Haman’s Plot against the Jews

Esther 3:5-15 NLT
⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. ⁶ He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
⁷ So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.
⁸ Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king. So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live. ⁹ If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”
¹⁰ The king agreed, confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.”
¹² So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.
¹⁴ A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. ¹⁵ At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

Examine the Scriptures
Esther 3:5-15 NLT

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. 

This is the picture of an arrogant, power-hungry, selfish, prideful, sinful man.

Some commentaries, not all commentaries, believe this was a hatred that was passed down through generations that existed between the Jews and the Amalekites.

• When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. 

⁶ He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.

• Haman wanted to kill all of the Jews living throughout the Persian Empire.

This would include the Jews in Palestine.  The Jews in Palestine were faithful to the Lord, worshipping in the rebuilt temple and living according to the law.

Cyrus was a king of Persia who ruled between 539—530 BC. Though he was a pagan king, he was important to Jewish history because during his reign, the Jews were allowed to return to Israel after 70 years of captivity. The Jews had rebuilt temple and were using it as a place of worship.

• Palestine was a province of the Persian Empire. 

⁷ So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.

Haman was extremely superstitious (this was true for many Persians) and was allowing fate, by the casting of the lot, to dictate his move against the Jewish nation.

• Lots were cast to determine the best day and month for the execution of the Jews to take place.

At this point Esther would have been Queen of Persia for five years.

Even here God was working to protect his chosen people.  The Jews would have nearly a year to prepare themselves for this event.

Proverbs 16:33 NLT
³³ We may throw the dice, (cast lots)
but the Lord determines how they fall.

• We see God was working here to protect his chosen people. The Jews would have nearly a year to prepare themselves for this event.

The Hebrews used lots on occasion to determine God’s will in certain circumstances.

Leviticus 16:8-10 NLT
⁸ He is to cast sacred lots to determine which goat will be reserved as an offering to the Lord and which will carry the sins of the people to the wilderness of Azazel. ⁹ Aaron will then present as a sin offering the goat chosen by lot for the Lord. ¹⁰ The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the Lord. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the Lord.

Nehemiah 10:34 NLT
³⁴ “We have cast sacred lots to determine when—at regular times each year—the families of the priests, Levites, and the common people should bring wood to God’s Temple to be burned on the altar of the Lord our God, as is written in the Law.

⁸ Then Haman approached King Xerxes and said, “There is a certain race of people scattered through all the provinces of your empire who keep themselves separate from everyone else. Their laws are different from those of any other people, and they refuse to obey the laws of the king.

“A certain race of people”

Haman does not divulge the identity of this certain race of people.

 “Who keep themselves separate from everyone else.”

Jews basically resisted integration into secular communities, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Their laws are different.”

Jews had unique dietary restrictions and unique religious customs.

• Haman falsely accused all of this certain race of people (the Jews) of refusing to obey the king’s laws. 

So it is not in the king’s interest to let them live.  

This is a false conclusion.

The Jews keeping themselves separate from everyone else and laws different from those of any other people was no real threat to the Persian Empire.

The Persians generally allowed for other cultural and religious differences. 

⁹ If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”

• Haman suggested to the king that he issue a decree that all of this certain race of people (the Jews) would be destroyed.

• Haman said that he himself was willing to bear the costs of carrying out this decree.

Haman’s hatred toward the Jews was irrational.

Haman was bribing the king.

An enormous amount, possible 750,000 pounds, worth millions of dollars in our current currency.

This should have made the king suspicious of Haman’s actions.

Haman must have been a man of immense wealth.

¹⁰ The king agreed,

Again, King Xerxes was easily influenced by his officials.

The king was being manipulated.

• King Xerxes appears to be easily influenced by his officials.

confirming his decision by removing his signet ring from his finger and giving it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.  

• King Xerxes gave Haman complete control over these official policies.

Five times in the book of Esther, Haman is called “the enemy of the Jews”.

¹¹ The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.” 

Haman is clearly calling all the shots at this point in time.

¹² So on April 17 the king’s secretaries were summoned, and a decree was written exactly as Haman dictated. It was sent to the king’s highest officers, the governors of the respective provinces, and the nobles of each province in their own scripts and languages. The decree was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 

• A decree to execute all of the Jews in the Persian Empire was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king’s signet ring.

• A decree sealed with the king’s signet ring was irrevocable. 

¹³ Dispatches were sent by swift messengers into all the provinces of the empire, giving the order that all Jews—young and old, including women and children—must be killed, slaughtered, and annihilated on a single day.

• Haman intended to rid the world of God’s covenant people.

This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.

This would serve as incentive for the would-be executioners.

• Haman provided an incentive for the executioners to kill the Jews.

¹⁴ A copy of this decree was to be issued as law in every province and proclaimed to all peoples, so that they would be ready to do their duty on the appointed day. 

• This plan to execute all of the Jews in the Persian Empire was fully endorsed by the King.

¹⁵ At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink,

• The foolish king and wicked Haman celebrated this occasion.

but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

• This extreme and deadly racism, ruthless and unjust behavior, was out of character for the Persian population.