Holy Scriptures and Israel

Narrator: Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: The study of Esther, chapter two. From the time that the kingdom was divided, everyone, whether he's from Benjamin or Judah, is called Yehudi, Jew. And Yehudi means a praiser of God. But here we have this kind of sad, because even though he was a Jew, and even though he was of the tribe of Benjamin, his parents were taken down. You see that when the Babylonian came and took down the Jewish people from the land of Israel, 605, 597, and 586, three times they took the Jewish people away from Jerusalem to Babylon. And some of his parents or his grandparents of Mordecai were taken captive by the Babylonian, and they lived in the land of Babylon for many years.

So Mordecai remained there in the land. His Jewish name, his Hebrew name, is not mentioned in Scripture, but his name Mordecai really link him with Marduk, the god of the Babylonian, is mentioned here. In a sense, it's kind of strange, but it teaches us some lesson. You see, the Jewish people should have been back in the promised land. Mordecai, what are you doing in Babylon? If you would have been, you might call it a good Jewish devoted man, you would have been taking the opportunity to go back to the promised land.

But apparently, beloved brothers and sisters, Mordecai has chosen to stay away from Yerushalayim, away from the land of Israel, away from the temple on Temple Mount in the Persian Empire, in Shushan the Palace. And he in a sense didn't even live, you might say, his life in a way that is pleasing to God. Even though we know what he did here, and we can commend him for what he did, but it's rather described before us a sad condition of Mordecai HaYehudi, Mordecai the Jew.

Again, I would like to make a parallel for us today. It's like a believer in Jesus the Messiah, who should have been occupied with the Lord Jesus, gathered together unto His name, spending time and living for Him, but no. He lived away from the people of God, away from the gathering of saints. He's not enjoying fellowship with the Lord. He's a believer, he belong to God, but he is not enjoying the things that God have intended for him.

Then it says in verse six about Mordecai the Jew, we are in Esther, chapter two. He said he is the son of Kish, a Benjamite, a Binyamini, who had been carried away from Yerushalayim with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah, King of Yehudah, Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. You see, we have the clear explanation that when the King Nebuchadnezzar came and took the Jewish people to Babylon, he also took some of the family of Mordecai. And Mordecai perhaps never see Jerusalem. He was born in Babylon, and there he grew up, and he remained until the time in which we read here.

Then we read, beloved brothers and sisters, of another Jewish person. This time is Esther. But then it is interesting in Esther's case, the book of Esther give her Hebrew name. It says, "And he brought up," verse seven, "Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. And the maid was fair and beautiful, whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, he took for his own daughter."

Apparently Hadassah, which is the Hebrew word for myrtle, is a beautiful tree that are growing special fruit in the land of Israel and elsewhere. Hadassah also received a pagan name, which is called Esther. Esther, again, according to scripture, Esther was the god of fertility, again, of the pagan world, of the Babylonian. And she was named that in order to sway her away from her people and her God.

And so we find out that her name is Hadassah. And we know very well that Hadassah is a very famous name among our people Israel. You have Hadassah Hospital in Mount Scopus, in Yerushalayim, in Ein Kerem, in Yerushalayim, in Jerusalem, very famous hospitals that were named after Hadassah, that is Esther. And many, many Jewish girls are called today both Hadassah and also Esther. My mother was called Esther, a dear sister is called Esther, and Esther actually means a star. And really again, as I mentioned before, it is a name that is not Hebrew in its origin, but since then became a name that was given to many of our Jewish women in Jewish history.

So what we find out, Mordecai the Jew and Esther, his cousin, are now mentioned for the first time in the book of Esther. You notice that it says about Esther that she had neither father nor mother. Her father and her mother were dead. Apparently, here we have a presentation of perhaps what happened when the Babylonian came and destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. They burned the temple, destroyed the walls of Jerusalem, and many have died at that time where the Babylonian came.

