Esther (5)—The True Cause of Antisemitism - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone … Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

The dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Esther 3:5–6 NKJV; Revelation 12:4 NKJV

Esther (5)—The True Cause of Antisemitism
Faithful to the Lord who had sworn to have war with Amalek from generation to generation (Ex. 17:16), Mordecai daily refused to bow to Haman the Agagite—the descendant of the royal family of Amalek. King Ahasuerus had promoted Haman to be above all the princes of the realm, and had commanded everyone to bow and pay homage to this man. If the commands of human government directly contradict the commands of God, we too must obey God rather than man. We can then expect to suffer for our faithfulness to God.

Haman disdained simply to punish Mordecai alone. He obtained the king’s permission to destroy all the Jews in the Persian Empire. Revelation 12 shows us in symbolic language that Satan has ever been against the Jewish people, Israel, because Christ was to be born of Israel. Think of the Israelite boys who were all to be killed in Egypt in Exodus 1. Remember how Saul sought to kill David throughout 1 Samuel 18 to 27, how Athaliah tried to kill all her grandsons, the royal line in 2 Kings 11, how Herod had the young boys in Bethlehem massacred. History abounds with the persecution of the Jews, God’s earthly people, culminating in the Holocaust in Europe under Hitler. There will be more in the future.

Satan has ever sought to frustrate God’s purposes to honor His Son, whether by provoking hatred against the Jews or instigating persecution of Christians in many countries today. May we be true to our Lord Jesus Christ, whatever the price we must pay!

-- Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.