Shabbat Shalom, everyone. Please open your Bibles, everyone, to the book of Esther to read the fourth chapter today. Beautiful book that the Spirit of God had given to us in the canon of Scripture. And there are many, many lessons that we can learn from the history of the Jewish people, our own people, historically, how God had preserved our people Israel throughout history. Let's read Esther chapter 4. I begin from verse 1. When Mordechai perceived all that was done, Mordechai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and bitter cry and came even before the king's gate for none might enter into the king's gate closed with sackcloth And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved. And she sent Raymond to clothe Mordecai and to take away his sackcloth from him. But he received it not. Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him commandment to Mordechai, to know what it was and why it was. So Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate. And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king, treasuries for the Jews to destroy them.

Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther and to declare it unto her and to charge her that she should go in unto the king to make supplication unto him and to make requests before him for her people. And Hathach came, and he told Esther the words of Mordechai. Again Esther spake unto Hathach and gave him commandment unto Mordechai. All the king's servants and the people of the king's province do know that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live, but I have not been called to come in unto the king these 30 days.

And they told to Mordecai Esther's words. Then Mordecai commended to answer Esther, think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place. But thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed, and who know whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. Then Esther bade them return to Mordechai this answer, Go gather all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day.

I also and my maidens will fast likewise, and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law, and if I perish, I perish. So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him. I would like to remind us all that when we study the book of Esther, we notice that throughout the book of Esther, we don't even have one time the name of God mentioned. Not even one time the name of Lord or Adonai or Yehovah mentioned. Not even one time the word prayer is mentioned throughout the book of Esther. And it seems to be that the Spirit of God by divine design allowed this to remain in such a way to show us to teach us an important spiritual lesson you remember that the Apostle Paul in the in the New Covenant said whatsoever things are written.

A full time were written for our learning it is written for your benefit and for my benefit today because you and I learned from what the Bible teaches us concerning the history of our nation the nation of Israel Christians anywhere and everywhere throughout the history can read these texts and learn a very important lesson. Every believer, wherever we are, boys, girls, men, women, we can read this story and we find out how God in his love for the nation of Israel, in his providence, protecting his, you might say, a wayward nation who find themselves in the land of Persia. Israel was there because of disobedience.

After 70 years that have been promised to be kept in captivity, God have called the whole nation of Israel to return back to the land. Ezra chapter 1, the call of Cyrus, Koresh, the king of Persia, he have challenged all our Jewish people to come back to the land of Israel. But unfortunately, only a minority returned back to the city of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel. And so, the vast majority of Jewry remain outside of the land of Israel. Well, this is exactly what we learn here in the book of Esther. The Jewish people, Mordechai HaYehudi, Mordechai the Jew, Ester HaYehudia, Ester the Jewish girl, and all other Jewish people remain outside of the land.

They were not where they should have been. They should have been back in Jerusalem and in Israel. But yet God in his providence protecting the Jewish people. Well, in the last chapter, we concluded in chapter 3 of the letters that were sent to all the nations of which Ahasuerus was in charge over, 127 provinces, or as we call them in Hebrew, Medinot, nations, countries, 127 nations. Letters were sent by Haman, this wicked, evil man. And the letters declare the destruction of all the Jewish communities worldwide. And Haman, this wicked man, declared a date. The date will be the 13th day of the 12th month, which is the month of Adar.

And all the Jewish people will be killed according to the letters that he sent. If you will notice that, it does say in the previous chapter, notice that in chapter 3 and verse 7, in the first month, that is in the month of Nisan, and in the twelfth year of the king of Hashverosh, they cast out poor, that is Lot. And then notice what it says at the end there, that the date was chosen, and the date was the month of Adar, and in that time the Jewish people were called to be destroyed. I'm reading a little bit further in verse 13 of chapter 3. And the letters were sent by post unto all the king's provinces.

