Shabbat Shalom. We are studying in the book of Esther, in the Tanakh, that is in the Old Testament. One of the most interesting books that are found in the Word of God, that even though the name of God is not mentioned even once, yet the providence of God in relationship to our people Israel is evident throughout the whole book of Esther. God has a plan for our nation Israel, and He has a plan for all those that have trusted in Him, And he's surely going to fulfill it and to bring it to pass. We are reading today in Esther chapter 2 and verse 19 into chapter 3 and verse 15.

And so I'm reading. And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordechai sat in the king's gate. Esther had not yet showed her kindred nor her people as Mordechai had charged her for Esther did the commandment of Mordechai like as when she was brought up with him. In those days, while Mordechai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigtan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were rough, and they sought to lay hand on the king Achashveruch. And the thing was known to Mordecai who told it unto Esther the queen, and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.

And when inquisition was made of this matter, it was found out, therefore they were both hanged on a tree. And it was written in the book of the Chronicles before the king. Esther chapter 3 in verse 1. After these things did King Ahasverosh promote Haman, the son of Hamadatta, the Agagite, and advance him and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. And all the king's servants that were in the king's gate bowed and reverenced Haman. For the king had so commended concerning him. But Mordechai bowed not, nor did him reverence. Then the king's servants which were in the king's gate said unto Mordechai, Why transgresseth thou the king's commandment?

Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, And he hearkened not unto them that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordechai alone, for they had showed him the people of Mordechai, wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Achashverosh, even the people of Mordechai. In the first month, that is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Achashverosh, they cast pur, that is the lot, before Haman from day to day and from month to month to the twelfth month, that is the month Adar.

And Haman said unto king Achashverosh, there is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and the laws are diverse from all people. Neither keep they the king's laws. Therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed. And I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business to bring it into the king's treasures. And the king took his ring from his hand and gave it unto Haman, the son of Hamadatta, the Agagite, the Jew's enemy, Tzorer HaYehudim.

And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also to do with them as it seemeth good to thee. Then were the king's scribes called on the 13th day of the first month. And there was written according to all that Haman had commended unto the king's lieutenants and to the governors that were over every province and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof and to every people after their language in the name of King Ahasuerus was it written and sealed with the king's ring. And letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all Jews.

Kol HaYehudim both young and old, little children and women in one day, even upon the 13th day of the 12th month which is the month Adar and to take the spoil of them for a prey the copy of the writings for the commandments to be given in every province was published unto all people that they should be ready against that day. The post went out being hastened by the king's commandment and the decree was given in Shushan, the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink. But the city of Shushan was perplexed. You know, brothers and sisters, as you read such a passage in the book of Esther, you don't marvel, you are not surprised at the reason that there is so much anti-Jewish sentimental views existing in the world in which we live in today.

It happened in past history of our own nation. It is happening today, the present day in which we live in. And it will happen in the future day and the climax will be in the tribulation period in the days that after the body of Messiah will be removed and Israel, our people will go through what is known to be Tzarat Yaakov, Jacob's trouble according to the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 30 Jacob's trouble when the climax of the hatred against our people the Jewish people will be at its highest days in history of humanity where Satan will be cast down to this earth and the Antichrist and its army will go and seek to destroy the people of Israel from the face of this earth and why is it is because Satan know very well that through the Jewish people, the Messiah will come and he will do away with Satan and all those who are following after him.

And ultimately, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, will reign and rule over this world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You see, every Passover seder, there is a song that we sing at that. Passover. And I would like you to listen to the words of this song that is being sung. This is what stand. For not only one arose and tried to destroy us, but rather in every generation they try to destroy us, but the Holy One, blessed be His name, saves us from all their hands. We call it in Hebrew, We sing it in every Passover Seder. Among our people throughout the Jewish community worldwide.

And the truth of the matter is that in every generation, there is always rising someone to seek to destroy the Jewish people. And yet we sing, and the Bible teaches us, especially in the book of Esther, that God is always intent to save the people of Israel for a purpose. He has a plan for Israel. In his desire, the nation of Israel will ultimately not only bring the Messiah as he was born already and came, Yeshua is his name, but ultimately blessings will flow to the nations of the world when Israel, the nation, will come to know God and the Mashiach himself in a future day.

Well, we are in the book of Esther. We are in a time where the people of Israel, the people of Judah, were left in the area where King Achashverosh in Shushan the palace was ruling over the empire, which we know as the empire of the Persian. In those days, we find out that God has allowed in a supernatural way for Esther to become the queen of all Persia. You remember last ministry meeting she was selected and according to the verses of chapter 2 and verses 17 that King Achashverosh loved Esther above all the women that came to that contest from all the empire of Persia. So after she was selected to become a queen, she never told King Achashverosh that she was Jewish, that she belonged to the Jewish people.

