Today’s passage: Esther 3
Helpful thoughts:
- King Saul defeated the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15. But Samuel was the one who killed their king, Agag. Evidently, some of the king’s family got away because now a descendant of Agag, Haman, will plot to eliminate the Jewish people and be stopped by descendants of Saul’s family.
- Mordecai’s refusal to bow to Haman only revealed his hatred for all the Jewish people. His desire was to destroy them all. Jerusalem was a part of Ahasuerus’ kingdom, so this included those who remained in exile, and those who had gone back and had returned.
- Haman’s offering of silver to King Ahasuerus was a means of funding this attempted massacre. Haman donated the silver and then the king gave it back to him to use for his edict.
Questions to consider:
- What are some reasons Mordecai would have refused to bow down to Haman? How might their family history have played a part (See also Exodus 17:8-16)? If Haman was being given some sort of divine status?
- What had Mordecai told Esther NOT to do (2:10)? Why do you think he chose to reveal his ancestry?
- As Haman and Ahasuerus sat down to drink, why was the city of Susa thrown into confusion? If the people did not respond in celebration, what can we learn about the general feelings of the people toward the Jews? Did everyone hate them the same way Haman did?