Listen to this, brothers and sisters. To destroy, to kill, to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, little children and women. In one day, beloved brothers and sisters, in one day. And what is this date? Verse 13b of chapter 3, Even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adal, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. Imagine, imagine is a declaration of destruction of the whole Jewish community that this evil, wicked man by the name of Haman have declared. The letter was sent. 127 provinces received this letter. In a sense, beloved brothers and sisters, it was what we call Jewish annihilation, complete destruction of the Jewish people, like Hitler sought to do it, like the Pharaoh sought to do it, like the Herod sought to do it, like all history teaches us the desire of the world to destroy the Jewish people.

Well, men can try, but God, by his grace, has a purpose and a plan for his people. So in chapter 4, we have really, Esther had to make a decision, now that she is the queen, to assist in the preservation of her own Jewish nation. And so in the first three verses of Esther chapter 4, we have the great mourning among the Jewish community. Can you imagine when you have a declaration like this? What can you do? You might say you are completely at the mercy of those under whom you are living. You have nothing that you can do except really mourn and weep and seek help from somewhere.

So, again, no mention of God, no mention of prayer, yet we have Mordecai in verses 1, 2, and 3 in the Jewish community, weeping and really being broken. Notice it says in verse 1, Mordechai bitter cry. When Mordechai perceived all that was done, Mordechai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud voice and a bitter cry. It's so much clearer in the Hebrew text. It says, He cried, such a cry, that everyone could hear that cry. Of course, we don't read now at this moment that he cries to God in prayer. No, but he knows very well his history.

He knows very well what men sought throughout the ages to do to his own Jewish people. But he himself knows. He put sackcloth on. He put ashes on, and by the way, the first time that we find out that man put sackcloth and ashes is found in the earlier chapters of the book of Genesis, in chapter 37, where we find Yaakov, Jacob, putting upon himself this sackcloth and ashes, a confession, a time of mourning and repentance. And here you find out that Mordechai, the Jew, put it upon himself and crying with a great cry. He is crying. We find this expression of sackcloth and ashes throughout the Scripture.

Daniel put sackcloth and ashes upon himself when he went to the Lord in prayer. Again, to remind you, we don't find Mordechai doing so here because he's not in a right location, in a right spiritual state. But you may assume so Because even though God's name is not mentioned, he's putting upon himself sackcloth. He's putting upon himself ashes. And he's crying this great cry so everyone could hear him. Imagine the bitterness that he had in his own heart. Knowing that soon, a certain date of the 13th day of the month of Adar, his people will be destroyed, including him, including all the Jewish community worldwide.

And so, Mordecai was crying that cry. In verse 2, he is approaching all the way to the king's court. You notice he cannot get in, because no one will ever be able to enter into the king's court with sackcloth and ashes. But he came even to the king's gate. For none might enter into the king's gate closed with sackcloth. He has arrived as close as possible. Now of course who is inside the palace? Esther, his niece. Who is there in the palace there? All the people who are in charge of the affairs of the Persian kingdom. So he came near as far as to the gate and there he was crying with a loud voice and he was mourning publicly there.

Everyone could hear him. Everyone could see, well, this man must be in a terrible need that he cry such a cry as this. And so we read that in verse 3, that in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, listen to this, there was a great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing, and many lame sackcloth and ashes. In fact, what we really learn is that Mordecai set an example. He was the one who become for us, here as we read this text, a leader among the Jewish community. He's set an example in Shushan Habira in Shushan, the palace, but it's not only Mordecai.

According to verse 3, every province, every nation, where the Jewish people were living there, there was a great mourning. The word for mourning is Evel. It's just like death. You know, when you go to a person who's a member of his family or her family passed away, and they will sit at home for Shiva, we call it in Hebrew, where we sit down for seven days of the death of someone, we are mourning. We are mourning the loss of a loved one, a person that was dear to us. Now, it didn't happen yet. It was going to happen in the month of Adar later on. But as far as Mordecai was concerned, knowing the determination of Haman, he and all the Jewish community, listen to that, they were fasting, they were weeping, they were wailing, and many lay down with sackcloth and ashes.

