The Power of Rich Men

The Power of an Evil Man

Book of Esther 3 -4

A man once wrote: Power. It’s what everybody wants, right? That’s the story at least. Money, political influence, weapons, power to intimidate, power to make people do things, power to build things, power to get things done.

On a theological level, God is the most powerful “entity” in all the universe. In addition to His omnipotence, God is also purely good.

Therefore power, at its core, is not evil!

So, power is not evil. It just needs to be used rightly, which means shared, cooperatively and creatively, for the sake of the common good.

We should not fear power; we should only fear its misdirection!

Today we see a man named Haman who attempted to use power in an evil way.

We can be sure Satan was behind this thing because he could stop the first coming of the Messiah if the Jews were wiped out.

These Jewish people in Persia were the greater part of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin.

*****Est 3:1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

We might first say after what things. After Esther had become Queen of Persia and after Mordecai had overheard, a plot to overthrow the King and had warned him through Queen Esther.

It is after these things that the story of Haman begins.

If we look back to the time of Moses as he was leading the children of Israel, there was a man called Balaam who first mentions an Agag, King of Amalekites.

Num 24:7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

The title Agag is used much like we use the title President.

It is these same Amalekites that God told King Saul to eliminate from this world.

That sounds harsh but God said they were so evil they would never come to any good. God Knows!!!!!!!

1Sa_15:8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

1Sa_15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

1Sa_15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

1Sa_15:32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

1Sa_15:33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

Some of these people were allowed to escape each time Israel faced them.

The truth is we can be certain that Satan was behind these Amalekites in an attempt to destroy the nation of Israel before they could even become a legitimate nation!

Haman was the descendant of one of those who got away and no doubt he had retained that hatred for God's people and Satan would use him to try to eliminate the tribe of Judah from which came our Savior.

By means we can be sure were not legal, Haman had advanced to be second in command of politics in the nation of Persia that included 127 provinces.

Haman was a very rich man and used his wealth to buy his way into most all things.

Haman craved recognition and as we will see had the traits of Lucifer who now is called Satan, the Devil.

*****Est 3:2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.

We can believe that the Persian kings had allowed each nation that had been captured to worship in their own ways because it helped to keep the nation to be peaceful.

Every nation today should allow freedom to worship and punish those who persecute any religion.

The kings of Persia were like many rulers, that is, they felt they were on the level of gods.

There are even stories of Greeks who were put to death for not treating King Darius as a god.

These things still go on today by rulers of some nations.

Mordecai was an obedient Jew and he would not go against the Word of God!

Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

We must understand that we serve this same jealous God today!

Mordecai refused to bow to Haman, nor did he reverence him, and this did not mean Mordecai was some rebel, for we can see that he also had some ranking in the government of Persia.

Haman was just another rich man who demanded to be recognized for some imaginary gift, when he was just full of self-pride.

*****Est 3:3 Then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?

Est 3:4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.

It is easy to see that Haman had inherited his hatred for the Jews and he would do anything to rid the world of Jews. As we know there are many Hamans in the world today and even some miss Hamans who would do anything they could to rid the world of Jews and they are just seeking their own destruction as did Haman.

Because of this hatred, Haman came up with a scheme to legally kill all Jews in the Persian Empire.

Haman thought so highly of himself and so lowly of the king, that he thought he could pull one over on the king.

He did not yet realize that the queen was a Jew by birth.

No doubt this evil man demanded reverence for all those he looked down upon

All those others in the court of the king first cautioned Mordecai, then became just as evil as Haman when they took it upon their own to meddle in the affairs of Mordecai.

Mordecai just said that He was a Jew which meant there was already a law for the people to safely worship their own deities.

What was the law of God?

Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Exo 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

No doubt Mordecai understood the Word of God and he was not about to let this evil man over rule the Word of God.

The day is coming in America and now is, that as Christians we must take a stand on the Word of God even if our own government demand we turn our backs on the Lord.

We will always have those that think they are do themselves a big favor, by running to tell the government what they see.

