If This Pleases the King
'Haman (to the king): All the provinces in your kingdom are overrun
with one insignificant group of foreigners, people who haven’t adopted
our customs. Their laws differ from all other peoples’, and they do not
keep your laws. Therefore it’s not a good idea for you to tolerate them
or their actions any longer. If it is your wish, sign an order that
these people be destroyed, and I will bear all the costs. I’ll pay 375
tons of silver directly to those who carry out the king’s business in
order to relieve the royal treasury of the expense.' Esther 3:8-9
(VOICE)
Who was the insignificant group that Haman refused to name? The Jewish people. They had a name. They were not insignificant for they had destroyed the Amalekites of which he was one. So his resentment for them was deep, deep enough to allow Satan to use him in an attempt to destroy the seed of which Jesus was to come out of.
Haman accused the Jewish people of being law breakers, even though he only observed one man, and the law he refused to obey was to kneel. The Jewish laws and faith in God above man was on display when Mordecai refused to bow to the king and his administrators. 'Why tolerate them?' Haman asked. Why, would it profit the king to destroy his own people? The king was mislead by Haman who even offered to fund the mission. A good king might want to weigh the cost first, but no, Xerxes failed to consider the reasons why this might be a fatal mistake. Instead he trusted Haman. Haman thought he had found a simple way to destroy these competent and proud people, take all of their possessions and get paid by the king to do it. What a profitable deal for all, except the Jewish people!
God had another idea. He had to save His favorites. His idea and covenant from the beginning was to send the world a savior. This Hitler like plan of Haman, was about to be destroyed. God's people were saved then, just as they were saved from total annihilation later.
Why does the world hate the Jewish people? Why does the world hate Christians? Why does the world hate America? Why does the world hate Jesus? Isn't it because the world demands conformity? Don't be different. Don't judge me. Don't make me feel guilty. I am a sinner and proud of it. Maybe such as these, are hated because there is evil in the world and that evil is trying to destroy every trace of God and anything good. The evil try to destroy Him, even though they don't know Him.
God's children refuse to blend in, why would they? What does the world have to offer them? Nothing, nothing but sin and sickness and death. God's children refuse to fit in with the norms and the rest. How could they? Their home is not of this world. Refusing to blend in with a sinful world makes them stand out. When someone chooses to believe and to turn away from sin this act might make those opposed to the ways of God feel inferior to what they see as aloofness. Just like Haman, for the opposition, their pride can cause those feelings to turn into hate and rage.
The Word brings division. Those following the Laws of God and a call for morality and virtue that decide to believe it and to live it are divided from those that refuse to believe. The unbelievers are on the side of the immoral. Blinded to the truth that they cannot see. Lost to hate, they miss it and remain dead in their sin. They miss God's love. They miss the mercy and the grace. They miss the truth that God desires that all come to Him and be saved. God loves and loved the world, so much so, that He gave His only son so that the lost might find Him and be saved.
You can't find Him in the laws of man. You can't find Him by trying to destroy His people. You can know Him by reading His Word. You can hear Him when you listen to His voice. You can find Him when you look for Him in His creation. You can please the King. Find Him. Please Him. Read His Word. Hear His voice. Look for Him. Take time to know Him, the real King of Kings.
Who was the insignificant group that Haman refused to name? The Jewish people. They had a name. They were not insignificant for they had destroyed the Amalekites of which he was one. So his resentment for them was deep, deep enough to allow Satan to use him in an attempt to destroy the seed of which Jesus was to come out of.
Haman accused the Jewish people of being law breakers, even though he only observed one man, and the law he refused to obey was to kneel. The Jewish laws and faith in God above man was on display when Mordecai refused to bow to the king and his administrators. 'Why tolerate them?' Haman asked. Why, would it profit the king to destroy his own people? The king was mislead by Haman who even offered to fund the mission. A good king might want to weigh the cost first, but no, Xerxes failed to consider the reasons why this might be a fatal mistake. Instead he trusted Haman. Haman thought he had found a simple way to destroy these competent and proud people, take all of their possessions and get paid by the king to do it. What a profitable deal for all, except the Jewish people!
God had another idea. He had to save His favorites. His idea and covenant from the beginning was to send the world a savior. This Hitler like plan of Haman, was about to be destroyed. God's people were saved then, just as they were saved from total annihilation later.
Why does the world hate the Jewish people? Why does the world hate Christians? Why does the world hate America? Why does the world hate Jesus? Isn't it because the world demands conformity? Don't be different. Don't judge me. Don't make me feel guilty. I am a sinner and proud of it. Maybe such as these, are hated because there is evil in the world and that evil is trying to destroy every trace of God and anything good. The evil try to destroy Him, even though they don't know Him.
God's children refuse to blend in, why would they? What does the world have to offer them? Nothing, nothing but sin and sickness and death. God's children refuse to fit in with the norms and the rest. How could they? Their home is not of this world. Refusing to blend in with a sinful world makes them stand out. When someone chooses to believe and to turn away from sin this act might make those opposed to the ways of God feel inferior to what they see as aloofness. Just like Haman, for the opposition, their pride can cause those feelings to turn into hate and rage.
The Word brings division. Those following the Laws of God and a call for morality and virtue that decide to believe it and to live it are divided from those that refuse to believe. The unbelievers are on the side of the immoral. Blinded to the truth that they cannot see. Lost to hate, they miss it and remain dead in their sin. They miss God's love. They miss the mercy and the grace. They miss the truth that God desires that all come to Him and be saved. God loves and loved the world, so much so, that He gave His only son so that the lost might find Him and be saved.
You can't find Him in the laws of man. You can't find Him by trying to destroy His people. You can know Him by reading His Word. You can hear Him when you listen to His voice. You can find Him when you look for Him in His creation. You can please the King. Find Him. Please Him. Read His Word. Hear His voice. Look for Him. Take time to know Him, the real King of Kings.
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