She kept it a secret. We learn from this that the truth of the matter, that Esther, as well as Mordechai, as well as all the Jews that remain in Persia, spiritually speaking, they were not in the right place. They should have gone back to the promised land. They should have been part of those that regained the land and rebuilt the temple and continue the worship of Jehovah, of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But no, they remain in Persia. They remain in Babel. And while they remain in Babel, they were not in the spiritual state that they should be at. They were really, you might say, not spiritually healthy.

So, what do we do? Because they were not healthy, does that mean that God now has forsaken his people whom he has chosen? Well, the truth of the matter is not. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 11, Have God forsaken his people whom he has chosen? God forbid, Shaul Paul said. For I am also an Israeli. I am also of the tribe of Benjamin. He says, God have not forsaken his people or cast off his people whom he foreknew. So God has a plan to somehow keep them, preserve them in his providence for a future day. Well, here we find out now what's happening. That while Esther became a queen of Persia, we find out that something happened in verse 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 of Esther chapter 2.

We find out that Mordechai, the Jew, had preserved King Ahasuerus from being slain by some of his people. Notice it says in verse 19 that when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat at the king's gate. See, all the girls that came from all over Persia, they were now gathering once again together. They were perhaps going to send them away because the queen was selected. Her name is Hadassah, Esther. She was selected. But Mordecai still kept an eye on what's going on there in the king's palace in Shushan, the capital. So it says in verse 19, he sat in the king's gate. Perhaps he became one of those people who were insiders, who knew of what's going on in Shushan Habirah, Shushan, the palace.

So he was watching over Esther, who now became the queen. What will happen? How is things going to go? Will she be found out that she's Jewish, and will the king deny her, and so on? What will happen? He didn't know. So he was sitting there at the king's gate. And then it says in verse 20 of Esther, chapter 2, that Esther had not yet showed her kindred, nor her people, as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai like as when she was brought up with him. So she was still obedient to her older, you might say, relative. She obeyed him by not sharing the fact that she was Jewish with no one, including King Ahasuerus.

Can you imagine? King Ahasuerus is married to a Jewish woman. And she became the queen of all Persia in those days, in a supernatural way, because the providence of God had placed her there as the queen of Persia. In verse 21, 22, and verse 23, we find out that Mordechai uncovered a conspiracy to kill the king. Look at this, it says in verse 21, In those days, while Mordechai sat at the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlain, Biktan and Teresh, Of those that kept the door were angry, they were wroth. And they sought to lay hand on King Achashverosh. So there was a plan, there was a conspiracy to kill the king.

Apparently from history, eventually someone did kill King Achashverosh. Some historical teaching will give us, we don't have it here in the Bible. But in this particular occasion, Mordecai had listened to what was going on. Imagine Bikta and Teresh, who were really keeping the door to enter into the palace. They were saying, listen, we are angry with this king. Have you done something to them? Let's make a plan. We are going to put our hands on King Ahasverosh and we are going to kill him. You know, in many generations, many people who were serving various monarchs or various presidents or Kings, they planned to assassinate the king and some have even been successful.

Unfortunately, in many areas, they have killed various leaders, various Kings. You think about Kennedy was assassinated. You think of many others in history that were assassinated by someone who planned to kill them. And here we see that Bacta and Teresh began to have this plan to kill King Achashverosh. So Mordecai heard it. He did the right thing. What did he do according to the next verses? Verse 22 and verse 23. He let Esther the queen know about it. Esther? Listen, there is someone who is planning to kill the king. So what did Esther do? She, after all, did the right thing as well. And she went and she said this to King Achashverosh.

And she also told him, you see, King, this was this Mordecai who was sitting at the gate. It says here in verse 22, it says, in Mordecai's name, she said this to King Achashverosh. So the King Achashverosh knew very well that it was Mordecai who told Esther about those who planned to assassinate him at Shushan the palace. Well, you see, when they made the investigation, verse 23, the end of chapter 2, they found out that it was true. They made an inquisition. They went and they asked, Big Tan and Teresh, are you guys planning to do this against the king? They found out that it truly was planned.

And what did they do? There's no if and but. They took these two men and they hung them on a tree. Imagine, there was no court session, nothing. You have planned to do so. They took these two men, they were both of them hanged on a tree, and it was written. You see, King Ahasuerus, everything that happened there was written in a book. The book of the Chronicles of the king. Every event that happened was recorded in the king's Chronicles. Well, you know, when you think about that, this is the end of chapter 2 of the book of Esther. We never read of any reward that was given to Mordechai.

We never read that the king said, hey, Mordechai. You were the one who let me know about those people who planned my assassination. I will reward you. And you know, sometimes, brothers and sisters, when we do the right things in our lives as believers, we are not always going to get rewarded immediately. In fact, we should do the right thing. Mordechai did the right thing. Esther did the right thing. We should do the right thing. But even if we will not get rewarded, God knows that. And everything is in the hand of Him with whom we have to do. He knows the thoughts that we have in our mind.

