Holy Scriptures and Israel

Gideon Levytam: The study of Esther chapter 2 and chapter 3. We are to walk in the power of the Spirit of God rather than to allow the old sinful nature to have its own way. And every time we will allow the flesh to have its own way, we will be defeated spiritually, even though we belong to the Lord, and we are saved and forgiven. We will never be able to live a victorious life as long as we allow our sin nature to have its own way.

Well, so what Haman is going to do now? Every time he passes by, he sees that Jewish man, and every time he sees the Jewish man, he's the only one who is standing where everybody is on their knees worshipping him. So Haman had a plan. He had a plan like many, many people had a plan throughout the history of the world. "I've got to get rid of this man. I've got to get rid of his people. I've got to get rid of their people that are known to be the Jewish people, the people of Israel."

And so in verses 5, 6, and 7 of Esther chapter 3, we have the plan of Haman to destroy all our Jewish nation, our Jewish people. And so we find out, notice, and I'm reading now in verse 5, Haman was very angry. He was so upset. It says, "And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then Haman was full of wrath." The Hebrew word says, "Vayimaleh Haman Cheima." He was hot. He was so angry.

"I cannot allow this to happen. I cannot allow this. Everybody had to bow their knees before me. I am the one who is second to the King." But he passes by, everybody's down, Mordecai is up. Everybody's down, Mordecai is like you might say, like a sore thumb standing up and saying, "I will not bow my knees before you." So notice what it says here, beloved brothers and sisters, it says in verse 6, "And Haman sought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone."

First, he wanted to destroy Mordecai alone. But then the people who were serving there in the king's palace, they said, "You know what? He belonged to the Jewish people that we have throughout Persia." So the moment he found out that he's Jewish, it says in verse 6B, "Wherefore, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai."

Brothers and sisters, listen to that. This is so real. You know, when we, those of us who are Jewish, know this very, very well in the history of our families and our people. Throughout the whole history of our nation Israel, of the Jewish people, we always had those that wanted to finish with the Jewish people. You remember what we sing at Passover. This is what stand.

"For not only one rose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation, there were they that tried to destroy us, but the Holy One, blessed be His name, saves us from all our enemies." "She'bechol dor vador, camu aleinu lechlotenu. Vehakadosh Baruch Hu." And the Holy One, blessed be His name. He saved us from all our enemies. I mean, I remember the little boys singing that with my grandparents and my parents in the synagogue, but also in the home around the table at the Passover.

It was such a song that moved our heart. In every generation, when I was a young boy, we had just finished the Six-Day War. I was 13 years of age where the seven nations rose up against Israel and Israel by the grace of God was successful to defeat Egypt and Syria, and Jordan, and Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran, and all nations rise seek to destroy our own nation. 1948, when Israel became a state.

All the nations, the day that Ben-Gurion declared Israel as a state, seven nations rose up the next day to seek to destroy the people of Israel. But God, blessed be His name, saved us from all our enemies. And you know, this is a precious, because it is also applied not only to Israel but also to the believers in the body of Messiah. In every generation, people try to destroy the believers.

"No, we don't want Yeshua the Messiah. He is not the Messiah. We'll try to destroy the believers." They do it today in many, many countries. They did it in Russia, they did it in China, they did it in a Muslim country. They did it today, just recently, a few days they have killed 13 people in El-Arish across the border from Israel in Gaza into Sinai. And they've killed these believers just because they believe that Yeshua, the Jesus, is the Messiah.

They killed them. They cut them into pieces. They have harmed them because they believe in Yeshua the Messiah. Look at Jewish history, beloved brothers and sisters, I just give you some names. We had pharaohs. Pharaoh said, "Let us cast all the Jewish boys into the river," in the book of Exodus chapter 1 and verse 22. We have Haman in Esther chapter 3 and verse 6, as we read here.

We have Antiochus Epiphanes, who sought to destroy the Jewish people in the time of what we call today Hanukkah, the dedication of the temple in Israel. We had the Roman Empire who killed in 70 AD 1,100,000 Jewish people, and they took many of them away to be slaves, and they destroyed the temple in the city of Jerusalem. Going back, we have Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC, in 596 BC, in 586 BC. He destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and took thousands and thousands of our Jewish people to the land of Babylon.

