“But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that (Haman’s) wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Wherefore they called these days Purim…” – Esther 9:25-26
In just a matter of days our Jewish friends will observe Purim – a holiday commemorating the deliverance of God’s people from those who conspired to destroy them. It recalls how, through the brave acts of a few, a sadistic plot against innocent people was exposed and how the schemers became entangled in their own web. As the anniversary of these events approaches, I can’t help but feel that, once again, an evil plot is about to be exposed. I have this sense that, this year, Purim might coincide with some very dramatic events here in America and abroad. To put it plainly, I will not be surprised if the whole truth about what happened in the months leading up to the 2016 election is revealed for all to see and, in the end, the hunters become the hunted.
The essence of the Purim story is this: Providence determined that a young Jewish girl named Hadassah would be chosen to become Queen Esther of Persia. You could say that God intervened in the affairs of men so that His chosen would be in the right place at the right time. This is an important component of the story, because God foreknew that a man called Haman, described as the “enemy of the Jews,” would seek to destroy all Jews living in the Persian empire. The specific focus of his hatred was a Jew named Mordechai, who just happened to be closely related to Queen Esther, an important fact of which Haman was unaware.
I might add here that Haman, who served as counselor to the Persian king, was not a Persian himself. According to the Bible, he was an Agagite, meaning that he was a descendant of Israel’s most bitter antagonist, Esau. This ancient hatred toward God’s people was, I believe, at the heart of the entire affair. Using his influence, Haman convinced the king to issue a written decree that would essentially label Mordechai and his fellow Jews as traitors and enemies of the state, thus marking them for death. The conspirators decided by lots (purim) that on a certain day, the Jews would be destroyed and that Mordechai would hang upon gallows constructed by Haman himself.
As the story unfolds, we learn it was through the courageous efforts of Mordechai and Esther that the scheme was eventually revealed to be what it truly was: an effort on the part of one sinister man to destroy his enemies under the guise of protecting the nation. In the end, Haman was exposed as the true enemy of the state and was hanged upon the very gallows he had erected for Mordechai. His co-conspirators and allies were subsequently purged from the kingdom on the day that is now known as Purim.
While that basically sums up the history of Purim, I’d like the reader to consider certain aspects of the story that may have relevance for us today. First, Haman feigned interest in protecting the state when in reality he was out to settle a personal score. He used his authority and political influence to secure the backing of the government in his pursuit of that goal. Though he focused his efforts against the Jews, in reality, he was opposing their God who, by the way, is never mentioned. When his wickedness was ultimately exposed, the devices he had intended for his innocent victims were turned on him and eventually his entire family. Put simply, Haman got caught in his own snare and to this day serves as an infamous example of how Biblical justice is dispensed: the evil someone intends for another is turned upon their own head (see 1 Samuel 25:39, Nehemiah 4:4).
Take note of this very important point: deliverance from evil depended heavily upon those who were in a position to do something about it. It was incumbent upon them to resist the temptation to keep silent; circumstances dictated that they boldly speak on behalf of those threatened by the schemes of corrupt men. By approaching the king when she had not been summoned, Esther risked her life to expose this conspiracy saying, “If I perish, I perish.” This sentiment testifies of someone who realized that her life was not her own but was intended to serve God by serving His people. I have no doubt that it was the Almighty who placed her in the palace “for such a time as this” (Est. 4:14) and emboldened her to approach the king unannounced. It required great courage, but her efforts and her own shrewdness were rewarded with the salvation of her people. In the end, the schemer was out schemed.
What’s the point of all of this? I believe Purim is more than remembering an ancient event for the sake of a celebration. It is a reminder of how God continues to use others to defend and deliver His people. It is a historical precedent that demonstrates how those who seek to entrap the innocent are themselves caught in the web they have spun. As the Scripture declares on more than one occasion, “His mischief shall return upon his own head” (Psalm 7:16), and that principle brings me back to my main point – I believe the plan to secure power for a dangerous cabal is being unveiled.
A year ago, many Americans, including me, were talking about a reprieve – the feeling that we had dodged an electoral bullet and were being given another chance to save our nation. If we were granted a reprieve, then I must consider that what we are currently witnessing in regard to the suspicious actions of the DOJ and FBI is the Hand of God. In other words, I believe the Almighty is working behind the scenes to expose plans that were conceived in darkness. Seeing that these kinds of things often seem to escape justice, why would this time be different? In my opinion, if we have been given a reprieve and a chance to return to the God of our fathers, then we must face what we have become. By that I mean, God will reveal just how extensive our moral decline is and how it has corrupted everything from top to bottom. The corruption has to be identified if it is to be purged from among us.
It is important to understand that for those who do wickedly and refuse to turn from their evil, whether they be individuals or nations, there is a season to answer for that evil. To put it in biblical terms, there comes a time when the “cup of iniquity” is full (see Gen. 15:16) and, at that point God says, “Your time is up.” When someone commits themselves to unrighteousness, though they may prosper for a season, they will eventually eat the deadly fruit of their labor; at the appointed time, God will bring their evil deeds into the light for all to see. I have the sense that, as a nation, we are soon to see what happens to those whose “cup of iniquity” is full. I truly believe that what was whispered in secret is about to be shouted in the streets but – what happens then?
