Coming back to our study of the Book of Esther, I remind you
that the theme of the book is the Sovereignty of God. Throughout the story God
is accomplishing His purposes through incidental moments that seem to have no
significance other than moving the story along. Yet, within each incident is a
piece of a puzzle, only God knows where it fits and how many pieces it will
take to complete the picture.
What’s at work is: Prov
19:21 Many are the plans in the
mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
What’s interesting about that proverb, it doesn’t matter
whether the man is a believer or a non-believer, a follower of the principles
of God or a heathen, a Christian or a non-Christian. Through the manifest
sovereignty of God, God can accomplish, through whomever He chooses, whatever
helps fulfill His purposes. He can use any circumstance or situation at any
time, instantly, along the way, or in the distant future to bring about His
greater good. Bottom line: God will do what God will do.
Thus far in our story, Ahasuerus, King of Persia, has
dethroned his wife Vashti, gone to war with Greece and got defeated, discovered
and married Esther, who is now queen. Also Mordecai moved into a position of
influence. In all of this we saw God’s hand moving certain people, positioning
them, to be in the right place at the right time.
Esther 3:1-2
After these events
King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced
him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him. All
the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to
Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed
down nor paid homage.
It’s important to the story to go back in history a bit to
better understand Haman’s heritage.
I find ancestry an interesting pastime. Since I had my DNA
processed to search my family lineage, I have had many discoveries of relatives
I had no idea existed. Obviously, many of those are in the third to fifth
cousin realm and I’ll never meet them, but I’m amazed that I have a family
connection to thousands of people I don’t know.
At first when I got my results back, they came with a bag of
acorns and a note saying, “We think, in the interest of the betterment of
society, you need to forget the past and just start over.”
Realize, each person is the product of one couple. Each
couple comes from two sets of parents. Those parents come from four sets of
parents. Those four from eight. The further you go back, the more the branches
of the tree spread out. Each branch is its own legacy. So, we back up to ten
generations and thousands of people can claim the same tenth generation
grandparents. Each one a direct descendent, having followed a different branch
to get there from here.
Haman is a direct descendent of Agag the Amalekite. Now the
Amalekites were a thorn in the side of Israel throughout the conquering of the
Holy Land. They were a warring people living in the southern desert region of
Israel.
They were distant cousins, both coming from the tree of
Abraham. Abraham had a son Isaac. Isaac had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob
became Israel. Esau was the father of Edom, and the grandfather of Amalek. But
even though they were family, the Amalekites had turned hostile toward the
nation of Israel. So, God made a judgement against them:
Deut 25:17-19
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 when you
were faint and weary; and he did not fear God. Therefore it shall come about
when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in
the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall
blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget.
Samuel made this command personal to Saul, the first king of
Israel.
1Sam 15:1-3 Then Samuel said to Saul, "The LORD
sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore,
listen to the words of the LORD. Thus says the LORD 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 utterly destroy
all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman,
child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'
1Sam 15:9
But Saul and the
people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the
lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but
everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
However, it must be assumed that some escaped because,
several hundred years later, we have a twig from the branch of the tree of Agag
ending up in Persia. But, with even one fiber of the strand of the Amalekites
remaining, the prophetic command Moses gave remained to be fulfilled. So, add
that to the story of Esther.
Esther 3:3-6
Then the king's
servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why are you
transgressing the king's command?" Now it was when they had spoken daily
to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether
Mordecai's reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. When
Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was
filled with rage. But he disdained to lay hands on 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.
What causes reactions in some people toward other people?
Typically, it is prejudice. Prejudice means:
- an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand and without knowledge, thought, or reason.
- any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
- unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, regarding an ethnic, racial, social, or religious group.
Prejudice is basically an ingrained opinion for or against
something or someone. Watch how it manifests itself in Haman’s life.
Obviously, Haman’s ego was bruised when Mordecai the man
refused to bow. But he went into rage when he found out Mordecai was a Jew.
Centuries of prejudicial hatred now consumed him. Haman, like others in
history, took his hatred to the extreme to annihilate all the Jews.
Most hatred comes from preformed opinions, justified because
of a damaged history. But in this case, God may be using that hatred. Prov 19:21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
As much as it runs contrary to how we think God works,
because He is sovereign, God can even use the evil of personal prejudice to
accomplish miracles in the lives of His people.
Esther 3:7-12
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. Then Haman said to King
Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the
peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from
those of all other people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not
in the king's interest to let them remain. If it is pleasing to the king, let
it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of
silver into the hands of those who carry on the king's business, to put into
the king's treasuries." Then 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.
"The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you
please." 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 language, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the
king's signet ring.
The seal made with the Kings’ signet ring made this an
irrevocable declaration. Not even the King himself could change what Haman had
done. Sounds like a done deal. Until the greatest words of Scripture come in:
But God... Prov
21:30 There is no wisdom, no
insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.
Esther 3:13-15
Letters were sent
by couriers to all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate
all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the
thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize
their possessions as plunder. A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every
province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this
day. The couriers went out impelled by the king's command while the decree was
issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink,
the city of Susa was in confusion.
This is scheduled for a year later, but for now, let’s look
at the patience of
God. Though the city was in a panic, and Jews throughout the empire were
distraught, God had everything under control. Someone said: If you can remain calm at a
time like this you do not understand the severity of the crisis.
The natural response to a crisis moves from shock, to
disbelief, fear, confusion, then to panic. But the unnatural response,
the spiritual response, is different, it moves from shock, to belief, hope,
trust, then peace. Those who know God is at work respond differently in
a crisis. Those who are not convinced God is at work will react like
those who don’t know Him.
Ps 33:10-22 The
LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the
peoples. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from
generation to generation. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the
people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance. 13 The LORD looks from
heaven; He sees all the sons of men; 14 from His dwelling place He looks out on
all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 He who fashions the hearts of them all, He
who understands all their works. 16 The king is not saved by a mighty army; a
warrior is not delivered by great strength. 17 A horse is a false hope for
victory; nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. 18 Behold, the eye
of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His lovingkindness,
19 to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our
soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart
rejoices in Him, because we trust in His holy name. 22 Let Your lovingkindness,
O LORD, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You.
Nothing ever takes God by surprise. Nothing happens that
catches Him unprepared. It can never be said that, “God never saw this coming.”
Whatever the crisis is, it comes with the plan God will use to get us
through.
So, if God is patiently doing what’s best, faithful at all
times, working constantly behind the scenes, consistently accomplishing good on
our behalf, what should that produce in us?
Patience to wait on His outcome:
- Patience is the ability to sit back and wait for the outcome without experiencing anxiety, tension, fear or frustration.
- Patience is the ability to remain calm in the midst of turmoil because you know God is in control.
- Patience is the ability to let go of our needs for immediate gratification and be willing to wait for God’s best.
- Ps 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord. Don’t set a timer for God to work. Don’t try to hand God puzzle pieces you want in the picture. Let Him accomplish His purposes His way and on His time schedule.
TAKEAWAYS:
- It is not our faith that makes God accomplish what’s best for us, it is His faithfulness.
- Without faith, we will not see Him at work, trust Him or patiently await the outcome He intends, but that won’t stop Him.
- It is to our advantage to settle the matter of God’s goodness in our lives now, so that when we enter a crisis, we do so in faith not fear.
- Peace comes when we no longer carry the burden of the outcome. Let Him carry it for you.
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