Part 8- Haman's Genocidal Plot

Esther 3: 7-15 NLT, BSB

We are continuing with our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Part 8 is called, “Haman’s Genocidal Plot”, and we discuss how Haman presents his case against the Jews to Xerxes. The question we will address today is, how did Haman convince Xerxes to pass the law to annihilate the Jews?

Esther 3:7-15

7 So in the month of April, during the twelfth year of King Xerxes’ reign, lots were cast in Haman’s presence (the lots were called purim) to determine the best day and month to take action. And the day selected was March 7, nearly a year later.

The purim (dice) were cast in Haman’s presence, so the king had done this before without him and probably regretted it. Xerxes needed Haman’s input because he obviously had proven to be accurate in the past. 

In ancient Persia, purim were cast to decide the best day that a yet to be determined action would be successful. The Bible records that the day determined was March 7th of the following year, 473 B.C. (1&2).

8 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. 

Once the date was determined by the stars and the casting of dice, the agenda would then be decided upon. Flattered that the king made certain that he was there for the very important event of the casting of purim, Haman approached the king about what campaign should be pursued on March 7th that guaranteed a smashing victory. 

Haman had studied Xerxes well. Instead of directly calling out the Jews, he influences Xerxes’ perspective by tagging negative connotations pointing to this people group, accusing them of three acts of opposition.

1). Separatists: “Keep themselves separate from everyone else”

Haman identified these people as Separatists. Separatists are a specific group of people who reside within a larger body of people but differ in their lifestyle and beliefs because of their ethnicity and religion. 

In Esther, Chapter 1, Xerxes threw a ginormous party for 6 months and invited all the kings and the elites of his 127 provinces in order to promote his co-governing style and bring solidarity to his kingdom. Xerxes strived for unity and Haman targeted the Jews as being divisive. 

2). Sovereign Citizens: “Their laws are different from those of any other people”

Haman interpreted their governing philosophy as one of sovereign citizenship. It is true that this specific group did not follow the customs and traditions of their surrounding countries. But, Haman deceptively conveyed to Xerxes the false impression that the Jews are a defiant people who followed their own rules and refused to conform to the laws of the land. 

3). Expatriates: “They refuse to obey the laws of the king”

Haman reasoned that the Jew’s non-compliant attitude was an affront to the king. Xerxes should be proactive and not wait for a situation to arise. Currently, they are scattered throughout the empire and it would be more difficult to get rid of them should they have more time to propagate and become a larger  and united demographic. Certainly, he did not want to be humiliated and then go through all the trouble of covering his backside. Nope. Xerxes could avoid all that mess. 

Skillfully, Haman inferred that the Jews were expatriates, a people that pledged their loyalty to the nation of  Israel but lived off the bounty of Persia and the good graces of the king. When the Jews would be required to submit to a law of the king that did not match up to their ways, they would muster up their courage and refuse to obey. 

Haman’s conclusion: “It is not in the king’s interest to let them live”

Don’t give this scattering of people the opportunity to unite. No! Stop them now before they increase in number and begin an insurrection! Let the world know that they are worthless nobodies! Don’t allow them to take advantage of the greatness of Persia and the king. Only, Haman didn’t want the Jews to be banished:-he wanted to annihilate them.

The clincher:

9 If it pleases the king, issue a decree that they be destroyed, and I will give 10,000 large sacks of silver to the government administrators to be deposited in the royal treasury.”

Blood money:

Haman, who is apparently filthy rich and the most influential person in Persian Empire next to the king, wants the Jewish people destroyed and he will deposit an enormous amount of his own money into the treasury to get it done. 

To give you an idea how much 10,000 large sacks of silver is worth, it is estimated to be approximately anywhere between $96 million to $420 billion (2&3). However, the real meaning of this amount is in the symbolism.

10:

The number 10 in Hebrew is a symbol for “the law”. Remember the ten commandments in Exodus 20? 

