HealingStrong's Around the Word

Episode 48 - The Esther Series: The Feud Between Mordecai and Haman (Esther 3:1-6 NIV)

• HealingStrong • Episode 48

Share episode

We explore Esther 3:1-6, examining the ancient conflict between Mordecai and Haman that threatens to escalate into genocide against the Jews throughout the Persian Empire.

• Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman despite the king's command, openly identifying himself as a Jew
• Haman is identified as an Agagite, revealing the historical enmity between Jews and Amalekites
• Ancient conflict dates back to when the Amalekites first attacked Israel after crossing the Red Sea
• God had pronounced judgment on the Amalekites in Exodus 17, declaring their memory would be blotted out
• King Saul's failure to fully destroy the Amalekites and King Agag created lasting consequences
• Mordecai and Haman represent a continuation of the Benjamite versus Agagite conflict
• Haman's rage at Mordecai's defiance leads him to plot genocide against all Jews
• Mordecai's open declaration of his Jewish identity challenges believers to be more forthright about their faith

Suggested Resources:

BIBLE PLAN - Trusting God's Plan When You Don't See Him: Lessons From the Book of Esther

PODCAST - Genesis to Revelation Bible Reading

TOOLS - Refresh Your Spirit through God's Word


Please visit our website at healingstrong.org to learn more about our mission and community groups.

HELP US GROW:

Your donation enables us to continue offering this podcast and other resources for free supporting those facing cancer and chronic illness, caregivers and others. Every donation makes a big difference. Please donate here.

Speaker 1:

So this didn't just happen one time. He decided to not do it. It's multiple days that he's doing this, but he refused to comply. Therefore, they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. Hi, my name is Cheryl and you're listening to Healing Strong's Around the Word. We're friends sitting around the table who love the Lord and love digging deep into His Word. Each day you'll hear me reading a Bible passage and then we'll chat about what we're learning from it. Today's passage is from Esther 3, verses 1-6. So join us Around the Word. Esther 3, verses 1-6.

Speaker 1:

After these events, king Xerxes honored Haman, son of Hamadatha the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. All the royal officials at the king's gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him, but Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. Then the royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai why do you disobey the king's command Day after day? They spoke to him, but he refused to comply. Therefore, they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them. He was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay a monar, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead, haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

Speaker 1:

That was our Bible reading for today. Now let's see what Susie, jeff, angie and myself were discussing Around the Word. We were reading about that murder plot that Mordecai had revealed, and Esther got word to the king. So today, first thing we see is, after these events, king Xerxes honored Haman. He didn't honor Mordecai. What in the world are you thinking?

Speaker 2:

That's just that's extraordinarily strange, in my opinion, that the king knows that this man named Mordecai has saved him from a murder plot and he doesn't bring him to the palace to give him an honor or give him gold or some kind of award or anything. The next thing we hear about is Haman getting promoted.

Speaker 1:

And we don't know when it says after these events. We don't know how long after these events were, we don't know if it's one of those. The king was busy said write it. They wrote it down in the records but he's like I'll get to that later and then forgot. I mean, I have no idea. I agree with you. You would think they would have done something.

Speaker 1:

It's providence yeah it's a part of the plan but then, um, funny that now this guy, haman, son of Hamadatha, that agagite we're going to come back to that in just a minute, but that's very key that they say that he is an agagite he is being elevated and given a seat of honor higher than all of the other nobles. So Haman has done something that Xerxes wants to put him up on a pedestal and parade him around. What are y'all thinking about?

Speaker 3:

this. You know, just the very fact that Mordecai would not kneel down to pay him honor is what the word says, and you know for him he was not going to pay him honor. It didn't matter that the king had, you know, lifted Haman up.

Speaker 1:

Mordecai, in his own heart, wasn't going to pay Haman any honor, and I wonder why, though and I read something this time we like to read the scripture. You don't hear us doing it, but right before we record, we read it one more time to ourselves and see if we see anything. What I found interesting is we have a situation where Haman's being honored. When he goes walking around town, everyone's supposed to go bow down to him, and this was commanded by the king, by Xerxes himself, but it says Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. Well, we're all probably wondering why is that?

Speaker 1:

As we further go down in verse three, then the royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai. So they go to him, want to know what's going on. Why do you disobey the king's command? And it says they said day after day, they spoke to him. So this didn't just happen one time. He decided to not do it. It's multiple days that he's doing this, but he refused to comply. Therefore, they told Haman about it, to see whether Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. That's the thing I'd never noticed before. Mordecai himself told them. It's not like he was going around wearing Jewish garb or clothing so that they could see he was a Jew. After all, he was telling Esther she needed to be quiet about her nationality. He probably was too, but at this point he's not bowing down.

