Divine Appointments: An Evil Empire

Transcript

JROT 30
5/5/2024
Divine Appointments: Part Three “An Evil Empire”
Esther 2:19-3:15
Jesse Randolph

Well, it’s great to have so many of you back here with us this evening. As we resume our study of the book of Esther; it has been a couple of weeks since we’ve been in this book, in Esther. Just a few words of reminder in terms of what we’ve covered so far. The setting of the book of Esther is the Persian Empire. During the reign of a king named Ahasuerus. Who reigned from 486 B.C. until his death in 465 B.C. The book of Esther addresses this period during which the people of Israel were still in exile, and they had been taken into captivity decades earlier. Their captors had themselves been captured by the Persians so that the people of God were now in an earthly sense subject to the Persian empire. They were Persian subjects. During the reign of King Ahasuerus, it’s much easier to say Xerxes. Persia was the most powerful earthly kingdom on the planet and Xerxes, this ambitious ruler, sought more and more power and he sought to conquer more and more land and empires. As we’ve seen already, Xerxes was not only ambitious and he not only was powerful, but he was also easily influenced. He was what you would call a pushover.

He was also an angry man, with a really short temper and his anger was on display in the first sermon in this series which was called “Malice in the Palace.” Where we saw Xerxes demand that his wife, Queen Vashti, perform some form of seductive dance for the benefit of his drunken party guests and then she refused to do so and then it says in Esther 1:12, “that he became exceedingly furious.” In his anger, he sent Vashti away and not only that we saw that upon the counsel of his advisors Xerxes passed a law a decree demanding, in Esther 1:22, that “every man should be the ruler in his own house.” Apparently, this was some effort to prevent future Vashtis from disobeying the directives of their husband. I just mentioned, but we’ve already been introduced to Xerxes, to Queen Vashti. The woman, the wife, the queen. Who is known infamously as the one who disobeyed Xerxes’ order. Then last time, in a sermon titled “A Sordid Succession” we were introduced to two additional players in this story. A Jewish man living in Susa named Mordecai and his cousin a young Jewish girl named Esther. In that sermon as we work our way through Esther chapter 2, we learned that King Xerxes conducted bedroom tryouts with a harem full of beautiful young virgin girls to see who would become his next queen and we saw that Esther won the competition.

Now we ended our time together last time at this natural breaking point in the text. Now Esther 2:17 and 18 and I’ll go ahead and read that just to catch us up and give us a running start. Esther 2:17-18 says: “And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she advanced in favor and lovingkindness before him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. Then the king held a great feast, Esther’s feast, for all his princes and his servants; he also held a remission of taxes for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s hand.” So that’s where we ended last time. Xerxes selecting his new wife. Placing a crown on her head making her queen in place of Vashti. Holding another great feast in her honor. To top it all off he remits taxes in the kingdom and gives gifts to all the subjects of the kingdom. Now Persia had a new queen, and the king was in a celebratory mood.

Again, that sermon last time was titled A Sordid Succession which highlighted the various shady and seductive and immoral ways that Esther came to succeed Vashti as queen of Persia.

Now as we continue on in the narrative tonight and as the story picks up more and more momentum, we’re going to work our way through another series of events which highlights just how prevalent the wickedness and evil was in the Persian Empire during this time; which really only serves to underscores how amazing it was and is how God was providentially moving in and steering each of these events as they unfolded, ultimately with the aim of preserving His exiled people, the Israelites.

The title of this evening’s message is: “An Evil Empire.” In it, we’re going to pick up with the last few verses of Esther 2 starting in verse 19 and we’re going to work our way through all the way to the end of Esther chapter 3. Now, the first trace of evil in this evil empire, that we’re going to come across in this section of Esther is in verses 19 and 20. Let’s look at what it says. It says “And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. Esther had not yet told anyone about her kinsmen or her people, just as Mordecai had commanded her; indeed, Esther was doing what Mordecai declared that she do, just as she had done when she was being brought up by him.” Now, as we launch into these last few verses of Esther chapter 2 which sit between Esther’s coronation as queen which we saw last time and the eventual introduction of Haman in Esther chapter 3. We’re given this brief snapshot into what life looked like in the royal court of Xerxes at this time and as we take this peek in it’s not pretty.

Now, according to how most who have studied this passage, what they’ll say is that probably five years have passed since where we left off last time and where we are starting this evening. Five years passed between the crowning of Esther as queen and where we are getting now in verse 19. There’s a five-year gap between verses 18 and verse 19 in other words. As we’re about to see there was this tension and dissension brewing and various forms of evil and wickedness were afoot in the kingdom of Persia. Pick it up in verse 19 again it says, “And when the virgins were gathered together for the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.” Now, hold on. What’s this about “virgins” being gathered a “second time”? You recall, last time right, how Esther was chosen to become queen to begin with. She, along with this harem of young, beautiful virgin girls, were conscripted for service to sexually please King Xerxes for the night and whichever one pleased him the best that one would become queen. Well, as we saw last time as we concluded Xerxes chose Esther to be queen and Esther 2:17 we read this just a minute ago, says that “the king loved Esther more than all the women.”