He knows our ways. And anything that we will do for God and any right thing that we will do in our lives, ultimately the Lord will honor it. It gives pleasure to God when His people do the right things. So a time when we're not going to get rewarded for things that we have done right, we should let it be, and we will find out later on in chapter 6 how he eventually was rewarded by King Achashverosh. But at this point of time, Mordechai was not rewarded at all. It was recorded in the Chronicles of the King Achashverosh, and it was settled for a while. Now, I wanted to notice that between chapter 2 and now chapter 3, another five years pass by.

You notice it says in chapter 2 and verse 16 that the things that have happened here, that Esther became queen, it says in the seventh year of King Achashverosh reign. But then if you notice in chapter 3 and verse 7, it says that in the first month, that is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahashverosh. Now, we really find out that between chapter 1 and chapter 2, there's at least three or four years. Between chapter 2 and chapter 3, there's at least five more years passing by. And I want you now to notice that in chapter 3, we find out a few things that are very important. First of all, in verses 1, 2, 3, and 4, we have a promotion of a wicked man by the name of Haman.

In the synagogues, in our Jewish schools, in Israel, and so on, whenever we mention the name Haman, We always say boo, you know, because Haman was very well known to be as the hater and the enemies of our own Jewish people. And you notice, brothers and sisters, that we are introduced here the first time to this wicked man by the name of Haman. In verse 10, he is called the Jews' enemy, Tzorel Hayehudim. But let's just look over and see what the Scripture teaches us about the rise of Haman to such a great position. First of all, in verse 1, we see the promotion of Haman the Agagite.

We read in verse 1, after these things. Did King Ahasverosh promote Haman, the son of Hamadata, the Agagite? And he advanced him, and he set his seat above all the princes that were with him. Now look at this, the promotion of this man by the name of Haman. Now it is so important, because the Bible adding to his name, it says here, Haman, the son of Hamadatta, and it also adds the word Agagite. He was Agaghi. Where we get the thought of Agag, in Hebrew, Agag, Ain, Gimel, Gimel, I mean, it really has to do with the man that is a descendant of a tribe that came out of the people of Esau, Esav, who were a tribe called Amalek.

The giants or nation or tribe that throughout Israel's history were always going against the Jewish people. In fact, if you just turn with me to Exodus chapter 17, please, I would like to read a couple of verses there where the first time we find that nation opposed the people of Israel. You see after Israel our nation came out of Egypt after 430 years as slaves in Egypt when the 12 tribes of Israel were traveling in the wilderness guess who came against them that was the Amalekite the people whom this Haman was a descendant of Look, we read in Exodus chapter 17 and verse 8, and I'm reading, it says, Then came Amalek, and he fought with Israel in Rephidim.

And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out to fight with Amalek. He continued and he said, Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said unto him, and he fought with Amalek. And Moses and Aaron and Hu went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses had lifted up his hand, that Israel prevailed. And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy, and he took stone and he put it under him. And he said, Deron and Aaron and Hu stayed up his hand.

The one on one side and the other on the other side, and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomforted Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And listen, beloved brothers and sisters, what the Lord said to Moshe and to the people of Israel in these next verses. The Lord says in verse 14, the Lord had said unto Moses, write this as a memorial in a book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua, for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under the sun. And Moses built an altar, and he called it in the name of Jehovah Nisi.

For he said, because the Lord has sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Now pause with me, think with me for a moment. The descendants of Amalek is this man by the name of Haman the Agagite. Agag was the king of the Amalekites. And God said to Israel, from generation to generation, I'm going to fight, I'm going to have a war with Amalek. And Amalek ultimately will have to be destroyed from under the face of this earth. Now, spiritually speaking, beloved brothers and sisters, Amalek, or giant, is a picture of the old nature of the flesh of ours. And you see, beloved brothers and sisters, one of the greatest problems that you and I have in our spiritual walk with the Lord is this old nature, the Adamic nature that each and every one has.

That's why every day we have a fight. We as believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, have two natures. The new nature says, I'm going to walk with Yeshua. I will submit to his word. I will live for him. The old nature says, no, no, no, you don't need to walk with God. You live in the flesh. You have your own way. You do your own thing and don't walk with the Lord. And we have constantly a struggle between the new nature and the old nature. You see, like we read in Galatians chapter 5, walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit lusts against the flesh. And you see in Amalek, in Agag, we have a representation of the flesh. This old sinful nature that we have. That's why we constantly fight. That's why we constantly hate and jealous and lust and covet and do all the wrong things that we should not do. But why we do it? Because we have this old flesh, this old sinful nation. And God said, I will utterly destroy Amalek from the face of this earth. And God said that he will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. You see, this is the lesson that we learn from the Tanakh, from the Old Testament, concerning the Brita Hadashah, the teaching that we have today in this present day dispensation.

