Shabbat Shalom. I would like you to open your Bibles to the book of Esther. It's one of the most interesting books in the Tanach, in the Old Testament. Imagine a whole book that is found in the canon of Scripture without the name of God mentioned even once, yet it's so profound to see the hands of God in the way He preserved His people, the people of Israel. And it is really fascinating as I am studying this book of Esther, it is encouraging my heart to recognize that whatsoever is going to happen in the lives of God's people, if we only cling to Him and ultimately turn to Him, He is able to preserve and to protect.

And even when at the time we are not right with Him, He is still watching over His people, even when they do err. And therefore, the book of Esther is so important for us as believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, to teach us the sovereignty of God in relationship to all those that belong to Him. In Israel, Israel the nation, Israel the nation, and the body of Mashiach as well. So I am reading today Esther, chapter 5. And so we read: "Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on her royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the king's house. Over against the king's house, over against the king's house, and the king sat upon his royal throne, in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

And it was so, when the king saw Esther, the queen, standing in a court, that she obtained favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the top of the scepter. Then said the king unto her: "What wilt thou, queen Esther, and what is thy request? It shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom." And Esther answered: "If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him." Then the king said: "Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther has said." So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

And the king said unto Esther: "At the banquet of wine, what is thy petition? And it shall be granted thee. And what is thy request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed." Then answered Esther and said: "If I have said my petition and my request is: "If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them." "And I will do to more as the king hath said." Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart.

"But when Haman saw Mordechai in the king's gate, that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was full of indignations against Mordechai. Nevertheless, Haman refrained himself. And when he came home, he sent and called for his friends and Zereshi's wife. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and the servants of the king." Haman said moreover: "Yeh, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself, and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the king." "Yeh, all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordechai the Jew, Mordechai the Jew, sitting at the king's gate.

Then said Zereshi, his wife, and all his friends unto him: "Let a gallow be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king, that Mordechai may be hanged thereon. Then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet, and the thing please Haman, and he caused the gallow to be made." Now again, beloved brothers and sisters, bear with me as I am ministering this book of Esther. The story of Esther is not only a story, but it teaches us of the providence of God. God watching over his own people, the people of Israel. God watching over his own people even if they do err.

Israel in the plan of God has yet a glorious future that Israel as a nation will be a blessing to all the nations of the world. But at the time that we are reading about 510 BC, these Jewish people who find themselves in Persia were not in the right place where they should have been. First of all, they were taken to Babylon by king Nebuchadnezzar at 605 BC and they remained there for 70 years. Then God raised Koresh, that is Cyrus, to call them to come back to the promised land, build the temple in Jerusalem and establish the sacrificial system. Very few came back. The rest of the Jewish community remained outside of the land.

127 Medinot provinces in the kingdom of Persia, Jewish people were scattered all over those 127 provinces everywhere. Like today, there are Jewish people in Canada, in the United States, in Europe, all over the world there are Jewish people scattered. And really, they belong to the land of Israel and to the city of Jerusalem. But now we are speaking about long before the body of Messiah was formed. Long before Yeshua the Messiah came. Long before the time of which we find ourselves today. So we notice in the previous chapter, chapter 4, that Mordechai the Jew, he told Esther, listen, you ought to go to the king. You ought to speak to king Achashverosh because Haman Harashah, this wicked Haman wanted to destroy all our Jewish people.

You got to go and speak. You are the queen. So Esther said to Mordechai, don't you know, I haven't even seen my husband or my king for 30 days. And if anybody come to the king without being called, his life is in his hand. It is a sure sentence of death. But then Mordechai told her, you remember those famous three statements? He said to her, for if you all together hold your peace, chapter 4 and verse 14, at this time, then shall an enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jewish people from another place. God, he didn't mention the word God, but knowing his history, help will come from somewhere if you are going to hold your peace.

Secondly, he said to her, but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed. He said to her, just the same like all the rest of the Jewish people. Haman decreed sentence of death to all the Jewish people. You, Esther, are Jewish. You and your family will also be ultimately destroyed. Esther said thirdly to her, who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. Esther, you have an opportunity to save your people. You never know whether you are placed as the queen of Persia, that maybe, who knows, you are placed in this position for a time such as this. Well, brothers and sisters, just to mention to you, who knows whether you and I are placed at our job, at our home, at our school, on the street, at our communication, in our friendship.

