Attention: The order of Esther Chapter's 3 and 4 have been mistakenly reversed. Posted below is Chapter 3, as Chapter 4 was taught last Sunday. While we apologize for our error, the misordered chapters and the timing of chapter 3 really fall in line with current middle east events. The Lord is in control. Thanks for your understanding.
Bobservations' Column
Titled - "The Agagite's Plot"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Murphy’s Law says, “If something can go wrong, it will.” It has nothing to do with Sacred Scripture, but Sacred Scripture has plenty of examples of it as it covers the plans of men.
Two weeks ago, I had to cancel Sunday service due to illness. I was ready to teach Esther 3 when I realized I could not speak. In preparing last week’s study, Chapter 3 was completed in my mind, so I prepared for Chapter 4. Murphy’s Law struck because my plans were incomplete. This week, we are going back to pick up Chapter 3, and I’m glad we can do this, because Chapter 3 leads to as much a turning point for Esther, as we saw happen in Iran this past week. The history of that region today is following the history of Ancient Persia. The leaders have not learned the lessons of the past and are repeating them.
Among the most ancient of lands, the Land of Elam takes us back to the days following the Flood of Noah. Genesis 10 lists the name Elam as a son of Shem, and a grandson of Noah. Elam’s descendants inhabited that land after the flood, beginning about 2,000 BC (Genesis 10: 21,22). That’s 19 generations before even Abraham came from that same bloodline of Shem.
The capital of Elam was Susa, along today’s Persian Gulf, north and west of the Strait of Hormuz. The Medes came along about 650 BC, occupying the mountainous region northwest of Elam.
Nonetheless, as the Elamites and Medes shared their region, the Elamites held to the lowlands of the south, and the Medes took to the highlands to the northwest. Eventually, the line between them was blurred, and they became a blended people, and they are inextricably connected to modern Iran. While the Elamites were absorbed into Persia, it was the Medo-Persian Empire’s combined forces that defeated Babylon. The mountainous region of Elam became Kurdistan, and the lowlands became Persian, which changed its name to Iran in 1935 AD.
This was the norm among tribes and nations: “Conquer, or be conquered.” But it is clear that Iran’s blended bloodline includes Shem’s, which is the bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus.
Titled - "The Agagite's Plot"
Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Murphy’s Law says, “If something can go wrong, it will.” It has nothing to do with Sacred Scripture, but Sacred Scripture has plenty of examples of it as it covers the plans of men.
Two weeks ago, I had to cancel Sunday service due to illness. I was ready to teach Esther 3 when I realized I could not speak. In preparing last week’s study, Chapter 3 was completed in my mind, so I prepared for Chapter 4. Murphy’s Law struck because my plans were incomplete. This week, we are going back to pick up Chapter 3, and I’m glad we can do this, because Chapter 3 leads to as much a turning point for Esther, as we saw happen in Iran this past week. The history of that region today is following the history of Ancient Persia. The leaders have not learned the lessons of the past and are repeating them.
Among the most ancient of lands, the Land of Elam takes us back to the days following the Flood of Noah. Genesis 10 lists the name Elam as a son of Shem, and a grandson of Noah. Elam’s descendants inhabited that land after the flood, beginning about 2,000 BC (Genesis 10: 21,22). That’s 19 generations before even Abraham came from that same bloodline of Shem.
The capital of Elam was Susa, along today’s Persian Gulf, north and west of the Strait of Hormuz. The Medes came along about 650 BC, occupying the mountainous region northwest of Elam.
Nonetheless, as the Elamites and Medes shared their region, the Elamites held to the lowlands of the south, and the Medes took to the highlands to the northwest. Eventually, the line between them was blurred, and they became a blended people, and they are inextricably connected to modern Iran. While the Elamites were absorbed into Persia, it was the Medo-Persian Empire’s combined forces that defeated Babylon. The mountainous region of Elam became Kurdistan, and the lowlands became Persian, which changed its name to Iran in 1935 AD.
This was the norm among tribes and nations: “Conquer, or be conquered.” But it is clear that Iran’s blended bloodline includes Shem’s, which is the bloodline of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus.
“In Isaac shall thy seed be called…” (Hebrews 1:18; Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7)
Bobservations' Column: Audio Version
Sunday Morning Message:
Esther 3:1-15 - "The Agagite's Plot"
Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:
In the last study we were introduced to a rather lovely character by the name of Esther. Under the direction of her guardian, Mordecai, she arose from obscurity to become queen in the Medo-Persian Empire. God's providence. After a yearlong preparation period Esther was chosen by King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) to become his queen, and a great feast was proclaimed throughout the empire. Esther was happy, the king was happy and everything was going swimmingly.