 1000:

The number 1000 can be interpreted as “to be completely owned” or “to be in possession of” such as the cattle on a thousand hills belong to God (Psalm 50:10). In other words, all the hills and everything on them are owned by God. 

Silver:

Silver is symbolic of redemption, an act of reparation for a fault or wrongdoing (4).

What did all this mean to King Xerxes?

In the Hebrew numeric system, it is quite common to add or multiply numbers. Here, we are looking at 10x1000= 10,000.

Haman was telling Xerxes that this deposit would mean that he would be involved with all the decisions regarding the laws and regulations of Persia (10 symbolizing the law).  

The meaning of 1000, symbolizing to completely own, would indicate that King Xerxes would be obligated to Haman and laws can only be created and passed with his approval.

Haman was a direct descendant of King Agag and the silver would stand for the reparation of the wrongdoing that was done to his ancestor. The Jewish Prophet Samuel had slaughtered King Agag in front of King Saul of Israel because Saul disobeyed God’s command. 

10 The 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. 

Listen to Xerxes’s response.

Esther 3: 11 Berean Study Bible 

“Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”

Xerxes knew exactly what Haman meant by replenishing the royal treasury with 10,000 sacks of silver. He needed the powers that Haman possessed. Their codependent relationship was not one that he could afford to lose. Since it was established that March 7th would be a successful date, Xerxes determined that this people group was trouble waiting to happen and this campaign will be victorious. 

So in order to keep him happy, Xerxes compromised by handing Haman his signet ring to word-craft the law and seal it with his own insignia. Yes, Haman could kill off the Jews but, he wasn’t going to be his puppet by taking the money and be legally bound to him in any way. Or so he thought…

12 So on April 17 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. 13 Dispatches 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. The property of the Jews would be given to those who killed them. 14 A 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. 15 At the king’s command, the decree went out by swift messengers, and it was also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa.

15b Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa fell into confusion.

Ancient Persians believed that only in wine can truth be found and wine was often mixed with drugs so the recipient would divulge information (5). Once again, Xerxes pulled his old trick of pouring wine down Haman’s throat hoping that he would spill some deep dark secrets to hold as leverage over him. While they drank, the citizens of Susa were totally befuddled, dumbfounded, and perplexed at the king’s latest decree and wondered what caused this act of aggression against the Jews.

Let’s pray:

Father,

Thank You for exposing another of Satan's tactics. He doesn't even call Your covenant people, Israel, by name. He places them in the most negative light to stir up hatred. I pray against antisemitism. Give me the courage to speak up for what is right. In Jesus name, Amen

© 2020 Foundedonthebible.com

References:

1. https://www.blueletterbible.org/nlt/est/3/1/s_429001

2. https://www.biblestudytools.com/archive/old-testament/esther-lesson-three-day-3-11566728.html

3. https://attestationupdate.com/2016/06/23/an-indication-of-persian-wealth-from-the-book-of-esther/

4. Dream Encounter Symbols, Barbie Breathitt Ministires, www.BreathoftheSpiritMinistries.com

5. https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Culture/wine_good.htm

Part 4: Esther- A Rising Star

Esther 2:2-4

But after Xerxes’ anger had subsided, he began thinking about Vashti and what she had done and the decree he had made. So his personal attendants suggested, “Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king. Let the king appoint agents in each province to bring these beautiful young women into the royal harem at the fortress of Susa. Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, will see that they are all given beauty treatments. After that, the young woman who most pleases the king will be made queen instead of Vashti.” This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect.

Today we continue with Part 4 of our series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”. Our fourth blog, “Esther- A Rising Star” is about her life journey from childhood to becoming the Queen of Persia. The question we will address is, what kind of woman was Esther?

Four years later...

It is 4 years after the infamous 7 day extravaganza of Susa and finally, Xerxes’ anger subsides. Only then did Xerxes miss Vashti. As far as sexual relief, he had a harem. Enough said. Something very troubling was on his mind. In the past, he was able to trust and confide in Vashti. But, Vashti isn’t there. 