Who knows whether God is going to use us today to be a blessing to mankind, to lead others to know Yeshua, the Messiah, to lead others to be an encouragement to people who need encouragement, maybe to be a blessing to people wherever we are. Who knows whether you and I are placed in the situation in which we find ourselves today for such a time as this. Because the time of trouble and difficulties arises everywhere. Sometimes we wonder why the Lord places kings and prime ministers and people in leadership. Why does he place them where he placed them? So the Lord, in his wisdom, does so.

Well, so now we are moving to chapter 5, because after Mordechai said this to Esther, Esther said to Mordechai, "Mordechai, I'm going to do so." Whatever is going to happen to me is going to happen to me, Mordechai. If I perish, I perish. "Ve ka asher avadeti, avadeti." Whatever is going to happen, I'm going to listen to your counsel. But Mordechai, go ask all the Jewish people to fast for me. All the Jewish people to fast for me because I know that there is a chance for me not to come alive out of me approaching King Achashverosh. She says, "I also and my maidens will also fast for three days." And you notice how we concluded chapter 4 in our previous ministry, "So Mordechai went his way and he did according to all that Esther had commanded him." You can just imagine, beloved brothers and sisters, the Jewish people worldwide weeping, crying, mourning, knowing that there is a destruction that is coming their way by this wicked man and his name is Haman.

Haman ha-agagi. The Jews enemy. As the Bible calls him in the scripture, "Tzorer ha-yehudim." The one who hates the Jewish people. And I mentioned before, in every generation there were those that rose who hated our people, the Jewish people. They rose and God set them aside. They rose and they ended. The Jewish people still remain. Why? Not because the Jewish people are good. It's because God has a plan for the Jewish people. All Israel, as Romans 11 says, "Shall be saved as it is written. There shall come forth the deliverer unto Zion and shall deliver ultimately the nation of Israel Israel will be a light to the Gentiles." Or, "Lagoim," in a future day.

Well, this was just a thought to connect you with chapter 5. Now, chapter 5, in the first eight verses, Esther is approaching and requesting from the king to come to a banquet. And so, in the first three verses, notice she draws to him. And notice as it says in verse 1, "And it came to pass on the third day." Now, it is so amazing, the word Yom HaShlishi. By Yom HaShlishi, on the third day. Notice that they were fasting for three days. The number three is very important in the scripture. It speaks of the resurrection. It's always in the Bible, if you read your scripture, Old Testament, New Testament, the Tanakh, the Brit HaChadasha, it's always had to do with resurrection, a new beginning.

And you remember, it was Abraham who offered Isaac, his son, after three days as he approached the Mount Moriah, Har Moriah. Later on, if you remember, in the book of Exodus, it is God that gave to Israel the law, after three days when Israel was to prepare themselves before the law was given to them. It was Yom HaNavi who were three days and three nights in the fish's belly. The number three is so important. And you notice, I just want you to notice with me, if you just turn to the prophet Hosea, and I want you to notice what it says in Hosea, chapter six, verses one and two, in connection with the number three.

Notice it says, come, let us return unto the Lord, for he has torn and he will heal us. He has smitten and he will bind up. Notice verse two. After two days, will he revive us, namely Israel, in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight. See, the prophet Hosea was speaking prophetically about the future restoration of Israel as a nation. The two days mentioned here is often applied by Bible teachers to 2,000 years of history of the church age in which we live in today. And the third day has a reference to a future where God will restore Israel.

Notice, on the third day he will raise us up, namely Israel. Hosea is speaking. And then he said at the end of this same verse, and we shall live in his sight. You see, Israel, even today, is far away from where God intending our people to be. But there will coming a day when Israel shall live in his sight. And then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. His going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and the former rain unto the earth. There is a future that is awaiting for the nation of Israel on the third day.

It is interesting. Most of us don't even realize as we read this passage and connect it with other events in human history. And notice, like Esther, she said on the third day, she said, I'm going to approach the king. And so notice, I'm back in Esther chapter 5, in verse 1, on the third day she's now approaching the king. It says, Esther, what does she do? And she stood in her royal apparel, and she stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house, and the king sat upon his royal throne, in the royal house, over against the gate of his house. Three times the word royal is mentioned.

