Summary of Esther 3
Haman was promoted by King Xerxes. Mordecai would not kneel before Haman. Haman then wanted to destroy all the Jews, not just Mordecai. He convinced the king to issue a decree to kill all the Jews, while Haman and the king drink.
BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 2: Esther 3
3a) Mordecai would not kneel before Haman when the king had commanded all to kneel before him.
b) Mordecai would not kneel to anyone but God. Haman was probably jealous and angry. Haman was driven by arrogant pride. Mordecai’s refusal to bow wounded his ego, sparking a genocidal rage. Mordecai was motivated by religious faithfulness (refusing to give a man worship reserved for God) and likely his people’s ancestral enmity with Haman, an Agagite.
4a) Haman had an evil heart. The King simply did not care. Haman’s edict reveals his genocidal pride, manipulating the king to soothe his ego. The king’s casual approval shows he is a reckless, gullible, and morally indifferent ruler. He enables Haman’s cruelty, treating mass murder as a simple administrative task before casually sitting down to drink.
b) Peoples of the earth and the devil will be out to annihilate the Jews. Haman’s edict manifests the cosmic “enmity” of Genesis 3:15, as the serpent’s seed (Haman) attempts to destroy the woman’s seed (the Jewish people). His plot, rooted in deception and a desire for genocide, reflects Satan’s nature as a “liar” and “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44; Rev. 12:9).
5) Human pride and selfish motives can make all of us do things we normally would not do and sin. I can pray about it and grow closer to God. I can resist the devil and put on my armor of God. I can ask God for help. I can rely on God. Pride and selfishness distort attitudes by creating an inflated self-worth and a victim mentality, causing us to see others as tools or obstacles. This leads to manipulative, defensive, and aggressive actions, justifying injustice and envy while destroying empathy.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 2: Esther 3
Interesting lesson on how the Jews have always been targeted due to religion and how ancient kings really were extremely cruel.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 14, Day 2: Esther 3
Haman was an Amalekite who was an enemy of the Jews (Exodus 17:14-16) and a descendant of Agag.
Jews could bow as a sign of respect, but Mordecai simply refused.
Haman hated the Jews and used this as an excuse to eradicate them.
The Pur was a lot. The Jews would have 11 months before execution.
Haman half lied to the King to get his decree. The Jews did keep the king’s laws even though they had their own. And, the king likely did not know the number of Jews in the kingdom that this would affect. He probably thought only a handful would be killed.
The king most likely had no idea what his decree meant.
Everyone was confused since the Jewish people had done no wrong. All because of one man’s pride would a nation suffer annihilation. Such dangerous times these were.
Mordecai chose to stand out and not bow to Haman, rather than blend in with the crowd. There is a time and place for this, and you must be prepared for the consequences of such an action.
The King was just as guilty of the plot to kill the Jews as Haman since he did not ask many questions and went along with the plan. This is sin, too.
Haman reflects Satan, as Satan’s sole desire is to eliminate God’s people and end God’s purposes.
END NOTES SUMMARIZED
This chapter marks the story’s great crisis. It introduces the villain, Haman, who is promoted to the highest position under the king. When Mordecai the Jew refuses to bow to him—likely an act of both religious faithfulness (refusing to worship a man) and ancestral animosity (Haman was a descendant of Israel’s ancient enemy, Agag)—Haman’s wounded pride escalates into a genocidal rage.
Instead of targeting only Mordecai, he manipulates the king with half-truths and a bribe, obtaining a royal decree to annihilate the entire Jewish people. Haman uses a “Pur” (lot) to select a date, which providentially falls 11 months in the future. The chapter ends with the decree being sent out, leaving the city in confusion while Haman and the king drink, callously indifferent to the edict.
Conclusion
Esther 3 introduces the central threat of the book, transforming a personal conflict into a crisis of existence for God’s covenant people. It showcases the terrifying power of unchecked human pride, prejudice, and arbitrary rule. This chapter sets the “ticking clock” and creates the dire circumstances that will force Esther to risk everything, demonstrating the need for a savior.
Best Christmas Gifts for Him!
*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases