Examining The Scripture LXX: Haman, What's Your Problem?

It is quite clear Haman hated Jews and in particular Mordecai in Esther 3. Because Haman's hatred is direct towards all Jews it is also inadvertently direct at Esther, he just doesn't realize it until it is too late. It would appear there are spiritual forces possibly at work also in this story that may play into the attempted extermination of the Jews. The Bible does not say specifically but it is left to ponder.

The first thing we learn about Haman after a read through Esther 3 is he is prideful and likes to gloat or dwell in his accomplishments and his position in life. He seems nearly megalomaniacal. We read that Haman was promoted to and “all the king's servants” were commanded by the king to ‘bow and pay homage” but Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. The others that paid homage asked Mordecai what his problem was. Why didn’t he obey the king? Mordecai’s refusal continued day after day. He had told people he was a Jew. The others didn’t understand the Mordecai by his faith was not to pay homage or kneel down to another other than God. Haman’s fury burned within him and killing Mordecai wouldn’t be enough. Haman knows that Mordecai is a Jew and sets out to exterminate all Jews.

Haman is an Agagite and possibly a descendant of Agag. Being such makes this more of a spiritual issue than anything else. God had commanded through Samuel that Saul kill all the Amalekites down to the last man. Saul did not do this and one of the descendants returns in the Bible in a bid to eliminate the line from which the Messiah would arise, the Jews. Satan is at work in a pronounced spiritual manner here in his attempt to kill of the Jews. I believe human hatred may have been able to stay “alive” or “vibrant” during these centuries just as we see generational hatred can be passed down in the form of bias and discrimination of other races. It ends up taking on a life of its own. In the end generations later people don’t even know why they despised someone, they just do it because ‘”that’s the way it’s always been”. It is more probable that there is something much deeper going on here; a spiritual malevolence is most likely involved.

Regardless, Haman then plots the extermination of the Jews as a salve for his ego. Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not for the king's profit to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed”. The King agrees issue a decree and seals the deal with his signet ring. Haman agrees to fund the extermination himself which attests to Haman’s wealth and position in the kingdom. By giving the signet ring to Haman the King was essentially giving Haman a political “blank check” to complete the task.