May 15. 2025-Meditation, Esther 3:7–15, The Lot Is Cast by Man

 Did you stand firm in righteousness against injustice yesterday, just as we meditated on in God’s Word? We must never forget to seek God’s righteousness in every circumstance. We cannot overlook our own weaknesses—how easily we are swayed by emotion or selfish desires.

Haman, infuriated that Mordecai would not bow before him, sought to punish not just Mordecai, but the entire Jewish people. To achieve this, he bowed before the king and schemed to turn his plan into reality.

Let’s look at verse 7:
“In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur—that is, the lot—was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.”
Haman cast lots. Now, casting lots was indeed a method God had allowed the Israelites to use. But the purpose of casting lots in Scripture was to seek God’s will. In contrast, Haman and his men cast lots to determine when they would kill the Jews.

This is revealed in verse 13:
“Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.”
This was a lot cast not to discern God’s will, but to satisfy their anger and greed. It is utterly wicked.

Haman also speaks to King Xerxes, saying in verse 8:
“Then Haman said to King Xerxes, ‘There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.’”
Haman takes his personal grudge against one man, Mordecai, and projects it onto an entire people group. His resentment is deeply personal, yet he escalates it into a national extermination plan. He wants to kill indiscriminately and seize their possessions. Such emotions are not healthy—they are rooted in injustice.

This plan, now backed by royal authority, becomes a terrifying reality. All the Jews are suddenly doomed to die without cause. At this point, we might ask: Where is God in this? Why doesn't God stop it before it happens? Why does He allow His people to face such suffering and danger?

Why? The truth is—we don’t know. We don’t know why God allows His people to face trials and persecution, even through something like casting lots. But here is one thing we do know: even in such moments, God desires for His people not to compromise with the injustice of the world, but to stand firm in faith until the end.

Let’s look at Psalm 38:12–14:
“12 Those who want to kill me set their traps, those who would harm me talk of my ruin; all day long they scheme and lie.
13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear, like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply.”
Even though traps, wickedness, and schemes surround the psalmist, he says he will not speak or react. This is not because he lacks things to say. Nor is it because he is powerless. He refrains from speaking because he entrusts judgment to God. He knows that if he responds in his own emotion, he may make a mistake or even lose his faith. It is to remain in the character of gentleness and humility, just as Jesus taught.

Of course, this is difficult. When we remain silent, it feels like our enemies might treat us like fools. We feel compelled to defend ourselves. But even in such times, God wants us to respond not with arguments, but with gentleness. When we do this, we will witness how God intervenes in our situations.

So today, in whatever situation you may face, I hope you will remember the character of Jesus and stand firm in it. May you live a life that witnesses God at work in your midst, as you reflect His character in all circumstances.