What a picture, beloved brothers and sisters, how he took it to heart in understanding that there was a person that sought to destroy the people of Israel, the Jewish community. Now again, I would like to remind you, if you just turn with me for a moment to 2 Chronicles in the Tanakh, in the Old Testament, we find out an expression that King Shlomo, King Solomon have asked the Lord when he built the temple in the city of Jerusalem. Notice what King Solomon said in 2 Chronicles 6 and verse 34. King Solomon said, If thy people, verse 34, go out to war against their enemies, by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee towards this city which thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for thy name then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication and maintain their cause listen to this verse 36 if they sin against thee for there is no man which sinneth not and thou be angry with them and you will deliver them before their enemies and they carry them away captive unto a land far off or near.

Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity saying we have sinned, we have done amiss and have dealt wickedly. If they return to thee with all their hearts and with all their soul in the land of their captivity whither they have carried them away captive and pray towards this land which thou gavest unto their fathers and towards the city which thou hast chosen and towards the house which I have built for thy name then hear thou from the heavens now again I would like us to see king Solomon have shared this with the Lord and asked this for those who will repent and turn back to God and seek his way in restoration of course we do not hear the name of God mentioned here in the book of Esther but you can see beloved brothers and sisters that modechai in some small way knew his history and knew very well that there is a need of repentance and even though the name of God is not mentioned we can assume that somehow God was speaking to him and alerting him at the necessity to be broken before God even though the name of God is not mentioned here in this chapter.

In this book. So we find the Jewish people mourning. What about you and I sometime when we have a problem in our life and a situation arise in our own life? How important for us not to stay at the distance, not to stay away from the Lord, but it's so important for us to turn back to the Lord in prayer. It is so important for us to repent and to cry to the Lord for mercy. And if we don't do so we perhaps will be like the Jewish people of old who have been away from the land yet God will preserve his people he will discipline them he will as a father deal with his own children he will deal with us but we are called constantly to return to the ways of the Lord and to come with repentance and the attitude of modechai is definitely seen here in the first three verses that are before us.

Great morning among the Jewish people throughout all the lands of the Persian. Empire in the first three verses. Well, what happened is in verses four to nine, we find out that Esther is hearing about what is going on. And so we find out that she hears of the decree of the killing of all the Jewish people. So in the next verses, Esther, and I'm reading now verse for Esther maidens and her chamberlains came and they told her then was the queen exceedingly grieved and she sent Raymond to close Mordecai and to take away his sackcloth from him but he received this not you know it seems to be for one reason or another that Esther was not yet aware of it.

I don't know why. We do not read why. But she had to hear it from someone else. So what does she do? She heard that Mordecai is mourning. She heard that Mordecai is having sackcloth and ashes upon all his body. So what does she do? She sent him a change of clothes. She said, listen, you don't. Need to be like this. I'm the queen. I can send you some clothes in order that you will not be in that state clothes in such a way why are you in such a condition well Mordecai sending to her back the clothes she apparently did not know yet what is going to happen perhaps she was away from a public place everybody already heard this but she was not able to know that we do not know why but the point is that she's sending clothes to Mordecai so he will change and he will not be anymore dressed in such a way so Esther sent her servant to know what's going on why is it that Mordecai you are dressed like this you notice verse 5 and verse 6 she called Chathach after the refusal of Mordecai she called Chathach the king's chamberlain whom he had appointed to attend upon her she gave him a commandment to Mordecai to know what was this what it was and why it was and Hatach went forth to Mordecai.

Unto the street of the city which was before the king's gate when I read this passage I was just kind of wondering how is it possible she is the queen she ought to know everything that is going on among the 127 provinces that king Achashverosh was ruling over well how come she did not know well let me remind you and we're going to see it a little bit later, it seems to be that the king and the leaders that he gathered around him, including Haman, they were making plans. They were not sharing. He was not asking his wife whether he should do such a thing or not.

Just the same like he didn't ask Vashti, he was counseling with his governors what to do about Vashti, his wife. You can see that though the king had a wife and a queen who was his, yet he didn't consult with her. He didn't do, you might say, things along together with her. He was the monarch. He made the decision. His wife, the queen, did not even know about this. It is showing us that really King Achashverosh was very selfish, he did not really inquire and consult with his wife, the queen. He didn't do it with Vashti, the first queen, and he doesn't do it with Esther, the second queen.

