The Signet Ring

You know sometimes you read a story you have read many times and see something you have never seen before.  This is one way God's Word comes alive and is active to me.  The depths of its wisdom and richness is absolutely amazing!

Today I was reading in Esther 3, where Haman is scheming to kill all of the Jews after Mordecai did not bow down to him.  As Haman goes to King Xerxes (aka King Ahasuerus) and sets up his plot against this "certain people" who's "laws were different from those of every other people," the King takes his signet ring from his hand and gives it to Haman, the Agagite... the enemy of the Jews. 

Now I haven't lived in a time of kings... but it seems a little un-kingly to me for a king to hand over his signet ring especially to one who was seemingly just promoted.  I kind of would have to assume that part of the purpose of the signet being a ring would mean that the king would actually have to see and touch... to have in hand such decrees that came with his signet.  I'm not sure if this was normal, a case of laziness, love of money or a lack of wisdom but it just doesn't seem "kingly" at all for such a drastic decree.

This caused me to think about the drastic differences in Haman and Mordecai... and; in the ways of God and the tactics of our enemy. 

Haman:  Haman conspired a plot and manipulated his king to further his plan of hatred and annihilation of those he hated... the Jews.  Haman had no respect for his king... had literally made himself king... ring and all!  

Mordecai:  Mordecai followed his King's plan, honored Him above all others, and trusted Him with the outcome even when the stakes were incredibly high.  He did not manipulate, He simply listened and obeyed.

Our God and King:  Our God is Sovereign.  He never gives His "signet ring" to anyone else.  He knows what's up!  There is nothing that comes our way without Him knowing and making a way for us.  

Our enemy:  Satan, on the other hand, if we let him, by not putting the real King on His throne, is happy to give us the "ring" (the fake one that makes us think we are in control).  I would go so far as to say this is one of his favorite tactics... to make us think we are lord over our lives.  He gives us that fake signet ring and let's us do all the work of making a mess of things and then turns on us and laughs at what a mess we find ourselves in.  

When we don't make God, God of our lives... we are choosing to take that signet ring and do what is right in our own eyes.  When we do this... we put ourselves in the King's position.  It's like we have taken this "ring" and have tried to make our own kingdom.  Then we wonder why things aren't going well.  And some even have the audacity to blame it on the King.

The great thing about the real King though... is when we realize we have confiscated the ring, our King shows us that the real ring has never left His hand.  He wants us to come to Him, to be a part of His Kingdom and allow Him to fix the mess we have made.  

That signet ring never comes off His hand. He is sovereign.  So sovereign that He is in control even when we mess things up!  He's so great that He can even use those mess-ups to further His Kingsom and make it greater!  He's just waiting for us to come back to Him and be a part of His kingdom.  What a wonderful King He is!

 (Just an insightful side note here about this passage... Agag was the king of the Amalakites, a tribal people whom the Lord ordered King Saul to destroy completely... but he didn't.  Haman the villain in Esther was an Agagite...  a descendant of Agag.  I just wonder if King Saul had just been more "King-ly".....????  But again... God used that mess, too!)