The Hebrew word for royal is malchut, or malchuto. And here is the queen. Notice Esther is very bright. She's very wise. And she wants to approach the king now, in order to help her people, the Jewish people. And so she comes to him, she dressed. You remember, in the previous chapter 1, the king wanted that Vashti will come with her royal apparel. But Vashti didn't want to come, because the king was drunk. And everybody else was drunk around there. So Vashti said, I'm not coming. She lost the kingdom. Now Esther, she was not foolish. She was a wise Jewish girl. She knew her history. So she's approaching now to the king, and she comes to him.

She dressed with the royal apparel. Why? Because the king is sitting on his royal throne. He is in his royal house. She is coming with royal clothes, appearing before the king, approaching him. She was very wise. Notice what it says here in verse 2. Esther immediately, as she was just standing by, she obtained the favor of the king. You know, she was a very attractive Jewish girl. And it was so, verse 2, when the king saw Esther, the queen standing in the court. She didn't come in. She didn't barge in. She just stood there, in a sense that he will see her. So she stood there outside by the court, and immediately we read that she obtained favor in his side.

And the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and she touched the top of the scepter. You notice that? And the scepter speaks of royalty, authority, of kingship. You remember in Genesis chapter 49, when Yaakov, before he died, he said about the 12 tribes of Israel, he was blessing the 12 tribes of Israel, and he said, the scepter shall not depart from Yehuda, from Judah, nor the lawgiver from between his feet. The kingship over the nation of Israel will ultimately be given to the descendants of the tribe of Yehuda, of Judah. So the scepter was an important, shows authority, shows position.

And here is the king, now he got the attention of Esther. She obtained favor in the king's eyes, and he handing over the scepter to Esther. And Esther just touched the top of it, accepting the fact that he is inviting her. Beautiful to see this. But brothers and sisters, I want to make an application. Remember that the Bible teaches us that whatsoever things were written a fourth time, Romans 15:4, were written for our learning. And therefore we can learn from that, and we can make an application that how much God wants us to draw near to him. You see, it says here, that after she obtained favor, verse 2, and then she touched the golden scepter that was in the hands, so Esther drew near.

And she touched the top of the scepter. The thought of being drawing near, you know, what a loss for us. When we don't draw near to God, when we don't draw near to the person Messiah, and we stay in a distance, many times we are not enjoying the blessing that God is intending for his own people, the people of God. The writer who wrote to the Hebrew believers, and I'm going to read that verse in connection with this, Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with the pure water, and let us hold fast our profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promise." You see, the apostle who wrote to the early Hebrew believers wanted to encourage them to be drawing near to the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, with full assurance of faith.

We can draw near to him. We can ask him. We can let him know the problems. You see, Esther was not sure how his reaction will be. But we know the reaction of our king, Mashiach Yeshua. We know that he will allow us to be drawn near. He actually invites us to come closer to him. But she had to be careful. Again, she remembered very well how his previous wife was set aside completely, and how he was ready to sign a statement that all the Jewish people will be killed in one day on the 13th day of the month of Adar. So she, perhaps coming with, trembling in some way, and yet she came, and somehow, by the providence of God, the king handed her the scepter, she touched it, and she drew near.

And you can see how the king's heart is in the hands of the Lord because immediately in verse 3 we find out that, "Then the king said unto her, What will thou, Queen Esther?" What do you want, Esther? And what is thy request, Esther? It shall be even given to thee to the half of the kingdom. Now, can you imagine? He offered Esther half of the kingdom. He offered Esther. He was so delighted in the fact that she saw her, and apparently, remember, 30 days she was not in his presence. She was not called by the king. Nevertheless, again, I would like to tell you, beloved brothers and sisters, the providence of God working in the heart of the king, and he said to her, "It shall be given unto thee the half of the kingdom." What is your request, Esther?

Just ask. Now, what would you do if King Achashverosh will ask you? I said, "Well, give me a quarter of the kingdom. I don't need all the half of the kingdom." But nevertheless, you see, she was a very bright woman because she had in her mind her Jewish people. And I think it's so commendable. She took the step, moving forward. You might say, putting her life at stake. And simply saying, as we read at the end of chapter 4, verse 14, "And if I perish, I perish." "Ve ka'asher avadati, avadati." "If I perish, I perish." So, the king offering to her, it was so beautiful, in verses 1 to 3, Esther drew near, and it was on the third day.

And just one more thought, beloved brothers and sisters, it was on the third day that Yeshua HaMashiach rose from among the dead. He was delivered for our offenses, but He was resurrected for our justification. Romans chapter 4 teaches us, "You see, if the Messiah did not rise from among the dead, we would have no hope. But He rose not only to forgive our sins, but to justify us, to declare the believer in the Messiah Yeshua as if he or she had been just individual." justification. And so the resurrection is emphasized here in these three verses. Well, notice now we continue in verses 4 to 8, Esther is inviting the king to come to a banquet.

So she is wisely, when He asked her, she had the opportunity, "Wait, wait, wait, you're asking me what I want? You offer me half of the kingdom?" She could have asked him right here and there, "King, here's the situation." But she was wise, and she delayed the request. And so in verses 4 to 8, Esther's invitation to the king to come to a banquet. It says in verse 4, the invitation itself, and here, brothers and sisters, very interesting verse, this verse 4, because Esther answered, and she said to him, "If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him." So she's inviting him to a banquet.

She's inviting him to a banquet. You see, this king knows many, many banquets. Throughout the book of Esther, you find him constantly having a time of so-called drinking and having good celebration all the time. So he's just another banquet he will be happy to come to. And so she's inviting him to a personal banquet, and you notice she says in that verse 4, the queen Esther said to him, "Let the king and Haman," this evil, wicked man, "come this day unto a banquet that I have prepared for him." Now, I want to mention something about this verse 4. Many throughout, if you just look around and hear many Bible teachers, some believe that in this verse 4, there is what you call an acrostic, where you find the word Jehovah, Jehovah, is mentioned in four Hebrew words in this text.

That's why some people trying to figure out, how come in the book of Esther there is not one time no God mentioned, no Elohim mentioned, no Lord Adon mentioned, no Jehovah mentioned, no prayer mentioned. It's impossible. So some believe that there are four places in the book of Esther, chapter 1 verse 20, chapter 5 verse 4, chapter 5 verse 13, and chapter 7 and verse 7, where there is acrostic where the name Hei, Vav, Hei, is mentioned in the text. And how they gleaned that, in this word, notice it says here, and Esther answered, if it seemed good unto the king, and here from the second half of verse 4, let the king and Haman come this day.

In the Hebrew it says, Yavu, HaMelech, VeHaman, Hayom. Yavu, Yud. HaMelech, Hei, VeHaman, Vav, Hayom, Hei. Yud, Hei, Vav, Hei. That's what some believe. Now I'm very suspicious over that, because you can take every verse in the Hebrew text, and you can make out of it anything you wish, if you want. You can write all kinds of things if you want. One has to be extremely careful about this. By the way, it's mentioned in the same chapter, verse 13. It's also an acoustic, according to these who teach us that, where it says, Yet all this, Avelis mean nothing. It is the same thing, Vekol ze enenu shaveli, the last letter of every word here, speaks of the word Yehovah, the acrostic, the code, that the name of Jehovah is mentioned in this chapter, according to those who teach this.

In verse 4, it's the first letter of every word. In verse 13, it's the last letter of every word, meaning that the beginning and the end of Haman is right here, found in Esther chapter 5. So, beloved brothers and sisters, this is what some believe. I'm just conveying this to you, but I would like us to realize we believe that the book of Esther is part of the canon of Scripture, and even though the name of God by divine design is not mentioned, nevertheless, the hands of God, the sovereignty of God, and the providence of God is seen throughout the book of Esther. So, in verse 4, is the invitation.

King, you come, Haman come, come this day unto a banquet that I have prepared for thee. And so, in verse 5, the king and Haman responds to Esther's invitation. Then the king said unto Haman to make haste, he may do as Esther has said. So, the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. And so, notice that he's rushing Haman to come because Esther desired. And you can see how Esther wisely, with very few words, drawing the king to come to her banquet because in her plan she want to help the Jewish people. She want to save her people from destruction. Because there was a wicked man by the name of Haman who wanted to destroy her nation, her people.

She was drawing King HaShverosh for a right reason while Haman was drawing King HaShverosh for a wrong reason. You can see the motive here. Her motive was a good motive. His motive was an evil motive. But both have been the one that kind of attracted King HaShverosh. You remember earlier, Haman said, "Oh, there are people that you don't need. They are not worthwhile for you. Don't worry. You don't need to search who they are. But they are not good for you." And King HaShverosh without to read the text just signed it and gave an instruction to destroy all the Jews. She, in a wise way, does the same thing but what she does is not for evil but for good.

And you know, motives are very important. We ought to have the right motives in our hearts. And sometimes we don't say the whole story but the motive needs to be for a blessing not for a cursing. The motives we cannot judge. Only God can judge but we ought to have a motive that is right in order to be a blessing for God's people. And so notice in verse 6 now the king HaShverosh second time that he questioned her. So they come to the banquet that she prepared now. And they are now again in this banquet so we read that the king said unto Esther in verse 6 at the banquet of wine what is thy petition?

And it shall be granted thee and notice what he said and what is thy request even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed. You see in the verse 3 he said it will be given to you but in verse 6 he says count it as done. You not only ask for that but I want to assure you Queen Esther consider it done. It shall be performed for you Esther. So Esther is hearing this from the mouth of the king and you would say wow here is another opportunity now. I am going now to tell to the king exactly what I want right now. But again Esther hold on her peace.

She does not say anything. She prolongs the discussion concerning what she was going to say because she looks for the right time. You know sometimes we go and we want to ask something from someone or to say something to someone and we say boy wait a minute. It's not quite the right time. He is not in a good mood right now. Maybe whatever it is the reason I am not going to say right now. I am going to delay it until the right time. Now of course the king it seems to be was ready to answer to give her everything she wants. And again I would like to show you brothers and sisters that though she has plans and though she has her own thoughts her own plan to try to get the words out of her mouth in order to save the Jewish people she still delay it a second time.

And so in verses 7 and 8 Esther answer the king the second time and this time she hold back once again and invite him to the second invitation to come to another banquet that she will make later on the following day. verse 7 and 8 then answer Esther and said my petition and my request here it is. If I have found favor in the sight of the king and if it please the king to grant my petition and to perform my request let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare now it's a future for them and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.

So she deferred the request from the king for the next day. Now you and I might ask we don't understand Esther why are you doing so? You had the opportunity to do it here and now the first time and the second time on that day twice he said to you what is thy request? even to the half of the kingdom. in Hebrew we say ad chatsi ha-malchut that means ask whatever you want. Do you remember it was Herod this wicked king in a time when Yeshua was in the land of Israel and Yohanan Hamadbil was there. You remember when Yohanan Hamadbil John the Baptist said to the king Herod who took Herodia the wife of his brother and he took her and what Yohanan Hamadbil John the Baptist said to him it's wrong what you are doing.

So the king put him in prison. And then Herod the daughter came and danced before him. And he was so attracted to her and he said to her as we read there in the gospel what did he say to her? You ask for me and I'm going to give you up to half of the kingdom. Just ask of me and I'll give you up to half of the kingdom. And then we find out that eventually she asked for the head of Yohanan Hamadbil and they cut off his head. What a shame. What a shame. But here's a man who stood for the Messiah who stood for the God of Israel and he lost his life.

So Esther here is delaying now the request from the king for the following day. How precious it is to see the wisdom that she had and yet at the same time the providence of God. And again I would like to say as Proverbs 21:1 says the heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord. And he moves that in every way he wants. He can harden the king's heart. He can soften the king's heart. He has done so to Paro. He has done so to Koresh. He has done so to Nebuchad Netzer. He has done so any king. God is able to harden and to soften because the heart of the leaders are not really in their own hands.

God is the one that ultimately is shifting things around as it is pleasing unto him. Well, these are the first eight verses of Esther chapter 5. Esther approached the king requesting him to come to that special banquet that she is going to say to him. Now, we are not going to hear yet about this until the following chapter. chapter. But now, here, we can see now from verse 9 to the end of the chapter, we see the pride that existed in the heart of Haman, Harashah, Haman, this evil man. Ga'ava, you know, we call it in Hebrew, Ga'ava, the pride. The Bible teaches us that pride comes before a fall.