Speaker 3:

You know what I think about when I read that. How many times have we as Christians not done something that maybe the world is doing and we've not stood up and said this is why I don't do it, because I'm a follower of Christ.

Speaker 1:

Yes, we just don't do it. We hope that they assume they'll know why.

Speaker 4:

And he's realized, probably, that Haman is an agagite. There's some history there between the Jewish people and this Agagite with his family ancestral line.

Speaker 1:

I think that has a big portion to why he might not be bowing down Do we want to talk about the Agagites.

Speaker 2:

Let's go there. Well, the Agagites named after King Agag, which was way back in time, years and years ago, he was the king over the Amalekites. That was the group of people the Jewish people, the Hebrews when they had come out of Egypt, remember when God had parted the waters of the Red Sea and they had gone through the sea in such a miraculous way. Well, the Amalekites were the first to attack the Jewish people, and so there was a curse placed on them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that God would blot out the memory of the Amalekites. If you want to find out more about this story particularly, it is in Exodus 17. And at that point there was a battle that occurred, joshua, that we later know from the book of Joshua. He was down battling the Amalekites, like on the battleground, and up on a hill or a mountain was Moses, who was holding his hands up, and as long as his arms were raised up in the air, the Israelites were winning in the battle, but anytime he dropped his arms then they were losing. So if you've ever heard that story of them, moses, raising his arms during a battle, that's where this comes from.

Speaker 1:

Later on, and Moses had two other people that had to hold his arms up too, which you could go down a sermon illustration rabbit hole alone, because you know, when we're in a battle, we have to usually have other people come alongside us in prayer and lift us up.

Speaker 1:

It's hard to do it on your own, but in Moses, as great of a leader as he was, couldn't even do it on his own. He had to have people holding him up to do it. But at the end of that battle God wanted them to write this it says in Exodus 17, verse 14,. Then the Lord said to Moses write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. And then Moses built an altar and called it the Lord is my banner. So if you've ever heard this name of God called Jehovah Nisi, that means the Lord is my banner. So if you've ever heard this name of God called Jehovah Nisi, that means the Lord is my banner, the Lord is my victory. That is where that story comes from.

Speaker 2:

But we know that the Amalekites were not destroyed at that point in time and they were not blotted out because we're reading about them today. And why is that? Well, there's one other story we can talk about.

Speaker 1:

Yes, it comes from 1 Samuel and it is about King Saul, the first king of Israel. He was also battling the Amalekites at this point.

Speaker 2:

And it may be important or we like to notice things like that. Saul the first king, as you just mentioned, was from the tribe of Benjamin and we remember that Mordecai today is from the tribe of Benjamin and, of course, benjamin was the smallest of the 12 tribes of Israel. So we know that back when King Saul was reigning he faced a battle with the Amalekites and the Lord had told him destroy the king and all the people and destroy their cattle, destroy everything. And we read, we learned that King Saul disobeyed and he did not kill the king, that was King Agag. He spared him and they didn't kill all of the cattle and all the they plundered.

Speaker 1:

They took the plunder because he thought well, that was good, we're going to give that to the Lord. So he in his own mind, thought he was obeying to a certain point of view.

Speaker 2:

But that scripture is strong in the message of your obedience is what I want, not your sacrifice. You know Saul was trying to say well, I took all their animals in so that we can sacrifice them to you, lord. But the Lord said to him I want your obedience to my word. That's more important than your sacrifice. So we come back here then, hundreds of years later, to this story where there's an Agagite comes from Amalekite that is facing a Benjamite. So it's Haman versus Mordecai.

Speaker 4:

And the plot thickens.

Speaker 1:

And I do have to say, for anyone reading and diving into that story from 1 Samuel, is that, although Saul did not kill King Agag that day, the prophet then went and did it. Samuel himself went and killed King Agag. So you're probably like well then, how do we have any descendants? They believe that probably one of his kids got away or somebody there might have been a wife or someone that was pregnant at the time that his seed later continued on. So that's why, years later, we still have I hate to say it racial hatred because of what happened in the past, and Haman is holding on to this. Haman is a mortal enemy, haman is a mortal enemy of the Jews.

Speaker 1:

Lots of interesting discussion today and I love all the backstory that we're learning about Haman and what was creating this person and this hatred in him. It's very interesting. So I hope you were really listening in and thank you so much for joining us for Healing Strong's Around the Word podcast. I hope you were encouraged to read God's Word and dig in yourself and explore and see what it says. Visit us at healingstrongorg where you're going to find out more about our mission and our community groups. Until next time, remember faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.