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"Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father."
The purpose of God foreshadowed in the earthly kingdom of Israel will be brought to
a glorious conclusion by the Lord Jesus Christ. When He takes to Himself His great
power and reigns, He will not rest until all enemies are abolished; there will be no
sparing of Amalek then. Those readers who have grasped the significance of the two
seeds (see Volume XIII, page 52, and the pamphlet The Reconciliation of All things)
will perceive it in operation here, as Amalek, though descended from Abraham, was not
counted as the seed, for that line came through Isaac and Jacob, whereas Amalek
descended from Esau.
Mordecai and Haman.
One other occasion is given in Scripture to show the character of Amalek and to
foreshadow the end. The book of Esther records that Haman was advanced by the king
above all the princes that were with him, and that all the king's servants bowed down
before him. It further says that "Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence" (Est. 3: 2).
Why was this?
"Haman was the son of Hammedatha the AGAGITE" (Esther 3: 1).
Haman was the descendant of one of the Amalekite kings, and Josephus (Ant. 11:6,5)
calls him an Amalekite. What was this man's attitude towards Israel?
"Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of
Ahasuerus" (Esther 3: 6).
As a result of Esther's noble intervention Haman the Agagite is first compelled to do
honour to Mordecai, and then to suffer the fate upon his own gallows that he had planned
for the Jew. We cannot say that Haman was a descendant of that Agag who was spared
by Saul, but typically we can see that in the sparing of one Amalekite in the early days of
Israel's kingdom, Saul jeopardized the whole nation under the reign of Ahasuerus. So
must it be with the flesh.
"He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption" (Gal. 6: 8).
"Because the minding of the flesh is enmity against God" (Rom. 8: 7).
It certainly is extremely suggestive to read the genealogy of Mordecai in Esther 2: 5:
"Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai,
the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, A Benjamite."
Saul, who so signally failed concerning Agag, is of the same line as Mordecai, who so
signally succeeded. Both were of the line of Kish, the Benjamite. Saul loses his
kingdom, and David is sought out and anointed immediately after the failure of Saul
concerning Agag. Mordecai, however, dispossesses the Amalekite, and succeeds to his
office: