Esther 3:8-9
God’s Goodness
8. Haman was trying to convince the king to murder thousands of Jews. In the former portion, we read about his slander and flattery. Notice in this verse a third tool of Satan’s that Haman used: he mixed truth and error to lead Ahasuerus astray. 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, or different, from all other people in thy kingdom. This was the truth, for the Jews kept God’s laws about eating and living, even when they were in a foreign country. But then Haman spoke a shocking lie: neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them, to permit them to live.
9. If it please the king, let it be written in a law that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge or oversight of the business of the kingdom, to bring it into the king’s treasuries. It is not clear if this money would come from the Jews who were to be killed or from Haman’s own riches. In either case, it was tempting bait that he held before the king—another one of Satan’s tools!
Something to think about:
Haman was a liar even though he said some truths. He said that the Jews kept laws that were different from the rest of the people. True! God had indeed blessed the Jews with many wise and good laws that no other nation had, and which didn’t make any sense to the heathens around them. But Haman implied that keeping those laws made the people useless and even dangerous citizens.
Sadly, that idea is still around. Often, Christians are seen as useless, or at least not quite so profitable. In some countries today, Christians are seen as dangerous and therefore are killed or thrown in prison.
What do you think of God’s laws? Can you see why He gave us His commandments, or do you also view them as unprofitable or useless? On the contrary, God shows His love and care for us in every law He has written in His Book. He cares about the health of our bodies, so He forbade people to eat certain foods. He knows that you will be happy when you love and respect others and show kindness and obedience. You prefer a peaceful home rather than a home where everyone is fighting or ignoring each other! Isn’t it nicer when you can trust people because they speak the truth and keep promises? How much more enjoyable it is when you can share something you have without feeling jealous! You know it hurts terribly when your classmates laugh about your mistakes or your clothes. Is it useless when you obey God’s law and don’t get drunk? Is there no profit when you are honest when you shop? Are you harming the country when you don’t join the sinful pleasures of the world around you?
In this broken world, you may not always experience the blessing upon obedience. Yet no one will lose in the end by obeying God’s laws. Don’t let the world make you believe that you are useless or unprofitable to society when you obey God’s laws. The real reason that upright Christians are disliked or hated is because their example makes others feel uneasy. When you show real love and live obediently, you prick their consciences. They feel just like you do when you have to wash out the dirt and stones from a scrape on your knee. It stings!
Further reading: Matthew 5:1-16