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Studies 3 and 4 of Esther Esther

A) Haman

1) Cause and course of his elevation:

third main character in the story of this book, after Esther and Mordecai, Haman sees his elevation to be in a frame and for a specific cause:

- Framework : it occurs "after these events" : v 1: after the Lord has already put in place the people and the elements to defeat the "final solution" to advocate that Ahasuerus to solve the "Jewish question" in his kingdom. As we emphasized at the end of the previous chapter, although apparently all-powerful, evil will be exercised in the world in limits and the strict framework of the permissive will of God.

Examples:
. Job 1.12; 2.6
. 1 Peter 5.8-10
. 1 Cor 10.13

way God does it ever the enemy to have the last word, neither in history nor in the world of God's people. But even before he started to act to accomplish its deadly work, everything is ready for his defeat and humiliation.

- Cause: weakness and irresponsibility of the king Ahasuerus. The Bible does not tell us why the king Ahasuerus decided suddenly Haman to raise the Agagite. Had he done some act of bravery during the wars that the king was conducted to consolidate his kingdom? He distinguished himself so heroic in one way or another? We do not know. Haman's attitude following his elevation, however, teaches us two things:

a) the first is that one can never exercise too much caution before entrusting important responsibilities of a man. Hence the reason why executives in the church or Israel were not selected based on their skills alone, but that of their attitude and character: Exodus 18.19-23, Acts 6.1-3, 1 Tim 3.1 to 4

b) the second is that the delegation of power or the rise should be done:
- gradually
- having been able to get an accurate idea of the attitude of people:
.
in service. vis-à-vis other servants.

If someone demonstrates an inability either to work in teams or to serve others, he is totally unfit for anything like responsibility in the kingdom of God: Luke 22.24-27. Therefore, in Bible, virtually all those who exercised spiritual high office had to pass by:

- a difficult time training with humility: for example:
. Joseph in Egypt: Gen 39,4.21 to 23: service in the world among nonbelievers who became a trusted
- either by being the first servant of another: examples:
. Joshua to Moses: Exodus 24.13; Joshua
1.1. Elisha to Elijah, 2 Kings 3.11
. Paul to Barnabas: Acts 11.25-26

The sins of some men are obvious, even before we judge them, in others, they are discovered after the fact: 1 Tim 5.24. How we must be cautious and try to be familiar with the motivations of those to whom we entrust and delegate responsibilities of leadership in every work.

2) character of Haman

Arrived at the highest position in the kingdom after the king, the true character of Haman is revealed. A simple comparison between him and the Lord Jesus tells us how the attitude of the two men is poles apart from each other:

HAMAN
- he likes to see other bow and prostrate themselves before him: v 2
- it does not support someone takes him head and does not recognize his dignity: v 5
- is unable to forgive, but keeps his resentment and cultivates a spirit revenge: v 6
- he did for the people of God as projects of murder and death: v 6

JESUS
- although Lord, He who was serving others and s' bowed before them: Jean 13.1 to 5.13 to 15
- Jesus endured ridicule, beatings and spitting men never react with hatred against them: Isaiah 50.6, John 19.2-3, Luke 23, 35-39
- Jesus was willing to forgive even his worst enemies. He called the man who betrayed the sweet name of friend: Matt 26.50, Luke 23.34
- Jesus came only for one thing: to seek and save the lost: Luke 19,10.41-42 We
are all similar in nature to Haman, arrogant, wicked, unable to wipe a humiliation or forgive. The purpose of the work of God and the Holy Spirit, making us the redeemed is to transform us into the likeness of Christ: 2 Cor 3.18

B) Cause and consequences of the hatred of Haman:

1) Cause:

The rebellious attitude and maverick against Mordecai of Haman is the root cause of hatred and resentment criminal will awaken in him. It reminds us that in the world, the true believer does not marry and embrace all viewpoints and attitudes that would impose idolatrous. In fact any time, true believers have been found in all latitudes as the fiercest resistance to the pretensions of absolute domination of all dictators on their souls.