Throughout this whole book we shall see that King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) makes very poor decisions. Choosing Haman, the Agagite, to be the highest in command in the king's court, is a glaring example of this.
This week, in chapter 3, we are introduced to the nasty villain, Haman. Haman was a proud and ambitious man who demanded that everyone bow down to him as a sign of respect. Those refusing, well, we will see just how far this hateful man is willing to go to punish the offender. When Mordecai refuses to bow, citing his identity as a Jew, this triggers Haman's fury, exposing his true nature and his pure hatred of an entire race.
As Esau hated Jacob, so Amalek hated Israel and so Haman hates Mordecai and the Jews. In fact, Haman is so full of rage that Mordecai will not bow down to him that he forms a plan to not only destroy Mordecai himself, but the entire Jewish population! Sound familiar. The same scenario is playing out today.
The types in verses 5 and 6 are hopefully clear. We have seen above that Haman is an Amalekite - the sworn enemy of Israel. You may remember from other studies that Amalek speaks of the flesh - that sinful self-centered old nature that we all possess. Thus, the conflict here between Haman and Mordecai gives us a glimpse of that which battles in our own hearts - the conflict between flesh and spirit. This battle may be internal and unseen to those around us, yet it is as real as the conflict that we see brewing in these first verses in Esther chapter 3. Mordecai then, is a picture of the Holy Spirit who will not bow down or give any ground to Haman, the sinful old nature. The two will always be in conflict:
"And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: for he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation" (Exodus 17:16).
On a prophetic level, Haman is a type of the Antichrist still to come. Whether it is Haman, Antiochus Epiphanies, Adolph Hitler, the Ayatollahs or the Antichrist himself, the goal is always the same - kill the Jews! Thus, it is no surprise that we read that "Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai." And thus, unfortunately, it shall happen again. In a very sobering prophecy Jesus directly warned the Jews in Judea (and indirectly all believers on earth at that time) to flee for their lives when they see the 'abomination of desolation' for ' then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-- and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21-22). We shall see more about the prophetic implications of this book later on in the series. But for now, let's return to the drama at hand!
Sunday Morning Audio Message: Upcoming!
Throughout this whole book we shall see that King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) makes very poor decisions. Choosing Haman, the Agagite, to be the highest in command in the king's court, is a glaring example of this.
This week, in chapter 3, we are introduced to the nasty villain, Haman. Haman was a proud and ambitious man who demanded that everyone bow down to him as a sign of respect. Those refusing, well, we will see just how far this hateful man is willing to go to punish the offender. When Mordecai refuses to bow, citing his identity as a Jew, this triggers Haman's fury, exposing his true nature and his pure hatred of an entire race.
As Esau hated Jacob, so Amalek hated Israel and so Haman hates Mordecai and the Jews. In fact, Haman is so full of rage that Mordecai will not bow down to him that he forms a plan to not only destroy Mordecai himself, but the entire Jewish population! Sound familiar. The same scenario is playing out today.
The types in verses 5 and 6 are hopefully clear. We have seen above that Haman is an Amalekite - the sworn enemy of Israel. You may remember from other studies that Amalek speaks of the flesh - that sinful self-centered old nature that we all possess. Thus, the conflict here between Haman and Mordecai gives us a glimpse of that which battles in our own hearts - the conflict between flesh and spirit. This battle may be internal and unseen to those around us, yet it is as real as the conflict that we see brewing in these first verses in Esther chapter 3. Mordecai then, is a picture of the Holy Spirit who will not bow down or give any ground to Haman, the sinful old nature. The two will always be in conflict:
"And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: for he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation" (Exodus 17:16).
On a prophetic level, Haman is a type of the Antichrist still to come. Whether it is Haman, Antiochus Epiphanies, Adolph Hitler, the Ayatollahs or the Antichrist himself, the goal is always the same - kill the Jews! Thus, it is no surprise that we read that "Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai." And thus, unfortunately, it shall happen again. In a very sobering prophecy Jesus directly warned the Jews in Judea (and indirectly all believers on earth at that time) to flee for their lives when they see the 'abomination of desolation' for ' then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now-- and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21-22). We shall see more about the prophetic implications of this book later on in the series. But for now, let's return to the drama at hand!
Sunday Morning Audio Message: Upcoming!