So, what does this mean now in verse 19 that 5 years later “the virgins are gathered a second time”? I hate to be a bubble-burster again, but the story of Xerxes and Esther is nothing like a Hollywood type love story that people want it to be. No. What the text here in verse 19 is telling us is that Xerxes, though he’s now married to Esther, was not monogamous. He was not a one-woman type of guy. Though he was now married to who was described the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, Xerxes stuck with his old, sexually promiscuous ways. And though Esther had won the competition to become the queen of Persia, she wasn’t Xerxes’ only sexual partner. Though she occupied the throne of the Queen of Persia she wasn’t the only occupant in her husband’s own bed. She was one of many. Since those young women who had lost out to Esther five years prior, were now in the king’s concubine stash. He had his pick of those concubines, whenever he wanted. So, he’s married to Esther, but he has a whole host of concubines in another room. Again, this was a dark and wicked culture. This was a sexually debased culture. This was an evil culture and Xerxes’ own sexual conquests and demands were just one aspect of the evil hovering over it all.

Reading on through to the end of verse 19 and further building out the time reference here. We next learn that it was at this time that these virgins were gathering this second time to serve and please Xerxes, that “Mordecai, it says, was sitting at the king’s gate.” Now ancient cities during this time we know were fortified with high walls and to get into any ancient city, like a city like Susa, you had to pass through the gate. Well that same gate the city gate or as it’s referred to here as, “the king’s gate” in verse 19, was also where what we’d call now today “court proceedings” or judicial proceedings were conducted. Now a real interesting detail to me at least is that the gate that surrounded Susa at this time during the Persian rule of Xerxes, it’s actually been excavated. And get this the gate measures 131 feet in height and 92 feet in depth. This “gate” is not like a picket fence. It was a building. It was a strong source of fortification.

Mordecai here, in verse 19, is described as sitting there “at the king’s gate.” But what was he doing there? As it says here “sitting at the king’s gate”? Well, this has nothing to do with Mordecai sitting there loafing or loitering or trespassing. He’s not just sitting idly by. Rather, this is a clear Hebrew idiom with a unique meaning and the context to it. This means that Mordecai had a position within the palace administration there is Susa. He was a government official. That’s what it means to sit in the king’s gate. He was an official power broker. He was in the king’s inner circle five years later. Now, whether Mordecai was somehow appointed to this position based on his own abilities or credentials or instead whether he received this position through nepotism because his cousin after all was now the Queen? We don’t know. But it wouldn’t be surprising at all given the prevalent wickedness going on in Persian just knowing how humans operate, if Esther had pulled a few strings to get her cousin and benefactor tabbed for this plush position.

Now, keeping it inside the home of Xerxes and Esther. We’re told next, in verse 20, it says.
“Esther had not yet told anyone about her kinsmen or her people, just as Mordecai had commanded her; indeed, Esther was doing what Mordecai declared that she do, just as she had done when she was being brought up by him.” So, while Xerxes was maintaining this one way open sexual relationship, Esther lived this very closed off life from her husband. She wasn’t honest with him. She was hiding this secret from him. She hadn’t told her husband who she really was and the people from which she’d come.

This will be where those committed Esther apologists will say something like “Well, she was just following orders “She was just this young, impressionable teen girl.” “How could she have said no to any of this?” “All she was doing was honoring and obeying the commands of her closest male relative, Mordecai.” What was she to do? But that’s overlooking and dismissing the more significant issue which is that even if it were strategic on Mordecai’s part. Even if it were a matter of simple obedience on Esther’s part for either one of them to neglect to mention that they were Jews was part of the bigger problem of being unfaithful to God. Going back to Sinai, in Exodus 19:6, the people of Israel were told that they were to be a “holy nation.” A special set apart people; an example to the peoples surrounding them. So how in the world were Esther and Mordecai being “examples” to the pagan people of Persia around them and representing Yahweh to those same pagans by refusing to disclose that they were of Israel to begin with? By refusing to reveal their identity Esther and Mordecai each showed that they were, yet again, swept up in the evil empire of Persia.

Now, as we come to verse 21, we see additional examples of evil surfacing there in Persia and specifically, in Susa. Look at what comes next. It says, “In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from those who were doorkeepers, became furious and sought to send forth their hand against King Ahasuerus.” So, in this same period of time “In those days” some five years after Esther became queen when Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. Which, again, is a reference to his high-ranking position in the Persian capital of Susa. We’re told that this assassination plot is being hatched by these two eunuchs Bigthan and Teresh. Who were apparently a part of Xerxes’ security detail. You see that these two men are referred to as doorkeepers in verse 21. That means they were always in close proximity to Xerxes. They were likely the king’s last line of defense.

But now it says they had become “furious.” Why? We don’t know. All that we do know is what the text says which is that they were looking to “send forth their hand” it says, against the king. Which is just an idiomatic way of saying, "they sought to kill him.” But why? Why did these two eunuchs want to kill Xerxes? We don’t know. What was the nature of their plot and their plan? We don’t know. What was the plan they sought to carry out? How did they plan to carry this all out? We don’t know. All that we know is what we see recorded here in verse 21 which is that this was an assassination plot that had been set in motion by these two eunuchs. All that we know is that, and as we are going to see as we to study of the book of Esther is that God was sovereignly in control of these events. You might remember this quote that I gave you last time that God swings big doors on little hinges. That includes assassination attempts plotted out by castrated court officials.

Well, we do know also, and this is sort of a side detail that many years later, in 465 B.C. Xerxes actually would be assassinated in a situation like this. In a palace uprising. But here, in Esther’s day, many years prior, he managed so to speak to “dodge the bullet”, and that’s because, as we’re about to see he had a couple of people close to him. Jews, in fact. Who were going to uncover and foil the plot. Look at verse 22, “But the matter became known to Mordecai, (I mean the assassination plot became known to Mordecai) and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther said it to the king in Mordecai’s name.” So, there is this little mini game of “telephone” being described in verse 22. First, we have the plot of the eunuchs “becoming known to Mordecai.” How? We don’t know. But somehow, in his official position, Mordecai was now privileged to have this advantage point which allowed him to overhear this plot that was being hatched.

It's one of those classic “he just happened to be there” moments that we see many times over in the book of Esther. Then we’re told that Mordecai “told it to Queen Esther.” How that happened again, we don’t know. We’re not told. We don’t have all the details and then, end of verse 22, we learn that Esther “said it to the king in Mordecai’s name.” Basically, Esther repeated what Mordecai had told her. Then that expression, that she “said it to the king in Mordecai’s name” means she gave credit to Mordecai directly for uncovering the plot to kill Xerxes. She made it clear to Xerxes that Mordecai was the one who had found all this out. Which we’re going to see next in verse 23, led to Mordecai’s name being recorded in the chronicles of the kingdom.

Let’s go ahead and move there to verse 23, it says “Then the matter was sought out and found to be true, so they were both, both of the eunuchs, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.” So, the two eunuchs were found out. Apparently, they were accused and confronted by someone in the king’s court and then it says they were then “both hanged on a gallows.” Now, that word “gallows” it literally, the literal translations is “post.” The idea here is not so much and this is historically carried out as you look at the history of how executions were carried out in Persia. Now you know how my week went. “Criminals” were not hanged by the neck on a noose like we think of hangings today. They were instead impaled on a post. That’s how you dealt with a criminal in the days of Xerxes in Persia. If somebody was convicted of a crime that required capital punishment, you impaled them on a post, a stake. That was the typical method of execution and that’s what’s being described here. Not that they’re hung hang ‘em high kind of idea its impalement on a post.

Then note, and this is important, end of verse 23, it says, “and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.” In other words, all of the details underlying the plot to assassinate King Xerxes including what happened to the two eunuchs and also the credit that was given to Mordecai for uncovering this plot was written down in the official court records of the kingdom with Xerxes being right there to witness it. We know as we’re going to get further into this book that those records then sat for years. Gathering dust, ignored and forgotten. Until, as a matter of God’s sovereignty and His providence they were discovered and revealed at just the right time in Esther chapter 6. But that’s for later.


Now, when these words here at the end of chapter 2 of Esther were written, anyone who read this back in these days, any decerning reader back in these days was they came to the end of chapter 2 here they would have been expecting one thing and one thing only to happen at this point. See, the kings in this part of the world during this period of history, they were known, they were expected to give handsome rewards to their subjects for feats of valor or integrity or courage and that certainly was the case here with Mordecai thwarting this attempt on Xerxes’ life. So, the natural question that any discerning reader at this time would have had as they get to the end of chapter 2 of Esther would be well what did Mordecai get for doing what he did? “What was his reward?” “What did Xerxes give Mordecai?” But somewhat shockingly there’s no record at the end of verse 23 of Mordecai receiving any type of reward. For some reason Xerxes completely overlooks Mordecai. Mordecai doesn’t get a pay raise. He gets no pat on the back. He gets no fruit basket. He gets no “thanks for saving my skin” note. It’s odd. In fact, the silence is somewhat deafening. There’s no logical explanation for it. But perhaps while there may be no logical explanation, there most definitely is taking the 30,000-foot view here, a theological explanation. Which is that though Mordecai had for all intents and purposes been overlooked and forgotten by Xerxes at the end of chapter 2, no way had he been overlooked or forgotten by God. God, we know, and we are going to see this over and over in our study in Esther is not named and He’s not mentioned in this book, but He is plainly operating behind the scenes. He’s plainly governing and guiding each of the events we see recorded here. Of course, bringing it to our context, this is the same God who governs and guides each and every event of each of our lives. Though we can’t see Him. Though He is Spirit, John 4:24. Though we can’t often see what He is doing and why He is doing it, He’s there. He’s very much present. In all times. In all events. In all circumstances and in all places. He is very much, God is, moving pieces on the chess board of human history and the chess pieces of our lives exactly where He wants them.

