Esther 3
Today's Passage: Esther 3
Throughout the book of Esther, we are invited to look for God’s activity in the story. God is never directly mentioned, but we know that He is actively orchestrating every story for His glory.
In this story, following the execution of the men who plotted against the king, we see Haman promoted. Haman was not Persian, but a descendant of Agag. This is an interesting fact when we look at the history of the Jewish people. When we go back to 1 Samuel 15, we see that Agag was the king of the Amalekites that Saul was meant to utterly destroy. However, Saul chose to disobey the Lord, to spare Agag, and to keep what was good for himself.
Saul’s disobedience led to God rejecting him as king, and now hundreds of years later we see another consequence for Saul’s disobedience playing out.
This history between the Jews and the Amalekites may have contributed to why Mordecai would not bow down to Haman, but regardless of Mordecai’s reasoning, Haman was enraged.
Once Haman realized that Mordecai was a Jew, he determined that not only would Mordecai be punished, Haman desired for all Jews to be destroyed.
Haman easily convinced the king to sign off on the massacre that was to come by painting the Jews as a dispersed people who countered the king's laws.
Once the king's signet ring sealed the decree, it was sent out to all of the people in their own languages so all could see what was to come. The king and Haman drank in celebration, and the city panicked.
How can God be seen in the declaration of destruction that we read today?
In the midst of the plotting against the Jews, in the first month, Haman cast lots. The Pur determined that in the 12th month the Jews would be destroyed. The casting of lots seems to leave this decision up to chance, but we know that the Creator leaves nothing to chance.
This time was chosen so that God could display His saving power to His people and so that the ones outside of His people could see the deliverance of the Jews and be pointed to their Deliverer.
Written By: Paulette Carwile
Throughout the book of Esther, we are invited to look for God’s activity in the story. God is never directly mentioned, but we know that He is actively orchestrating every story for His glory.
In this story, following the execution of the men who plotted against the king, we see Haman promoted. Haman was not Persian, but a descendant of Agag. This is an interesting fact when we look at the history of the Jewish people. When we go back to 1 Samuel 15, we see that Agag was the king of the Amalekites that Saul was meant to utterly destroy. However, Saul chose to disobey the Lord, to spare Agag, and to keep what was good for himself.
Saul’s disobedience led to God rejecting him as king, and now hundreds of years later we see another consequence for Saul’s disobedience playing out.
This history between the Jews and the Amalekites may have contributed to why Mordecai would not bow down to Haman, but regardless of Mordecai’s reasoning, Haman was enraged.
Once Haman realized that Mordecai was a Jew, he determined that not only would Mordecai be punished, Haman desired for all Jews to be destroyed.
Haman easily convinced the king to sign off on the massacre that was to come by painting the Jews as a dispersed people who countered the king's laws.
Once the king's signet ring sealed the decree, it was sent out to all of the people in their own languages so all could see what was to come. The king and Haman drank in celebration, and the city panicked.
How can God be seen in the declaration of destruction that we read today?
In the midst of the plotting against the Jews, in the first month, Haman cast lots. The Pur determined that in the 12th month the Jews would be destroyed. The casting of lots seems to leave this decision up to chance, but we know that the Creator leaves nothing to chance.
This time was chosen so that God could display His saving power to His people and so that the ones outside of His people could see the deliverance of the Jews and be pointed to their Deliverer.
Written By: Paulette Carwile
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