So she had no parents, no mother. She was an orphan. She had no father, no mother, her parents died. And what did Mordecai do? He took her because her father was his uncle, and he embraced her and took her to be as if she would be his very own daughter. He took care of her, he watched over her, and it's so nice to see his concern for Hadassah, that is Esther, in this period of time when our Jewish people were in Persia.

So, verses five, six, and seven, we are introduced to these two Jews, a man and a woman, Mordecai and Esther, away from the land of Israel. I would like to just remind you one more time, please. When you see them in this situation, it only shows us that they were not where they should have been. They are not in the right place. They are not in the right spiritual condition. They are not supposed to be in Persia. They supposed to be in the land of Israel, in the city of Yerushalayim, worshipping the God of Israel. The temple was already rebuilt, and the introduction of the service of worship was restored.

But they decided to remain away from the land. Well, it is not different today. We have most of our Jewish people are outside of the land. My grandfather, bear with me, came back to Israel in the late 1800s, my father's parent. My mother's parents came in the early 1900s back to the land of Israel. They were conservative Jewish people who longed to be back in the land that belong to the Jewish people. But they were few, because the vast majority of Jewish community are still scattered around the world. And many of them do not have that burden to go back yet to the promised land. God will work it out in His time, but at this point of time, it is not so.

Now we continue in verses 8 to verse 11. We have now the gathering of the many maidens of Persia, including Esther. You notice it says in verse 8 of our chapter, "So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the Palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also into the king's house to the custody of Hegai, the keeper of the women."

So they were going now and the commandment gone, the decree was gone, women was collected from all over the then-known empire of the Persians, including Esther. Esther was also brought into the king's palace. She was brought to Hegai, the one that was responsible of all the women, to keep them and to prepare them to meet King Ahasuerus. In verse 9, we have the fact that already we see the providence of God. God in His plan know that He is going to set Esther in this position, and the providence of God is seen here so clearly because immediately we read in verse 9 that she was preferred by Hegai above all the other women.

He, you see, notice in that next verse at the end of verse 9, it says he preferred her and her maids unto the best place in the house of the women. You know, there was a place, a location where you will put every woman. This woman came from India, this woman came from this country, this woman came from Libya, and from all the other nation, Ethiopia, and he will put her here, put her here, put her here. But he gave Esther, he gave her the best place in that house because he preferred her. You see again the providence of God working already in the heart of this man by the name of Hegai.

Then in verse 10, it says here that Esther did not tell anyone that she was Jewish. This is another evidence of the fact that they were not in the right place. They shouldn't have been there. They should have been in the land of Israel, and they should have not been afraid or ashamed to say that they are Jewish, that they belong to the nation of Israel. And so verse 10 tells us, "Esther had not showed her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it." In other words, they didn't tell anyone that they are Jewish.

Well, there are two things that I would like to emphasize. On the one hand, because of anti-Jewish sentiment in the world, one would not say to everyone, "Hey, listen, I'm Jewish." By the way, yesterday, I don't know if you've watched the news that in France, two Jewish men with kippa on their head was driving the car, and in right in Paris, a few individual stopped them in the middle of the road, took them out of the car. One of them even brought a sword to saw the head of one of these Jewish men.

Another one came and fought him, and he waved the sword, and I think he cut his finger. And imagine they had to flee for their life. And those seven men disappeared, nobody find them. Anti-Semitic attitude already have existed in the time of Mordecai and Esther in Babylon. Hatred towards the Jewish people. We'll read about it in the book of Esther later on. It happened then, it happened today. Those that oppose the God of Israel will also oppose the Jewish people, that even though they are not in their spiritual state right before God, yet they are Jewish. And the hatred towards the Jews have existed then.

So Mordecai told her, "Listen Esther, you don't let anyone know that you are Jewish." It says here verse 10, "Esther did not showed her people." This is the people of Israel, 'Am' in Hebrew, "nor her kindred." This is 'Moladetah', the people of the nation of Israel. Why? "Because Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it." So in obedience to Mordecai, she did not let anyone know that she was part of the nation of Israel.