With that, we’re through the first two chapters of Esther. So far, we’ve been introduced to three of the four main characters in the story: Xerxes, Esther, Mordecai, but a fourth remains. As we continue to trace out this major theme of this section. Of this evil empire with its evil people and the evil plots and the evil ways going on, we now come upon this fourth character in this story who in many ways epitomized evil. That man of course was Haman.
As we turn to chapter 3, we see the book of Esther taking on a noticeably darker tone. Look at verse 1. It says, “After these things, King Ahasuerus magnified Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.” Notice this chapter starts with this time marker. “After these things.” What is about to be described took place some unidentified amount of time after Mordecai uncovered the plot to kill Xerxes. Then these words, “King Ahasuerus magnified Haman” or, in your NASB translation it says, “He promoted Him.” Now who was Haman? Well, he’s identified here as the son of Hammedatha. We have no idea who that is except for what we’re told here which is that he Hammedatha was an “Agagite.” More on that in just a minute. We see, at the end of verse 1, that Xerxes “advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.” Now that’s really interesting because we’ve just learned how Mordecai was the one who saved Xerxes’ skin when he uncovered the plot to assassinate the king. If there is anyone we would expect to be promoted or advanced or here’s the word “magnified.” It would be Mordecai. But instead, we’re told that Haman was promoted. Haman was “magnified.” What we have here from the author of Esther is an intentionally tasty plot twist.

Now at the heart of this plot twist is this key little detail which is that Haman “the son of Hammedatha,” was what? He was an “Agagite.” Now that one’s going to require a lot more explanation. Who was “Agag”? Well, Agag was the king of the Amalekites during the days of King Saul. The king of Israel. The Benjamite son of Kish. The Amalekites we know had this long history with Israel which went back way further back before King Saul. See, the Amalekites were this nomadic, desert dwelling people who frequently raided Israel from the beginning of its history. The Amalekites were heathens. They were pagans and they actually had the dubious distinction of being the first people group to attack and try to take down the Israelites. In fact, we see the whole account over in Exodus chapter 17, in fact, go ahead and turn there with me to Exodus 17. We’re going to see this early battle between the Amalekites and the Israelites laid out. Exodus 17:8 says “Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So, Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.’ And Joshua did as Moses told him, to fight against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So, it happened when Moses raised his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus, his hands were steady until the sun set. So, Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. (now get this) Then Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it in Joshua’s hearing, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.’ And Moses built an altar and named it Yahweh is My Banner; and he said, ‘Because He has sworn with a hand upon the throne of Yah, Yahweh will have war against Amalek from generation to generation’.” In other words, the Amalekites were the sworn enemies of Israel and here in Exodus 17 God declares war on them.

You go over to Deuteronomy. In the book of Deuteronomy, we see that God commanded Israel once they were settled in the land to go to war against the Amalekites. Very similar to that final command He gave to Moses and Joshua in Exodus 17. Look at Deuteronomy 25:17. This comes years later now. It says “Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out from Egypt, how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear, but you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God. Therefore, it will be, when Yahweh your God has given, you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which Yahweh your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget.”

Now, God eventually gave Israel the land He had promised them. As we keep moving down history of Israelite, Israel’s history we know, that when King Saul came to power, many years later God commanded Saul, through the prophet Samuel, with these words, in I Samuel 15:2. It says “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”’ The command here to Saul all these years later is clear. Attack the Amalekites. Defeat the Amalekites and defeat them once for all and completely. As we read that account in I Samuel 15, we know that Saul did attack the Amalekites as he had been commanded to do. But he takes there king, Agag as a living captive. He spares Agag’s life. He spares Agag along with the best of the Amalekites sheep and cattle in disobedience to God’s command. God had said wipe them out completely. Including their cattle and their sheep and even their nursing babies. So, while King Saul did defeat the Amalekites his win was ultimately a loss because he failed to follow God’s command to totally destroy them, and this was unacceptable. This was disobedience to Yahweh. We see this account in I Samuel of Samuel the prophet confronting King Saul, cursing him for not completing the task. Taking it upon himself to hack Agag to pieces which really was the beginning of the end for king Saul. His demise starts there.

So now from the days of Saul and Samuel bringing this forward even further in Israels history several hundred later, to the days of Esther and Xerxes here in chapter 3 we have Haman. Back to Esther. We have Haman and this mention of him being an Agagite being highly highly significant. Because it tells us that he was ultimately descended from the Amalekites. Now here he is being pitted against Mordecai. Who we saw back in Esther 2:5 is called a Benjamite. What the author of Esther is cluing us into here is that this conflict that was about to arise between Mordecai and Haman actually goes back hundreds of years. To those old battles between the Israelites and the Amalekites and because God had declared war on the Amalekites in the days of Moses. Exodus 17. The Amalekites would eventually be forever and fully vanquished, defeated. Let me ask you a question. How many Amalekites have you met in your life? Exactly. God never loses.

