“In the first month…pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman in order to determine a day and a month. It turned out to be the twelfth month…”
– Esther 3:7
One year….did you catch that?
The Jews had one year to prepare for the day of their deaths. The month and day for the Jews extermination, set by Haman, was one year away. Can you imagine hearing that one year from now, all Christians in our country – from youngest to oldest, men, women, and children – will all be killed? I shudder to think what it must have felt like to live with that threat looming over their heads for a full year? The stress, the anguish, the fear.
Once the date was set, Haman approached King Ahasuerus with his evil plan. Notice how cunning and sly Haman was when he told King Ahasuerus about these “particular people” in verses 8-9.
First, we see that Haman depersonalized the Jews by not mentioning their name. Instead, he refers to them as a “particular people.” We have seen this same tactic in the Nazi death camps of World War II when Hitler had numbers tattooed on his Jewish prisoners arms and deliberately took away their names. Numbers are anonymous and vague and don’t initiate emotions, but names do. “Mordecai the Jew.” Names are personal, specific, and recognizable.
Haman goes on to describe how the Jews are “dispersed and spread among the inhabitants throughout all provinces” in King Ahasuerus’ kingdom, a kingdom that included Israel.
Their customs “differ from those of all other people.” In other words, they don’t fit in.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The Jews assimilated almost too well into Persian culture. King Ahasuerus himself didn’t even realize his own queen was Jewish.
“They do not observe the king’s laws.” If I’m not mistaken, wasn’t it Mordecai, a Jew, who protected King Ahasuerus from an assassination attempt by his own personal guards?
It is not “appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them.” In other words, it was not in Haman’s best interest to tolerate them. Remember, Haman was an Agagite, a descendant of King Agag of the Amalekites who happened to be ancient enemies of the Jews (Exodus 17:16, 1 Samuel 15:20; & Deuteronomy 25:17-19).
Hatred has a history and is passed down from generation to generation. No one is born prejudiced. We learn it and then pass it onto the next generation.
Finally, we see Haman even throws in the added bonus that he will help pay for this evil deed (Esther 3:9). And where do you think Haman planned on getting the money to pay for the men who would carry out this decree? Why from the Jews themselves, of course! Haman planned on plundering the homes and businesses of all the Jews who would be killed, pocketing some for himself I’m sure, and then enticing the King with the rest.
Make note. Even though Haman was a half-truth speaker, a deceiver, and an all-out liar, he was not a dumb man. Through the cunning and crafty use of his words, Haman was able to convince King Ahasuerus to put this horrible plan into action.
But remember – what Satan plans for evil, God uses for good.
Though this decree was unthinkably evil, God used it to unite His children. Maybe, just maybe, God was allowing this to happen so that His children would remember who they were and how He delivered them from evil in the past through their dependence on Him, so they would once again turn back to Him.
I believe we all, at one time or another, have “Hamans” in our lives. People who speak lies about us or hate us for what we stand for. But take heart my sweet friends! Though in this life we will have trouble, Jesus reminds us in John 16:33 that HE has overcome the world!
I think it’s time for God’s children to once again unite, stand firm on His Word, and pray our hearts out for a world that doesn’t know Him. In faith, we can trust Him in the hard days knowing that He is at work.
Our lives are a lot like Esther’s. We may not see God, yet we know He is with us, working in and through all the different events of our lives. Nothing is random.
Sweet friend, I don’t know what “Hamans” are in your life right now, but I do know this. God can bring growth out of your pain. Though you may feel unseen, He sees you right where you are. Just when your “enemy” seems to have the upper hand, place your trust in God and realize that the day set for your destruction may actually be the day of your deliverance. Press on, persevere, and look for His fingerprints in your life!