The Amalek is a representation of our old nature. And as long as we allow our old nature to have its own way, we will never be successful spiritually. Walk in the Spirit, Paul said, and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Out of the abundance of our old nature come all kind of things that dishonor God. And God wants us to honor Him. And therefore, we ought to walk in the power of the Spirit of God and not in the power of the old sinful nature. Paul said, I know that in my flesh, Romans chapter 7, dwelleth no good thing. Yeshua said, flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

To Nicodemus he said in chapter 3, that which is of the flesh is flesh and that which is of the spirit is spirit. You must be born again. This is the lesson that we learn here. So what happened? How come we find a man by the name of Haman, already in Persia, again rising up? And you will notice in a moment, seeking to destroy the Jewish people. Well, it all started when the Jewish people came out of Egypt. It was already then that the first nation that attacked Israel was Amalek. And you and I know very well that when we became believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, the first, you might say, problem that we have is our very own flesh.

Oh yeah, we are saved, but the world draw us and the flesh lasts after everything else. Oh yeah, we want to walk with the Lord, but the old nature said, no, it's my way. I'm going to do my thing. And we are struggling every day, every day. Young people, older people, doesn't matter how old you are. You and I live in this world that we have this constant struggle. Amalek, the old nature. And you might say Israel, the new nature. The nature that God had given to us, the Holy Spirit of God as believers in Yeshua the Messiah. Now, please go to the book of Deuteronomy with me, chapter 25 for a moment.

And notice what it says there in verse 19. Before Israel entered into the promised land, God said to our people, Israel, at the end of the verse, Thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. Thou shalt not forget. In other words, Israel, you have to destroy Amalek. Because Amalek will rise up and constantly going to be as a thorn in your side. And you see, this is again, the lesson is very clear. The old nature, when we let it have its way, it always calls us to go astray and to stay far away from the things of God. Amalek, the flesh, must be blotted out, must be judged every day, brothers and sisters.

As far as God is concerned, we are now new creation. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 17. Those that are in the Messiah, Yeshua, are a new creation. All things have passed away. All become new. Therefore, Amalek, the flesh, has to be totally blotted out. But, now turn with me quickly to 1 Samuel chapter 15 for a moment. The king of Israel did not completely destroy Amalek. According to 1 Samuel chapter 15, I'm not going to read everything there, But in verses 1 to 9, Samuel said to Saul that he ought to destroy Amalek. But he didn't listen to him. And here I want you to see where we get the word Agag, the Agagite.

Listen to this. Samuel also said unto Shaul, the Lord sent me to anoint you to be a king over these people, over Israel. Now therefore hearken unto the voice of the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, and how that he waited for him in the way as Israel came out of Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all they have, and spare them not, but slay both men and women, infant and suckling, ox and sheep and camel and ass. Now, do you think Saul, the king of Israel, will listen to the words of the Lord?

Well, look what it says here. In verse 8 of 1 Samuel chapter 15, Saul took Agag, here where we get the first time Agag, Agag, the king of the Amalekites. Alive he took him, and he utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But it says in verse 9, but Saul and the people spared Agag, and so on. In other words, King Saul, the king of Israel, did not submit to the voice of God, and he allowed the king of the Amalekah, Agag, to remain alive. He should have destroyed him according to the voice of the Lord, but he didn't. Very similar to you and I.

We should have put our flesh and reckon it as dead, but we don't. We allow this old sinful nature, oftentimes, to rise up. We have pride rising in our hearts. We have self-will rising in our hearts. We allow the old nature to have its own way, and we don't submit to the Word of God. It is exactly what happened in our nation's history. It happened to us in our own life. Had we listened to the word of God, we would not have many of the problems that exist in our own personal life, in our family life, in our relationship in so many areas in our life.

Had we submitted to the word of God, Israel didn't, the church many times don't, and we also in our own personal life don't do so many times, and that's why there are many challenges that come into our own life. And so back to Esther, chapter 3. And now we find out that after Haman, the Agagite, had been advanced, he was placed above all the princes that were at the king's palace, then we find out that all the king's servants were bowing to him. It says in verse 2, And all the king's servants that were in the king's gate, they bowed, and they did reverence to Haman. For the king had so commended concerning him.

All the servants of the people that lived in Persia, they were bowing. Can you imagine Haman passing by? Everybody fall on his knees. The Hebrew word here, to actually bow and worship him with a face to the ground and say, oh Haman, Haman. He became like a God. You see, Haman become a picture of the Antichrist of the future day, that when he's going to seek to be like God, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, standing in a temple claiming to be God. And you see here, everybody is now bowing before Haman, but there was someone that didn't want to bow before him. And that was who? Mordecai, Hayehudi.