These are not whistle blowers, these are only fools looking to better themselves at the expense of the Christian.

Pro_16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

According to God's plan, Mordecai had informed Esther of the plot to kill the king, but it was not well known especially to Haman.

The devils plan to eliminate the Jews could not overcome the plan of God!

When we look back in history, we will see many a man trying to give us an English translation, put in jail, or murdered, rather than bow down to the Church in Rome.

Haman was just an evil man wicked to the teeth!

What does God say?

Job_11:20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.

God says the wicked will only have short victories!

Job_20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

God also says He will destroy those who are wicked, with an everlasting death!

Psa_9:5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

Listen as Haman destroys himself.

*****Est 3:5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.

Est 3:6 And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.

It is obvious that Haman was not the only enemy of the Jews, but he did think he was ranked high enough to put a plan in place to destroy them.

It is obvious that pride is our enemy and God says, vengeance belongs to Him!

There have been many people that have tried to destroy the Jews, the Hebrew people, but God is not going to allow this to happen. Wake up world.

Israel and the Jews are still the apple of God's eyes, and their hatred will only backfire on yourself!

Haman had magnified himself into some important man, when he was only some vain, egotistical man who would lose his own life in the end.

Egotism uses the sufferings of others to make a gain!

Egotism only promotes cruelty.

We see this in our own government today!

To an ego possessed individual, he or she is the center of the world and the world revolves around them.

I could mention some names, but you can fill in the blanks.

Psa 83:1 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

Psa 83:2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

Psa 83:3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

Psa 83:4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

What are the traits of Satan?

Dan 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

What is his end?

Dan 7:26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

Dan 7:27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

As we see what is happening in our land, the abortions, the gays, the LGBT movement, and a corrupt government, we must guard ourselves against extreme prejudice and bitter hatred.

We must still remember it is still Jehovah God who sits on the throne of Heaven!

Haman plots.

*****Est 3:7 In the first month, that 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, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

Est 3:8 And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.

Haman allowed a year for his plot to take place in order for the word of the king to travel to all locations and the Jews call that day Purim to celebrate their triumph over Haman and his household.

Haman allowed this year because the casting of lots was a religious thing from Haman's own religion.

Today we must be careful not to listen to the Hamans of this world calling for the destruction of others for in fact it is a terrible sin.

Haman did not mention that these people were Jews only that it was a specific race of people.

As far as the king understood these people were like robbers and thieves moving around inside the 127 provinces of Persia.

What had God said?

Deu 4:27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.

Deu 4:28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

Haman also recognized that the laws given to the Jews were nothing like the laws of the Persians.

He would not have known these things if it had not been passed down through all his generations that the Jews were his enemies.

By scattering the Jews, God could begin to work with them individually or in small groups!

Eze 11:16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

Eze 11:17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

Remember all the Jews even the ones who had stayed, were well aware that the Word of God had proven to be true and many of their Jewish brothers and sisters had returned to the Promised Land.

Haman told the king these people were no profit to his kingdom and needed to be eradicated like a bunch of mice.

Just like most all rich men, the key to this transaction would be money!

*****Est 3:9 If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

Est 3:10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.

The rich and the super-rich have one bad problem, they can never have enough money!

If we look back in Jewish history 1000 talents were enough to buy off the Assyrian king for a while.

A piece of land the size of a city could be bought for 2 talents. So this was a great deal of money, especially for one individual to possess and obviously he had plenty more.

We must keep in mind that the Christian may be poor in this world but have great riches in Heaven!

2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

2Co 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

These riches sealed the deal for Haman, and he was given the ring of the king to show his authority to be able to rid Persia of the Jews.

But we know for sure God always has a better plan!

*****Est 4:1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

Est 4:2 And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

We can be sure that Haman push the news of this new law as quick as he could especially to Mordecai.

It was like being on death row in a prison having the date set for execution.

Mordecai could only see one answer and that was to get the attention of Queen Esther, but Mordecai's grief did not upset his judgment.