God resists the proud but He gives grace unto the humble. God is the one that desires to see meekness and humility in the life of mankind but here we can see the pride of Haman which represents the old nature that we all have. Remember, Haman was an Agagite. Haman was an Amalekite. The Amalekites have fought our people of Israel right when they left the land of Egypt. They attacked the weak one at the back. They attacked the elder ones in the back. They are attacking constantly the people of Israel and it represents the flesh, the old nature that attacks us every day in our life.

God wants us to do the right thing. The flesh says, do the wrong thing. God says, you follow me. The old nature says, no, I gotta do my thing. And the flesh profit is nothing that scripture teaches us. I know that is in me, that is in my flesh. The apostle Paul said, there is no good thing. That's why we fight. That's why we hate. That's why we lust. That's why we covet. That's why we war. That's why we have all the problems that exist in the world because this old self is being represented by the Amalek, the giant. It is me, me, me. I just read the other day a song about, it says, me, my, and mine just carry on on the way.

And me say to mine, what do you think about me? You know, it's like the old selfish nature that we have. It's only me. Two children fight over a toy. It's mine, mine, it's mine, it's mine. It's mine. And we too, many times, it's me, it's mine, it's I, it's not you. But the only one that represents really the truth, the way the Lord wanted us to be, is Yeshua the Messiah. He was the one that was equal with God, made himself of no reputation and came down to this world to give his life for us. And so dear brothers and sisters, look at this.

From these next verses, 9 to 14, we see Haman's pride and self-delusion. It says in verse 9, "Then went Haman forth that day joyful with a glad heart." But, listen to that, "When Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate that he stood not up nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai." You see, Haman was so happy. He was so happy. "Wow! Queen Esther is inviting me and the king to come to a banquet. I'm so glad. I'm so happy." But as he passed by on the way home, what does he see? See, this Jewish man by the name of Mordecai the Yehudi. And when he see him, he became, in Hebrew it says, "Cheyma." He was so indignant because what did Mordecai do?

He sees him passing by. Everybody's bowing. Everybody's standing up. Oh, Haman is passing by. But Mordecai said he's not going to bow before an Agagite, an Amalekite, which God said that he will war against them from generation to generation until he will erase ultimately the Agagites, the Amalekites. So as Haman passes by, he sees Mordecai at the gate that he stood not up, nor moved for him. How dare him not moving for me, Haman, that was now called to a banquet with the queen and the king. That's raised his ego. That's raised his pride. And so, notice in the next verse, verses 10, 11 and 12, what does he do?

In verse 10, it says that, "Nevertheless, he refrained himself." In other words, he says, "Okay, I'll deal with you. Don't worry. I already made this agreement with the king. We signed the letter. We sent them all over the nations of the world. You're going to have an end." So he deferred from dealing with him right now and he's going home. He came to his house and like any proud man, he gathered all his friends and his wife Zeresh to listen to the greatness of Haman. Now imagine if somebody can invite you, he says, "Listen, come to my home. I want to tell you how great I am.

Look what I've done, what I've accomplished." Let me just tell you, just sit and listen, you know. Imagine if somebody called you, "I've done this. I've done this. I've accomplished that. I have this. Come, come. Just come to my house and listen to how great I am." You know, there's only one that is great, right? And the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah is great and the God of Israel. "How great thou art." We're just saying, "How great God is." Had we recognized the greatness of God, we would submit to Him more. We would love Him more. We would seek to live for Him more. Had we really got in our hearts the Lord grabbed us in our heart to show us the greatness of who God is.

Beloved brothers and sisters, it was David, the king of Israel, says, "When I consider the heavens, the works of thy hand, the sun, the moon, and the star." He says, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" That's the one that David, humbly before the Lord, recognized the greatness of God. And he asked, "How can you even bother with me?" David said, "A sinner, how great thou art." But here's a man that rejects God, rejects His word. And notice now in the next verses, verses 11, and when notice how he exalts himself and showed himself and showed his own greatness before his friend and his wife.

We read in verse 11 and 12, notice what it says, "And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he advanced him above the princes and servants of the king." Haman said moreover, "Ye, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared, but myself, and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the king." The king. You see, what we read here, brothers and sisters, in these two verses, a few things that Haman is mentioned here. Number one, my riches.

