©Michael Player
Chapter 3:7-15 (ESV) - In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them. If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries.” So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
Question to consider: Why did Haman cast lots for almost a year?
After Haman hatched a diabolical plan to wipe out all of the Jews because Mordecai refused to bow down to him, those who were in on his scheme cast lots (pur) daily to determine when the right time would be to carry it out. So almost an entire year went by before the lots determined that Haman should approach the king about murdering the Jews.
Often, when people are carrying out their evil intent, they mask it with the appearance of righteousness in order to convince others that their plan is necessary or even blessed by God. For example, say a small group of power brokers in an organization wanted to get rid of someone who upset them in some way, or they deemed him a threat to their plans for the organization. They may disguise their intent with a severance package and farewell party that makes everyone feel like they have appreciated and cared for this person even though the power brokers manipulated the situation to force him to leave.
In this case, the king and the people looked at the casting of lots to be a decision from the gods so Haman was able to make it seem like the gods had appointed this time to get rid of a rebellious people. He kept the request vague enough to keep the king from asking questions like: What laws were violated, or what people do you want to get rid of? Obviously, if the “law” that was broken was in not bowing down to Haman, and the people included Mordecai who had shown his friendship to the king by revealing a plot against him, the request would never have been granted.
However, Haman impressed the king with his show of money and expression of good intent for the kingdom and mindlessly gave over his signet ring to enable the plot to be carried out. Haman then sent out a decree to the entire kingdom in the king’s name and sealed with his signet to annihilate the Jews. On a spiritual level, we know the devil was interested in fully and finally destroying Israel to prevent the seed of the woman from ever being born. Like Haman, the devil is foolish in thinking that he could ever interfere with the will of God. The king was merely a useful idiot who could be manipulated into carrying out the evil plot simply by a demonstration of power, flattery and a few drinks.
Dear heavenly Father, please give us discernment and courage to uncover evil where it exists. Please forgive us for those times we have allowed evil actions to occur out of ignorance, and we pray that You will expose such evil and rectify it. Amen.