Today we’re gonna continue on with Part 2 of our series on basic Christian lessons we can learn from the family of Haman.
In case you missed out on Part 1, click HERE.
Anyway, let’s dive into a key Bible lesson we can learn from one of Haman’s sons:
PARSHANDATHA!
Who Was Parshandatha?
Parshandatha was one of the ten sons of Haman. He’s actually the first son listed in Esther 9.
And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha— 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews—they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
(Esther 9:6-10)
What can we learn from Parshandatha?
Too Curious…
The name Parshandatha means “inquisitive.”
The word “inquisitive” actually means “curious.” But more specifically, it means “unduly curious about the affairs of others.”
As you can see in the above image, there’s a word that I circled in red that’s similar to the word “inquisitive.”
That word is “busybody.”
Now, what does the Bible have to say about the word “busybody?”
What Peter Said…
In 1 Peter 4:14-15, Peter gives both an encouragement and a warning to the Christian church:
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.
(1 Peter 4:14-15)
The word for “busybody” in this verse is the Greek word allotriepiskopos (ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος). And the way Thayer’s Greek Lexicon breaks down the meaning for this Greek word to be really interesting:
[T]he writer seems to refer to those who, with holy but intemperate zeal, meddle with the affairs of the Gentiles — whether public or private, civil or sacred — in order to make them conform to the Christian standard.
(Thayer’s greek lexicon)
What can we learn from this? How does it apply to us Christians in this modern world?
Meddlers Or Messengers?
For Parshandatha, he may have been an inquisitive person, probably in a negative sense. He probably lived up to his name and meddled around in things that he shouldn’t have meddled with.
But what does this mean for us Christians?
I believe this convicting statement from 19th century Christian writer, Ellen White, can help us clearly see one key lesson we can glean from all this:
Would we know how we may best please the Saviour? It is not engaging in political speeches, either in or out of the pulpit. It is in considering with fear and trembling every word we utter. Where the people assemble to worship God let not a word be spoken that shall divert the mind from the great central interest—Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. The third angel’s message is to be our burden of warning. The side issues are not for us to meddle with. The burden of the work is, Preach the word.
(TeStimonies to ministers & GOSPEL worKers pg. 331 paragraph 2)
Friends, at a time where we are pressed in by political polarization on every side and in all kinds of forms, we as Christians must NOT become SO distracted by these things and meddle in them SO MUCH that we FORGET what JESUS wants us to do!
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20)
A Prayer
Dear reader, is it your desire to step away from the distractions of this world, and strive from this day forward to center your heart and life upon Christ and His Great Commission? If so, then I wanna encourage you to pray the following prayer below:
I’d like to conclude this blog post with Colossians 3:2, a wonderful Bible promise you may claim along with the above prayer:
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
(Colossians 3:2)
Amen! Maranatha!
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