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<h2><a onclick="return mV('Est',3,'1-');">Est 3</a> - Haman’s Conspiracy</h2>
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<p>A. Haman determines to destroy the Jews.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Est',3,1);">1</a>) Haman’s promotion.</p>
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<p class="c2">After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who <i>were </i>with him.</p>
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<p class="c4"><span>a</span>. <b><span class="c3">King Ahasuerus promoted Haman</span></b>: Haman was an ungodly man, but God had a purpose in allowing him to be promoted.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite</span></b>: Haman was a descendant of Agag, who was the king of the Amalekites, the people who were Israel’s sworn enemy for generations (<a onclick="return mV('Exd',17,'14-16');">Exd 17:14-16</a>).</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Est',3,'2-3');">2-3</a>) Mordecai’s refusal to bow before Haman or to pay him homage.</p>
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<p class="c2">And all the king’s servants who <i>were </i>within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. Then the king’s servants who <i>were </i>within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?”</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Mordecai would not bow or pay homage</span></b>: There does not seem to be a Biblical command against bowing or paying homage to a political leader as a sign of respect (<a onclick="return mV('Gen',18,2);">Gen 18:2</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Gen',23,7);">23:7</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Gen',43,26);">43:26</a>; <a onclick="return mV('Exd',18,7);">Exd 18:7</a>; <a onclick="return mV('2Sa',16,4);">2Sa 16:4</a>). Rather, Mordecai must know something about this man Haman, which persuades him that Haman is unworthy of such honor - perhaps simply his ancestry.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. “No self-respecting Benjaminite would bow before a descendant of the ancient Amalekite enemy of the Jews.” (Huey)</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Why do you transgress the king’s command?</span></b> We do not read of a specific command from King Ahasuerus that all had to bow before Haman. Perhaps the command was implied in the promotion he received (<a onclick="return mV('Est',3,1);">Est 3:1</a>).</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Est',3,'4-6');">4-6</a>) <span>The</span> wounded pride of Haman drives him to seek retribution against not only Mordecai and his people - the Jews.</p>
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<p class="c2">Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told <i>it </i>to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for <i>Mordecai </i>had told them that he <i>was </i>a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who <i>were </i>throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus; the people of Mordecai.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">It happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman</span></b>: Apparently, Haman did not first notice Haman’s stubborn resistance. It had to be pointed out to him by his aides.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Haman was filled with wrath</span></b>: Haman was an extremely proud and insecure man; he could only consider himself a success if <i>everyone</i> else thought he was a success.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom</span></b>: Haman’s anger led him to take out his wrath upon <b><span class="c3">all the Jews</span></b> in the kingdom. The problem with Haman exposed his basic hatred for all Jewish people.</p>
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<p class="c1">4. (<a onclick="return mV('Est',3,7);">7</a>) Haman determines the exact date he will strike out against the Jews.</p>
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<p class="c2">In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that <i>is, </i>the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until <i>it fell on the </i>twelfth <i>month, </i>which <i>is </i>the month of Adar.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">The cast Pur</span></b>: This was the Persian word for <b><span class="c3">the lot</span></b>, something like dice, used to leave a decision to chance – or to the God who guides every chance.</p>
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<p class="c4"><span>b</span>. <b><span class="c3">Until it fell on the twelfth month</span></b>: Since this took place <b><span class="c3">in the first month</span></b>, the casting of the lot determined that the Jews would not be attacked and massacred for at least 11 months.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. This proves the truth of <a onclick="return mV('Pro',16,33);">Pro 16:33</a>: <i>The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD</i>. The long delay between the first month and the month of massacre against the Jewish people was ordained by God.</p>
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<p>B. Haman tells his plot to the king.</p>
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<p class="c1">1. (<a onclick="return mV('Est',3,'8-9');">8-9</a>) Haman’s proposal to king Ahasuerus.</p>
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<p class="c2">Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws <i>are </i>different from all <i>other </i><span>people’s</span>, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it <i>is </i>not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let <i>a decree </i>be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring <i>it </i>into the king’s treasuries.”</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus</span></b>: Haman’s charge was the most dangerous possible; it was a half-truth. Yes, the Jews were a <b><span class="c3">certain people scattered and dispersed</span></b>; and yes they had their own <b><span class="c3">laws</span></b>. But their own laws, to this point, did not prevent them from keeping the kings laws as loyal subjects.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. In fact, Mordecai’s refusal to bow before Haman was <i>not</i> based on the law of God, but on the principle of personal integrity. It seems that Haman was almost completely unfamiliar with this principle of personal integrity.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">Let a decree be written that they be destroyed</span></b>: Haman suggested organizing the mass murder of the Jewish people. Haman also neglected to tell king Ahasuerus how many of these <b><span class="c3">certain people</span></b> there were in his kingdom; Ahasuerus probably considered this a relatively small threat.</p>
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<p class="c4">c. <b><span class="c3">I will pay ten thousand talents of silver</span></b>: This was essentially the promise of a bribe. This money would not come from Haman’s own pocket; it would be obtained from the property of slaughtered Jews.</p>
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<p class="c1">2. (<a onclick="return mV('Est',3,'10-11');">10-11</a>) <span>The</span> king agrees to the plan.</p>
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<p class="c2">So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people <i>are </i>given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you</span></b>: Again, king Ahasuerus probably had no idea what he agreed to; he probably believed that he merely agreed to the execution of a handful of dangerous revolutionaries in his kingdom.</p>
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<p class="c1">3. (<a onclick="return mV('Est',3,'12-15');">12-15</a>) <span>The</span> decree is published.</p>
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<p class="c2">Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and <i>a decree </i>was written according to all that Haman commanded; to the king’s satraps, to the governors who <i>were </i>over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth <i>day </i>of the twelfth <i>month, </i>which <i>is </i>the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.</p>
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<p class="c4">a. <b><span class="c3">To destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day</span></b>: With this, an empire-wide death sentence on the Jews was announced by the king. This was like other attacks against the Jewish people in history, except that it was announced well in advance.</p>
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<p class="c4">b. <b><span class="c3">So the king and Haman sat down to drink</span></b>: When the king <b><span class="c3">sat down to drink</span></b>, he thought he had done well – but he did not really understand what he had done. Haman also <b><span class="c3">sat down to drink</span></b>, and thought he had done well – and he knew exactly what he intended to do. Despite this, <b><span class="c3">the city of Shushan was perplexed</span></b>.</p>
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<p class="c5">i. The citizens of the empire knew Jewish people who lived among them, and they knew that they were good citizens who caused no trouble. Therefore, they were confused that such a decree came forth, declaring that these Jews were dangerous enemies.</p>
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<p class="c5">ii. Again, all this came to pass because of the insecurity and wounded pride of one wicked man - Haman.</p>
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