Look at this. Haman told them, "The glory, the Hebrew word kavod or gedula, of my riches." You know, I have so much wealth. Look what I have accomplished. I have so much wealth. I'm a wealthy man. I want you to know it, my friends." He says to them, "But not only this. Look at my family. Look at all my children." He says, "The multitude of his children. Look at my family." You know, he forget, or he didn't know, that everything, even in our own family and wealth, you know, God gives us whatever we have. Every good thing, James said, every good thing comes from above, from the Father of light.

It was given to us. We received it from the hand of the Lord. When it's come to our own family, we find out in the book of Psalms, Psalm 127, that the children are heritage of the Lord. If the Lord bless us with a family, and we have a large family, thank God for his provision. It all came from God. And then thirdly, notice in the very same verse, the promotion to everyone. He says, "Look, the king had promoted me, and how he had advanced me above the princes and the servants of the king." You see, he is again, lifting up himself in pride. And so you see, Haman is really proud here.

And again, I would like to suggest, brothers and sisters, in a sense, he is really saying, "Look at me. Look what I have accomplished. Look what I have done. Look what I have." And he gathered his friends and his wife to let everybody know what he had accomplished for himself. In verse 12, he was also boasting, in effect, that it was only him that were invited to the banquet above all the other people that were in the kingdom of Paras, Persia. Haman said, moreover, "Yeh, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself. And to more, am I invited unto her also with the king." Notice this time he put the king last.

You see, it's me, the king, I'm invited with the king. It's the king. The king is going to come also, but it's me, you know. I'm fascinated when I'm reading. This is how the human nature, the sin nature that we have, that our is so selfish. You know, no wonder, brothers and sisters, why the Messiah had to come? Why we needed forgiveness of sins? Because we have a sin nature. I don't know how many people grasped it. Because usually people say, I'm pretty good. I didn't rob banks. I didn't commit this kind of sins and those evil things. I'm pretty decent, you see. God must love me.

But we don't realize that we have sinned before God. all our righteousnesses, according to our prophet Isaiah, are filthy rags. We needed a new life, a new nature. We needed somebody to pay for the penalty of our sin and sins. people don't realize it. I never realized it until I've been exposed to the gospel. I thought, you know, I'm a Jewish boy. My family in the past were religious people. They've gone to the Beit Knesset, to the synagogue. I'm pretty decent. But God had to show us, listen, you have to realize, like Isaiah says, woe is me. For I am a sinful man. And I am a man with unclean lips.

And I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips. For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord. We need to realize that. And so, here is a man, Haman is a representation of the old sinful nature. That's why he says, the glory of my riches, and a multitude of my children, and how I have been promoted. And how Esther, the queen, invited me. It's me. It's me. It's I. And it's myself. God resists the proud. And ultimately, Haman will see his end. And ultimately, brothers and sisters, listen, the flesh will see its end one day. One day, you know, the only time that we stop sinning is when God takes away the Spirit from us.

And as long as we walk here in this world, we still have that struggle. The lust of the flesh. The flesh rises fight against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh in a believer, and it's contrary to itself. And it's represented here with this man by the name of Haman. And you notice that, as long as he saw Mordechai HaYehudi, which represents the new life, the new nature, he was not happy. He was not happy. Because Mordechai HaYehudi represents that which is, belonged to the living God, the God of the Hebrews, the God of Israel. Mordechai HaYehudi, Mordechai the Jew. So now, let me just conclude this chapter today.

Notice in verse 13, Haman's declaration, that all the glory that he has, is not good enough for him, as long as he sees this Mordechai, the Jew there, not submitting unto him. Notice it says, my riches, my children, my promotion, my invitation to the banquet by the Queen Esther. All these, all these, according to verse 13, availeth me nothing. So long as I see Mordechai, the Jew, sitting at the king's gate. That's what happens. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, sisters, it's the same old story, that existed throughout the ages. God and Satan. God's people, and the people that follow Satan. God's word, and the false teaching of Satan.