It came to Mordecai that God has placed Esther as Queen just for this occasion!

Mordecai had better sense than to storm into the king's residence, so he put on sackcloth that got the attention of those going in and out and he knew the Queen get in touch with him because he had been as a father to her.

Sackcloth was made of black goat's hair and was certainly noticeable especially on someone as Mordecai who took part in the government of Persia in some manner and dressed accordingly.

He was not alone:

*****Est 4:3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Not one Jew had peace with the threat of death hanging over them. They knew once a Persian king made a ruling it could not be changed.

We are sure Zerubbabel had already returned to Israel and Jerusalem to build the Temple, but it may not be quiet time for Ezra to return.

I believe besides letting Esther know it was time to save her people, it was also time to let these Jews know Persia would never be a safe place for them to live.

*****Est 4:4 So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.

Queen Esther's maidens and chamberlains may not have known the connection of Mordecai to her, but they knew Mordecai had a deep affection for her and her for him.

Queen Esther would make sure Mordecai was properly dressed which gave them time to swap messages.

Mordecai warned Queen Esther that this law to kill all Jews would include her no matter that she was Queen.

Let's move ahead:

*****Est 4:13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

Est 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

If we look at what Mordecai was saying, Queen Esther needed to go to the King and put a stop to this thing.

It was well known that the king loved the queen very much even if he did not know she was a Jew.

It was time for Queen Esther to do what the Lord intended for her to do. To stand up for her people.

Mordecai must have known a lot of the Word of God because he had faith in the Word of the Prophets.

Israel would be delivered, if not by Queen Esther then someone else.

To set at large, is to give freedom to move without obstruction.

Psa 18:36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

Psa 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

We need this to be very clear ourselves.

If God has a job, He has asked us to do, the work of God always comes with blessings.

If we decide to go against the request of God, God will just get someone else to do that thing and they will also get the blessings we could have had ourselves.

God's plan will go forward, with or without us!

Queen Esther knew that Mordecai was right in what he had said.

Queen Esther also knew that much prayer would certainly help.

*****Est 4:15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

Est 4:16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

Queen Esther also knew the laws of the Persians and she could not go before the King unless she was called and if she took it upon her own to go to him it could resort in her death.

Then she shows her faith.

If faith and prayer can move mountains, then surely faith and prayer and fasting could save a nation.

All throughout the history of the Jews they were punished because of disobedience, surely by obedience then God would do as He had always promised, to deliver His children.

If we do not see that Queen Esther obtained favor of all those around her then we have missed a great point.

No doubt the faith and courage of this young woman was an admirable quality that even the King had noticed.

Even the King had not just chosen Esther by her looks, she had great personal skills and an aura of success in everything she did, and she must have thought a lot about Persia, but the Promised land was her true home even if she had never been there.

Sounds like typology to me.

I am an American and love my nation, but heaven is my promised land and also my true home!

When we take a stand on the Word of God, so what we perish, we will wake up in Heaven the very moment we lose our life!

2Co_5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

2Co_5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

These things will become more important the closer we get to the Second Coming of the Lord.

I believe we can already see these things happening as some people lose these jobs for taking a stand against the sins of our nations and other nations included.

What did Mordecai do? Exactly what his Queen said to do because he knew it was the right thing to do!

*****Est 4:17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

We can see that fame and fortune cannot always keep us out of danger.

That palace could have been a prison to Queen Esther, if not for the relationship she had with her adoptive father.

Again we can see the typology in these things.

Power and opportunity can also be used to move the Word of God if that opportunity presents itself and they too can take a stand on the truth of God.

All these things work because the key ingredient in these things were 1) Faith and 2) The ongoing, never relenting, plan of God working in our world. Even working in our governments.

We need to vote only for people who we know are faithful believers when the opportunity presents itself.

Queen Esther went to the King because of her faith and love of Jehovah but she also knew the King loved her and would never bring harm to her.

Queen Esther was in instrument in the hand of God and no one could stand against this kind of power!

Amen

Let's Pray!