We left off in our study with Queen Esther being crowned and Mordecai saving the king’s life. Now we are introduced to a very wicked man: Haman in Esther 3:1 “After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.”
Some commentators say Haman was a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag. The Amalekites were longtime enemies of the Jews, this hatred goes back to Esau’s hatred of Jacob (Genesis 27:41), for the Amalekites were descendants of Esau (Genesis 36:12). Any attack of the Jews by the Amalekites was simply a continuation of the great conflict between Jacob and Esau.
Now, knowing a little bit about Haman and his background we can see how he is a dangerous man. Not only does he have an extreme hatred for the Jews, but now he is promoted by King Ahasuerus to be prime minister of the Persian Empire. As prime minister, Haman was the second highest-ranking official in the government, second only to the king himself.
Can you imagine, a person with this much hatred and anger towards the Jewish people and now he is put into a position of influence and authority. What people do with authority is a test of their character; do they use their authority to promote themselves or to help others? My friend, hatred only fuels the fire of a wicked heart.
As we continue our study, we will see Haman’s wicked character revealed.