The Cost Of Incomplete Obedience

The Cost Of Incomplete Obedience

It all began with King Saul.

IN THE fifth century B.C. all the Jews in the world lived under the rule of the Persian Empire that controlled the entire Near East. In 474 B.C. they were in a desperate situation. Xerxes was king of the empire, and his prime minister, Haman, hated the Jews. Incensed that a Jew named Mordecai refused to kneel down before him, Haman vindictively plotted to have not only Mordecai, but all the Jews in the empire put to death. As prime minister, he received permission from Xerxes to issue a decree setting a date for the extermination of the Jews eleven months later (Esther 3). Since virtually all Jews lived within the Persian Empire, this decree was a direct threat to God’s program of redemption.

The key to understanding this confrontation can be found in the name of Haman’s father, Hammedatha the Agagite (Esther 3:1). Haman’s name indicates that he and his father descended from Agag, the king of Amalek (1 Samuel 15:20). Thus, Haman himself could be considered an Amalekite. The Amalekites had been the first nation to attack Israel after its exodus from Egypt, and as a result, God had declared, “I will blot out every trace of Amalek from under heaven” (Exodus 17:14). Later God commanded Israel, “Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. . . . Therefore, when the Lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies in the land he is giving you as a special possession, you are to destroy the Amalekites and erase their memory from under heaven. Never forget this!” (Deuteronomy 25:17, 19) Years later Saul, the first king of Israel, disobeyed God and spared Agag, king of the Amalekites, rather than killing him as God had commanded. Because of this disobedience, God rejected Saul as king (1 Samuel 15; Cf. 30:1-18).

Mordecai is described as a descendant of Kish (Esther 2:5) who was the father of Saul (1 Samuel 9:1-2). And now, five hundred years after King Saul, Mordecai, Saul’s descendant, continued to battle the Amalekites.

Mordecai persuaded his cousin Queen Esther to go uninvited to the court of King Xerxes at risk of her life to petition him to spare her people, the Jews, from Haman’s decree. She found favor with the king, and he granted her an audience. The king listened to her petition and agreed to grant it; however, since a Persian law could not be revoked, he had to issue another decree. On June 25, 474 B.C., King Xerxes issued a decree granting authority to the Jews to defend themselves against their enemies when the attack mandated by his first decree commenced (Esther 4:1–8:16).

The book of Esther thus describes the final chapter in God’s holy war on the Amalekites.

Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:1-10), and Mordecai replaced him as prime minister (Esther 8:2, 15). The following year when the Jews were attacked, they successfully defended themselves, killing seventy-five thousand of their enemies, including all the sons of Haman (Esther 9:1-17). God’s command to exterminate the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:2-3) was finally fulfilled.

Reflection

King Saul’s incomplete obedience resulted in five hundred years of further conflict. What are examples in your life when you have been only partially obedient to God? What have been the results? We can’t make a partial effort and expect a full result. God expects full obedience.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.

Matthew 28:20