Mr. Big Shot

Esther 3: 1 – 15

Mr. Big Shot

1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2 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. 3 Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” 4 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. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 6 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 Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai. 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, 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. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “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. 9 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.” 10 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. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.” 12 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 Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 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. 14 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. 15 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.

Last week we learned about a beautiful nobody who came onto the scene and became the queen of the known entire world. This lovely and godly woman in her trust and obedience to the guidance of her god-fearing step father was picked over every gorgeous woman living at this time.

Today we are going to learn about the flip side of achievement. We are going to come across an egotistical evil man who flattered his way to importance. Underneath his smooth words lay an evil heart. When he failed to receive the adoration from a government worker he became so hateful that he not only wanted to have this servant killed but wanted to show the rest of the world how important he was that he planned to kill every man, woman, and child that was the same nationality.

Haman from Agagi is appointed as Ahasuerus’ Grand Vizier, with a requirement being made of special homage, a homage beyond the norm, which Mordecai, as a Jew, is unwilling to offer, probably because he feels that it breached the second commandment not to bow down to or worship images. This causes Haman to determine the destruction of all Jews, and he sets about discovering a date for this which would be pleasing to the gods by the casting of Pur (the sacred lot), probably in dice form Discovering such a date may well have convinced him that the gods were in favour of his actions, and may have formed part of his argument before the king. But the book will go on to show that ‘Pur’ is overruled, resulting in the celebration of ‘Purim’ before God. Cold fate is replaced by Feasting over deliverance.