Esther 3 - A Murderous Plot

Intro

Read Esther 3

Esther 3 ESV

1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. 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. 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. 7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 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. 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents 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.” 10 So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. 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.” 12 Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, 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.

Just as one murderous plot is snuffed out another seems to arise in its place

Haman comes on the scene

in verse one we are introduced to Haman this Aggigite

Haman is introduced in a term that the Jewish reader would immediately identify as hostile to Jewish people

His roots are with the Amalikites

The ones that saul lead the armies of God in battle against

The ones he never fully wiped out

And here is an Amalikite back on the scene in this story

Haman a man just like Ahasuerus

Loves honour

expects to be honored

all should bow to haman

He is a coniving man

he welds his power for selfish gain

An evil man of the greatest degree

He advocates for the annihilation of an entire people group

If we needed any reminder of just how little is thought about the Jews in this day look at the way Haman issues this murderous decree

Esther 3:12–14 ESV

12 Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, 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.

This decree is written and sent out just like every other decree

The complete annihilation of a people group is just another decree

Haman’s contempt for the Jews is seen clearly in just how uncaringly he goes through this process

In contrast to the people in susa

Esther 3:15 ESV

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.

They are thrown in to confusion

What is going on

Why would this be decreed

Normal people see the evil in this plot

But here we see what happens when proud men meet weak men

Proud men and weak men

But not Haman a man who is all about his own glory

From the slight of one man to the desolation of an entire people group

Haman will use everything at his disposal to rid the kingdom and the world of Jews

Look at the way he propositions Ahasuerus

Esther 3:8–9 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. 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents 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.”

There is a certain people

Like its this huge threat to his empire

That dont keep his laws

Haman uses his snake tounge to influence this weak king

It seems that Ahasuerus has never had an original thought

going all the way back to Chapter 1 Ahasuerus has been a man who allowed those around him to make decisions

He turns everything over to haman

Esther 3:11 ESV

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.”

a strong man erages them