Esther 3:15 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. King Ahasuerus promoted Haman: Haman was an ungodly man.

 Haman was a wicked and proud man. Somehow, he got into King Ahasuerus’s favour and was promoted to the top post in the kingdom. All the other king's servants bowed down and paid homage to him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. This infuriated Haman.

The wounded pride of Haman drove him to seek retribution against not only on Mordecai, but also on his people, the Jews. He determined an exact date he would strike out against the Jews. It would not just a pat on the hand, but a death blow to the entire race. He sought to exterminate the Jews.

Haman approached the king and told a lie. He said the Jews had customs that were different from everyone else's, and they refused to obey the laws of the Persians. He further said it was not to the king’s profit to keep them. He requested the king to give orders for the Jews to be killed on a certain day. In order to bribe the king, he even said he would donate ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s treasury. The king was delighted with it and gave his consent to the slaughter of the Jews.

The deal was sealed: “And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed” (Est 3:15).

When the king sat down to drink, he thought he had done well when in actual fact, he had not really understood what he had done. Haman also sat down to drink; and very pleased that he had done well. But the city of Shushan was in grief.

The king was rejoicing in his ignorance. The foolish king was totally unaware of what he had done; included in this death warrant would be his own wife, Queen Esther. The ignorance of the king concerning the Jews in his kingdom is like the ignorance of some citizens here concerning foreign workers in this country. The king believed the words of Haman that the Jews were unprofitable in the kingdom. He had not gone stepped outside his cushy palace to see the work they had contributed to the kingdom. Likewise, many citizens here could not see the contributions the foreign workers have contributed to the economy.

One thing is certain; they would not have houses to live in if not for the foreign workers. Restaurants, hospitals, bus companies and cleaning companies and factories will close down because their children do not like to work for such organisations. Their streets will be piled up with rubbish.

The king did not know that the command he had signed also affect his queen who was a Jew. In the same way, many do not know that the No Foreign Talent policy also affect their children. Employment rate goes up because big organisations are shifting out. Inflation rate goes up because locals are more expensive to hire.

Haman was rejoicing in his sin. He loved his sin. He represents those who rejoice in doing evil and seeing others suffer. He was full of pride, sensitive, calculative, manipulative, liar, and a heart filled with hatred and revengeful.

Solomon wrote: “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?” (Pro 1:22).

Three classes of men are mentioned in Proverbs 1:22 – the simple (simple minded), the scorners, and the fools. The simple minded are those who don’t know what is happening around them. King Ahasuerus was the simple minded man. The scorners are those who devised to do evil. Haman belongs to the scorners. The fools are those who think they are smart but are not. King Ahasuerus and Haman were fools; they didn’t know what they were doing.

The fools rejoice in their foolishness. The king and Haman were drinking; celebrating their foolishness. Today, many are still drinking and making merry; also celebrating their foolishness. They reject the gospel of Christ thinking it was foolishness (1 Cor 1:23). They will have to answer for their foolishness just as Haman paid for his foolishness (Est 7:10).

Let us study the word of God diligently that we may be wise unto salvation. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15).

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.