It says here again in verse 2b, But Mordechai bowed not, nor did him reverence. Why? You might ask Mordechai, wait a minute, Mordechai, why don't you? Everybody else bowed before Haman, but why don't you bow? Well, even though Mordechai the Jew was not in the place where he should have been, Yerushalayim, in the temple, yet Mordechai the Jew knew very well That according to the book of Exodus, when God gave our nation the Lord, the Torah, God said to our people of Israel in chapter 20, he said, Thou shalt have no other gods before me Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images Nor any likeness of anything that is in heaven above Or that is in earth beneath Or that is in the water under the earth Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them Nor serve them So Mordechai the Jew knew very well He is, you might say, the law, the Torah That God had given our nation Israel so he was not in the right place he should have been in Jerusalem but somehow in the inner depth of his heart he knew very well the Torah taught our nation Israel the Jewish people that they are not to bow and therefore Mordecai did not bow neither did he any reverence.

Now that of course immediately reminds me of the three boys in Daniel time in chapter 3 who did not want to bow to the image that Nebuchadnezzar did set up. And you remember why everybody, the voice, the sound of all kinds of voices of music was given, everybody bowed towards that image. But there were three boys who did not even bow. And you remember what happened before them? They end up to throw them to the fire because they did not want to worship an idol. Later on, Daniel, in chapter 6 of the book of Daniel, he also did not want to stop worshipping the God of Israel.

And every morning and every evening, he opened the windows towards Jerusalem and he worshipped the true and living God. And it is so interesting to see these Jewish men, they took a stand for God, even though they were in Bavell, away from the city of Jerusalem, where Mordechai stood. And everybody bowing? No, Mordechai remained. Standing. He would not bow to him. He knew very well that worshiping men is wrong, but he also knew very well that Agag, the king of the Amalekite, was called by God to be destroyed ultimately. And he was the enemies of the people of Israel, and therefore he would never bow to him.

Well, there is a price to pay when one takes a stand for God. And so in verses 3 and 4, the king's servants came to Haman and they told him about this man by the name of Mordecai. And they told him that he was Jewish. Notice that it says, then the king's servants, which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, why transgressest thou the king's commandments? Now it came to pass when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's metr would stand for, listen to this, for he told them that he was a Jew. Somehow in some of the conversation with the rest of the pagan servants there of King Ahasverosh, Mordecai told them, you know why I don't do that?

I'm Jewish. And we have been taught in our law not to worship idols or any man. And again, I would like to suggest brothers and sisters, that's why. It was very difficult for the Pharisees to acknowledge the Messiahship of Yeshua because they said to him, how you being a man, make as yourself God. That's why they took stones in John chapter 10 and they wanted to stone him because he claimed to be divine. And of course, we know very well that this is a truth that we find throughout Scripture, that God entered humanity in a person of the Son, and that Yeshua HaMashiach is none else but the eternal Son of God who came into this world and was willing to pay the price for the sins of this world.

So it is fascinating to imagine what happened there in Persia in those days. Well, Amalek is a picture of the flesh. And you and I should learn a lesson from that. Unfortunately, we're not always learning that as long that we will allow the old nature to have its own way, we will never be able to grow spiritually. The flesh must be put down. The flesh must be reckoned as dead. We are to walk in the power of the Spirit of God rather than to allow the old sinful nature to have its own way. And every time we will allow the flesh to have its own way, we will be defeated spiritually.

Even though we belong to the Lord and we are saved and forgiven. We will never be able to live a victorious life as long as we allow our sin nature to have its own way. Well, so what Haman is going to do now? Every time he passes by, he sees that Jewish man. And every time he sees the Jewish man, he's the only one who is standing while everybody is on their knees worshipping him. So Haman had a plan. He had a plan like many, many people had a plan throughout the history of the world. I got to get rid of this man. I got to get rid of his people.

I got to get rid of the people that are known to be the Jewish people, the people of Israel. And so in verses 5, 6, and 7 of Esther chapter 3, we have the plan of Haman to destroy all our Jewish nation, our Jewish people. And so we find out, notice, and I'm reading now in verse 5, Haman was very angry. He was so upset, it says, And when Haman saw that Mordechai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then Haman was full of wrath. The Hebrew word says, Vayim alei Haman cheyma. He was hot. He was so angry. I cannot allow this to happen. I cannot allow this. Everybody have to bow their knees before me.

I am the one who is second to the king. But he passes by. Everybody's down. Mordecai is up. Everybody's down. Mordecai is like, you might say, like a sore thumb standing up and saying i will not bow my knees before you so notice what it says beloved brothers and sisters it says in verse 6 and haman sought scorn to lay hands on mordechai alone first he wanted to destroy mordechai alone but then the people who were serving there in the king's palace he said you know what he belonged to the Jewish people that we have throughout Persia so the moment he found out that he is Jewish it says in verse 6b wherefore haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of achashverosh even the people of Mordecai.

