Sermon: Haman's Lot (Esther 3:7-15)

Haman’s Lot Sunday, February 2nd, 2025 Christ Covenant Church – Centralia, WA

Esther 3:7-15 In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar. 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.

Prayer

O Father your Word says that by mercy and truth iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. Grant us now mercy, truth, and piety, that we might be cleansed and forsake the paths which lead down to hell. We ask for Your Spirit in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction

In Psalm 34:19 we read, “many are the afflictions of the righteous.” Many are the afflictions of the righteous.

• And that means is that if you are a saint, if you are a Christian beloved of the Lord, there will come moments, times, and even long seasons of crisis. A crisis can disorient you, confuse you, and at times perplex you. And it is in these crisis times that we often ask ourselves, “What have I done to deserve this?” Or “How might I have avoided this?” Or perhaps we bring God into the equation and wonder, “What is God doing by allowing this pain, this evil, this fear to afflict me?”
• We read the rest of Psalm 34:19 and it goes on to say, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
  • And so we might define a crisis as being that time between affliction and deliverance, a crisis is the time between suffering and relief, between anxiety and peace, between the testing of our faith and its reward.
  • And in this sense, all of life on this side of glory is crisis time, with greater and lesser crises scattered throughout.
    • As it says in Job 5:7, “Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward.”
    • And in 1