In reading through the first half of Esther this morning, a man named Haman hatches a plot to kill all the Jews: men, women, and children. History shows that God’s chosen people have more than once been the subject of genocidal thoughts and plans. “From the river to the sea” is an example of a modern-era poetic genocidal death chant directed at God’s people. Genocide of the Jewish people has never been successful, yet why do the heathen rage and imagine such vanity?
In today’s reading, we see a Jewish man named Mordecai refusing to bow to this Haman. Though this angered Haman, it wasn’t until he learned of Mordecai’s nationality that genocidal thoughts exploded in his heart. When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He had learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. (Esther 3:5–6, NLT) How typical of someone who hates God’s people—it is not enough to kill one; they want to kill all.
So why do the heathen rage and imagine such vanity? Notice how Haman explains it to the king: “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. (Esther 3:8, ESV) For Mordecai, there was only one he would bow to, and that was God—Haman was no God.
At the end of the day, the God of this world (Satan) is at war with the Lord Jesus Christ. This makes God’s people targets of persecution and genocidal intent from those whom the devil has blinded (2 Corinthians 4:3–6). Yet, for all of the persecution and killing of God’s people at the hands of the heathen, God is sovereign, extermination will never happen, and light will triumph over darkness! Between now and the last battle foretold (Revelation 20:7-10), God’s people have been raised up for such a time as this to defy the works of darkness with the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. So, despite the threat from God’s enemy, let us be willing to let our light shine before men with Mordecai’s resolve.
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Esther 1-5.