“Haman is Hitler.” That was my first thought today as I read this chapter. Like Hitler, he was working toward the extermination of the entire Jewish race. Haman was so prideful and arrogant that he couldn’t stand to have one Jew, Mordecai, who would refuse to bow down to him. Haman understood that other Jews would probably follow Mordecai’s example and so rather than addressing his one issue, he decided to just kill everyone who might rise up against him. Haman was not flexible.
Like Haman, how often have I allowed my pride to influence my decisions? Like Mordecai, have I stood up for God and refused to bow down to idols?
I’m also struck by how easily the King is convinced by Haman. He seemed to have complete trust in Haman and didn’t appear to ask anything about the details of Haman’s plan.
Like the King, when have I trusted the wrong people? Do I seek God’s counsel in my decision making?
The last thing I noticed today was how the king’s edict was similar to our own situation. The edict was put in place by the king and could not be changed. It called for the death of the Jews. There is a similar edict against each of us that we read about in Romans 6:23 – “The wages of sin is death.” This was also issued by the king and cannot be changed. We find ourselves in the same position as the Jews in Esther’s time. We are doomed unless someone comes to rescue us. As the story of Esther continues we will see a rescue. In our own lives, Jesus has come! We have a Savior! I cannot express how grateful I am for a Sovereign God who has already worked in the Esther story to put the right characters in place for Israel’s rescue. He has done the same for me. In addition to Jesus’ provision and salvation, I discover His sovereign hand each and every day. He is so good to me.
Steve Corn
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