She doesn't even know what is the reason that Mordechai, the Jew, is covered with sackcloth and with ashes. So she asked through her servant. She wanted to know what it is, what it was, and why it was. She didn't know yet about the fact that Haman, this wicked man, had planned to destroy the Jewish community. Well, beloved brothers and sisters, that tells us a lot about King Achashverosh. It shows us that, yeah, he had a bride, he had a wife, but she was really not a priority in his life. He has his own plan, his own program. He wanted to do whatever he wished to do, and he didn't ask the counsel of his wife.

And so in verses 7 and 8, Mordechai has to inform the queen of Persia about the. Declaration that Haman have declared. So we read, notice that, beloved brothers and sisters, verses 7 and 8, Mordecai informed Esther's servants of all that have happened unto him, and of the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasure for the Jews to destroy them. And he gave him a copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king to make supplication unto him, and to make requests before him for her people.

Imagine, beloved brothers and sisters, such a decree that had been sent to 127 provinces, but the queen didn't know it and so Mordecai had to send her information through her servant what does he tell her? Listen, there was a man by the name of Haman and he was according to chapter 3 and verse 10 he was an agagite he was the Jews enemy he was tzorer ha-yehudim he wanted to destroy our people he's telling her through her servant and then he on top of it tell her look how much money the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasury as we read it in chapter 3 and verse 9 and on top of it Mordechai gave the servant of Esther a copy of the writing of the decree just look at the decree chapter 3 and verse 13 the decree was to destroy to kill to cause to perish all Jews both young and old children women in one single day on the 13th day of the month of adar terrible decree that haman have decreed against the Jewish people now remember beloved brothers and sisters Esther was a Jewish girl in obedience to her stepfather Mordecai who.

Took care of her she did not tell anyone that she was Jewish even her own husband did not know that she was Jewish and to remind you also from the previous chapter that King Achashverosh let Haman do what he was going to do without even to investigate who are those people those Jewish people whom Haman wanted to destroy so you can just realize now that Mordechai was saying to Esther listen here's the decree here's the plan here's what's going to happen to all our Jewish people and he sent the servant of Esther back to her saying to her go into the king and you make supplication unto him.

You besiege him and that you make a request before him for her people. Notice now this time Mordechai is really telling her now is the time to let the king know that you are Jewish. In the earlier time he told her not to tell that she was Jewish but now he's telling her here's the time to share with King Ahasuerosh about your people and of course your people she belonged to these people she belonged to the Jewish community to the Jewish people now brothers and sisters listen I just want to make a suggestion here that cry and the desire to destroy all the Jewish people have not only happened historically in the history of our people but in a real way it leads us also prophetically to the future day when there will rise another man that will be the Jew's enemy who is going to be what we will call it in new testament teaching the Antichrist or the counterfeit Messiah there is a day coming During the whole tribulation, where there will be a man that will rise to seek to destroy all the people of Israel, all the Jewish community worldwide.

And this repentance and mourning that we see here in the first verses of chapter 4, it's like, you might say, a pre-expression of how the people of Israel in the future day will ultimately cry to God in order to restore them and help them from their enemies who will rise up in the future day. That day is still future. Esther time 510 or so BC is far before us. But yet there is a day coming where the enemies of the Jewish people will seek to destroy Israel, the nation and Israel will mourn and will repent and will ultimately accept the Messiah, Yeshua. I want you to turn with me to Zechariah chapter 12 and verse 10, please, for a moment.

This is something that needs to be read here, even though we are here talking about things that happened in the past. Listen to this. Zechariah is speaking about a future day that is yet will come. And he says, and I will pour upon the house of David, notice that, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication, and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn, notice his expression, they shall mourn, the Hebrew they shall mourn for him as one mourner for his only son and there shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn in that day this is yet a future day shall there be a great mourning in Yerushalayim as the mourning of Hadad Rimmon in the valley of Megiddo and the land shalmon every family apart the family of the house of David apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their wives apart the family of the house of Levi apart and their wives apart the family of Shimei apart and their wives apart all the family that remain every family apart and their wives apart.