Now, this is the one side, beloved brothers and sisters. On the other hand, she should have. The Jewish people need to know, you remember what the Bible teaches us in the Prophet Isaiah? God said concerning our nation Israel, He says in chapter 43 of the Prophet Isaiah, "This people have I chosen for Myself that they will show forth My glory." Israel are people called to be witnesses to the glory of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But when they were not in the right state, they could not be a testimony to the nations of the world because, after all, they are in Babylon because of disobedience. That's why they were in Babylon. That's why they were in Persia. That's why they were scattered around the nations of the world. That's why our own people, the people of Israel, are still scattered among the nations of the world, because we have not submitted to the authority of God. And so she didn't tell anyone that she was Jewish, neither Mordecai at this time. He charged her, don't let them know that you belong to the Jewish people.

So, brothers and sisters, you know, sometimes you and I also as believers today, we're not able to share with people that we belong to Yeshua the Messiah, because perhaps our testimony is not as it should be. Yeshua Jesus the Messiah said in Matthew chapter 10, "If anyone love mother, father more than I, he is not worthy of Me." He said, "If you will deny Me before men, I will deny you before My Father which is in heaven."

In other words, we sometimes, out of fear, out of shame, out of selfishness perhaps, and everyone of us speak for ourselves, we don't need to speak for anybody else, we do not let people know that we belong to Yeshua, to Jesus the Messiah. It shows us that at time we, too, find ourselves in such a situation as this. Paul said in Romans chapter 1 verse 16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe, to the Jew first and also unto the Greek."

And so Esther did not let anyone know that she was Jewish because she was afraid, on the one hand. Secondly, she was not in the right place to be able to give glory to the God of Israel. And so we read now, let's move along. It says here in verse 11 of Esther, chapter two, Mordecai watched over his cousin, over Hadassah, that is Esther. In verse 11 it says, "And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her."

He watched over her. He was there walking to and fro, right there walking to see what will happen to my cousin, to Esther, when she is there in that palace. Well, again, remember it is the providence of God. God is working behind the scene. He is bringing about His will in the life of the people of Israel and in the life of all those that belong to Him. And so we read in verse 12 to verse 14, we read here the manner of the preparation of all the women that came before King Ahasuerus.

You see, there was a special way in which they had to be prepared. Verse 12, 13, and 14, they had to prepare if they are going to be before the king, they needed to prepare themselves. So first of all, verse 12 says the 12 months of purification was needed. And when every maid's turn was come to go into King Ahasuerus, after that she had been 12 months, according to the manner of the women, for so were the days of their purification accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with other things for purifying of women.

Imagine, six months to be prepared there with oil of myrrh. How much time can you be prepared with oil of myrrh? And then another six months with sweet odors and with other things, just to prepare yourself to meet the king. And imagine the king was demanding everything he did was outrageous. He did everything beyond the norm. Six months he made to show everybody all the things that he is in control over. He have done things, drinking as much as you want, everything with excess. Six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet odors. This is something, ladies and gentlemen.

And so in verse 13, anything that the women wanted, she would be receiving. "Thus came every maiden unto the king," he says, "whatsoever she desired was given unto her." She could get anything she want to improve her external beauty. You see, we can look as nice as we want, and it doesn't mean we should not look nice, but we need to have an internal beauty. You remember what the Bible tells us about Sarah and about women, about the believer? That it is the inner man of the heart that is so attractive, beloved brothers and sisters. And that's what the demand was, that there will be only an external beauty.

Then in verse 14 also, every woman went in the evening and return in the morning. If she return, it's done. We read there in verse 14, "In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines. She came in unto the king no more, except the king delight in her and that she were called by name."

In other words, the king receive her at night and send her in the morning. Receive her at night and send her in the morning. If he didn't like her, he sent her. And of course, can you imagine how many women came? They went into the king at night. I don't know how long time that kind of event had to take place, day after day after day after day. Imagine what the king had to go through. But it just show that his mindset was only externally and not internally, beloved brothers and sisters.