Biblical Examples:
- the three friends of Daniel: Daniel 3.10 to 18
- Daniel himself: Daniel from 6.8 to 15
- believers of recent times: from 13.7 to 8 Rev.

Examples of church history : page 22: accurate history of the church
- Ignatius of Antioch
- Polycarp

Whatever the price it may cost us, there are moments in the life of a believer where loyalty to God and his belief must come before any other consideration. It is for moments like this that Jesus has called us, as disciples, to be ready to renounce everything, including our own lives: Luke 14.26. It is always fair in all things obey God rather than men: OR 4.19

2) Consequences:

Mordecai does not hide the cause of his refusal to bow to Haman:
- he was Jewish
v 4 - the first commandment of Jewish law required to worship and serve only one God: Mat 4:10; deut 6.13 to 14; 10.20
is on all the people he was from Haman decided to postpone his hatred.

Fair Haman portrays how these people allows us to make an accurate picture of its peculiarities and its difference from all other peoples of the world:

- a chosen people, set apart to God from the beginning: v 8; Deut 7.6

- a scattered people and infiltrated around the world: v 8; Lev 26.33; Deut 4.27; Jac 1.1

"No nation is capable, like the Jewish people to be widespread, but still so separated other peoples. No one else is at once so national and yet so universal. No other preserves its individuality with equal tenacity, residing in the midst of others if closed and bound. Yet no other comes as a Jew to his place to concentrate and to cope with all circumstances. Everywhere, the Jew can live and get a place, yet everywhere he is a Jew! (Uhlhorn)

- a people which is distinguished by its law to which he submits a priority over other legislation enacted by men: v 8. It is obedience to the law first, just as the Church, as God's people in the world, often spend as protesters or anti-progressive: Proceedings from 16.20 to 21 and from 17.7 to 8

Rappellons we still today ' hui for We, the people of God, His word is and will remain in force until the end and topical: 5.18 Mat. It need not be adapted or accomodée up to date: 2 Cor 4.2. We have not, as a servant of God, please first men but to God: Gal 1.10; 6.14.

Ahasuerus, continuing as it always has since the beginning of the book, on a path of irresponsibility gave his consent to Haman to "make this nation what he pleases" v 11. Genocide is decided and a date (the day before Passover) set: v 13. Two reflections can conclude this story:

- there is nothing worse in this world than to let a man full powers to act at will against those of another race, which they see as enemies, inferior or unnecessary (disabled). History is littered with horror stories in which such freedom, under the inspiration of sin and the devil, inevitably leads: the genocide of the Jews under Hitler, the Armenians by the Turkish Kurds in Iraq, Kosovo by Serb ...

- Man proposes, but it is ultimately God who always provides: 16.1 Prov. Large dates in history are not written at random, but always according to the timetable set by God: Gal 4:4; Acts 4.27 to 28. Do

and never lose sight of in the worst moments of world history and our lives God's sovereignty that has full control of everything that reaches us!

C) The consequences of the king's decree ordering the killing of all Jews:

Then Haman and the king feast wherever it takes knowledge, the king's decree causes strong reactions:

1) in the city of Susa itself : 3.15:

is sadness and consternation. Their reasons:

- disregard the king's feelings and thoughts that inhabit his people. Isolated in his ivory tower, exercising its authority by acting, Ahasuerus was unable to anticipate the turmoil and the type of reaction was going to lead his people from the decision he took, at the instigation of Haman against the Jews. A first lesson from this story is that to govern well, any qualified officer must work to get to know his constituents: their past, feelings and opinions that inhabit them, creed or sensitivity ... Any exercise of authority provided in the ignorance of people to whom it is addressed can lead only to chaos and confusion. "Know well each of your sheep, the shepherd advises the author of Proverbs: Prov 27.23." A word Ahasuerus, in fact, would have needed to hear!

- unfamiliarity with the king of the considerable influence exercised by the people he wanted to destroy the others. Even if the Jews were enemies, they were also friends, many people who believed and which, for some, feared: see Esther 6.13. The state of the city of Susa after the news of the king's decree reveals the degree of rootedness in the people of God in the Persian capital.

2) in Mordecai and all Jews : 4.1 to 3:

It is the pain, grief and despair. A tribulation that has not all bad. Reduced to its end, under threat of death and extermination, it pushes the people of God to two reconciliations:

- with God, many people, in fact, be bring back to pray and fast. Nothing, perhaps, as far as the tribulation, trial or persecution awakens all the people of God to his spiritual duties. What the tranquility and prosperity are incapable of producing is the affliction that makes: 1 Peter 1.6-7

noted the special place occupied by fasting in this story: v 3.16 , as in that of God's people in general, in times of distress and great adversity. Fasting in the Bible class is 6 meanings:
. to humble themselves and be available to God: Leviticus 16.29 to 31
. to ask God for direction and assistance: 2 Chr 20.1-3, Acts 13:3; 14.3
. to repent: 1 Sam 7.6; Jonas
3.5. for listening to His Word: Nehemiah
9.1 to 3. to remember: Zach
8.19. to deliver: Mat 17.21

Some things on the spiritual plane, they seem serious enough and serious for me to fast, to abandon comfort and ease to indulge myself?

- among them: the suffering and acts like a glue that unites hearts: Proceedings from 4.23 to 31. The quarrels and divisions are forgotten. The real people of God are united in fear but also in prayer before her God.

3) Esther : it requires four things:

- to take personal position: v 8.13 to 14. When there is no pressure and no obligation is relatively easy for a child of God to live in obscurity his testimony, limiting it to a pipe or a silent behavior. It is another day of persecution. Is a clear choice, an oral and public position must be taken: see Matt 26.69-75; 10.32 to 33. Am I ready to make my own position for today the Lord or do I often wait to be forced by necessity to do so?

- clearly revealing his identity to the king, v 13-14. So far Esther was silent, the time has now come for her to show clearly how the king and the people it belongs to which side it is. She knows that for this, she risks her life: v 11. But that, replied Mordecai, the price to pay to choose sides:
. or that God's people, sold "like sheep being led to slaughter": Rom 8.36
. or that of his tormentors, who butchers want him dead

The call to witness that launches Mordecai to Esther reminds us 3 things:
. that in some situations where we should take a stand, silence and inaction are not only synonymous with failure, but of treason: 24.11 to 12
Prov. that, before God, there are only two possible camps: those who are with Him and those who are cons: Mat 12,30; 7.13 to 14; 25.32
. that the price of our allegiance and our loyalty to God can sometimes be one of our life: Luke 14.26-27; John 12.23-26.

- to enter the custom role that God had prepared for it by raising it at this position: v 14. We do not always understand immediately why God makes us go through this or that way or put us in a particular place ... until the circumstances we are clear on goal:
. be a witness for those "high places" Luke 21.12-13
. be an instrument of salvation for many people: Gen 50.20

Nothing in life is the product of chance, but contributes to the fulfillment of God's purpose for us in the world and among his people: Rom 8.28

- to identify with his people in through which it passes the test: v 16. Whatever the position we occupy in the world, comes the moment when we must make a choice:
. either be one with the people of God and take upon ourselves our share of reproach of Christ: Heb 11.24-26
. either be on the side of the world and thus continue to live as an enemy of the cross: Phil 3:18; Marc

14.10 to 11 D) Conclusion:

Whatever the project's opponents People of God, God will certify that: they will not prevail: Esther 4:14; Psalm 129.1-4. God's people of the new alliance may also pass through tribulation, anguish, or persecution. One thing is certain: no one will be able to pluck His hand and separate from His love revealed in Jesus Christ: Rom 8.35-37, Jean 10.28. Blessed be He for His covenant strength and the full sufficiency of His grace for us!