That was to explain, Exodus Deuteronomy, I Samuel 15 that was all to explain the significance of Haman here in verse 1 of chapter 3 of Esther, being called an “Agagite.” It was a loaded term. It had a lot of historical baggage. Now, as we move on to verse 2, we get to the heart of the conflict that was starting to develop and brew between Mordecai the Israelite and Haman the Agagite. Look at verse 2. It says, “And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate were bowing down and prostrating themselves before Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him.” The original reader of this story, they would have fully expected that Mordecai again would have been the one to be promoted since he was the one who heroically notified and rescued King Xerxes. But as we’ve already seen that didn’t happen. Instead, Haman’s promoted. Haman’s “magnified.” Not only that, but Haman apparently was also given this very high position in the king’s cabinet. Because now we have “all the king’s servants (verse 2) at the king’s gate.” And they are doing what? They’re bowing down and prostrating themselves before Haman.” This is not the English curtsy. This is face in the dirt. Ok? These are men of power and influence and prestige completely laying themselves out in the ground as a sign of honor and respect for Haman. Meaning he was a very powerful man. A revered man. A feared man. Note here that the reverence that others were showing him as they prostrate before him, it was mandated by law. We saw that as we read it in verse 2. After noting here in verse 2 that they were “bowing down and prostrating themselves before Haman, it says “for so the king had commanded concerning him.” This is kind of like a sub theme in Esther how prominent the passage of laws seemingly unnecessary laws was. There was the law back in the days of Vashti where a law was passed about her refusing to follow Xerxes’ order. There was an edict that was passed related to the beautiful young virgins who were brought into Xerxes’ harem. Now there’s this law passed mandating that people bow down and lay prostrate before Haman. The Persians really seemed to like red tape. Well, those in power in Persia, verse 2 now those who were at the king’s gate, they complied. They complied with the king’s command just as they were required to do. Well almost everyone complied. Look at that last sentence of verse 2, but it says, “But Mordecai would not bow down or prostrate himself.”

So, he was the objector. The one standing when others were laying and bowing down. Now, we have to ask the question: Why? Why didn’t Mordecai bow down? Was this some show of piety by Mordecai? Was he suddenly playing the role of a good and faithful Israelite? Was this now a sign of his totally unrestricted devotion to Yahweh? That’s how a lot of the flannelgraphs tell the story. It’s often assumed that Mordecai was a pious and godly Jew. And “Exhibit A” is him here refusing to bow down to Haman. But we have to be honest with the biblical evidence before we make statements like that. And what the biblical evidence shows us is that there really was no clear religious ground, moral ground for Mordecai not to comply with the king’s order here.

See the Israelites of this time they wouldn’t necessarily be violating the second commandment of Exodus chapter 20, you shall have no other God’s before me. If they bowed down before other people in authority. There’s not a one-to-one correlation between those two to bow down to another person according to the Israelite mind back then did not necessarily mean a second amendment violation. Think of Abraham. Abraham bowed down to the sons of Heth when he negotiated a deal for Sarah’s grave. In Genesis 23. Joseph’s brothers bowed down before Joseph, thinking he was an Egyptian official, in Genesis 42. David bowed down to Saul, in I Samuel 24. Jacob and his family bowed to Esau, in Genesis 33. In other words, simply to kneel down in a sense of showing honor did not necessarily imply worship of whoever or whatever you were bowing to before. Meaning there was in this context of Esther no fundamental religious reason why Mordecai had to refuse to comply.

Without some obvious religious reason or some moral reason for his refusal to bow down, we’re left to guess and surmise what his actual reasons could have been. The best reason I’ve seen given for why he refuses to bow down and prostrate himself before Haman is tied back to that long disposition, I just led you through in verse 1 which is the fact that Haman was an “Agagite.” He didn’t want to do it because Haman was an Agagite. In other words, in true Hatfield and McCoy style. Or if you prefer Shakespeare, a Montague and Capulet style. The bad blood was still boiling not just between Mordecai and Haman but between their respective people groups the Israelites and the Amalekites and it was that bad blood that led to Mordecai’s refusal to bow.

Well, though Mordecai was tight-lipped about his reasons to bow to Haman that didn’t prevent the Persian court servants the other court servants from trying to get his reasons from him. Look at verse 3. It says, “So the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, ‘Why do you trespass against the king’s command?’” Now the way that question is phrased there it shows us that the concern of these court servants was not that Mordecai had accidentally broken protocol like when a Californian doesn’t realize that your supposed to take your hat off in a Nebraska prayer circle. That would be breaking protocol. Anyone? Ok. Like the three Californians in the room got that. No, the concern here was that he had “trespassed against the king’s command.” Which would bring about serious punishment and even death. Mordecai gave no response. He wasn’t listening to their question. He refused to respond. It wasn’t just a one-time refusal to respond. Look at the beginning of verse 4. It says, “Now it happened when they had spoken daily to him, and he would not listen to them”. In other words, the other servants at the king’s gate they were regularly and routinely trying to pry an answer out of Mordecai as to why he wouldn’t bow down and they’re trying to get him to change his mind ultimately, but he refused. That ancient enduring hostility between not only between Mordecai and Haman but between the Israelites and the Amalekites was running deep and Mordecai wasn’t budging.