Well, let's conclude here with this thought here today, beloved brothers and sisters. Finally, in verse 15, 16, 17, and 18, the last four verses we read today of Esther, chapter two, the selection of Esther by King Ahasuerus. And again I would like to tell you, it is the providence of God. God, who is the one who is over the affairs of this world. We read in Proverbs 21:1, "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and He does with it whatsoever He wills."

And so finally in our passage today, it says in verse 15, "When the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go into the king," listen to this, "she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain and the keeper of the women appointed." In other words, she didn't ask for anything more. Apparently, she must have been a very beautiful woman. She didn't need any more than what originally every women had received.

Then we read, beloved brothers and sisters, it says, "And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her." Apparently this man by the name of Hegai and all the people who watched over Esther, they must have been seeing something unique about her. She found favor in the sight of all them that watch her. She must have been some beautiful lady, this woman by the name of Esther, Hadassah.

In verse 16 we read that Esther was taken into the king's palace to be presented before King Ahasuerus. As it says here in verse 16, "So she was taken unto the King Ahasuerus into the house of his royal in the tenth month, which is the month of Tevet." And notice it says "in the seventh year of his reign." That's also interesting. Why in the seventh year of his reign?

The number 'Sheva', seven in Hebrew, speaks of the number of completeness. It is the full number. And it suggests that it's coming to the climax where God is now in a perfect timing, in a perfect way, place His servant, you might say, in a right place in a right time to situate her to become the queen of Persia. And so we read now finally in verse 17 and 18, "And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor," 'Chen' and 'Chesed' in Hebrew, "in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown upon her head and he made her queen instead of Vashti."

Can you imagine, beloved brothers and sisters? The king was so attracted. Now I would like to suggest that there was some character as well in this woman by the name of Esther. You will see it later on that she stood for certain things to save her people. And so somehow with God's movement touching the heart of the king, being brought before him, he have fallen in love with Esther, the Jewish woman. Though she was away from the land, away from where she should have been, apparently the king loved her, as we read here in verse 17, above all the women.

And she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins. So what does he do? He take the very 'Keter', the very crown that was removed from Vashti his wife, and he was placing it upon Esther, and she was crowned queen at that moment by the king. He crowned her, as it said, he made her a queen instead of Vashti.

And so look at the ways of the Lord and how the Lord work things out. And finally we read in verse 18, here it is, this king is doing always parties. He always seems to have parties. Here is again in verse 18, "And the king made another feast," another party. And this time again, he called that feast 'Esther's Feast'. And what did he do? He release the taxes a little bit. He lowered down the taxes. It says here in verse 18, "He release to the provinces."

In other words, in Hebrew the word 'He made Hanacha', he made it cheaper. They used to pay taxes upon taxes upon taxes, and what did the king do? He's happy with Esther? Well, he's lowering the taxes. He's unhappy with Vashti? He raise the taxes. You see? And it is amazing, this king is really depending upon feeling and things are feeling good, big parties; things are feeling bad, oh boy, we're going to divorce my wife. And so we read he gave gifts to everybody and finally it said according to the state of the king.

"I felt good now, I'll lower the taxes, give everybody gift. Before I felt bad, I'll raise the taxes and I will not give anyone a gift." You see, that's the way King Ahasuerus have behaved. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, what is the lesson again? The lesson here is the sovereignty of God. Romans 8:28 says, "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to His purpose." He have a purpose in Israel's history.

He has a purpose in the church, in assemblies' history. He has a purpose in your individual life and in my life, and he want to accomplish this in our own life. And so even when we are away from the Lord, which we shouldn't be, He still work behind the scene and He allow us to experience in our life things which ultimately hopefully will drive us to be closer to Him. May the Lord help us, beloved brothers and sisters, that as we study the book of Esther, we will appreciate the providence of God. Can we say amen to that? Amen.

Narrator: You have been listening to Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levytam. Gideon teaches God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel, Box 1411, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0, or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM, and Saturdays at 1:00 PM at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com. God bless you. Shalom, shalom.