Chapter 13 and verse 1 says, In that day, this is the day of the tribulation, there shall be a fountain open unto the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. You see, Zechariah see a vision of the future day when all the nation of Israel as a nation will come to a point that they will be at their wits end and they will look upon the person namely Yeshua the Messiah they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they will mourn for him as one that mourning for his own son we can see if you can just connect this with so many passages of that which will happen in the future when there will be such a great mourning among the people of Israel, the husband apart, and the wives apart, from every tribe apart, every individual apart.

There will be a morning, a great morning in that day. Very similar and yet greater to the morning that we read here in chapter 4 of Esther and verse 3. Fasting, weeping, wailing and many lay with sackcloth and ashes so Mordechai is now expecting Esther you go to the king you tell him who you are and you make supplication on behalf of your people again I. Would like to say no God mentioned here no prayer to God is mentioned here go to the king ask him to help us, what Mordechai should have really said, pray to God, and we're going to turn our hearts to the Lord, to the God of Israel, who is able to restore us, as he has done so in the past.

So the lesson here to show us, not so much that Mordechai did not know about his history, but he was in a wrong place, he should have been back in the land, they all should have been back in the land, but they found themselves in Bavell and in Persia, which was not the place that belonged for our own Jewish people. So this is verses 1 to 3, the great morning. Verses 4 to 9, Esther hears of the decree that Haman has sent. So 9 verses 10 to 14, Esther was challenged. What's she going to do about it? Is she going to go to King Achashverosh? Is she going to let him know that she's Jewish?

Is she going to be participating in assisting her Jewish brethren, her Jewish people? Or will she not do anything about it? You and I are also going to come to a test in our own life. We're going to be sometime having to speak publicly and let people know that we belong to the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. That we belong to the Savior. That we belong to this so-called believing community. Those that believe in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. The Lord will challenge us from time to time in our own life. A time, unfortunately, to our own shame. We were ashamed to tell others that we belong to Jesus, to Yeshua the Messiah.

Perhaps we were afraid. Perhaps we didn't want people to know that we are believers. We didn't want other people at work, at school, wherever we are. We don't want the time for people to know that you are a believer in Jesus, in Yeshua the Messiah. Why? Because there is consequences. There is consequences to stand for the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Well, here Esther being challenged. Will she take a stand and identify with her Jewish brethren in their desperate need of the moment? So, notice she's sent now after Mordecai told her to go in and tell it to the king. She's sending to Mordecai and she gives him in verse 10 and 11 and 12 an answer.

And basically the answer, no, I'm not going to do that. You see, up to now, Esther always obeyed him. But now she comes to him with an answer and she knows why. Look at this. It says in verse 10, Esther spoke unto Hathach. She gave him a commandment unto Mordechai. Verse 11, she said to him to tell to Mordechai, All the king's servants and the people of the king's province, they do know that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is only one law, to put him to death. Except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live.

And then she said to him at the end of verse 11, But I have not been called to come unto the king these 30 days. Now what kind of husband and wife relationship she must have had? Every 30 days I might call you to come make a visit at my palace. You know, you can see that the king was not right-treating his own wife. Secondly, you can see that even Esther, the queen, could not approach him at any time. And as she is saying to Mordecai, you can just imagine, beloved brothers and sisters, that should she come and the king will not extend the scepter to her, she will be dead.

Because she was not called by King Achashverosh to come to his presence. So really what she's saying to Mordechai, Mordechai, you're asking me to make supplication for our Jewish people, but I'm sorry, I cannot do it. And here's the reason. Anyone who will come to the king's court without permission or without to be called is considered to be a dead person. And yet, she says, I was not even called for 30 days to come to the presence of the king. Now the king might extend his scepter and allow me to leave, but I cannot do this, Mordecai. That's what she was really saying to Mordecai, who was her stepfather.

So she really said no. Now remember, brothers and sisters, that up to now, at all time, Esther never refused to submit to Mordecai's authority. If you just turn back to chapter 2 for a moment, read with me verse 20. Esther had not yet showed her kindred, nor her people, as Mordecai had charged her. For Esther did the commandment of Mordecai like when she was brought up with him. She always submitted to him. Whatever he told her at all time before she became the queen, after she became a queen, Esther always submitted to Mordecai. But this time she says no. Because she knew very well what would happen to her.