Well, his refusal was eventually communicated to Haman. Look at the second part of verse 4. It says, “they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand.” In other words, having appealed directly to Mordecai in verse 3 and the beginning of verse 4 and asking him questions like “Why do you trespass against the king’s command?” and having no response back from Mordecai the king’s servants eventually go to Haman and they tell Haman, and they do so it says, “to see whether Mordecai’s words.” Or NAS says whether his reason would stand”. Meaning once Haman was made aware of Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him would Mordecai continue to take his stand? Or would he finally bow down? Then at the end of verse 4. We get the first reference to either of the Jews mentioned in this story. Mordecai and Esther making their Jewish heritage known. When it says: “for he had told them that he was a Jew.” Mordecai had told the other court servants that he was a Jew. Now as readers of the Book of Esther we already know, from Esther 2:5 that Mordecai was a Jew. That was revealed to us earlier in the account from the narrator here but here in Esther 3:4, Mordecai’s status as a Jew as an Israelite it’s made public for the first time to the other officials here in Susa. That’s significant because what that does is really set in motion this torrent of activities and evil actions which see recorded in the rest of chapter 3, starting in verse 5, which says: “Then Haman saw that Mordecai was not bowing down or prostrating himself before him. So, Haman was filled with wrath.” Mordecai apparently had been able to hide his disobedience up to this point somehow someway but not anymore. Now, Haman very much knows who Mordecai is and he’s very much aware of Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him. Now his pride driven anger is provoked and now Haman is resolved to do something about it.
As we’re about to see in verse 6 what Haman was resolved to do was aimed not only at Mordecai but instead at the Jewish people as a whole, from where Mordecai came. Verse 6 says “But he despised in his eyes to send forth his hand against 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.” There’s that formulation again. Beginning of verse 6, “Send forth his hand.” We saw that same expression back in Esther 2:21, when it mentioned that the two eunuchs of the king who “sought to send forth their hand against King Ahasuerus.” We learned there that’s an idiomatic expression to say they sought to assassinate him.

Well, here in Esther 3:6 it has the same meaning. That Haman had every intention of “sending forth his hand” not only against Mordecai meaning killing Mordecai, but we notice that he wanted to send his hand out against the Jews as a whole. So, in other words, what had started as a matter of personal offense was now being blown completely out of proportion. And it was fueling in Haman these ideas of revenge and genocide which we see mentioned in the rest of verse 6 where it says, “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.” This conspiracy to kill just one man wasn’t going to be enough to satisfy Haman’s thirst for revenge. He wanted something more. He wanted a final solution one which would lead to the mass extermination of the Jewish people as a whole. Haman saw this as an opportunity to reach back into the past and to settle old scores and to settle this family feud, once and for all as he sought to eliminate entirely the people of God.

Haman had evil motives. Purely evil motives and his outward actions, as we’re about to see next, did nothing but confirm the evil that was residing in his heart. Look at verse 7. It says, “In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, Pur, that is the lot, was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is the month Adar.” Haman was a pagan and like pagans throughout the centuries he engaged in various forms of traditional means of divination as a way to determine the will of the “gods.” One of the ways you did this in the ancient world was to cast lots. Pur or Purim would be the plural like two dice two lots. Purim would be the Babylonian or the Persian way of saying lots.

What verse 7 is telling us is that Haman apparently employed some sort of Persian soothsayers to cast lots on his behalf that’s what is means when it says they were “cast before Haman.” He sought the casting of lots to determine the right time to carry out his plot to kill the Jews. The lots were cast on that first month on the calendar Nisan and they “just happened to” land on a day in the twelfth month Adar and all that means is that when the lot was cast there was still a year to go. The date that was landed on was still a year away. That’s just the latest in a series of “happened to” incidences in the Book of Esther. Queen Vashti just happened to refuse the King and be dismissed. Esther just happened to be made Queen. Mordecai just happened to stumble upon an assassination plot and expose it. Now the casting of the lots just happens to buy the Jews another year before Haman’s plot could be carried out. Of course, there’s no such thing as “just happened to.” Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every judgment is from Yahweh.”

Well, after casting lots we’re told that Haman approached King Xerxes with his evil plan and as he did so verses 8 and 9, look how twisted his presentation of the “facts” is. Verse 8 and 9 says “Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people, and they do not do the king’s laws, so it is not worth it for the king to let them remain. If it seems good to the king, let it be written down that they should perish, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do this work, to bring into the king’s treasuries.’”

