1After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage. 3Then the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?” 4Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn’t listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5When Haman saw that Mordecai didn’t bow down nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath. 6But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people.
7In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. 8Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from other people’s. They don’t keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain. 9If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. 11The king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring. 13Letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions. 14A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day. 15The couriers went out in haste by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed.
Haman’s Plot
Hidden Prejudices and Racism
In Chapter 3, Mordecai’s nationality is revealed as he refuses to bow down to Haman. Through this situation, we are reminded again just how dangerous it was to be a Jew during this time. Haman meets with his friends to devise an evil plan to not only get rid of Mordecai, but of the entire Jewish people. Haman uses his velvety tongue to create a story and present a convincing plan to King Xerxes of why all the Jews should be exterminated. This is clearly an awful thing to do and a gross overreaction of a selfish powerful man and something we as God’s people would never do… right?
While I’m certain that none of us would ever exterminate an entire people group by means of our own authority, I think it’s important to examine what’s really going on in Haman’s heart. Our passage today says that when Haman found out that Mordecai refused to bow down to him, he was “filled with rage.” Haman was one of the most powerful people in the kingdom and all of the King’s officials showed him respect, including the King himself.
Why would the refusal to bow from a lowly Jewish guard set off Haman to desire the destruction of an entire people?
Are there times in our lives when we feel anger or hatred toward someone because of who we have categorized them to be?
Through the hatred and divisiveness and negative opinions from people of authority that are constantly swirling around us each day, we can sometimes develop a prejudice against a certain kind of person or people without even realizing it. While there are people with whom we won’t agree or with whom we don’t get along, we must remember that God created all people in His image and offers the same salvation and grace to those whom we oppose as He does to us. Pray today that God would allow you to see those whom we struggle to like as He sees them - as beloved children of God, and that He would reveal any hidden hatred or negativity toward anyone that may lie in your own heart.