Esther Chapter 3

1. Who did King Ahasuerus promote to be over all his princes with him? vs. 1 Haman

2. Haman was a descendant of Agag. Who was that person in Israel's history? Comment on

1 Samuel 15:32,33 - Amalekites
Exodus 17:14-16 -Amalek

3. What had the king commanded be done and how did the king's servants at his gate respond to Haman? vs. 2 They were to kneel down and pay honor to him.

4. What did Esther's Uncle Mordecai, a Jew, refuse to do concerning Haman? vs. 2 kneel down.

5. The king's servants asked Mordecai why he was transgressing the king's command. (vs.3) ... They spoke to him daily about this and he would not listen to them. (vs.4) ... What reason had he given them that they told Haman about? vs. 4 He told them he was a Jew.

6. When Haman realized that Mordecai would not bow down and pay homage to him, how did he feel about it? vs. 5 Angry

7. He did not want to lay hands on Mordecai alone. What group of people did he decide he wanted destroyed throughout the whole kingdom of King Ahasuerus? vs. 6 The Jews

8. In the first month (Nisan) in the 12th year of the reign of King Ahasuerus, the lot called Pur was cast before Haman to determine when he would destroy the Jews. (vs.7). What month was determined that this would happen? vs. 7 the twelfth month, the month of Adar.

9. What did Haman say about the Jewish people to King Ahasuerus to cause him to agree that they should not remain in his kingdom? vs. 8 - Name 2 things said about them. - 1) keep themselves separate
2) Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws

10. What did Haman say he would pay to those who would carry out the order of the king to destroy all of the Jews? vs. 9 ten thousand talents^b of silver

11. What did the king say to Haman and what did he give him to use as authority to carry out the task? vs. 10,11 - 1) signet ring
2) Do with them as you please.

12. The king's scribes were summoned on the 13th day of the 1st month, and a letter was written just as Haman commanded to every satrap and governor of every province of each people in their own language, written with the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with his ring. (vs.13) ... The letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces. What day was proclaimed to be the day of slaughter to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children included? vs. 13
the thirteenth day of the twelfth month

13. A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. (vs.14) ... While the king and Haman sat down to drink at the citadel in Susa, what did the people of the city of Susa experience? vs. 15 was bewildered.

Applications:

14. Haman had hate in his heart for the Jews or he would not have wanted the whole race destroyed based on the anger he felt toward the one man, Mordecai. The devil often makes other people really hate God’s people. This is because God’s people love God and Satan is God's arch enemy. What does the Bible teach us about "hate" and "anger"?

Jeremiah 17:9 -

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Matthew 10:22 -And when ye come into an house, salute it.
Matthew 15:19 -For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Luke 21:17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
John 8:44 -The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 10:10 -The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John 15:18-25 -If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

¹⁹ If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

²⁰ Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

²¹ But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

²² If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

²³ He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

²⁴ If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

²⁵ But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
Romans 7:18,23 -For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Ephesians 4:26,27 -
James 3:14-16 -
1 John 2:11 -
1 John 3:15 -

15. It is amazing that just "one" man would cause an entire race to be destroyed, but that happened to the human race as well when the first man created, Adam, chose to disobey God. Adam's sin brought about spiritual death to all mankind. We know that Esther will change the course for the Jewish people as their mediator before the king, but better still God sent His Only Son to step into this world and take our death sentence upon Himself and redeem us from the sentence passed upon us. When we receive His sacrifice and acknowledge Him as Lord, we are saved. Read and comment on the Scriptures below. These will help you share the road of salvation with others as well.

A. Adam's sin - death passed to all.

Genesis 2:16,17 -
Genesis 3:12,13 -
Romans 5:12-21 -
Romans 3:23 -
Romans 6:23 -
1 Corinthians 15:21,22,45,49 -
2 Corinthians 11:3 -

B. God's solution - Christ died for all.

John 1:29 -
John 3:16,17 -
Acts 13:38 -
Romans 5:8 -
Romans 6:23 -
Ephesians 1:7 -
Ephesians 2:8,9 -
1 Corinthians 6:20 -
1 Corinthians 7:23 -
2 Corinthians 5:17 -
2 Corinthians 5:21 -
Hebrews 2:14 -
Hebrews 7:27 -
Hebrews 9:12 -
Hebrews 9:24-28 -
Hebrews 10:10-12 -

C. Our salvation from the death decree - We must receive the gift of eternal life.

John 1:29 -
John 14:6 -
Acts 2:38 -
Acts 4:12 -
Acts 13:38 -
Romans 6:23 -
Romans 10:9-13 -
1 Peter 3:18 -
1 John 1:9 -
Revelation 3:20 -

16. When the Persians cast "Pur", it was dice, and it may seem like the date they came up with to destroy the Jews was by chance. However, God is behind the casting of lots called "pur". The day is determined for destruction. God will have the final say regarding His people the Jews. They had almost a year before the day of death was to come. How do we know God was in charge of this folly of man?

Proverbs 16:33 -

17. Satan wanted the Jews destroyed and he tries to destroy all of God’s creation. God, on the other hand, wants all His creation saved, and He has gone to the ultimate sacrifice to redeem mankind back to Himself.

John 10:10 -
John 3:16 -
1 Peter 5:8
2 Peter 3:9 -

18. That had to be a horrifying thing for the Jews to know their day of destruction that had been determined for them. People need to realize that today, there is a day of "judgment" coming upon the world and only God knows when that day will come. It is determined. Although every person will have to give an account of the deeds done in their body, those written in the Lamb's Book of Life, will escape the second death and live forever in God's kingdom. Will you escape the second death? How can you be sure of it? Comment on the following verses:

Matthew 12:36-41 -
Matthew 24:36 -
John 12:48 -
Acts 17:30,31 -
Romans 14:10,12 -
2 Corinthians 5:10 -
Hebrews 9:27 -
2 Peter 3:10-13 -
Revelation 20:11-13 -