Brothers and sisters, listen to that. This is so real. You know, when we, those of us who are Jewish, know this very, very well in the history of our families and our people. Throughout the whole history of our nation, Israel, of the Jewish people, we always had those that wanted to finish with the Jewish people. You remember what we sing at Passover? This is what stands. For not only one rose and tried to destroy us. Rather, in every generation, there were they that tried to destroy us. But the Holy One, blessed be His name, saves us from all our enemies. שבכל דור ודור כמו עלינו לחלותינו. והקדוש ברוך הוא. And the Holy One, blessed be His name, He saved us from all our enemies.

I mean, I remember the little boy singing that with my grandparents and my parents in the Senegal, but also in the home around the table at the Passover. It was such a song that moved our hearts in every generation. I was a young boy. We had just finished the Six-Day War. I was 13 years of age where the seven nations rose up against Israel. And Israel, by the grace of God, was successful to defeat Egypt and Syria and Jordan and Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. And all nations rise, seek to destroy our own nation. 1948, when Israel became a state, all the nations, the day that Ben-Gurion declared Israel as a state, seven nations rose up the next day to seek to destroy the people of Israel.

But God, blessed be his name, saves us from all our enemies. And you know, this is so precious. Because it is also applied not only to Israel, but also to the believers in the body of Messiah. In every generation, people try to destroy the believers. No, we don't want Yeshua the Messiah. He is not the Messiah. We'll try to destroy the believers. They do it today in many, many countries. They did it in Russia. They did it in China. They did it in a Muslim country. They did it today, just recently, a few days, they have killed 13 people in El Arish, across the border, from Israel and Gaza into Sinai.

And they have killed these believers just because they believe that Yeshua, that Jesus is the Messiah. They killed them. They cut them into pieces. They have harmed them because they believe in Yeshua the Messiah. Look at Jewish history, beloved brothers and sisters. I just give you some names. We had pharaohs. Pharaoh said, let us cast all the Jewish boys into the river. In the book of Exodus chapter 1 and verse 22. We have Haman in Esther chapter 3 and verse 6, as we read here. We have Antiochus Epiphany, who sought to destroy the Jewish people in the time of what we call today Hanukkah, the dedication of the temple.

In Israel. We had the Roman Empire who killed in 70 AD 1,100,000 Jewish people, and they took many of them away to be slaves, and they destroyed the temple in the city of Jerusalem. Going back, we have Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC, in 596 BC, in 586 BC. He destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and took thousands and thousands of our Jewish people to the land of Babylon and then we obviously know that Herod the king remember he killed all the Jewish boys from two years and under when Yeshua the Messiah was born you can read it in Matthew chapter 2 and verse 16 and I don't have to remind you what happened just in the 1940s where Hitler killed six million Jewish people throughout Europe.

Can you imagine from every generation there are those that rise up and seek to destroy the people of Israel and all this is not yet the end because as the prophet Zechariah and Jeremiah tells us and as the book of the Revelation teaches us and also Yeshua himself in Matthew chapter 24 and 25 he talks about a future day When there will be such a tribulation as never been before, beloved brothers and sisters. And anti-Semitism and hatred towards our people, the people of Israel, will only rise up. Will only rise up. And how sad it is to see Satan influence men who rises up in hatred towards the people whom God has chosen, through whom the Messiah will come and through whom blessing will flow unto the nations of the world.

And the truth of the matter that the Lord's plan will surely come to pass even though Israel and the Jewish people will suffer in many, many ways. And so look at this in verse 7 of Esther chapter 3. We see that Haman now, what does he do? He's casting lots. And here is what I would like you to look at the Hebrew calendar. We call it biblical calendar, even though it happened in Persia. I want you to notice that the first month here is the month of Nisan. It's mentioned twice in Esther chapter 3 and verse 7, and Nehemiah chapter 2 and verse 1. Look at what it says in verse 7 of our chapter.

In the first month, that is the month of Nisan. And in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is Lot, before Haman from day to day and from month to month to the twelfth month, that is the month of Adar. So the first month of the biblical calendar is Nisan. The last month of the biblical calendar is adar and you can find it in one verse Esther 3 and verse 7 every day every week every month they cast a lot in Hebrew we call it poor and that poor means it's like a lot to see okay which day i'm going to kill all the Jewish people let me choose will it be in nisan or ir or sivan or Tammuz or Av or Elul or Tishrei or Cheshvan or Kislev or Tevet or Shvat or Adar.

Every day we'll cast a lot of things. No, no, no, maybe not today. Next day? Oh, not today. This week, no. Next month, no. And finally, beloved brothers and sisters, 12 months, a year passed by to see when will be the day that the Jewish people will die in the Persian Empire that was haman was doing casting lots every day every week every month all the 12 months of the biblical month until they finally found out which day he's going to destroy and to kill all the Jewish people now Imagine, that gave him a lot of time to plan it, to organize it, to make all sort of arrangement.

