Purim: Why Hamans Must Fail
by Sam Nadler
They tried to kill us. We won (by God’s grace)! “Let’s eat!” This is sort of a short summary of most every Jewish Holiday. Well, at least it is true for Purim. In the story of Esther, Haman, the Prime Minister of Persia, had planned to destroy the Jewish people. Much to his chagrin, however, things were not working out as he had planned, so he went back to his advisers for help.
With Friends like These…
Ever notice how many friends now become “I told you so” advisers when things don’t go well? We read in Esther 6:13, “Haman recounted to Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then, his wise men and Zeresh, his wife, said to him, ‘If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fail, is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.’” Even though these same people advised him to hang Mordecai (Esther 5:14), they now see the handwriting on the wall’ and warn Haman that he cannot stand against Mordecai the Jew: Haman’s ruin was already assured. The Hebrew states, emphatically, ki-na’foal ti’pole: “falling you will fall! You will absolutely fall.” You will not win, but absolutely fail.” Yes, the Jews in Babylon were under the chastening hand of their God, but not for their destruction. Their God was at work to redeem them and Haman would ultimately fail.
But how did Haman’s advisors know of his certain failure? They had been taught historically, Biblically and prophetically.
Historically
Haman’s advisors had seen for the previous 50 years how God had miraculously worked through their own King Cyrus. The Jewish people had been enslaved in Babylon & Persia for 70 years, but just as had been predicted by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:10), they were released by King Cyrus’ decree to go back to Israel again.
Biblically
While the Jews were in Babylon, they had the writings of the prophet Daniel in their possession. In the Book of Daniel, the uniqueness, power and purpose of the God of Israel was revealed: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel. The king answered Daniel and said, ‘Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.’” (Daniel 2:46, 47) Again, in Daniel 6:25-27, “the God of Daniel… delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” In Daniel 7:27 “Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One.”
Prophetically
One of their early ‘wise Men’, Balaam (Numbers 21:5) had actually tried his hand at this “cursing Israel business,” and had found it to be a really bad idea. “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? Blessed is everyone who blesses you (Israel), and cursed is everyone who curses you. I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel, One from Jacob shall have dominion.” (Numbers 23:8, 20, 23; 24:9, 17, 19)
It was from this same area that the Magi would come at the time of Messiah’s birth. The Magi recognized the truth of Balaam’s words, that the Jews were the hope of the world since through them and them alone would come the Messiah, the blessing of Abraham for the world who shall have dominion (Matthew 2:1). Therefore, because of the historical, biblical and prophetic truth, Haman’s advisors knew that he was doomed to fail! For as Balaam said, “Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you.” This was first declared by God, Himself, to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” This is why the Hamans, the Hitlers, the Anti-Messiah and all others who curse the Jews must ultimately fail.
The Promises of God
‘‘I will bless those who bless you.’’ Because God is a God of blessing Haman must ultimately fail. Notice the text: those who bless is plural, those who curse is singular. The desire and expectation of God is to bless many and curse few. When you don’t bless the Jews you must ultimately fail, for you are contrary to God’s desire, and His nature: God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), not hate. That’s why Messiah came as God’s response to our sins. We are created in the image of God; therefore, we are to be an instrument of blessing, not cursing, of love rather than hate. Haman was wrong and ultimately had to fail. The Nazis were wrong and had to ultimately fail. The KKK, ‘Christian Identity’/ White Supremists, skinheads, etc. are wrong and will ultimately fail. If you hate (especially the Jews), you are wrong, and you ultimately have to fail. To bless Abraham is to bless the God of Abraham in faith and obedience. To curse is, therefore, to deny God and disobey His Will and Word. And that is always failure.
The Problems of God
‘’The one who curses you I will curse.’’ Because sin ultimately is judged, Haman had to fail. Expect to be cursed with the curse you brought upon the Jews. There are curses and there are ‘curses.’ Some work right away, as with Haman, some later, even as the Egyptian firstborn were killed because of how they treated Israel’s first born. “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD, Israel is My son, my firstborn. So I say to you, Let My son go that he may serve Me; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”(Exodus 4:22). Though they made Israel suffer for generations, eventually, they were cursed with the same curse they gave Israel. Universally we are taught, “What you sow this also you will reap” (Galatians 6:8). You sow love, you reap love; you sow hate, you reap hate. Parents, remember this when you train up your children. Love them unconditionally and they will love you as well. If you’re overly judgmental toward them, don’t be surprised what you reap. It’s almost like an O’ Henry story: poetic justice that Haman died on the same gallows he made for Mordecai the Jew (Esther 7:10). What he sowed he reaped. Hitler committed suicide thinking that in so doing he would escape justice. But the Scripture says “It is appointed unto man once to die then comes the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27). No sooner had Hitler died, he was then facing judgement before the King of the Jews. He who curses will be cursed.
The Person of God
Remember, it’s not because God has a soft spot in his heart for just the Jews: He’s concerned about all people-in you (Abraham) shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Again God states to Abraham “and in your seed will all the nations of the world be blessed” (Genesis 22:24). God will ultimately use Israel as His instrument of influence in the world. God promises that Israel is the key to God’s ‘international blessing program.’ Notice, it says ‘in your seed;’ that is, “seed’ not seeds. Thus it was his seed, Isaac, not Ishmael, and Jacob and not Esau, and then his seed through Judah, then David and finally to Yeshua. This is even as the New Covenant teaches in Galatians 3:16, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Messiah. And I Galatians 3:14, “He redeemed us in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Messiah Jesus. Because “God so loved the world;” therefore, Haman had to fail. When God loves, He loves a world. And when He gives, He gives His son. There is ultimate victory for all people, for all who will believe in Yeshua the Messiah, the ultimate ‘seed of Abraham’. God could not let the Jews be destroyed for through them comes Messiah, the Savior of the world. Even today, the Second Coming of Messiah depends on the repentance of Israel (Matthew 23:39, Acts 3:19-21). So even today, those who curse the Jews must ultimately fail. Therefore, let us live to be an instrument of blessing to the Jews, and to all people. For those that bless, even as God blesses, must ultimately succeed even as God’s Will eternally succeeds. Right now, if you will trust in and bless Yeshua, the king of the Jews, you will receive the eternal blessing of salvation and forgiveness; for in Yeshua, the seed of Abraham, are found all the blessings of heaven forever! (Ephesians 1:3).
