; the people of Mordecai.”
Apparently, Haman did not first notice Mordecai’s resistance. It had to be pointed out to him by his aides. Haman was an extremely proud and insecure man; he could only consider himself a success if everyone else thought he was a success. Haman’s ANGER/INSECURITY led him to take out his wrath upon ALL the Jews in the kingdom.
Verse 7 tells us Haman determines the exact date he will strike out against the Jews.
“In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Xerxes, 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.”
“Pur” was the Persian word for the lot, something like dice, used to leave a decision to chance – or to the God who guides every chance.
Since this took place in the first month, the casting of the lot determined that the Jews would not be attacked and massacred for at least 11 months.
Verses 8-9 Haman tell Xerxes his plot & proposal.
“Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “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.”
Haman’s charge was the MOST dangerous possible; it was a half-truth. YES, the Jews were a certain people scattered and dispersed; and YES they had their own laws. But their own laws, to this point, did NOT prevent them from keeping the kings laws as LOYAL subjects.
Haman suggested organizing the mass murder of the Jewish people. Haman also neglected to tell king Xerxes how many of these certain people there were in his kingdom; Xerxes probably considered this a relatively small threat.
And paying ten thousand talents of silver, was the promise of a bribe. This money would NOT come from Haman’s own pocket; it would be obtained from the property of slaughtered Jews.
Verses 10-11 tells us Xerxes AGREES to the plan.
“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.”
Again, King Xerxes probably had NO idea what he agreed to; he probably believed that he merely agreed to the execution of a handful of dangerous revolutionaries in his kingdom.
Verses 12-15 tell us the decree IS published.
“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 Xerxes 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 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.”
This was an empire WIDE death sentence to ALL Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day. This was like other attacks against the Jewish people in history, except that it was announced well in advance.
So the king and Haman sat down to drink…Xerxes may NOT have understood what he had just done, but Haman KNEW what he was going to do. Remember this, ALL this came to pass because of the insecurity and wounded pride of ONE wicked man - Haman.