Reflection
This week, we were introduced to Haman, an Agagite man (the Agagites are descendants of the Amalekites) whose pride and hatred led him to propose a decree to destroy the Jewish people. We learned earlier that Mordecai is a descendant from the Israelite tribe of Benjamin. The intense hatred between these two people groups can be traced back hundreds of years to the time of King Saul. Let’s take a minute to review what has happened in the greater story of how God is working among his people (refer to the Biblical timeline). King Saul’s disobedience of God’s command of destroying the evil Amalekites has led to this moment in Esther where an Agagite man (Haman) is once again plotting for the destruction of the Jews. In the same way that God’s people are experiencing the consequences of Saul’s disobedience, we too experience consequences for the disobedience of those who have gone before us—both family members and others who have power in our culture. The week shows how individual actions, whether acts of loyalty or pride-driven decisions, can have significant consequences. The tension builds as the lives of the Jewish people hang in the balance, setting the stage for the critical role that Esther will play in the chapters to come.
- How is God sovereign over your life? How do we fi t into the greater story of what God is doing in the world?
- What is the one major takeaway that you learned this week?