Oh, I have plenty of time. He will send information and prepare the destruction of the Jewish people in the Persian Empire. So, we read in the next verses, brothers and sisters, verses 8 to 11, that Haman accused the Jewish people before King Achashverosh. See, while he's casting poor to decide when he's going to kill the Jewish people, then he's going to the king. After all, he's second to the king. And so he's coming to the king in verse 8. And Amman said unto the king Ahashverosh, notice that, he's very crafty, he's very sneaky, accusing Mordecai and the Jewish people. And Amman said unto king Ahashverosh, there is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people of all the provinces of thy kingdom and their laws are diverse from all people neither keep they the king's laws therefore it is not for the king's prophet to suffer them see Haman was saying to Ahasuerus you know king there is a certain group of people that are really not profitable for you they have different laws, different rules They seem to practice things differently than us all.

They are not the same as us. And really, King Achashverosh, they are not profitable for you to have them. What do you need, these kind of people? They don't submit to certain of the laws that you have. They have a different rule. They have a different God. They worship differently. They are not the same as the rest of the nations of the world. And they are not profitable for you, King Achashverosh. They are not going to be of a prophet for you. You don't really need them, King Achashverot. We have to do something about this nation. And you know, the Bible teaches us in the book of Numbers that Israel will be a nation that will dwell alone.

They are to be distinguished from all other nations. God said, I have chosen you to be a peculiar people, a nation that will give a testimony to the true and living God. That's why the Jewish people throughout the history, including today, are still a peculiar nation, a unique nation. Even though they are still in unbelief, God preserved our nation for the future day when they will be a restored nation. And so, Haman is saying to King Achashverosh, they are not really profitable for you in verse 8. In verse 9, Haman suggests to pay the king to help him with the destruction of the Jewish people by giving him a lot of money into his treasury.

Notice, if it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed. And I will pay 10,000 talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge over the business to bring it unto the king's treasure. Listen, I'm going to help you with this I'm going to bring for my own money that I have saved and I'm going to put this money in the treasury so you will have to actually pay much I'm just going to help you all what I need is your approval to destroy the Jewish people notice he used that word in verse 9 let it be written that they may be destroyed let it be written that they may be destroyed.

In other words, the law of the Mead of Persians can never be altered. So King Achashverosh, write it down, seal it with your ring, and let us go ahead and destroy the Jewish people from the face of this earth. All what I need is your approval. I'm going to give you all the money that you need, and I'm going to help you to do the destruction of the Jewish people. Let me just make another one or two comments here. It is so important for believers in Yeshua the Messiah never to participate in any anti-Semitic things that are going on in this world. The believers in Jesus, in Yeshua the Messiah are to love Israel, are to support the people of Israel, are to pray for the nation of Israel, are to love the Jewish people, never, never to have hatred in the heart of a Christian towards the people of Israel.

The opposite is the responsibility of any one of us who know the Bible and believe and love Yeshua, the Messiah. When someone hates the Jewish people, it's exactly following Satan's ways and Satan's will to hate the people of Israel. We are to love our nation, Israel. And every Christian upon the face of this earth who is not Jewish are to love the Jewish people and recognize that they believe in a Messiah that came out from the nation of Israel. And that as we read, salvation is of the Jews. And this is the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua himself, as we find out in the Gospel of John.

Secondly, let me also mention here another point, that notice how the flesh represented by Haman here, is always ready to help to destroy the spiritual life of the believer. You see, the flesh in us is always ready to help us not to walk with the Lord. Always help. So just, you know, carry on your own way. This is okay. Carry on your own way. And it will destroy the spiritual life of the believer. That's why, again, Paul says walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Don't let the flesh have its own course. Because every time you will allow the flesh to have its own way, you will be defeated spiritually.

That's why many times, brothers and sisters, we don't enjoy the Lord. We can't sing to Him. We can't enjoy to serve Him. Because we have allowed this sinful nature to have its own cause. So, Haman is saying, King Achashverosh, Let me help you to destroy the Jews. I'm going to give you 10,000 talents and silver into your hands. You're going to have so much. I'm going to help you to destroy these people, the special nation here that are not following your law. Notice in verses 10 and 11, Kigachash Barosh have agreed to it. No investigation. He doesn't inquire who are these people. Let me talk to some of them.

Let's see. Let me see who are those Jewish people. You know, Jewish people throughout history have done so much in helping the welfare of the whole world. Even though they have not accepted Yeshua the Messiah as yet, we have Jewish scientists and doctors and in medicine, in science, in law, in many, many ways the Jewish people were so beneficial to the world in which we live in. Had King Ahasuerus was wise, he was doing some investigation. Let's see who are these people. And one of these people was Mordechai. He saved his life. And by the way, his wife is a Jewess, whom she will end up to be killed because the law of the Med and the Persian will never be able to be altered.