The solution to Xerxes misery:

Well, there’s always his “Think Tank.” However, you will find that in the rest of the Book of Esther, these specific men are never mentioned by name again. Xerxes finally realized that his “Think Tank” never had his best interest at heart and now he lived with the bitter regret of taking their advice and banishing forever his most trusted confidant.

Xerxes must have been miserable and probably took it out on everyone around him, especially on his personal servants. In order to avoid the brunt of his anger and positively redirect his attention, his servants reminded their king of his decree to replace the queen. They suggested a beauty pageant enrolling only the most beautiful young virgins throughout the entire kingdom,  a brilliant plan to keep King Xerxes pleasantly occupied and out of his servants’ hair. Naturally, King Xerxes agreed.

Who is Hadassah?

Esther 2:7

This man had a very beautiful and lovely young cousin, Hadassah, who was also called Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter.

Introduced in verse 7 is Hadassah, a Jewish name given to this very beautiful little girl by her openly observant Jewish parents. Raised in a very spiritual culture, her training would include the study and memorization of the Old Testament, which is filled with God’s wisdom concerning every subject matter and every area of life. Now orphaned and adopted by Mordecai, he hid her true ethnicity by giving her a Persian name, Esther, meaning “star” and “hidden”.  

Esther is recruited for the beauty pageant:

Esther 2: 8-9

As a result of the king’s decree, Esther, along with many other young women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed in Hegai’s care. Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in the harem.

Meeting all the markers that qualify her for this pageant, she was recruited by the palace scouts. Along with all the other young women chosen for this contest, Esther was removed from her home forever and relocated into the king’s harem. 

Hegai is impressed by Esther:

Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the virgins, must have evaluated all of the women put under his care. It would be safe to say that he thoroughly interviewed each contestant to assess their intelligence level, emotional maturity, strengths and weaknesses, and their philosophy on life. Of all the hundreds of women to choose from, it was Esther who impressed him as the most qualified candidate for Queen. 

Once he determined Esther to be the most worthy candidate, he assigned her seven maids. Seven stands for completion which indicates that her every need was met. She was given a special diet of the best foods. There is another person who asked for a special diet in the palace of a king (Nebudkednezzar of Babylon, a hundred years earlier) and his name was Daniel. Being raised as an observant Jew, it would stand to reason that she asked for a very similar menu. And, she was provided with the optimal beauty treatments. Esther had such favor with Hegai, that he situated her and her maids in the most comfortable and private area in the harem, hidden from her competitors, so they wouldn’t be harassed or disturbed. 

Esther keeps Her secret:

Esther 2: 10 

Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so.

But this young, beautiful, orphaned girl kept a secret. Mordecai warned her not to mention that she was Jewish. I am sure that he feared that she would suffer persecution and the opportunity for advancement would be snatched out of her reach. Mordecai may have even feared for her life. 

Esther is clothed with humility:

Esther 2:13

When it was time for her to go to the king’s palace, she was given her choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to take from the harem.

Esther 2:15

When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her.

As far as her outfit and accessories, she allowed Hegai to choose what she needed to wear and depended on his expertise. It was a great choice because everyone who laid eyes on her had their breath taken away. She wasn’t acting in blind obedience, but she had a submissive and compliant spirit, first to her parents, then to Mordecai, and now to Hegai. I also believe that symbolically, she was clothed in humility which produced God’s favor because God gives grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:5 (parenthesis added)

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace (favor) to the humble.

Esther’s night with King Xerxes:

Esther 2:16-18

Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the seventh year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther more than any of the other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. To celebrate the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther’s honor for all his nobles and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone.

Now, Esther is ready and is presented to King Xerxes in the seventh year of his reign, and he was crazy about her. Seven, the number of spiritual perfection and as far as Xerxes was concerned, she was his perfect intellectual and spiritual mate. As we noted in our previous blog, (King Xerxes), Xerxes knew how to extract information from everyone he knew, so he probably considered himself a good judge of character. I would think that he presented her with probing questions and that she responded with amazing intelligence. Her sincerity and words of wisdom must have surpassed that of any woman he had ever met. Remember, she knew the Scriptures, and like the prophet Daniel, was trained in the wisdom of God. 

Esther is crowned Queen:

She had such favor with the king that he crowned her queen before he finished sleeping with the rest of the other virgins. It was an seemingly impossible task, but he actually found someone that exceeded the beauty, intelligence, and wisdom of Vashti. 

Esther 2: 19-20

19 Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second harem and Mordecai had become a palace official, 20 Esther continued to keep her family background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home.

Esther- A Rising Star:

After submitting to her elders her entire young life, Esther was blessed with great authority of her own. Very soon after her coronation, she promoted Mordecai to palace official. She trusted him and he would keep her informed about what was going on. Although she officially outranked him, Esther continued to submit to her adoptive father. And as Mordecai commanded her, she kept her Jewish nationality a secret, and depended on his expertise, and followed his directions. 

Let’s pray:

Father,

What a beautiful lesson to learn. True humility is not blind obedience but it does mean that I will not be difficult or have an “don’t tell me what to do” attitude. True humility acknowledges that others have more knowledge and experience than myself, and that it would be to my benefit to follow their advice. It is Your will that I treat others with respect and be compliant to authority. As I demonstrate to You my respect and compliance to others, You will bless me with authority of my own to use for Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

© 2020 Foundedonthebible.com

References:

1. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H635&t=KJV

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_(given_name)



Part 1- King Xerxes

Esther 1: 1-4 NLT

These events happened in the days of King Xerxes, who reigned over 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. 2 At that time Xerxes ruled his empire from his royal throne at the fortress of Susa. 3 In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. He invited all the military officers of Persia and Media as well as the princes and nobles of the provinces. 4 The celebration lasted 180 days—a tremendous display of the opulent wealth of his empire and the pomp and splendor of his majesty.

Today we begin our new series, “Esther: The Story of Purim”, and our first blog will be about the King of Persia. There’s not a lot of information about him. What I have extrapolated from the Scriptures is what is presented in this blog. The question we will address is, what kind of man was King Xerxes?

Xerxes:

In the first sentence of the first chapter of Esther, we are introduced to Xerxes, King of Persia.  Xerxes is not a name, but in fact, a title meaning “Warrior” and “Lion King” (1). Warrior indicates that he was a war time king that led and won battles. Lions are known for power, glory, courage, and strength. At this specific time in history, Persia was the greatest empire in the world and ruled from India to Ethiopia, exactly 127 provinces. 

The number 127:

Numbers in the Hebrew culture are very significant. Let's take a look at the number 127. 

100 = maturity, full count or measure (2)

  20 = redemption, divine completion for spiritual perfection (2)

    7 = completeness, wholeness, spiritual perfection (2)

Spiritual perfection means wholeness in every area of life and this is emphasized in both the numbers 20 and 7. Salvation is spiritual perfection and it means complete wholeness in every area of life, both physically and spiritually. Everything is functioning in fullness or 100, and nothing is missing or broken. 

Picture these 127 provinces with an excellent governing system with a prosperous economy, living peacefully with each other, and filled with healthy, educated, law abiding citizens. An amazing achievement any time in world history!  

Persia and Susa, the capital:

The empire that Xerxes rules over is Persia which is defined as “pure” or “splendid” (3). The capital, Susa, is defined as “lily” (4). Interestingly, the Persian lily is also known as the “hundred tongues lily” which is a metaphor for “those who have tongues but keep secrets” (5).

The third year of Xerxes reign:

The number three symbolizes union, approval, entirety, divine perfection, the Trinity: perfect witness & testimony (2). We can interpret that Xerxes intends to make the third year of his reign a testimony of unity among all of the leaders of his provinces. 

Xerxes concern:

Xerxes understands the complexity of the size of his empire and the number of leaders of diverse nationalities and customs under his authority. He was deeply concerned about keeping this vast kingdom cohesive. There were too many provinces to visit individually, and it was imperative that he knew the status of each province and the leaders in charge.