Now note when Haman opened his mouth here to share his plan with the king, he began with these statements that had shades of truth but then they devolved into half-truths and then they devolved even further into outright lies. He starts, top of verse 8 there with a truth that there is this “certain people scattered.” That is a true statement about the Jews of his time. They were a scattered people. But even then, note that Haman doesn’t identify them as “Jews.” He totally leaves this detail out. Leaving them as a nameless, faceless group of individuals that he’s now seeking royal permission to murder. Then come the half-truths. Like what we see in the rest of verse 8 where, speaking of the Jews, Haman says they were “separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom.” Now, were the Jews, in some sense keeping themselves separate from the culture in which they lived? Yes, of course, they in some senses were. But not in the dangerous form and the dangerous way that Haman was picturing them here. In fact, the only two Jews that we’ve encountered so far in the book of Esther, Esther and Mordecai, very much folded themselves in with Persian culture. We see that from their names. Esther had some Babylonian undertones as did Mordecai and from the positions they held in the Persian government.

Then, in the rest of verse 8, come the outright lies. It says, “and they do not do the king’s laws.” Now as a blanket statement, that was absolutely not true. Did Mordecai disobey the king’s order? Yes, he did. But it was simply inaccurate as Haman was saying here to broad-brush all of the Jews saying, “they do not do the king’s laws.” In fact, when we think of Esther from last time, she showed herself to be very compliant with the laws of the kingdom when she came into Xerxes’ harem at his command. All that to say as an outworking of his evil Haman played fast and loose with truth.

Speaking of evil note the harshness of this statement here at the end of verse 8, Haman says to the king, “so it is not worth it for the king to let them remain.” Haman really did know which buttons to push. He knew that King Xerxes was still feeling the pain from Vashti’s rebellion. He knew that Xerxes was still feeling the pain from recent military defeats at the hands of the Greeks. He had just gone through this attempted assassination by two of his trusted officers. Haman here knows that this king is in this vulnerable state, and he uses this economic language. It’s not worth it so he floats out the idea that even the slightest hint of rebellion needs to be stamped out from the kingdom. But it goes beyond that.

That’s not all he proposes to the king. Instead, further showcasing how truly evil he was. Haman sweetens the pot, in verse 9, and says “If it seems good to the king.” He’s trying to sound like Mr. Reasonable here. If it seems good to the king and then look at how coldly and summarily Haman makes his proposal. Verse 9. Let it be written down that they should perish, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do this work, to bring into the king’s treasuries.” 10,000 talents of silver is an extraordinary amount. This would be something like 750,000 pounds of silver. An amount something like two-thirds of the annual income at this time of the entire Persian Empire and what Haman was proposing here was to load up the king’s coffers to get permission and to carry out this empire wide extermination of the Jews.

Haman was evil and not only was he evil he was shrewd. He knew how to speak the king’s language. He knew that what the king needed at this point having been defeated by the Greeks and having his coffers lowered was he needed to replenish those coffers and replenish his financial resources. So, he offers the king this exorbitant sum which apparently would be funded by plundering the possessions of the Jews who would eventually be killed, and he does it in exchange for the king’s permission to carry out the Jews extermination. Now again, up to this point Haman hasn’t said anything about the group he’s targeting being “the Jews.” He hasn’t called them out by name. He hasn’t said I would like to kill, to exterminate the Jews. King Xerxes to his shame is apparently too apathetic and disengaged to even ask Haman which people He’s referring to. But incredibly Xerxes the king agrees to Haman’s proposal. Xerxes proved himself here to be as much a pushover as ever as he authorized Haman to carry out this plot. In other words, the plan had worked.

Now look at verses 10 and 11. It says “Then the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, ‘The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them according to what is good in your eyes.’” So easily influenced and easily persuaded a total softy. Xerxes takes the ring off his finger, he gives it to Haman. This is the king’s ring, the signet ring, the ring that when you pressed it down in soft wax would become the signature of the king meaning anything to which that signet ring was affixed that would become the law of the kingdom. Xerxes takes off that ring, hands it to Haman, gives him limitless authority to act in his name. Xerxes had such little regard for life. That he didn’t even know or care that he was ordering the extermination of the Israelites which, of course, included his wife! Xerxes acted with such little caution, such little competence that he gave unfettered power to a man who, at the end of verse 10 here, is called “the adversary of the Jews.”

Now, as for verse 11, its meaning specifically, where the king says, “the silver is yours.” The meaning there is obscure. Some have suggested that this means that Xerxes ultimately declined Haman’s financial proposal and that what he was saying here was that it was beneath him. He was too dignified to get his hands dirty with such a matter no "blood money” for Xerxes. A better option, though, I think, is that this is Xerxes in keeping with Ancient Near East tradition actually accepting Haman’s offer in that conventional roundabout way. We see that back in Genesis 23 where Abraham and Ephron are negotiating over the purchase price of the cave of Machpelah where Abraham sought to bury his wife, Sarah. And although there’s all this going around in circles about whether they’re accepting it or declining it but ultimately their negotiating. That’s what I think is happening here is that in verse 11 though it says the silver is yours, it’s almost a way of him saying I’ll take it.

