Our God Reigns over Lots and Letters

Esther 2:19–3:15

Main Idea: In God’s (sometimes perplexing) providence, our doing what is right may lead to our being in circumstances that feel wrong, but we can trust that God is working all things for our good and his glory.

1. God Is Sovereign over Recognition and Rewards (2:19-23).
   1. As we have opportunity, let us do good to all.
   2. Doing the right thing may come without immediate recognition or reward.
      1. Do not be surprised if the world does not thank you.
      2. Do not be discouraged.
2. God Is Sovereign over Honor and Dishonor (3:1-6).
   1. Like Haman, are we seeking our own honor?
   2. Like Mordecai, are we withholding honor where it is due?
3. God Is Sovereign over Lots and Letters (3:7-15).
   1. A date is set; a decree is sent; our Dad is sovereign (3:7-11).
   2. Celebrating God’s deliverance and needing it again (3:12-14).
   3. No one will stop God from protecting and preserving his people (3:15).

Have you ever been punished for doing the right thing? Joseph was. Genesis 39 is a text I consider and share often. After being sold into slavery by his older jealous brothers (except Reuben, who was probably making a sandwich when the fateful event occurred), Joseph was purchased in Egypt by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. God blessed all of Joseph’s work, and in time Potiphar placed Joseph in charge of everything he owned.

Not everyone has had to suffer in this way, but the author informs us that Joseph was “well-built and handsome” (Gen 39:6). As I noted earlier in this book, when physical features are included in a narrative, there is always a reason. At some point Potiphar’s wife began to take notice of the successful slave and liked what she saw. Not hiding her intentions, she invited Joseph to be intimate with her.

What comes next in the text is one of my favorite responses in the Bible. Not only did Joseph refuse her, but he asked, “How could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?” (Gen 39:9). I continue to pray that I will see sin in the same way Joseph did: as an immense evil done against God. After all, what we think determines what we do. Potiphar’s wife, however, was not easily dismissed. Day after day she barraged Joseph with the same request, but he remained resilient in living according to his convictions and not her cravings.

One day, though, no one was in the house with them, and Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph’s garment and tried to entice him once more. Knowing that reason had no impact on her, Joseph opted for running, leaving his garment in her hand. (Oh, that we would all be those who run from sin rather than toward it!) Having been spurned, Potiphar’s wife made up a lie that Joseph attempted to harm her sexually. And in his resulting anger, Potiphar had Joseph thrown into prison. Joseph was innocent, and his immediate reward was incarceration. After striving to be faithful to God and Potiphar, Joseph was punished instead of praised. But Joseph would also be preserved, and the Lord would bless him through all his years in prison. Potiphar would never thank Joseph for his faithfulness, but God had his own plans that would include a position of prominence allowing Joseph to help preserve God’s people. In his interactions with Potiphar’s wife, Joseph did what was right even though it was not immediately recognized or rewarded, and God was keeping the only record that matters.

Have you ever been confused when you have chosen obedience to the Lord, only to run into more trouble than triumph? Maybe you have asked, “God, I did what was right, so why are you going to let this bad thing happen to me?” Or maybe you are keeping a score or balance in your mind and say to him, “God, I did one good thing, and now you owe me something good as well.” If we are keeping these kinds of tally sheets, then we are lousy scorekeepers. God owes us nothing but wrath. And if we were honest, we would admit that if God is basing his goodness to us on our goodness to him and others, then we definitely deserve no goodness. Yet so many of us are still holding on to (and marking) self-righteous scorecards. We do so because we are not resting in and going deeper into the gospel. We foolishly and frustratingly think we still need to earn God’s affection or God’s attention or at least God’s good favor, and we refuse to believe that only Christ can and has accomplished it for us.

I am not sure if it is the seeming absence of praise or the presence of pain that is more surprising to some believers. Their shock is not that injustice exists in this fallen world but that they are recipients of it. For some reason they believe being a Christian means God is supposed to protect them from all pain and anxiety, especially when they have done the “right” thing.

As we turn to our study of Esther 2:19–3:15, Esther and Mordecai may have been a little confused themselves. Esther did not ask to be taken from Mordecai’s home, she did not ask to be in a harem, and she did not ask to win a competition in which winning still felt in many ways like losing. But then, as if she hadn’t experienced enough drama, she and Mordecai became aware of an assassination plot and shared it with the king.

