In the book of Esther it mentions very briefly some of the
genealogy of two of the main characters, Mordecai and Haman. We know that all
scripture is profitable, and though I often tend to just quickly read over
things like this, we find something very interesting about the history of these
two.
We'll look at Haman first. In Esther 3:1 it says - "After these events
King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and
advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with
him."
At first glance this doesn't really mean anything to us, but if we look a little deeper we find great significance in this statement. The Agagites were descendants of king Agag of Amalek who we read about in 1 Samuel 15:2-9 which says - "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed."
We are familiar with the short term consequences of Sauls disobedience. It cost him his throne. In verse 26 it says "For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." But Saul's sin, as sins often do, had a long term consequence. Hundreds of years later the Jews suffered persecution and even the threat of death at the hand of Haman the Agagite, all because Saul spared Agag and didn't put him to death as the Lord commanded. Even though Samuel killed Agag according to the word of the Lord, after God rejected Saul, it was apparently, by that time, too late. Had Saul obeyed the voice of the Lord Haman would've never been born.
But in spite of Sauls disobedience God had a plan. That brings us to the genealogy of Mordecai, which is also the genealogy of Esther since they were cousins. Esther 2:5 - "Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite."
It's a little tricky putting genealogies together, because "the son of" doesn't always mean the direct son, it could mean grandson or descendant. For example: Jesus was referred to as the "Son of David" even though there were several generations between the two. It just means He was from the direct line of king David. But I believe that there is enough evidence to suggest that Kish, mentioned in this verse is the father of Saul. (the descendants of Benjamin are talked about in 1 Chronicles 8-9)
1 Samuel 9:1-2 says - "Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. He had a son whose name was Saul..."
And we're told in 2 Samuel 16 that there was a man from the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei. (Also mentioned in this verse)
2 Samuel 16:5-14 says - "When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. Thus Shimei said when he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! The Lord has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!" Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head." But the king said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the Lord has told him, 'Curse David,' then who shall say, 'Why have you done so?'" Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him. Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day." So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him. The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there."
This took place right after Absalom, Davids son, took the kingdom away from his father, and David was fleeing for his life with those who were faithful to him. David was obviously not having a very good day, and this fellow Shimei was not making things any better. Had I been in Davids shoes I probably would've permitted the men to behead him like they suggested. But David didn't do that. He obviously had a great deal of self control, and he accepted the curse and hoped that the Lord would return good on him rather than a curse.
Just as there was a long term effect for Sauls Disobedience, there was a long term effect of Davids acceptance of the trials that had come about in his life, and his faith that his curse would be turned into good. Because David refrained from killing Shimei, Hundreds of years later Mordecai and Esther were born. And it was from them that God brought deliverance for the Jews from the oppression of Haman.
Throughout the entire story of Esther, and even in these short verses about their lineage, Gods sovereignty is seen very clearly. God has a plan and nothing that man does can change that plan. We can decide whether or not to obey God, whether or not to be in subjection to His perfect will. We can be used by Him to accomplish His will, but regardless of our choices Gods plan will be accomplished.
Mordecai understood and stated that truth to Esther. In Esther 4:14 he said - "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"
He knew that God wouldn't allow the Jews to perish, because of His promises to them. And he also knew that if Esther decided not to speak up that deliverance would come from somewhere else. May we be in subjection to Gods will, and be willing to stand for Him despite difficult circumstances.
At first glance this doesn't really mean anything to us, but if we look a little deeper we find great significance in this statement. The Agagites were descendants of king Agag of Amalek who we read about in 1 Samuel 15:2-9 which says - "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' Then Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah. Saul came to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the valley. Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, so that I do not destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the sons of Israel when they came up from Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed."
We are familiar with the short term consequences of Sauls disobedience. It cost him his throne. In verse 26 it says "For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." But Saul's sin, as sins often do, had a long term consequence. Hundreds of years later the Jews suffered persecution and even the threat of death at the hand of Haman the Agagite, all because Saul spared Agag and didn't put him to death as the Lord commanded. Even though Samuel killed Agag according to the word of the Lord, after God rejected Saul, it was apparently, by that time, too late. Had Saul obeyed the voice of the Lord Haman would've never been born.
But in spite of Sauls disobedience God had a plan. That brings us to the genealogy of Mordecai, which is also the genealogy of Esther since they were cousins. Esther 2:5 - "Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite."
It's a little tricky putting genealogies together, because "the son of" doesn't always mean the direct son, it could mean grandson or descendant. For example: Jesus was referred to as the "Son of David" even though there were several generations between the two. It just means He was from the direct line of king David. But I believe that there is enough evidence to suggest that Kish, mentioned in this verse is the father of Saul. (the descendants of Benjamin are talked about in 1 Chronicles 8-9)
1 Samuel 9:1-2 says - "Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. He had a son whose name was Saul..."
And we're told in 2 Samuel 16 that there was a man from the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei. (Also mentioned in this verse)
2 Samuel 16:5-14 says - "When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came. He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left. Thus Shimei said when he cursed, "Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow! The Lord has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!" Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head." But the king said, "What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the Lord has told him, 'Curse David,' then who shall say, 'Why have you done so?'" Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him. Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day." So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him. The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there."
This took place right after Absalom, Davids son, took the kingdom away from his father, and David was fleeing for his life with those who were faithful to him. David was obviously not having a very good day, and this fellow Shimei was not making things any better. Had I been in Davids shoes I probably would've permitted the men to behead him like they suggested. But David didn't do that. He obviously had a great deal of self control, and he accepted the curse and hoped that the Lord would return good on him rather than a curse.
Just as there was a long term effect for Sauls Disobedience, there was a long term effect of Davids acceptance of the trials that had come about in his life, and his faith that his curse would be turned into good. Because David refrained from killing Shimei, Hundreds of years later Mordecai and Esther were born. And it was from them that God brought deliverance for the Jews from the oppression of Haman.
Throughout the entire story of Esther, and even in these short verses about their lineage, Gods sovereignty is seen very clearly. God has a plan and nothing that man does can change that plan. We can decide whether or not to obey God, whether or not to be in subjection to His perfect will. We can be used by Him to accomplish His will, but regardless of our choices Gods plan will be accomplished.
Mordecai understood and stated that truth to Esther. In Esther 4:14 he said - "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?"
He knew that God wouldn't allow the Jews to perish, because of His promises to them. And he also knew that if Esther decided not to speak up that deliverance would come from somewhere else. May we be in subjection to Gods will, and be willing to stand for Him despite difficult circumstances.
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