Esther 3 - Haman's Conspiracy

Esther 3 - Haman's Conspiracy

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A. Haman determines to destroy the Jews

1. (1) Haman's promotion

a. Haman is a descendant of Agag, who was the king of the Amalekites, and Israel's sworn enemy for generations. (Exodus 17:14-16)

2. (2-3) Mordecai's refusal to bow before Haman or to pay him homage

a. This does not seem to be because the people of God refused to bow before political leaders as a sign of respect, not worship (Genesis 18:2; 23:7; 43:26; Exodus 18:7; 2 Samuel 16:4)

b. Rather, Mordecai must know something about this man Haman, which persuades him that Haman is unworthy of such honor - perhaps simply his ancestry

i. "No self-respecting Benjaminite would bow before a descendant of the ancient Amalekite enemy of the Jews." (Huey)

3. (4-6) The wounded pride of Haman drives him to seek retribution against not only Mordecai, but against all of Mordecai's people - the Jews

a. Haman is an extremely proud and insecure man; he can only consider himself a success if everyone else thinks he is a success

4. (7) Haman casts a lot (a pur) to determine the exact date he will strike out against the Jews, the people of Mordecai

a. What Haman refuses to consider is that there is a God in heaven; a God that Mordecai pleases and honors, and a God that Haman rebels against. Haman acts as if everything happens by human ingenuity and chance, and that God has nothing to do with the affairs of men

B. Haman tells his plot to the king

1. (8-9) Haman's proposal to king Ahasuerus

a. Haman's charge was the most dangerous possible; it was a half-truth. Yes, the Jews were a certain people scattered and dispersed; and yes they had their own laws. But their own laws, to this point, did not keep them from keeping the kings laws as loyal subjects

b. In fact, Mordecai's refusal to bow before Haman was not based on the law of God, but on the principle of personal integrity - something Haman was almost completely unfamiliar with

c. Haman's suggestion: to wipe out this certain people in an act of genocide; Haman also neglects to tell king Ahasuerus how many of these certain people there are in his kingdom; Ahasuerus probably considers this a relatively small-time operation

d. Haman also paves the way for his request by bribery; he promises the king ten thousand talents of silver (somewhere between three and four million dollars)

e. This money was not coming from Haman's pocket; it would be obtained from the property of slaughtered Jews

2. (10-11) The king agrees to the plan

a. Again, king Ahasuerus probably has no idea what he is agreeing to; he probably believes that he is agreeing to the execution of a handful of dangerous revolutionaries in his kingdom

3. (12-15) The decree is published

a. An empire-wide death sentence on the Jews is announced by the king; this is like Hitler's holocaust of the Jews, but announced well in advance

b. While the king sits down to drink, thinking he has done well (not knowing what he has done), so does Haman, thinking he has done well (knowing exactly what he has done) - but the city of Sushan, the capital, is in confusion - how could such a thing be decreed?

i. The citizens of the empire knew Jews in their midst, and had no problem with them; they are confused that such a decree could come forth, declaring that these Jews are dangerous enemies

c. Again, all this comes to pass because of the insecurity and wounded pride of one wicked man - Haman