The king’s life was preserved, and the would-be assassins perished. Mordecai and Esther were not rewarded, but a record of the good deed was noted. Ironically, the way the king said thank you, initially, was to promote an Agagite who eventually would attempt to annihilate Mordecai and all the other Jews in the empire. Thus, though Esther and Mordecai delivered Ahasuerus from death, he practically delivered them over to death, even though he did so naively. Yep, at that moment God’s providence was probably as clear to Esther and Mordecai as a windshield during lovebug season in Louisiana.

Importantly, the news of this death decree was sent out just as the Jewish people were beginning to celebrate Passover. You recall Passover, right? It’s the remembrance celebration for when God delivered his people from the hands of their enemies, the Egyptians. So, on the day God’s people were celebrating deliverance, they learned that their deaths had been decreed. If at this realization Esther was thinking, God, I was trying to make lemonade out of lemons, but I am pretty sure the entire lemon tree just got dropped on us, then few of us would blame her. In God’s (sometimes perplexing) providence, our doing what is right may lead to our being in circumstances that feel wrong, but we can trust that God is working all things for our good and his glory.

God Is Sovereign over Recognition and Rewards

Esther 2:19-23

Do what is right, and trust that if no one recognizes you or rewards you, God is still keeping his record.

As We Have Opportunity, Let Us Do Good to All

The when of 2:19-23 is not as clear as the where and the what. After Esther was crowned queen, there was a second gathering of virgins. The author could possibly mean that the virgins who remained in the first harem were transferred to the concubines’ quarters, which was overseen by Shaashgaz (2:14). The author could also mean that even after Esther was chosen, the king commissioned another gathering of women—not to give anyone a crown but to serve his cravings. Based on what we have observed of him, this possibility is not a stretch. Whatever the second gathering of women was about, we know it most likely occurred sometime between Esther’s being crowned in Ahasuerus’s seventh year of reign (2:16) and Haman’s casting lots in the king’s twelfth year (3:7). We also know that Esther’s new position had not changed Mordecai’s influence on her life.

Despite being crowned queen, Esther still concealed her ethnicity because of Mordecai’s command. H. A. Ironside says,

This, no doubt, would be considered good policy on Mordecai’s part, and lovely obedience in Esther, but it was real unfaithfulness to God, often duplicated in our own times. . . . If they cover their nationality, and shame Him so that He hides His name too, He will make them nevertheless the instruments of His providence. (Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, 165–66)

A glimmer of that providence is seen in Mordecai’s obtaining some critical information while going about his daily responsibilities at the King’s Gate (2:19, 21; 3:3). For reasons we are not told, two of the eunuchs who served at the entrance could conceal neither their anger toward nor their desire to assassinate Ahasuerus. Maybe they thought Mordecai would be sympathetic because they knew of his relationship with Esther, or maybe they just whispered so loudly that the dead could hear their plans. Either way, their secret was not safe with Mordecai.

Perhaps fearing that others in the king’s court were corrupt, Mordecai passed along what he heard to Esther alone. Esther then made sure the king was made aware of the plot and of how she came to have knowledge of it. The king investigated the matter, found it to be true, and then had the two traitors either hanged from the gallows or, as some translations say, impaled on a stake. Esther and Mordecai were used to rescue the king, and all the details of their efforts were recorded in his book of chronicles. The only two Jews we know specifically in the story, then, helped save the life of a pagan, self-glorifying, woman-abusing king. If you were writing this story to win an Oscar for best picture in Jerusalem, you would be off to a rough start.

Why would Esther and Mordecai act for the king’s good? I wonder if Mordecai considered not saying anything and just letting the plot unfold. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, after all, did not just know about a plan to assassinate Hitler but actively worked toward it (Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer, 380–93). Regarding both stories, some argue that by eliminating the one causing great harm thousands could be spared. Others contend, though, that we are not to kill, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves, and we are to “demonstrate the Lord’s rule . . . through all meekness and patience in taking whatever suffering comes” (Piper, “Was Dietrich Bonhoeffer Wrong to Plot against Hitler’s Life?”). Even though Piper expresses these hesitations, he is still slow to condemn Bonhoeffer. I know, though, that if I heard someone was thinking about killing the man who took my little girl in an ungodly manner, I would probably wrestle with the Holy Spirit’s prompting to do what is right. Maybe Mordecai was afraid of what would happen to Esther in either an assassination attempt or a successful overthrow of the king. If they killed the king, what would they do to the queen? All this, of course, is speculation. The author does not tell us why Esther and Mordecai did what they did; he just tells us they saved the king.

While their reasons for doing good were not revealed, our call to it is. Paul exhorts the church at Galatia, “As we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith” (Gal 6:10). As we interact with our neighbors, coworkers, doctors, mechanics, plumbers, and whomever else the Lord brings into our paths, their good should be our goal. And as for those who do not work for our good? Well, I can remember reaching the end of a slide when I was in kindergarten and being met by another boy who was wearing cowboy boots and who kicked me in the shin. I remember crying and running to my aunt who was a teacher at the school and who just happened to be on duty for our recess. Thirty-seven years later I can remember all those details vividly, but I cannot recall in any form any desire in me to do that boy any good. As believers, however, we are called to forgive and work for the good of even those who wound us most. Paul tells the church at Rome to

bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

For in so doing

you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. (Rom 12:14-20)

The gospel of Christ transforms the way we view and treat the people who harm us most. The gospel demands that we not treat our enemies as they deserve to be treated; rather, we treat our enemies as Christ has treated us. What makes the gospel community special is not just how we treat other believers but how we treat those who hate us because of Christ. We are disciples of him who died for his enemies. Maybe I should not marvel so much at Esther’s and Mordecai’s treatment of Ahasuerus and instead wonder why I am so often like the one who asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). He was wondering whose good, in particular, he was obligated to pursue. We have already been told whose good we should strive for: everyone’s—even a pagan king’s.

Doing the Right Thing May Come without Immediate Recognition or Reward

During my senior year of college, I was up late one night, studying for a test. I was stirred from my slumberish study by noises I heard outside my apartment and a strange smell. I went to the back door and opened it just in time to hear someone yell, “Fire!” Indeed, the apartment connected to mine was blazing. My first thought was that my roommate was upstairs asleep. I ran back inside and up the stairwell to his room. I turned on the light and began to yell for him to get up because there was a fire. He, however, had the spiritual gift of sleeping deeply. I yelled again to no avail and finally moved to his bed and shook him until he woke up. The first thing he said was, “I smell smoke,” to which I replied, “You think?! GET UP!” We then did our best to gather what belongings we could and get out. We later discovered that part of the ceiling in his room collapsed right where he had been sleeping.

To this day my friend still refers to me as the guy who saved his life. I cannot recall anyone to whom he has introduced me in the years since who has not heard him tell about that night in some form. When someone saves your life, you tend to remember it and express your gratitude. Do you think Lazarus ever forgot walking out of his tomb or the one who called him out?

For Mordecai’s and Esther’s life-saving intervention, however, a simple notation was made. That was followed by no parade, no party, and no promotion. As a matter of fact, a key promotion actually went to someone other than the heroic Mordecai, but we will get there in a moment.

From birth we condition ourselves for instant gratification and reward. Watch a toddler who does something funny, gets everyone to laugh, and then repeats that action 700 times trying to elicit the same reaction. I continue to be amazed at how often my children want to be rewarded for taking care of basic hygiene like bathing and brushing their teeth. “Dad, I flossed my teeth; can I stay up late and watch a movie?” Or “Dad, I cleaned my room; can we go to Disney World?” But doing the right thing should never be about immediate reward or recognition. If we shift to that mind-set, in fact, then we may quickly move to doing what is right when it is inspected and not doing what is right just because it is expected.

As a believer who lives in a corrupt and fallen world, do not be surprised if no one thanks you for being a Christian. As a pastor, I constantly remind our faith family that not everyone will love them just because they love Jesus. Not everyone wants to hear about Jesus or follow him. That reality, however, does not mean we should stop trying to serve others for their good. We’ve got to be OK with people failing to express gratitude. And that is not always easy. I am sure Mordecai may have thought to himself once or twice, Where was Haman when people were plotting to kill the king? I was the protector, but Haman was promoted.

We can experience an internal struggle when we see others get positions or awards or opportunities we believe we deserved or earned. But if, like Mordecai, you find yourself having done the right thing but no one offered fanfare in response, do not be discouraged. God is keeping detailed records, and all will be made right. Jesus says in Revelation 22:12, “Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work.” God’s timing is best, and he has purposes in our receiving from other people delayed or even no recognition at all. Above all, we do not strive to do what is right toward others because of their gratitude but because of his glory.

