Who is Haman?

Every story needs a villain, and on a rare concurrence of days, we can talk about two stories and two villians.  For Maundy Thursday (the traditional time of Jesus’ Last Supper) and Purim both fall on the same day.

The first villain of the day is named Haman.  He was an advisor to the king, and loved to sit at the right hand (place of power) of the king.  He is called an Agagite, meaning a son of Agag, the king of Amalek.  Amalek was the grandson of Esau.  It is said Amalek bears a grudge against Israel because Jacob stole his birthright.  Moses said, “the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.“

The man named Judas Iscariot was the treasurer for Jesus and his disciples.  He loved to sit at the right hand of Jesus.  His last name indicates he is a resident of Kerioth-hezron, which is on the border of Edom (land of Esau).

When Mordecai discovered Haman’s plot to kill the Jews, Esther fasted for three days before holding a banquet where she revealed the identity of Haman the Agagite and his plot.  Through the banquet Esther saved the nation of Israel.

Jesus identified Judas Iscariot and his plot at his last supper.  When John asked Jesus for the identity of the betrayer, Jesus said it was the one with whom he dipped the bread.  Following the dinner Judas betrayed Jesus, who was hung on a cross to die the next day. Jesus died to save all who would believe and call on His name.  He was laid in the tomb for three days, and rose again.

Both Hamen and Judas wicked wicked men.  Haman was hung by the king on his own gallows.  According to Matthew 27 5, Judas Iscariot hung himself on his own gallows.

Oh once there was a wicked wicked man,

And Judas was his name, Sir.

He would have murdered Jesus Christ,

But he would not stay dead, Sir.

CHORUS:

Oh today we'll merry merry be

Oh today we'll merry merry be

Oh today we'll merry merry be

And nosh some Matzah now sir..

He told us on the Passover

This meal would be his last, sir

His life would end upon the cross,

Oh my how he did scare us.

CHORUS

And Jesus, as His life did end,

We knew he had some chutzpah

We laid Him in an empty tomb,

Cause that is what we do, sir."

CHORUS

He laid inside the grave all night

And through the whole next day, sir,

And then on through the next night too,

The corpse was in the grave, sir.

CHORUS

When Easter came on Sunday morn

Some wanted to anoint Him,

The stone would it be rolled away?

Oh yes, so we can go in.

CHORUS

When we walked on inside the tomb,

A big surprise we found sir,

The body we saw wasn’t there

The cloth was on the ground sir.

CHORUS

The Angels they did come and say

This man, He did arise sir,

The grave, just look, it’s empty see,

His body did arise sir.