Haman

As is not uncommon in royalty, the king was so pleased with Haman, that he elevated him above all of the other princes of the land, commanding all of his servants to bow down to him.

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.

(Esther 3:1-6, New King James Version)

So far we have had such a lovely story, have we not? The beautiful peasant girl becomes queen! As is true in life, things never seem to stay the same for very long. That is certainly true of the book of Esther. In today's Bible passage, the plot begins to develop.

As is not uncommon in royalty, the king was so pleased with his prince, that he elevated him above all of the other princes of the land, commanding all of his servants to bow down to him. There was only one problem; Mordecai, a servant in the king's gate, refused to bow down to him. As a Jew, he would bow down to God alone, even though the other servants insisted that he obey the king's command.

Finally, in desperation, they told him of Mordecai's refusal to bow down to him. How did he react?

When he saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, he was filled with wrath.

Now some people become angry, and then some people become really angry! Which one fits this situation?

But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead he sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus--the people of Mordecai.

Do you think God knew in advance what was going to happen? Do you think it was wise that Mordecai kept Esther from revealing that she was a Jew? Of course, God knows all things, but nothing could thwart His will. Mordecai was wise in insisting that Esther not reveal her heritage, for Jews were hated by most people in the land.

One man, Haman, sought to extinguish an entire nation over his hatred; think about that in light of today's headlines. Nations are still trying to exterminate the nation of Israel. Will they succeed?It is important the we, as Christians, understand that this same God is living and acting in the events of our world today. It is an exciting time in which we live; as we watch events unfold in the Mid East we are continually brought to the Word of God. These events were foretold thousands of years ago!Is there anything that can happen to you that is unknown to God? Is there anything that can happen to you that will destroy God's plan for your life? Think about that! What an amazing God we have. As our story of Esther unfolds, remember that God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever!

Next: Casting Lots