God Is Sovereign over Honor and Dishonor

Esther 3:1-6

Let us not seek our own honor or withhold it from others.

A nonbiblical proverb says, “No good deed goes unpunished.” In Mordecai’s case what happens next could also be described as “kicking a man when he is down” or “pouring salt in a wound” because of what is said about the lineage of Haman. In the opening verses of chapter 3, when we are expecting to read about Mordecai’s reward and promotion, we are told an Agagite is elevated to being second-in-command of the empire. For clarity, the author does not mean Haman is a graduate of Texas A&M University! What the author could mean is that Haman is a descendent of Agag, the king of the Amalekites whom Saul failed to kill (1 Sam 15:8-9) but whom Samuel “hacked . . . to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal” (1 Sam 15:33). Again, with this turn in the story, the movie critics in Jerusalem would be throwing tomatoes at the screen if the book of Esther were first presented as a film. Why? Because just when it seemed that something might go well for one of God’s people, good gets shown to someone who just might be a descendant of an enemy of God’s people.

Was Haman indeed related to Agag? In 1 Chronicles 4:42-43 we are told that five hundred descendants of Simeon combined with descendants of Ishi and “struck down the remnant of the Amalekites who had escaped.” With the death of Agag and this remnant, then, all the Amalekites would have been gone prior to Esther’s time frame. So did the author of Esther not have knowledge of these events? If we consider God’s part in writing both 1 Chronicles and Esther, then we know lack of knowledge is not a problem. Perhaps the author uses “Agagite” to say that “Haman is an enemy of the Jews by birth, and the enmity between Mordecai and Haman is tribal as well as personal” (Fox, Character and Ideology, 42). Fox’s proposal is one helpful way to understand what it means to be an Agagite even if not by direct blood lineage.

Because of the one who was promoted, Mordecai had a problem. Ahasuerus commanded all to honor Haman, but Mordecai refused to bow to him. We are not told what fuels Mordecai’s rebellion, but some commentary writers speculate on the subject. Lewis Paton suggests Mordecai was driven by arrogance and that his actions were “inexplicable” and “unreasonable” (A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Esther, 197). Fox, however, contends Paton’s portrayal “contradicts the book’s image of Mordecai as wise, provident, unassuming, and never pursuing personal honor” (Character and Ideology, 43). Others suggest Mordecai refused to bow before Haman because God told his people, “Do not have other gods besides me” (Exod 20:3). Mordecai, however, was not being asked to worship Haman, nor Ahasuerus for that matter, but to honor him.

Whatever his reasons Mordecai refused to waver from his rebellion. On its own Mordecai’s protest apparently escaped Haman’s notice, which means his defiance was not loud or particularly obvious. But a couple of guys who were up to no good started making trouble in Mordecai’s neighborhood. Some of the servants at the King’s Gate noticed Mordecai’s nonconformity and wanted to know his reason. Apparently, Mordecai was not seeking to start an empire-wide revolt because he did not try to recruit the servants to join him. Even after all their pestering, all the servants were able to ascertain was that Mordecai’s being a Jew had something to do with his refusal to bow. The table of obtaining important information at the King’s Gate and then passing it along to those in command was then turned on Mordecai.

When Haman found out Mordecai was disobeying the king’s command and thereby “disrespecting” him, Haman was full of rage. He was certainly not full of reason, as his next steps revealed. Instead of going to Mordecai and trying to resolve the matter calmly, Haman decided his honor had been so impugned that only a total genocide of the Jewish people could satisfy the trespass. (Yeah, that sounds about right.) The two questions that keep coming into my mind when I read this scene are, “Racist much?” and “React much?” I can also hear the crowd’s reaction to Zuckerman’s famous pig, Wilbur, of “That’s some pig” (E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web, 210) being transferred to Haman as “That’s some honor!” All that is missing is a spider spinning messages on her web in the corner of the King’s Gate describing Haman’s extraordinarily outsized sense of honor.

The details we really want are not supplied in the text. What was really driving Mordecai’s rebellion? What caused him to reveal what he had made sure Esther so diligently concealed—their heritage and ethnicity? As much as we may want to know his specific reasons, we cannot say what they were with certainty. Let’s commit right now that if we do something that threatens to get every other Christian in the world killed, we will be diligent to write down exactly what we did and why we did it!