Now, as we turn to the remaining four verses of chapter 3, we start to see the administrative machinery of the Persian Kingdom now swinging into motion and the vast bureaucracy of this evil empire at work in carrying out Haman’s plan. We’ll take up in verse 12. Here we’re given a sense in verse 12 of all that went in to carrying out the king’s directive to Haman in verse 11 where it says, “Do with them according to what is good in eyes.” Verse 11. Then it all goes into motion in verse 12. It say “Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its tongue, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring.”

We won’t work through all this incredible detail but there are complex details involved here in sending out this decree. Scribes were summoned. The decree was translated to make sure everyone in the kingdom understood it. Copies were made for various levels of government officials. The decree was sealed with the king’s signet ring, indicating that it had the backing of his authority. It was Haman’s idea, but it was the king’s command.

Then, in verse 13 we see the decree’s, the laws appalling contents summarized as it was distributed throughout the empire. Look at verse 13, it says “And letters were sent by the hand of couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill, and to cause all the Jews to perish, both young and old, little ones and women, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their spoil.” Xerxes’ decree, then, was as follows: That on a certain day, a fixed day, in this month of Adar, the twelfth month, there was going to be this campaign to destroy and eradicate the Jews. It was a single day and no one was to be spared. You see the language there. The order was “to destroy, to kill, and to cause the Jews both young and old, little ones and women, in one day.” Murdering all of them in one day. This decree was truly awful. It was horrifying. It has haunting shadows of Hitler in it and I guess you can say it better Hitlers decrees have haunting shadows of Haman’s decrees in them. As we see in the next two verses the decree was distributed throughout the kingdom. Look at verses 14 and 15. It says “A copy of that which was written down to be given as law in every province was revealed to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. And it says the couriers went out, hastened by the word of the king. And the law was given at the citadel in Susa.” The fate of the Jews living in the Persian Kingdom at this time was seemingly sealed.

But note, it didn’t sit right with everyone who heard of it. Which is meant by the final that’s what’s meant by the final words of verse 15 where it says, “but the city of Susa was in confusion.” In other words, there were some citizens in Susa who still had a conscience and moral clarity who were perplexed. They couldn’t understand how Xerxes would allow such a decree to go out. But for those in power. Namely, Xerxes and Haman. What the king had just decreed at Haman’s prompting didn’t seem to bother them at all. Look at these bone-chilling words summarizing how Xerxes and Haman were taking it all in. Right before the last line there, it says, “Now the king and Haman sat down to drink.” Evil men. Power players in this evil empire who had sent out an evil edict. Which, without God’s sovereign intervention would result in the eradication of the Jews.

Well, God. Yahweh, though not mentioned by name in this chapter or anywhere else in the book of Esther was there. His sovereign hand was providentially hovering over each and every detail of this account. He was, though not named, accomplishing His perfect plans. He was, though not named, bringing about His perfect purposes. What Haman had designed here wicked as it was, not only would not succeed, it could not succeed, because of what God had long ago and repeatedly promised to His people. In places like this Jeremiah 31:35-36, says “Thus says Yahweh, Who gives the sun for light by day and the statutes for the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; Yahweh of hosts is His name: ‘If these statutes are removed from before Me,’ declares Yahweh, ‘Then the seed of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever.’” In other words, so long as the sun and the moon and the stars are in the sky so will Israel be on the map. That was true in Esther’s day, it’s true in our day. God is a God who always keeps His promises. To Israel. To you, to me, to all of us forever. Let’s give praise to that God now, as we go to Him in prayer.

God thank you for another chance to dive into the book of Esther. Thank you for being God who is faithful, a God who protects and governs and providentially moves all aspects of our lives. All aspects of world history including what was happening in the days of Esther and Haman and Xerxes and Mordecai. But no less so the events of our day, far across the world thousands of years later, living in the shadow of the cross of Jesus Christ. God, I do ask that we would not lose sight of where this book of the Bible sits in the cannon of Scripture, that we would understand that you are still the same unchanging God behind it. At the same time, I wouldn’t want anyone here especially a visitor or somebody who is deceived in what it means to know you, to think that all I need to do is be better than Haman to be right with you. God, we know that is not the truth. God you are a God who has made it so clear through the sending of your Son through the statements you have given us in your word that for a person to be made right with you is not to be morally upright, and not to do better, to try harder, be better than the next guy, but instead to surrender one’s life to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. So, God I pray if there’s someone here who is yet to give their life to Jesus Christ, trusting in His finished work on the cross as being the means by which they might be saved. Dispensing with any notion of do- gooding or churchianity or just being a better person than the average guy in the street. I pray that somebody here would come to the end of themselves tonight and put their entire trust and faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross and be saved. God thank you for Jesus Christ. Thank you for your offer of salvation. Thank you for your perfect Word that we can get into it and mind its truths in a book that seems so out of touch in so many ways to where we live and function and exist today. But we know it’s profitable, we know it’s good for us when we know you are transforming us into the image of your Son through it. So, thank you for this day, thank you for the privilege we’ve had to get into your Word to worship you together. May you be glorified in our lives this week. In Jesus name. Amen.