Should she go and approach the king, she may lose her life. What would you do? What would I do in a situation like this? Would we be willing to sacrifice ourselves on behalf of the people, of our own family, our own people, the body of Messiah, believers everywhere? Would we be willing to do so? You know, it's so beautiful when we read in the book of Romans about our blessed Lord Yeshua. When he came from heaven, he didn't come for people who loved him, who wanted him, but he came for his own enemies. While we were without strength, the Messiah came for us. While we were his enemies, he was willing to lay down his life for us.

While we were away from him, yet he was willing to come down to do so for us. So it's going to lead us to see the beauty that is found in Yeshua, Jesus, our Messiah. But you see, a time the Lord will test us, a time the Lord will challenge us. And here Mordecai is pressing here. You go, you tell it because our own Jewish nation is at stake. You go and speak to King Achashverosh again beloved brothers and sisters no mention of prayer to God no mention the God of Israel no mention of Yehovah or Adonai or Elohim entirely without the name of God mentioned here in this book and yet again I would suggest that the providence of God the hand of God is moving about to protect the erring nation, the Jewish people who have gone astray and remain in Persia.

So in the next verses, you notice verses 13 and 14, Mordecai responds to Esther and he points to three important things that he's reminding Esther, three things that Esther needed to be reminded in order to take a step to help her people. Number one is found in verse 13. Mordecai commended to answer Esther and he said to her, number one, think not within thyself that you shall escape in the king's house more than all the Jewish people. Esther, he's saying to her, don't think for a moment that because you are the queen and because you are in a good position and because you are safe as it were and nobody knows that you are Jewish don't you think for a moment that you will escape in the king's house more than all our Jewish people in other words the moment that he will know that you are Jewish you will have to experience what the rest of us will experience and I tell you why because the law of the Medes and Persians never change and if the king set up a decree it's applied to everyone, he cannot even change it himself, even if you are his wife, so he's telling to her, you see Esther, don't think for yourself, oh I'm going to escape, because I'm in the king's palace, I'm in the king's house, and he doesn't know that I'm Jewish, don't think for a moment, he's challenging Esther the queen, secondly, you notice what he tells her in the second thing.

In verse 14, he said to her something that she and he knew very well from Jewish history. He's saying to her, and I'm reading this, For if you all together hold your peace at this time, then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place. Look at this, brothers and sisters. Mordechai, even though he was wrong in the place that he was, he knew very well that there will arise help for the Jewish people from somewhere. And that even though he was not right, you might say, living for the Lord in the city of Jerusalem, worshipping him and sacrificing the offering at the temple in Jerusalem, He knew very well from history how somehow, in a supernatural way, God is going to help the erring nation.

Again, I'm repeating. If you all together hold your peace at this time, then shall their enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place. You know, that is where we get the song that we sing in every Pesach. The song that we call V'hi She'amda V'hi and it stood it's a fact it comes from here that word arise deliverance shall arise the Hebrew word is Y'amod will stand deliverance will stand somewhere for the Jewish people somewhere it will stand God somehow in a supernatural way is going to preserve his own people, the people of Israel. In Daniel chapter 3 the three Jewish boys, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, when they were told to worship this image and they didn't, and they were ready to cast them into the fire, you remember what they say?

We know that somehow God is going to preserve us from this and protect us. But even if he doesn't we are not going to bow to your image, they said to the king. Daniel as well in chapter 6 even though the Jewish people, you see they were also away from the land and yet they stood for the Lord I'm not going to worship another God. I'm going to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob the God of heaven and we are going to worship him even though you're going to cast me into the den of lions. And you see, Mordechai, the Jew, knew his history.

He said, even though he was in a wrong spiritual state, in a wrong spiritual place, he knew from history that God somehow will preserve the Jewish people. And even though God is seeing as he is hidden from the eyes of his people, Somehow in the heart of Mordechai, in the heart of Esther later on, they knew very well that God is able to preserve His own people, even if the name of God is not mentioned. Let me read you a verse in Deuteronomy chapter 31. Beloved brothers and sisters, listen to this verse. Long before Israel even entered into the land, God had told through Moshe to Israel those words.