Mordecai’s passivity was a problem in 2:8, and his passion seems to at least contribute to the problem in 3:1-6. But God used both Mordecai’s compliance and his complaint to put things in motion to ultimately accomplish God’s plan. He used both Haman’s desire to be honored and Mordecai’s refusal to honor to advance his purposes. We should consider the actions of both men as we examine our lives.

Like Haman, Are We Seeking Our Own Honor?

Seeing Haman’s reaction should cause us to consider how we react when people do not recognize the greatness we perceive in ourselves. To his dishonor, Haman overreacted horribly. But what do we do when people do not honor us as we feel we ought to be honored? Hopefully we do not choose the nuclear option of seeking not only to kill them but also all of those who share their ethnicity. Yet even though we may not desire to physically kill anyone, it could be that our anger burns within us like Haman’s did, and we murder those who disrespect us with our thoughts. If that is the case, then we are thinking too highly of ourselves.

Here are some additional questions we should consider to aid us in determining whether we too are honor hounds like Haman: (1) Are we in any way guilty of seeking our honor over God’s? (2) Are we seeking our honor to the detriment of those around us? (3) Are we more offended when our honor is impugned than when God’s is? I pray we will never be like those who “loved human praise more than praise from God” (John 12:43).

But aren’t there some situations in which we are supposed to be honored? For example, what if I am a parent of a teenager who seems to have never heard, “Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exod 20:12)? Don’t I have a right to be angry over disrespect? Prime and Begg contend, “God’s people have a unique capacity to sweeten or spoil our days, to thrill us or to cast us into the depths of depression” (On Being a Pastor, 281). Children are similar. When we actually deserve honor but are not receiving it, then demanding it will probably not increase any desire in the hearts of those who are withholding it. As both a parent and a pastor, I first ask myself on occasions in which I am disrespected, Am I acting honorably? Am I setting an example for both my family and my faith family “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity” (1 Tim 4:12)? If not, then I have no reason to expect honor.

But what do I do if I am not lording my authority over my children and I am striving to live honorably, but they still choose to disrespect me? I will leave the lengthy discussions of discipline and discipling to other helpful works on parenting and here just offer one thought from Paul Tripp:

If rules and regulations had the power to change the heart and life of your child, rescuing your child from himself and giving him a heart of submission and faith, Jesus would have never needed to come. (Parenting, 49)

His point is that we cannot expect the law to do what only grace can accomplish. Ahasuerus made a command that all were to honor Haman (3:2). In Persia apparently honor had to be demanded (1:2). But that command was powerless in creating a desire in Mordecai to be conformed to it. In the same way, if your children are withholding honor from you as their parent, make sure your confidence is not in the law informing them but in God’s grace transforming them. Keep praying, keep presenting the gospel in all its beauty and depth, and keep pointing them to the “presence and promises of God’s grace” (ibid., 54). If all goes well, they will see the impact God’s grace has in your life and will respond to it positively.

Like Mordecai, Are We Withholding Honor Where It Is Due?

When helping the church at Rome consider their responsibilities to political authorities, Paul wrote, “Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor” (Rom 13:7). To whom, then, do we owe honor? As we just mentioned, children are to honor their parents. And as believers we are to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom 12:10) and to “hold people like [Epaphroditus] in honor, because he came close to death for the work of Christ” (Phil 2:29-30). The elders who work hard at preaching and teaching in your faith family are “worthy of double honor” (1 Tim 5:17).

If you are a pastor reading this book and the people God has entrusted to you have failed to follow 1 Timothy 5:17, then I am sorry, and I pray the Lord is showing himself strong regardless. You should also know that discussing financial matters with your leadership group/elders/committee and seeking to provide for your family do not make you an unspiritual pastor.

Regarding the idea of showing honor to others, Peter provides two important passages. To husbands he says, “Live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker partner, showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered” (1 Pet 3:7). Not acting in an honorable way toward our wives or not treating them as equal recipients of God’s grace causes problems not just in our homes but in our relationship with God. As husbands our prayers can be hindered by acting dishonorably toward our spouses. Peter also says, “Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (1 Pet 2:17). Considering this, I ask, Why, Peter? Why did you have to use honor and the two e’s of everyone and emperor? Oh, that’s right! Because you were under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Mordecai lived before 1 Peter 2:17 was written. In his defense God had not breathed it out yet. Regardless, honor was due to Ahasuerus (though he was not honorable), and he demanded it be given to Haman as well. I will not try to dive deeper into Mordecai’s actions here, but I will ask us to assess our own. Are we withholding honor from anyone to whom it is due? If so, are we withholding it more out of convenience than conviction? Is it because we want to follow our preferences rather than the Lord’s precepts? Mordecai’s refusal to honor Haman would cause consequences for every Jew in the Persian Empire. The impact of our disobedience may not be as far-reaching as his, but it does not make our disobedience any less significant. Because God is sovereign over honor and dishonor, let us not seek our own honor or withhold it from those to whom it is due.

God Is Sovereign over Lots and Letters

Esther 3:7-15

Remember that no matter what his enemies plan, God will preserve his people.

A Date Is Set; a Decree Is Sent; Our Dad Is Sovereign (3:7-11)

When it comes to disciplining my children, there have been a few times when I ended up not doing what I said I was going to do. Sometimes I have relented because what I planned on doing was too drastic and my wife graciously helped me see that. In other instances, as time lengthened between what I declared and the moment of discipline, my desire to be as severe as I said dissipated. I take as much joy in having to discipline one of my children as I do in having to kill a snake that slithers into our yard (and I take absolutely no joy in that at all). In Haman’s wrath, however, there was no evidence he thought his plan to kill all the Jews was too drastic. And if left unimpeded, his disciplinary measures spelled doom for God’s people.

Phase one of Haman’s plan was to set a date. Picking the right date for a party can be difficult enough when trying to align everyone’s schedules and activities. But how does one pick a date for a genocide? Haman would rely on the pur, also known as a “lot.” And in case you do not say the phrase Pass the pur when playing board games, let me explain: What they used to discern the date of death may have been similar to our contemporary dice (William W. Hallo, “The First Purim,” 19–26). Through casting the lots, those gathered with Haman were able to determine that the twelfth month would be the most favorable day on which to slaughter the Jews. But we know something Haman and his cronies did not: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Prov 16:33). The date discerned by Haman, therefore, came not through the discretion of the gods but by the direction of God. A clear evidence of God’s grace is that while Haman began scheming during the first month of the year, the massacre was scheduled for the twelfth month. As every child eager for presents knows, there is a loooooooooooong time between January and December.

Once the date was confirmed, Haman had to convince Ahasuerus to annihilate an entire ethnic group in his empire. One would hope this would be difficult if not impossible. But what should not have been a piece of cake was one. Haman simply gave the king a bogus scenario full of generalities. He was not interested in presenting truth, just in being manipulative, which is not dissimilar to the way we frame stories to make our way seem best. (We are never guilty of leaving out details that would be detrimental to whatever we are trying to make happen, are we?) He provided no specifics about the people he considered dangerous to the king’s interests (except the lie that they were not keeping the king’s laws), and the king asked for none. Never let facts get in the way of gossip or greed!

What Haman was specific about was the amount of silver he would place in the king’s treasury if his plan was approved. This promise too was bogus. Gregory writes, “The bribe that Haman promises is something he will never be able to deliver, but the king apparently does not realize that” (Inconspicuous Providence, 63). Haman’s bribe would have been between half and two-thirds of the empire’s annual tax revenue, and unless Haman’s uncle was Scrooge McDuck, he probably did not have access to such funds. The king, who apparently was the most easily influenced, powerful person in the history of the world, told Haman to do what he wanted and gave him his ring to validate the decrees that would be sent out. Based on what we know of Ahasuerus, his lack of regard for human life is saddening but not surprising. The king granted permission for possibly thousands of Jews to be slaughtered, regardless of gender or age, by their neighbors.

Lives were on the line, and Ahasuerus was complicit rather than confrontational. Apparently, investigation might have led the king to indigestion, so he was content making decisions without hearing what Paul Harvey called “the rest of the story.” I pray you and I will never be so callous when eternal souls hang in the balance. Remember what the father in Proverbs 24 tells his son:

If you do nothing in a difficult time,

your strength is limited.

Rescue those being taken off to death,

and save those stumbling toward slaughter.

If you say, “But we didn’t know about this,”

won’t he who weighs hearts consider it?

Won’t he who protects your life know?

Won’t he repay a person according to his work? (Prov 24:10-12)

I tend to think about this text every year when churches are exhorted to consider the sanctity of life on a particular Sunday. No baby has ever driven himself or herself to an abortion clinic. No, every day in our world, babies are being taken off to death, and we are called to do something about it! When we stand before the Lord, we will not be able to pretend we did not know that something so horrific as abortion was happening every day in our country and around the globe.

