Esther 3:12–15

The king's scribes were then called to write a decree "according to all that Haman commanded." It was addressed to all the officials of the kingdom in every province and sealed with the king's signet (v. 12). Couriers then carried these letters to all the king's provinces. They told the people to kill and destroy all the Jews — young and old, women and children — on one set day, and to take all their possessions as plunder. Haman took the fullest advantage of the king's permission. He had copies of the document sent everywhere (v. 14), declaring this slaughter to be law. That law could not be changed, because the Medes and Persians prided themselves on having unchangeable laws (Dan. 6:8).

Esther 3:12 and Esther 8:8 hold two letters of King Ahasuerus. The first was written under Haman's influence and scheming, calling on men to rise up against the Jews and wipe them out. The second was written under Mordecai's guidance, authorising the Jews to destroy anyone who dared to lay hands on them. Both letters were written in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring, and neither was cancelled. No man may reverse a writing that carries the king's name and the king's seal. So the sealing stood for the settled, unchangeable purpose and will of the one whose seal it was. No man could reverse it.

The decree they read. It was written, it was sealed with the king's signet — no man could reverse it. Who could bring comfort to those affected by it? A Persian had no fear of death because of it; it did not touch him. Once it was published, no Jew inside the king's lands had any hope of life. He could go from one end of the empire to the other, and no corner, no hidden spot, was safe for him. The decree aimed at the whole race. So the Jew was born into this world under a threat of death.

Haman writes "in the name of King Ahasuerus," and in appearance acts as his humble servant in affairs that the king himself has resolved and decreed. Similar circumstances will be renewed at the time of the end. The Antichrist will make himself the servant of the Roman Beast (Rev. 13:14-16) to carry out his own plans. Haman's satanic plan begins with his own pride and ambition. He would rather crush everything under his feet than see it made subject to Christ.

Haman had power, and he was full of anger at Mordecai's lack of respect. He decided to destroy not Mordecai alone but all his people. So he cast lots to find "the lucky day." The lots were cast in the first month of the year, and they pointed to a day as late as the thirteenth day of the twelfth month. That left ample time for the various steps that brought down both his plan and himself (3:7 and 13).

His plan is ratified by a royal decree according to which all Jews must die (v. 12-15). This illustrates that there is a divine death sentence on the Jewish nation. How good to know that — as we will see — the king later passes a second decree which overturns the first. The sentence of death becomes life and peace.

The king's scribes were then called to write a decree "according to all that Haman commanded." It was addressed to all the officials of the kingdom in every province, and sealed with the king's signet (v. 12)... Haman had taken fullest advantage of the king's permission. He had copies of the document sent everywhere (v. 14), declaring this slaughter as law. That law could not be changed, for the Medes and Persians prided themselves on laws that could never be altered (Dan. 6:8).

An empire-wide proclamation went out, a real proclamation of death. The king's scribes were called on the 13th day of the month. Research has shown that the Persians called that day Tir, which means "lot." The message went out in different languages to all the king's satraps, to the governors of every province, and to the princes of every people joined to the Persian empire. It told them what was to happen on the 13th day of the month Adar.

He is marked by uncontrollable pride and by the desire to lift himself up and make himself a god. He is filled with terrible hatred against the people of God and against the one who represents them. To take revenge on that one man, the enemy sacrifices the whole nation. He also uses lies and hellish cunning to get what he wants: murder. In a word, he is the spirit of wickedness in the flesh. Is he not the same one who says, "Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!"? (Ps. 83:4)

So the enemy cast lots to find a day that suited his murderous plan. God's providence saw to it that the lot fell far ahead. That delay left room for a new decree, since the old one could not be changed or cancelled, so that the Jews could stand and defend themselves and destroy their enemies. At first nothing looked less likely. In the end Satan, as always, defeated himself.

The king's decree, the written word, stood in front of them. It would not be changed. It had to be carried out, unless some way of rescue was found in time. Haman's hatred on its own would have caused no sorrow. The decree of death made all the difference, because it came from the man who held the power to kill.

A Persian had no fear of death because of it; it did not touch him. A Jew anywhere in the king's lands had no hope of life once it was published. He could go from one end of the empire to the other, and there was no corner, no hidden spot, where he was safe.

Haman succeeded in getting a royal decree for the destruction of all the Jews found in the kingdom of Ahasuerus. His work for that day was done. The scribes were busy; the couriers went out, hurried on by the king's commandment. Then Ahasuerus and Haman sat down to their drinking. What is man! Those two, as far as they were concerned, had sealed the doom of a whole people by the decree that was being published; then, with light hearts, they sat down to drink! (3:15).

But faith was necessary for the Jews. They had to believe the second proclamation as they had believed the first. It would have gone badly for them if the thirteenth day of the month Adar came and they had not acted on the second decree. The first decree would then have fallen on their heads, and they would have died. So the sinner must believe the first decree: death is his sentence as a sinner. Then he must believe the second decree, "Christ died for the sins of the ungodly." There is life in a look to the crucified One.

Here we see great activity. An empire-wide proclamation went out, a true proclamation of death. The king's scribes were called on the 13th day of the month… All the king's satraps (his provincial rulers), the governors of every province, and the princes of every people who had joined themselves to the Persian empire received notice, in different languages, of what was to happen on the 13th day of the month Adar. The proclamation was written in the king's name and sealed with his ring, which Haman held.

Haman took the fullest advantage of the king's permission. He had copies of the document sent everywhere (v. 14), declaring this slaughter to be law. That law could not be changed, for the Medes and Persians took pride in having laws that never altered (Dan. 6:8).

God's people, just because they are His, are always an offence to the rest of mankind, and above all to the proud and boastful. This holds true even when their own unfaithfulness costs them His open favour, which is what had happened here… So Haman proposes their destruction, offering a round sum for the treasury in return.

The lot points to the twelfth month for the massacre of the Jews. Why not the third or the fourth month, to take away any chance of escape from this oppressed people? Is this not once again hidden Providence, directing everything as always? What can the "oppressor of the Jews" (Esther 9:10, 24) do against the secret counsels of Providence? He must obey the lot he has consulted, and right there his quick road to death and judgment begins.

Divine providence saw to it that the day was put off long enough to make room for a fresh decree — since changing or cancelling the first was not allowed — so that the Jews could stand in self-defence and destroy their enemies. At first nothing looked less likely; in the end Satan, as always, defeated himself.

The written decree! What a change it made! The goals and aims that had taken up so much of their lives until then must have looked different — and, may we say it, truer. A Persian had no fear of death because of it; it did not touch him. A Jew had no hope of life once it was published, if he lived anywhere in the king's realm. He could go from one end of the empire to the other, and in no corner, in no hidden place, was he safe. The decree was aimed at the race. So by birth alone the Jew found himself under threat of death… It is written would have been the poor man's answer. It is written must have crushed all hope.

Perplexity gave way to gladness; feasting took the place of fasting. Why? The thirteenth of Adar had not yet come. The first decree stood unrepealed. Why this change? The written word of that second decree had made all the difference. Relief had come; a way of escape from that dreadful doom was offered the Jews. They believed it, and they acted as if they believed it.