He knew very well that he will hide his face from them because of their disobedience but he will never allow Israel totally to be consumed and so listen to this it says in Deuteronomy chapter 31 verse 17 the Lord is speaking through Moses to our people of all Israel and he says then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day and I will forsake them and I will hide my face from them and they shall be devoured and many evils and troubles shall befall them so that they will say in that day are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?

Verse 18 and I will surely hide my face in that day from all the evils which they shall have wrought in that they are turned unto other gods. In other words, God have predicted this. That he will hide his face from his erring people who have gone astray. The reason that they were in Bavell and in Persia is because of their disobedience. That's why he sent Nebuchadnezzar. That's why he have allowed them to be in Bavell for 70 years but he wanted them to be returning back to himself those Jews who remain outside of the land did not come back to the Lord the way he intended it for them and yet he's going to protect them and Mordecai somehow knowing his history he knew very well that God hide their face from the Jewish people for a season but ultimately is going to restore them to himself and beloved brothers and sisters again you and I are no different when we are going astray from the Lord and we say to Yeshua listen I want you to be my Savior but I don't want you to be my Lord I want to have the ticket to go to heaven but I don't want to live for you every day of my life I'm happy to live away from your presence the Lord going to allow us to experience some challenges and He will allow us sometimes we will sense as if He's not close to us.

As if He hid His face from us but His love towards His own people never changed for a moment He's ultimately going to woo us back He's going to speak to us He's going to convict us and He will preserve us even when we are not in the right state at times He will discipline us but He will preserve His own people it came to my mind the story of the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 he left his father he left his home he took that which belonged to him and he went to a far country and there he wasted everything there he wasted everything and then he was in need and that's what God is driving his own people to come to a point that they ultimately coming to their wits end and they needed the mercy and the help of God and again the providence of God without his name mentioned without prayer mentioned without the name of God mentioned the providence of God is so clearly seen in this chapter so number one he says to Esther.

Don't think for a moment that you are going to escape if you're not going to speak a word. Secondly, if you will not speak a word for me, in verse 14, he says, there will arise deliverance for the Jews from another place. God always preserves his people. God always intends to preserve the Jewish people because he has a plan for them. And God will preserve us believers in the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, as well. Because he has a plan for the body of Messiah. But now listen to the third thing. And I think the third thing is very convicting. The third thing that Mordecai said to Esther is found in the second half of verse 14.

After he said to her, but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed, because ultimately the king Ahasuerus will find out that she is Jewish. He says, you ultimately will be destroyed if you are not going to speak. But then he said to her in verse 14b, And who knows whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther, who knows why you are now in the palace? Esther, who knows why is it that you are the queen, the wife of King Ahasverosh? Who knows why? There were so many beautiful girls in the whole 127 provinces of Persia. But you were chosen.

It was you that King Ahasuerus placed his love upon. It was you who was chosen to become the wife of King Ahasuerus. And Mordechai said, he says, who knows? Maybe the reason that you are here in this place is for such a time as this. There is a plan of Jewish destruction. You never know what's going to happen in any time in the 13th day of the month of Adam. There is a declaration, Jewish destruction. Esther, who knows? Maybe God placed you there for this time, for this reason, for this purpose. And that teaches us a great lesson, brothers and sisters. You know, sometimes the Lord places us in various areas in this world.

In our Job situation. Those of you who are younger here, at school, in university, in colleges, at work, at homes. Who knows why? Why did the Lord allow you and I to be in this home or in this family or in this work situation? Why is it that you are there? Who knows? Maybe you are there for a time to speak for the Lord. To share a word of encouragement to a person that heaven is. To tell somebody about Yeshua, the Messiah. Somebody who will never be able to be right with God if he will not turn to the Lord Jesus now. Who knows? Who knows?