It should jar us how easily a plan to eliminate an entire ethnicity of people was proposed and proclaimed. Lest we think this was just a problem for the ancients, remember the genocides in Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Cambodia, and Syria (“Modern Era Genocides”). And we dare not leave out the Holocaust! At the heart of each of these tragedies is one ethnic group seeking to exercise its self-perceived and self-proclaimed superiority over another. Satan is at work in all such instances, but in Haman’s case there was probably a particularly hellish influence seeking to annihilate the line from which the Messiah would come.

May none of those we shepherd find the slightest bit of support for any action bent on destroying men, women, and children based on ethnicity. Whether abortion or genocide is up for discussion, each person is formed in God’s image and therefore has value. Indeed, in Adam we are related to all other humans on our planet, but those of us in Christ are related more closely to a smaller group. In Adam and in Christ, our connectedness is determined by our natures. As believers, we should be pro-life in every way possible.

I do not believe those I shepherd will seek to eliminate an entire ethnicity. I am concerned, however, that some harbor thoughts of ethnic superiority in their hearts without even realizing it. In a recent sermon at Together for the Gospel, David Platt addressed the issue of racism with a particular focus on the relationships between white and African-American Christians. The merciless and slanderous reaction he received from critics on social media was overwhelming. But their tweets and posts do not make what he said any less true. As a means of working toward racial reconciliation, Platt offered these six applications: (1) Look at the reality of racism. (2) Live in true multiethnic community. (3) Listen to and learn from one another. (4) Love, and lay aside preferences for one another. (5) Leverage influence for justice in the present. (6) Long for the day when justice will be perfect (“Let Justice Roll Down like Waters: Racism and Our Need for Repentance”). For some in this world, life is cheap. But believers should know each person is created in God’s image. Strive to help those you shepherd work for the good of all people. All lives should matter to us.

Celebrating God’s Deliverance and Needing It Again (3:12-14)

The next phase of Haman’s demonic plan was to draft one of the most heinous decrees in history. The decree was to be translated into every script and language used in the empire. Haman wanted those he was targeting to know there would be no place to hide in Ahasuerus’s kingdom because even those living in its most remote areas would receive the decree. Wherever the Jews would go, all would know.

Having convinced the king, Haman no longer veils exactly what he wants done, to whom he wants it done, when he wants it done, who is to do it, or what they can gain by doing it. In the name of the king, Haman commands all people in the empire to completely annihilate every Jew regardless of gender or age. And after they kill the victim, the murderers can then take the dolly right out of the little girl’s hands, so to speak, working their way through her family’s belongings. To guard against a lack of clarity, Haman uses the terms “destroy, kill, and annihilate” to convey how passionately he wants the job done. If this vindictiveness really just started with Mordecai’s refusal to bow, I am not sure there has been a greater escalation of revenge known to man. Other than that it is a command from the king, no additional reasons are provided in the decree as to why everyone in the Persian Empire should turn on the Jews. Maybe they did not need any additional motivation.

Of all we could consider about the edict, I want to focus on two aspects of timing. First, on the day the Jews would have been preparing to celebrate God’s deliverance, they found themselves in need of him once again. The edict was drafted on the thirteenth day of the first month, which would have been the day before Passover. Each year God’s people remembered how he rescued their forefathers from the clutches of Pharaoh and then provided for them his law and land. Having to celebrate Passover outside the promised land was a good reminder to them of their disobedience and the Lord’s discipline. Perhaps receiving the edict on that particular day caused some to believe God had fully and finally abandoned his people and in eleven months they would meet their end. Certainly others would have been led to pray, “God, our death has been decreed and we are in need of you, our Deliverer, once again.”

If you have not read ahead in Esther’s story, I hate to spoil it for you, but God is going to deliver his people. We will leave those details for the discussions that are coming, but for now consider these two truths. (1) To do anything to the Jews, Haman did not need Ahasuerus’s permission but God’s, and he was not granting it. Duguid notes,

The people were ultimately not [Ahasuerus’s] to give into Haman’s power. They were God’s people, and He would not allow them to be destroyed at the whim of the empire. (Esther and Ruth, 41)

(2) Haman’s promised silver bought a decree, but it could not buy the demise of God’s people. Neither the silver given to Ahasuerus nor the silver coins given to Judas could thwart God’s purposes. All the bribes in the world will never be able to stop God from providing his Son with his bride, the church.

No One Will Stop God from Protecting and Preserving His People (3:15)

The second aspect of timing I want us to consider is the eleven months of waiting that God’s people would experience from the time the decree went out until the date set for the purge. After the decree was placed in the mail, Haman and Ahasuerus sat down to drink together. While they were celebrating, the citadel was in confusion, the Jews were concerned, and God was still in control! What Haman and Ahasuerus and not even Esther and Mordecai knew yet was that the Jews could say, “The reports of our deaths have been greatly exaggerated.”

That God’s people didn’t know how it would all turn out is what I want us to examine. It is one thing to hear the phrase cancer free after months (or years) of undergoing surgeries and treatments. But on the first day of diagnosis, even the most faithful believer may be tempted to be anxious and need to be reminded that we can cast our cares on God because God cares for us (1 Pet 5:7). In God’s providence only he knows the full plan; we do not. Yes, we know how Revelation ends, and yes, we have his promises, but a lot of details for our specific lives remain mysterious. God’s plan may involve our living, and it may involve our dying, but it will definitely involve our faith. The author of Hebrews reminds us that in God’s providence some are spared and some suffer greatly, but in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we are to remain faithful (Heb 11:32–12:3). So even though we do not know God’s full plan or how our specific situations will turn out, we can trust God fully. Like Habakkuk, we must be able to say,

Though the fig tree does not bud

and there is no fruit on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

and the fields produce no food,

though the flocks disappear from the pen

and there are no herds in the stalls,

yet I will celebrate in the Lord;

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

The Lord my Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like those of a deer

and enables me to walk on mountain heights! (Hab 3:17-19)

What can help us trust God even in our waiting? What can fuel our faithfulness? Considering his.

As a church staff we read through a chapter in Psalms to start our weekly meetings. In recent weeks we read Psalms 105 and 106, and in both the psalmist is recalling God’s deliverance of his people. The psalmist reminds his readers that God “remembers his covenant forever” (105:8), “He sent Moses” (105:26), “he brought Israel out with silver and gold” (105:37), “He spread a cloud as covering” (105:39), “He opened a rock, and water gushed out” (105:41), “He brought his people out with rejoicing” (105:43), and “He saved them from the power of the adversary; he redeemed them from the power of the enemy” (106:10). Considering these works of God leads the psalmist to say, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Hallelujah!” (Ps 106:48). Even in our times of waiting, we can be empowered to trust the Lord not by considering our previous faithfulness but by recalling his. He is always working in our waiting even if it is not always evident. As Thomas Watson encourages, “God is to be trusted when his providences seem to run contrary to his promises” (A Body of Divinity, 112). And as is noted so clearly in Psalms 105 and 106 and eventually in Esther, no one will ever be able to stop God from protecting and preserving his people. We know no one will crush his church (Acts 12).

Conclusion

Make no mistake, in Esther 2:19–3:15 God’s people found themselves in the same position we have always found ourselves in since the garden of Eden. A decree of death hangs over us from which we cannot deliver ourselves. Far worse than Mordecai’s refusal to honor Haman is our refusal to honor the Lord. We have not desired to give him the glory and honor he is due but instead have chosen to live for our own glory. We thus stand in need of rescue from our rebellion. God alone can save his people, and he has chosen to do so at great cost. Though Haman used his money to purchase death, God uses Christ’s death to purchase life. No greater price has been paid for liberation, and that price has been paid in full.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Why is doing what is right for people who have done us wrong so difficult? How can the gospel fuel our obedience here?
2. Why do we so easily seek earthly rewards and forget about kingdom rewards? How can we give more consideration to the eternal rather than the temporal?
3. Why do you think we’re surprised when, after walking in obedience, we seem to be rewarded with struggle?
4. In what ways do we treat God as if he owes us? How can the gospel free us from thinking we are owed something after doing what we should be doing all along?
5. How can we minimize our personal desires to be honored and maximize our interest in God’s honor?
6. How can we demonstrate compassion even to those who conspire against us?
7. How can recalling God’s faithfulness in the past fuel our trust and faithfulness in the present?
8. In what practical ways can we join Paul in saying, “My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all courage, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death” (Phil 1:20)?
9. The Jews would have certainly been tempted to be fearful and anxious because of the decree. What, if anything, are we as Christians currently fearful or anxious about? How can we cast our cares on him?
10. In what ways are you demonstrating that you are pro-life?