By E. L. Thornton
Esth 3:8-15
“And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy. And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee. Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring. And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day. The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.”
Haman was a Jew hate-er. His hate for the Jews stemmed from the fact that Mordecai would not bow to him nor did him reverence (3:5). Because of his hate for the Jews he devised a plot to destroy all of the Jews because of Mordecai.
Please notice how Haman approached the King.
1) The Jews are different from other people (verse 8).
2) They do not keep the king’s laws
3) They do not profit the king
This sound just like the people of God. God’s people have been, are, and always will, be different from the world. The people of God will “look different”, and “act different” from the world. God’s people do not keep the law of the world. We do keep the “golden rule.” We don’t profit the world much because we don’t indulge in worldly things.
The king, without thinking of what could be behind this plot, and having full confidence in Haman, took off his ring and gave it to seal a decree for the destruction of all the Jews in his kingdom.
The decree was made law on 13th day of April. On April 13th one year later the fateful day would come. Giving the Jews one full year to prepare. Could this be where “Friday the Thirteenth” originated from? Whatever, we do know that it would be a day of trouble for the people of God.
I. THE DAY OF TROUBLE :
(Eph 6:13) “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day,—-.”
You will not go through life without having an evil day. Your walk with God does not cause you to be immune nor exempt from trouble. (Matt 5:45) “—- for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
But the just does have a greater chance at life than the unjust. (Prov 12:13) “The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble.”
(Prov 24:16) “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: ——.”
(Job 1:13) “And there was a day —–”
(Job 2:1) “Again there was a day ——-”
Job had his day of trouble. But I notice that Satan couldn’t do anything against Job, but tempted God against him. When God was about to bless Job, God told him,
(Job 38:22-23) “—- the treasures ——-Which I have reserved against the time of trouble,”
Your day of trouble will come and you better hope you have so reserves to fall back on.
II. ARM YOURSELVES:
The king couldn’t change what he had decree or written (Esth 8:8) “— for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse.” But the king did make another decree and sent it to all the Jews, (Esth 8:13)
——— that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.” Another way of saying it is, he gave them permission to arm themselves.
The Apostle Paul in writing to the church of the Ephesians tells them, (Eph 6:13-18) “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Loins girted, Breastplate, Feet shod, Shield, Helmet, is all for protection. Sword is for defense. Some people want the protection, but don’t want to defend themselves. They testify and say, “YA’LL pray for me that I can live for God.”
The devil don’t know what to do with the word. (Heb 4:12) “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, —–”
III. AS A CHURCH:
The enemy has come against the church. The Church is the only thing that stands against Satan in our day. The Church has everything on hold in these last days, the man of sin can not be revealed. The Church is the only institution that fights Satan’s kingdom and Satan hates the church. But we must be like the Jews, (Esth 8:11)”gather themselves together, and to stand for their life,”
As a Church, we must arm ourselves and gather together to stand for our life.
(Ps 27:5) “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”