There is a reason why you are placed and I am placed in certain situations and places in our life. Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? In Hebrew it says, Who knows the reason that you are here become the queen of King Ahasuerus? And we know very well from the story of Esther that she was there and she was placed there. By the divine providence in a place which she could be influential upon the king himself. And so now the last verses, and brothers and sisters, we're going to conclude this chapter here. The last verses, verses 15, 16, and 17, Esther makes a decision.

You and I are going to be tested at a time and we'll have to make a decision. What shall we do in a time such as this? I don't know about you, about me, what would you do if you know very well that if the king did not ask you to come, you are liable to die? And if you're going to let him know that you're Jewish and that you are a believer in Yeshua the Messiah, who knows what's going to happen to you? So there is a danger in this. But one has to trust that God will have his own way. And so the final verses, verses 15, 16, and 17, Esther now returning with an answer to Mordechai.

She bade them to return to Mordechai with an answer, verse 15. And notice what she said to him. Verse 16 is also a very precious verse. She said, you go gather all the Jews that are present in Shushan. Fast ye for me, neither eat nor drink for three days, night and day. And I will also, and my maidens, will fast likewise. And so will I go into the king, which is not according to the law. And notice the last remark. And if I perish, I perish. She's really laying down, you might say, her life on behalf of her people. This is a beautiful picture here. I know again, we're not commending Mordecai, we're not commending Esther for being away from the land.

But we do commend them for the fact that they stood on behalf of their people. And that God, in a supernatural way, used them to be those that will be vessels to sustain, to preserve the Jewish people from Jewish destruction. So she says five things. You gather all the Jewish people in Shushan, the palace, together. Number two, you fast for certain days, not only for three days, night and day. It's interesting that in the Bible, you don't read day and night, but always night and day, evening and morning. The biblical Hebrew days began in the evening, not in the morning. Erev, Boker, Laila, Boker. It's always evening and morning.

Thirdly, she said in the same verse, we ourselves also will fast with our own maidens. I will do it with them as well. Fourthly, she says, Esther will go to the king. And here she makes a confession, I'm going to go. Notice she said at the end, I will go in unto the king. I'm going to do this, Mordechai. I'm going to take a bold step and I'm going to go forward and I'm going to let him know who I am and what is the situation with respect to her own people, to the Jewish people. And finally she said if I perish I perish I mean this is really moving the heart to see that she was willing on behalf of her people to go into the king's palace and to approach him on behalf of the people of Israel on behalf of the Jewish people and whatever going to happen going to happen she in a sense brothers and sisters if we will add here some words we shouldn't add but I'm You just say, we'll put the thought of the Lord being there, governing her somehow.

Whatever the Lord allow, I would accept it from his hand. And if I perish, I perish. Ka asher avadeti, avadeti. And so she made a decision here to go to take a stand in order to help her people to be preserved from this sentence that Haman gave. And so Mordecai went his way, and he did according to all that Esther had commanded him. Notice this time, Esther commanded him. Up to now, he commanding her, but now when she took that step of decision-making, he is now obeying what she said. She told him, you go, you have the Jewish community fast, the people of Israel gather together, and whatever is going to happen, I am accepting it.

If I perish, I perish. And so the lesson it is from the fourth chapter is that Esther had to make a decision. You and I are going to have to make a decision in our life. If you are here, first of all, boys, girls, men and women, friends, if you are here without Christ, without the Messiah, you're going to make a decision. If you don't make a decision to accept Yeshua, the Messiah, you're going to be lost for time and for eternity because He died for us on the tree, on the cross. Secondly, as believers, we need to make a decision. Many times in our life, we have to make decisions.

Are we going to stay close to the Lord? Are we going to make a decision for the Lord? Are we going to speak for Him when we can speak gently, graciously? Are we going to learn from Him and seek to be a blessing to the people of God? It is commendable to seek the welfare of the people of God. You and I are responsible to seek the welfare of the people of God. We are to pray for Israel, to seek the welfare of the Jewish people, but also to seek the welfare of the whole body of Messiah. All believers, wherever they are, we are to be a blessing to the people of God.

And that demands decision-making, decision-making. And may the Lord help us to make those decisions for the glory of God and for the blessing of the people of God.