Scripture
8Then 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. 9If it please the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks[1] of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”
10The 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. 11The king said, “The money and the people are both yours to do with as you see fit.”
12So on April 17[2] 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. 13Dispatches 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.[3] The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them.
14A 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. 15At 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.
Translation notes (3)
- 3:9 Hebrew 10,000 talents, about 375 tons or 340 metric tons in weight.
- 3:12 Hebrew On the thirteenth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was April 17, 474 b.c.; also see note on 2:16.
- 3:13 Hebrew on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. The date selected was March 7, 473 b.c.; also see note on 2:16.
"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."
The other day I was out running errands, and someone stopped me and said, "Go dawgs!" I am a Georgia Bulldog fan, so I responded in the only appropriate way. I said, "Go dawgs" back. I continued walking, but I could not help but wonder how this man knew I was a Georgia Bulldog fan. Suddenly, I realized I had on a Georgia Bulldogs shirt. Of course, this man knew without even having to ask. I proudly displayed my love for the team on my shirt. As I thought about that encounter, I started thinking about how we often make assumptions about people based on how they are dressed, how they act, etc. As a follower of Jesus, I thought about how I want people to know I am a Christ-follower just by my words and actions. I am sure you feel the same way.
We find in Esther chapter 4 that the Israelites living in Persia stood out because of their faith. We first read that Mordecai stood out because of the king's officials; he refused to obey the king's orders that they all bow down to Haman whenever he walked by. He would not bow down to anything or worship anything or anyone but God. Haman was angry at his refusal, knowing that all Jews would respond the same way because of their faith in God. Their reputation for their faith in God preceded them, and so he conducted a plot to destroy not only Mordechai but also all of the Jews in Persia.
The way the Israelites lived and their reputation for their faith is remarkable. It challenges me. Do we, as followers of Christ, stand out for our faith in the same way? Can people tell, just by observing us and the way we live, that we follow Jesus? Like the Israelites, may our faith in God be so unwavering that we point people to Christ through our lifestyles.
Moving toward action
Reflect on your day yesterday. Think about the words you said and the way you lived. Did your words and actions point people to Christ? If not, what held you back? Was it impatience, anger, selfishness, fear, or something else? Confess this area to God and ask Him to help you grow in that area so that you point people to Him in everything that you do.
Going Deeper
Esther 3:8-15 (NLT)
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