God's truth, and that which is false, that had been throughout the ages. The man of God, and the man that follow after Satan, and his way. is always a fight. Always. Even in two brothers. Yaakov, and Esav represent the new nature, and the old nature. They were struggling in the womb of their mother, before they were born. The same old fight. And it will continue on throughout the ages, until the tribulation, where Satan is going to be cast down from heaven. Revelation chapter 12. And he's going to seek to destroy the Jewish people. The brethren. And ultimately, the Mashiach will come, and he will destroy Satan, the Antichrist, the false prophet.

He will destroy this counterfeit Godhead. And ultimately, he will bring about the promised kingdom, through Yeshua, the Messiah, in the future day. Here we see, that fight continue on. Haman, Mordechai. The pride of the flesh, the humility. The desire to destroy the Jewish people, the desire to keep them up, keep them alive, keep them sustained. God, and Satan, are at war. You can see it throughout, the scripture. So, in conclusion, look what he does. He has a plan. Well, here's the advice, that he received now. And this is verse 14, of Esther chapter 5, to conclude. Well, what to do? As long that I see him, all this is not really worthy for me.

And by the way, I just want to say, that this is an acrostic also, according to those who teach, the language of the code. Yet, all this, Avelis means nothing. It comes from four Hebrew words. Vekol, Zeh, Enenu, Shaveh Li. It's the last letter of every word come, those who teach that, present before us this acrostic. Yud, Hei, Vav, Hei. Li, Yud. Shaveh, Hei. Enenu, Vav, Hei. Hei. Again, you have the acrostic, Yehovah, Jehovah. That's what I just want to present for you, specifically here in this chapter 5, because twice you have, according to those who teach acrostics and code, mentioned here, that the name of Jehovah, the name of Jehovah, is mentioned here in this fifth chapter.

Now, finally, beloved brothers and sisters, here is Zeres, Zeres, give advice to her husband. Well, Zeres, his wife, and all his friends, said unto him, Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits, seventy-five feet high. And tomorrow, speak thou unto the king, that Mordechai may be hanged thereon. Then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet, and the thing pleased Haman, and he caused the gallow to be made. What an advice his wife and his friends giving him. You know, let us do this, Haman. Why don't you just make, the Hebrew word for gallow is etz. Etz. Big tree. Make a big tree, seventy-five feet high.

Think about it. So everyone will see the display that Mordechai will be hanging up there, so you can see him from far away. What an advice that his wife gave him, you know. Or his friends. You know, it is very important what kind of advice we give to our own friends. Your wives to your own husbands. Us husbands to our own wives. We need to give good advice. You know, the important thing is what they should have told him. Probably later on you will see what she's going to tell him when she finds out about who Mordechai is. His wife will tell him, you began to fight against Mordechai the Jew, and at the end you're going to see that you are going not to win the battle against him.

You're going to be defeated. But now they give him, you see, look, let's make a big tree. And by the way, the word Moro, it comes from the Hebrew word Baboker. Not only in the afternoon, but in the morning. First thing in the morning, go to the king very early, Baboker, in the morning. You tell the king about this Jew that you're going to start, first of all, with this Jew. Hang him on that tree, and after, go merrily have good time with the king and the queen at this banquet that had been prepared. Wow, he was so happy, you see. He was so happy because now he's going to make an end to this man by the name of Mordechai, and he will ultimately destroy him, and then he will continue to go merrily into the banquet with Esther and the king.

Well, notice it says at the end, he made a gallow. In Hebrew it says very simple, V'ya'as ha'etz. He made the tree. That's how the chapter concludes. He made a tree in order to destroy Mordechai, the Jew. The mistake that he had in his life is he does not know the promises of God to Abraham and his descendants. God said to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12, I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse him that curse thee. And in thee, Abraham, all the families of the earth will be blessed. See, God is intending to bless the world through Abraham's descendants. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the twelve tribes, and ultimately in the future day, through the Mashiach himself, the whole world is going to be blessed.

The whole world will recognize the Messiah eventually, but here's an enemy. He makes the gallow, and he prepares himself to destroy the Jewish people, and then he's going to go to this celebration with the queen and the king in order that he will ultimately be promoted and recognize that he has some important place in the mind of the king and the queen. Well, brothers and sisters, as I'm studying this, I'm fascinated, and I get encouraged because God ultimately will have his own way, and Yeshua the Messiah is the one that's going to reign as king of kings and lord of lords, and every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Can we say amen to that? Amen.