Not today, Haman!

Ever feel like you’re just minding your own business trying to bring a little more peace, light and joy to this world when a force seems to hit you out of nowhere and catapults you down into a dark and difficult place? Maybe it’s a health problem that keeps rearing its ugly head or maybe it’s the opposition and barriers you encounter every time you set out to start something new or launch a dream you’ve had for a long time. Maybe it’s marriage troubles or finances. It could just be a rough spot you’re going through or it you could be spiritual warfare. The bible says there is an enemy who wars against our souls and Ephesians 6:12 tells us we fight against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

Esther experienced intense spiritual warfare when Haman the Agagite is introduced in the third chapter of her story in the book of Esther and she had a very specific strategy she used to deal with it. (More on Esther’s strategy below) Haman was the enemy of Mordecai and the Jewish people: “When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.” Esther 3:6

So, why was Haman so irked when Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to him? Haman was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites, long-time enemies of the Jewish people. God had told king Saul to destroy the Amalekites centuries earlier in 1 Samuel 15:3, but Saul failed to obey the command. His disobedience led to the loss of his kingdom and the threat of annihilation for all the Jews in Esther’s time. Ultimately, it was pride that caused Saul to disobey and cause a problem even for future generations.

But, Haman is just one figure who represents a dark, demonic spirit of antisemitism that has been seeking to annihilate the Jewish people throughout history. There have been many Hamans, Hitlers, and Husseins, but much more insidious than these men who were intent on destroying the Jewish people, are the dangerous antisemitic belief systems that have impacted society at large and sadly, have also infected some of the church.

Replacement theology or supersessionism is a stronghold that has been part of the church’s history since its early beginnings, and unfortunately still impacts the church today. These forms of theology teach that the church has superseded Israel and the Jewish people, and replaced them as God’s covenant people.

Of course, if you’re reading your bible, you will know the error in these theologies because the covenants God made with Israel are all throughout both the old and the new testaments.

The Scriptures completely refute replacement theology. In Jeremiah 31:31, God said he will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. He was talking about the covenant he would make through the atoning blood of Jesus. Jesus himself said he came to fulfill the promises and the law, NOT to abolish them (Matthew 5:17). He took away nothing from the promises to Israel but reinforced every promise that God made to the Patriarchs (Acts 3:22-26). Jeremiah affirms a regathering of Israel in the land (Jeremiah 36:26-28) And, Jesus will return to Jerusalem as the son of David and King of Israel (Psalm 2:1-12, Revelation 22:1-6)

As the story of Purim progresses in the book of Esther, Haman and his wicked plot are exposed and the king, who had inherited an expansive kingdom, wastes no time in ridding it of the evil Haman and his seven sons. He completely eradicates their poisonous hate from the kingdom.

Believers in Jesus have have inherited the fullness of the blessings promised both to the physical and spiritual descendants of Abraham. There is no place for antisemitism in God’s kingdom. It must be eradicated. The Jewish people are his beloved firstborn children. Scripture says the Jewish people are the apple of God’s eye. (Zechariah 2:8)

It’s important for Christians to understand the complexities of why believing in Jesus is viewed in a negative light in the Jewish community. When I became a believer, it was hurtful to my parents because they couldn’t understand why I would do this “Jews for Jesus” thing, as they called it. They saw it as the ultimate betrayal. The reason it is so hurtful to many Jewish people is because of the centuries of Christian antisemitism. Jewish people have been force-fed a Christianized version of their Messiah who is stripped of his Jewishness, rather than a Messiah who lived as a devout Jew. If my friend’s mother hadn’t understood and embraced the Jewishness of Jesus and God’s love for Israel, I might never have come to know Yeshua as my Messiah. (See my story here )

Christian Antisemitism in the form of replacement theology serves as a barrier for Jewish people to come to their Messiah and holding views and beliefs that compartmentalize or stereotype the Jewish people or don’t recognize God’s irrevocable promises to them is not loving them as the scripture instructs. But, also not telling them about their own Messiah and the forgiveness and grace he offers us all is not loving them.

So, let’s get back to Esther and how she handled Haman and the spiritual warfare coming against her and her people… the three things she did to deal with the opposition coming against her and her people:

1) She asked for help from the community– “Go and gather the Jews in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day.”

2) She committed herself to fasting and prayer–” I and my attendants will fast as you do.”

3) She faced the battle with courage and dependance on God–

“When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

4) She was patient and she waited on the Lord for the answer– In Chapter 5, the story tells us how Esther prepared two different banquets for the king over two days and it was during that time when the king discovered Mordecai’s previous act of saving his life.

Whatever difficulties you may be facing, you can implement these same principles to gain the victory in your life.

This year, Purim begins tomorrow evening and lasts through Tuesday at sundown. It’s customary to fast the day before Purim like Esther and Mordecai and the Jewish people fasted in those days when they were threatened with annihilation. We can fast and pray about what trials we might be facing in our own lives and we can fast and pray for the Jewish people and all believers around the world as they face persecution in many forms.

As we approach Purim, will you join me in praying for the land and the people of Israel to come to know their Messiah and for Shalom to be within her gates? Will you join me in praying for Iranian Christians who face persecution and death for following Yeshua? And, will you join me in praying for our own country, where we need repentance and renewal in the body of believers?

Haman was destroyed by the literal sword, but we have the sword of the spirit (the word of God) to battle against all the tactics of the enemy that come against the Jewish people and all God’s children who have been grafted in to the olive tree. We need to pick up that powerful sword and say, “Not today, Haman!”