Realizing there was only one king and many provinces, it would be impossible for him to individually visit each leader and become informed of all the issues they were facing. But, he could bring all of the leaders to him! 

Answer to his problem:

Did Xerxes enjoy a good party? Yes! But, what were his intentions? It is believed that in wine, truth is spoken. Xerxes was very savvy. The best way to find out what was going on behind the scenes in each of his provinces was to wine and dine his leaders. But, first they must learn to trust him. What better way to connect with the leadership than to invite them to his home for a 6 month free vacation! 

So, the King decides to throw a party in the third year of his reign. 180 days of dining, drinking, and entertainment were set aside for all of his officials, nobles, governors of Media and Persia. 

Mellow from drinking too much wine, these men unreservedly loosened their tongues and unabashedly spilled their secrets. All the while, Xerxes was investigating and collecting data which he seemed to be in the habit of recording.  

180 days:

Again, the numbers are important. 100 = maturity, full count or measure and 80, interestingly enough, is the number for mouth and speech (2).  It is certain that there was a lot of talking going on at this party.

Vs 5-6

5 When it was all over, the king gave a banquet for all the people, from the greatest to the least, who were in the fortress of Susa. It lasted for seven days and was held in the courtyard of the palace garden. 6 The courtyard was beautifully decorated with white cotton curtains and blue hangings, which were fastened with white linen cords and purple ribbons to silver rings embedded in marble pillars. Gold and silver couches stood on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and other costly stones.

Party in Susa:

When this party is over, the King decides to invite the people of Susa and the citadel, the area of the city where the military soldiers of the city live to a banquet. The feast takes place at the court of the garden of the King’s palace and it lasts seven days, the number of completeness, wholeness, and spiritual perfection (2).  

With the same Modus Operandi, Xerxes served wine to all of his subjects in Susa. But, this time, people from every socioeconomic class were invited, including the servants as well as all of the women. Being invited to the King’s garden was a great honor and made the people feel valued and welcomed. Susa was the example of how all of the other cities in the kingdom were to be modeled. And with the same listening ear, he would collect data from all of the people, from every angle, and from every station of life.

Why did the king collect data?

Kings base their decisions on the data presented before them. Xerxes took his position seriously and relied on accurate facts to avoid potential disastrous mistakes and make well informed decisions. Also, he knew when he was being lied to and who was faithful to him.

Decor signified wealth:

Nothing was overlooked. Even the decor was recorded and held significance to the story. As the people gazed at all of the marble, gold, silver, and precious stones, they were actually allowed to take a peek at the King’s bank statement. Everyone noted, including the wealthiest leaders of the provinces, that Persia was the most affluent nation in the world and Susa was dripping in wealth. Wealth was equated with power. Xerxes planted a seed in the minds of his leaders that if they stay connected with him, they too, would be as prosperous and as powerful.

Presenting King Xerxes:

King Xerxes was the powerful and mighty Lion King of the superpower of the world. His kingdom was vast and Persia was the  most prosperous nation of all his empire. He was a natural born leader, warrior, strategist, and social networker who governed by facts and logic. He imparted inspiration to the leaders under his authority. He was a shrewd man who knew how to uncover secrets under the guise of familiarity. 

Let’s Pray,

Father, 

As I read and study the Book of Esther, I ask that You open up the eyes of my understanding. Give me a spirit of wisdom and revelation so I may know You better. Give me the grace never to abuse others through any form of deceit. By your grace, I am sincere in all I do and my motive is to bring You glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

© 2020 Foundedonthebible.com

References:

1. https://namemeaningsdictionary.com/search.php?q=xerxes&cat=names&search=

2. Dream Encounter Symbols, Barbie Breathitt Ministries, www.breathofthespiritministries.com

3. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6539&t=NLT

4. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7800&t=NLT

5. Ahmad Aryavand and Bahram Grami, "LILY," Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, 2015, available at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/lily (accessed on 29 June 2015).