So notice he, without investigation, verses 10 and 11, the king took his ring from his hand. He gave it unto Haman, the son of Hamadatta, the Agagite. And notice, the Bible adds here, in verse 10, this expression, the Jew's enemy. Tzorer ha-Yehudim. The one who hates the Jew. He is influenced by Satan. He is influenced by the flesh. He hates that which link with the living God, the people of Israel. The tribe of Yehudal come from the word lehodot, to give thanks, to give praise to the living God. Well, he hated the Jewish people. And so in verse 11, And the king said unto Haman, The silver will be given unto thee, and the people also, to do with them as it seems good to thee.

Another one, Haman, don't give me that money. Keep the silver for yourself. And on top of it, I'm going to give you these people that I didn't investigate who they are. I'm going to give them unto you. Do with them whatever you want to do. You notice that it says here in verse 10 that he took his ring from his hand and he gave it to Haman. The ring is the ring that the signature of the ring seal the decree that the Jewish people will be destroyed. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, in the next verses, and these are the last verses of our chapter today, In verses 12 to verse 15, the sentence of the death of all our Jewish people was given by Haman, and then the decree went forth.

And so we read, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 12, Then were the king's scribes called on the 13th day of the first month. Now I notice that a whole year passed by. They cast lots every month. Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shvat, Adar. And now that the next month is back, you notice that in our chapter in verse 12. Notice that he said, then were the king's scribe called on the 13th day of the first month. This is the month of Nisan. A year passed by that they cast lots oh it's not today cast lots again oh it's not today a year passed by and from there on now we find out that on that first month that now Haman is making a decision when will these Jewish people be killed and so we read that he gathered all the scribes he called them and he told them listen I want you to write this down you see written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king lieutenants and to the governors that were over every province and to the rulers of every province according to the writing thereof and to every people after their language.

In other words, he called the scribe and he said, you write it in this language and you write it in this language and you write it in this language in all the languages of the land. Here is the day that the Jewish people will be killed. In verse 13, it says, And the letters were sent by post unto all the king's provinces. Listen again to the word, beloved brothers and sisters. Verse 13, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all Jews. Boy, this reminds me of exactly what happened just in the 1940s with Hitler. All Jews must be killed. When he took the many, many of the people of Israel, the Jewish people, in trains and brought them into the gaz chambers.

All the Jews, boys and girls and men and women, bring them into these ovens. Nobody seems to care and do anything about it. And here we find out that he's writing and he's sending it to cause, to destroy, to kill, to cause, to purge all Jews, both young and old, the children of women, In one day, and he set up the day. What will be the day? The thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. So, again, brothers and sisters, bear with me one more time. He called all the scribes on the month of Nisan, the first month. He gave them an instruction when the Jewish people will be killed, and this is the month of Adar.

This month of Adar, even the date we have here, It will be on the 13th day of the 12th month. If you look at the calendar, the 13th day of the month of Adar, this is the month that the Jewish people will be destroyed, killed, caused to perish, all the Jewish people according to the plan that Haman, this wicked, evil man, had planned to do. In verse 14, we find out that he prepared everyone to get ready for the destruction. And the copy of the writing of the commandment was given to every province. It was published unto all people that they should be ready against that day.

Get yourself ready. Perhaps get the ammunition, whatever you're going to do. Prepare yourself. Get yourself ready on the 13th day of the month of Adar. All Jews must be destroyed. And so we read in the last verse of Esther chapter 3 and the post went out being hastened by the king's commandment the decree was given in Shushan the palace but listen to this brothers and sisters what did the king Ahasuerus and Haman the wicked men do they go into the palace in order to spend some time to sit down and to drink while the plan of the destruction of the Jewish people was carried out the letters were sent to all the provinces of Persia Haman and King Ahasuerus are sitting down in the house and they are drinking it seems to be that every time this King Ahasuerus had a party he's always connected with drinking and finally we read but the city of Shushan was perplexed can you imagine the capital city Shushan in Hebrew it says nevokha, preplexed.

What does that mean? We've got to kill our neighbors. We've got to kill all our friends and maybe people that are around us that work with us. All the Jews to be killed. Can you imagine what it meant? So Shushan, Habira, Shushan the palace was really, as it says here, preplexed because of this special command that was given by the king. And so beloved brothers and sisters, the lesson for us is very, very important. God has a plan for the Jewish people and He's going to do something to restore Israel as a nation in a future day. His hands is moving about all the things.

We're going to see it as we continue in the study of the book of Esther. But the enemy of God, Satan, the world and the flesh constantly want to go against the Jewish people to frustrate the plan of God. That God's plan will not come to pass. And in our life also, Satan will always, the flesh will always seek to pull you down spiritually. Don't walk with Yeshua. Carry on in your own way. Don't read your Bible. Don't pray. No, no, you don't need God in your life. Carry on in the flesh. And the Lord will say, no, no, no. You walk with me. I love you.

I care for you. I gave my son the Mashiach for you. Follow me and you will be blessed because God's way is the best way. I can assure you this on the basis of the Word of God. Can we say Amen to that?