It is equally important to understand that just because God exposes the wickedness of man does not mean that He fixes it. It might be that He is exposing corruption at the highest levels of government to see what America – it’s people and leaders – are willing to do about it. Are we willing to take proper advantage of the reprieve we believe was granted us? According to the Messiah, if a house is to stand, it can’t be divided against itself – the wickedness must be cast out. So, if we are to continue as a free Republic, the “house” must be purged of corruption and be filled with what is pure, holy, and true. If not, the window of opportunity – the reprieve – will be pointless, and wickedness will return with a vengeance. In fact, the Messiah said that an unclean spirit that has been purged from a “house” will eventually return to see if the house is occupied. If it finds the house is empty (of purity, holiness, and truth), he will move back in with seven other spirits more wicked than himself. In the end, the spiritual condition of that person (or in this case, nation) will be worse than it was (see Matthew 12:45).
Some have argued that God has chosen Donald Trump to be an instrument that serves to expose Washington’s deepest, darkest secrets. If this is true, we must be careful not to focus on the players as much as the objective – to cast out the unclean spirit. (Interestingly, it has been reported that Melania Trump requested that all pagan and demonic symbols remaining from previous administrations be removed from the White House and that her request was granted.) We need to realize that the political corruption within the beltway is a reflection of the spiritual corruption that permeates Main Street USA. Removing our moral corruption through sincere repentance is the purpose behind any reprieve we have been given. Consequently, attacking the agent through which God would provoke such repentance is akin to warring against God.
If Trump is God’s chosen for this moment – and that does not mean he is a perfect man – those who would try to destroy him and remove him from power are on dangerous ground. When you come against God’s people and those He has chosen, even in their imperfection, you come against God’s purposes. Those who would follow this path and emulate the wicked Haman aren’t contending with another human being but are opposing God Himself.
Biblically speaking, those who choose this path are destined to hang – sometimes on the very gallows they constructed. After King David’s son, Absalom, led a revolt against his father, he came to a tragic and unexpected end. While riding on a donkey, his hair became entangled in the branches of a tree. The donkey went on and Absalom was left there hanging, later to be found and killed (2 Kings 18). As has already been noted, Haman’s own gallows were the reward for his wicked schemes. Realizing that I’m looking at this particular concept from a strictly biblical point of view and, therefore, it might seem far-fetched to some, consider a recent comment made by actor James Woods. In response to mounting evidence of Clinton involvement in this whole affair, Mr. Woods tweeted this on February 5, 2018: “You can hear the hammering as the gallows are being built…” Fascinating.
I want to be very clear about something: my intention here is not to provide a defense of the President necessarily. Regarding all of the allegations and accusations that have gone back and forth over the last 18 months, my position has been and is, “Let God be true but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4). In other words, I pray that God will reveal what has been conceived in darkness and that the truth – whatever that may be and whoever it may implicate – will come to light. You see, if we have been given a national reprieve, this is not about President Trump, Robert Mueller or any political party; this is about God’s purposes. If President Trump is God’s man for this time, then he is a tool at the disposal of the Almighty, ultimately, I believe, to awaken a wayward people to their spiritually deficient condition and to provoke them to repentance. If America is ever to be great again, then repentance is required of us all – you, me, our neighbors and our leaders.
Still, if there are those in the halls of government who are using their power and position to eradicate their enemies, and if their enemy happens to be chosen of God, then their future isn’t so hopeful. Should there be more revelations that prove a plot to remove the President by deceit actually existed, I have no doubt the guilty will continue trying to explain it away as nothing. Before the Nunes memo was made public, leading Democrats warned that its release would compromise national security. When the memo was made public, those same people said that there was “nothing to see here” even as they insisted their version of the facts be released to the public. As it turns out, the Democratic memo actually did contain information detrimental to national security.
It reminds me of the scene when Aaron cast his rod before Pharaoh, and the rod turned into a serpent. Pharaoh’s magicians responded with, “This is nothing,” and then proceeded to deflate its impact by replicating the demonstration with their own serpent/rod or, in our case, memo. Aaron’s serpent devoured the Egyptian serpent and, eventually, those same magicians were forced to concede that Pharaoh was being confronted by the “finger of God” (Ex. 8:19). My point is this: if the revelations that are coming out now are, in fact, the result of Divine intervention, then we should expect that there will be far more weighty revelations in the future. So weighty, in fact, that those defending the conspirators today will be forced to admit that all of this has been accomplished by the hand of God. If the Almighty is at work here, then no man or woman will be able to hold back His justice.
Purim is approaching and with it certain expectations, at least on my part, for the release of information that will leave no doubt as to the depth of wickedness that permeates our government and culture along with the identity of the guilty. The whole affair has the feel of what has occurred so many times in the past: what has been intended for evil against the innocent is being exposed. It could be that Purim comes and goes without incident and that this political intrigue continues but, know this: there is a God-ordained time for those who oppose His purposes to be exposed. When that finally occurs, the more important issue will be whether or not America sees it as provocation to turn back to God wholeheartedly? We shall see.
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