Key Words and Definitions with Reference:
After these things (3:1) - Sometime between the seventh (2:16) and twelfth year (3:7) of the king's reign.
Haman . . . the Agagite (3:1) - Haman was an Agagite and the son of Hammedatha. Haman was likely a descendent of Agag, king of the Amalekites, long-time enemies of the Jewish people. Haman was married to a woman named Zeresh, and they had ten sons. Haman, is a central villain in the book of Esther, was the high-ranking minister to Persian King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) who plotted to annihilate all Jews in the empire. He sought revenge against Mordecai, a Jew who refused to bow to him, but was ultimately hanged on his own gallows.
Bowed Not (3:2) - Mordecai refused to bow because the act constituted idolatrous worship that violated the first commandment and because honoring an Amalekite enemy contradicted God’s covenant mandate. His allegiance to Yahweh overrode imperial decree, modeling faithful resistance that preserved God’s people and advanced redemptive history.
He was a Jew (3:4) - Originally, God’s chosen people were known as the Hebrews. Later, after they settled in the Promised Land and formed a nation, they were known as the Israelites. The term “Jew” did not come into use until after the ten northern tribes were exiled to Assyria and Judah was exiled to Babylon. In the later stages of the captivity (Esther) and in the early stages of the return to the land of Israel (Ezra and Nehemiah), the tribe of Judah was dominant. The word Jew developed as a shortening of the word Judah. But the word Jew was used as a descriptor for more than just the tribe of Judah. The dominance of the tribe of Judah in the return to the Promised Land resulted in all of the Israelites, people from all 12 of the tribes, being referred to as “Jews.”
It seems evident, from Haman's fury and attempted genocide, that there were strong anti-Semitic attitudes in Shushan, which seems to explain Mordecai's reluctance to reveal his true ethnic background.
The People of Mordecai (3:6) - The Jews. Haman was being satanically influenced and used to target the entire Jewish race in an unsuccessful attempt to change the course of redemptive history and God's plans for Israel.
Destroy all the Jews (3:6) - Haman had apparently such delusions of grandeur that he craved worship as a divinity. He realized that not only Mordecai but also the Jews as a people would refuse him the worship he desired. Therefore, he determined to stamp out the Jews and their monotheistic religion altogether.
Nisan (3:7) - The time period March/April. Ironically, the Jews should have been celebrating the Passover to remind them of a former deliverance.
Twelfth Year (3:7) - circa 474 B.C.
They Cast (3:7) - Haman's court advisers made decisions superstitiously based on astrology and casting of lots.
Pur . . . Lot (3:7) - A lot would be like modern dice which were cast to determine future decisions (cf. Hebrew lot, 1 Chronicles 26:14; Nehemiah 10:34; Jonah 1:7). Proverbs 16:33 states that God providentially controlled the outcome of the lot.
Adar (3:7) - February/March. There would have been an eleven-month interval between Haman's decree and its expected fulfillment.
A Certain People (3:8) - It may be significant that Haman did not reveal that this "certain people" were the Jews. He may have been afraid that Ahasuerus (Xerxes) would remember the earlier decrees of Cyrus and Darius favoring the Jews, and possibly also remember the honored position that Daniel - also a Jew - had held in the courts of two Persian kings (Ezra1:2-3; 6:11-12; Daniel 6:25-28).
Ten Thousand Talents (3:9) - The exact dollar amount is uncertain, but reportedly it would have weighed 375 toms and equaled almost 70 percent of the king's annual revenue. Since this sum would have been derived from the plunder of the Jews, it indicates that they had grown prosperous. Haman was evidently the wealthiest man in Persia, and Ahasuerus had dipped heavily into his own resources in financing his ill-fated Grecian campaign. No doubt one reason for the king's promotion of Haman was this wealth, which he coveted. Haman thus agreed, in effect, to make up personally any lost income that might otherwise have been received from the Jews. Whether monarchy or democracy, men of wealth have often been able to manipulate political leaders by controlling their financial resources.
Sealed . . . King's Ring (3:12) - Equivalent to the king's signature. The date has been calculated by historians to be April 7, 474 B.C.
To Destroy (3:13) - An ambitious plot to annihilate the Jews in just one day. Historians have calculated the date to be March 7, 473 B.C. The king had unwittingly approved this provision which would kill his own queen.
For a Commandment (3:14) - As Law. It would be irrevocable.
Perplexed (3:15) - No specific reason is state. Most likely, even this pagan population was puzzled at the extreme and deadly racism of the king and Haman.
