Summoned: Answering a Call to the ImpossibleSýnishorn

Summoned to Scrutinize

In Esther’s third chapter, Haman the Agagite is promoted, and all the king’s subjects are ordered to pay homage to him. Mordecai the Jew, Esther’s cousin, refuses, sending Haman into a fiery rage. Haman begins to plot, scheming to cold-heartedly wipe the Jewish people from the face of the empire. In preparation, Haman begins in the month of Nisan (March) to cast “Pur,” or throw dice, to determine in which month he shall strive to commit blatant and unapologetic genocide.

He does this and finally arrives at a date—a date he believes is determined by his gods. The date decided on to eliminate the Jewish people would correspond on our calendar to February/March, nearly a year later. It’s ironic that in the month God’s people are preparing to celebrate Passover—the time of feasts and remembrance of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt—they would instead be presented with a mass death warrant.

As a mother of four young children, I am often reminded of my lack of ability to be consistent or follow through with what I promise. I make my best attempt at scolding or redirecting, often adding the possibility of consequence or reward. “If you will behave, and do what I tell you, we can do something fun after I’m finished working.” Or “I promise we’ll get ice cream if you can be quiet during my phone call” (it almost never works). But I find that I can’t always follow through with what I have committed to.

Luckily for us, God is not an overwhelmed or exhausted parent. He always follows through with what He promises.

When the announcement was proclaimed throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus, I’m sure there was one question running through the minds of God’s people. “Will God deliver us?” They were living outside of God’s promised land, unable to experience the fullness of the Jewish way of life as they had in the promised land, with God and His worship at the center.

Could and would God move in a foreign place? Would God intervene on behalf of His people, even those in Persia? They were far from the temple, which had been destroyed anyway. Is God really in charge here?