The first two chapters set the stage for the book of Esther – but the end of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3 sets the contrast between Mordecai and Haman.
Mordecai, as we saw last time, is a descendent of Kish – King Saul's father. That means that King Saul was his great-uncle many times removed!
We also should note that Haman is an Agagite. What is an Agagite? A descendent of Agag. Agag was an Amalekite king – in the days of King Saul.
The book of Samuel tells us that Saul was commanded to destroy Agag – and devote Agag and his people to destruction (a term used in the OT when God commanded their utter destruction). But instead, Saul spared Agag – along with much spoil – claiming that he had intended to offer sacrifices to the LORD.
Samuel replied that the LORD desires obedience rather than sacrifice!
The basic problem was that Saul did not do what God commanded.
Now, in our text tonight, we see that a son of Agag and a nephew of Saul are pitted against each other.
Perhaps the family history may explain some of the animosity between these men. Haman would remember that the house of Saul was the occasion for his ancestor's demise. No, Saul did not kill king Agag – but Samuel the aged prophet did. It may have been nearly 600 years before – but if the Jews remembered the story, how much more would the Amalekites!
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