And then we obviously know that Herod, the king, you remember, he killed all the Jewish boys from two years and under when Yeshua the Messiah was born. You can read it in Matthew chapter 2 and verse 16. And I don't have to remind you what happened just in the 1940s where Hitler killed 6 million Jewish people throughout Europe. Can you imagine from every generation there are those that rise up and seek to destroy the people of Israel?

And all this is not yet the end. Because as the prophet Zechariah and Jeremiah tells us, and as the Book of the Revelation teaches us, and also Yeshua Himself in Matthew chapter 24 and 25, he talked about a future day when there will be such a tribulation as never been before, beloved brothers and sisters. And antisemitism and hatred towards our people, the people of Israel will only rise up, will only rise up.

And how sad it is to see Satan influence men who rises up in hatred towards the people whom God had chosen through whom the Messiah will come and through whom blessing will flow unto the nations of the world. And the truth of the matter that the Lord's plan will surely come to pass even though Israel and the Jewish people will suffer in many, many ways.

And so look at it in verse 7 of Esther chapter 3. We see that Haman now, what does he do? He's casting lot. And here is when I would like you to look at the Hebrew calendar. We call it biblical calendar, even though it was happened in Persia. I want you to notice that the first month here is the month of Nissan. It's mentioned twice in Esther chapter 3 and verse 7, and Nehemiah chapter 2 and verse 1.

Look at what it says in verse 7 of our chapter. "In the first month," that is the month of Nissan. "And in the 12th year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur," that is lot, "before Haman from day to day and from month to month to the 12th month, that is the month of Adar." So the first month of the biblical calendar is Nissan. The last month of the biblical calendar is Adar. And you can find it in one verse. Esther 3 and verse 7.

Every day, every week, every month they cast a lot. In Hebrew, we call it Pur. And that Pur means it's like a lot to see, "Okay, which day I'm going to kill all the Jewish people? Let me choose. Will it be in Nissan, or Iyar, or Sivan, or Tammuz, or Av, or Elul, or Tishrei, or Cheshvan, or Kislev, or Tevet, or Shevat, or Adar." Every day we'll cast a lot, say, "No, no, no, maybe not today." Next day, "Oh, not today." This week, "No." Next month, "No."

And finally, beloved brothers and sisters, 12 months, a year passed by to see when will be the day that the Jewish people will die in the Persian Empire. That's what Haman was doing. Casting lots every day, every week, every month, all the 12 months of the biblical month until they finally found out which day he's going to destroy and to kill all the Jewish people.

Now, imagine, that gave him a lot of time to plan it, to organize it, to make all side of arrangement, "Oh, I had plenty of time." He will send information and prepare the destruction of the Jewish people in the Persian Empire. So, we read in the next verses, brothers and sisters, verses 8 to 11, that Haman accused the Jewish people before King Ahasuerus.

See, while he's casting Pur to decide when he's going to kill the Jewish people, then he's going to the king, after all he's second to the king. And so he's coming to the king in verse 8, "And Haman said unto the King Ahasuerus," notice that, he's very crafty. He's very sneaky, accusing Mordecai and the Jewish people. "And Haman said unto King Ahasuerus, 'There is a certain people, scattered abroad and dispersed among the people of all the provinces of thy kingdom. And their laws are diverse from all people. Neither keep they the king's laws. Therefore it is not for the king's prophet to suffer them.'"

See, Haman was saying to Ahasuerus, "You know, King, there is a certain group of people that they're really not comfortable for you. They have a different laws, different rules. They seem to practice things differently than us all. They're not the same as us. And really, King Ahasuerus, they are not profitable for you to have them. What do you need these kind of people? They don't submit to certain of the laws that you have. They have a different rules, they have a different God. They worship differently. They are not the same as the rest of the nations of the world. And they are not profitable for you, King Ahasuerus. They're not going to be of a prophet for you. You don't really need them, King Ahasuerus. We have to do something about this nation."

And you know, the Bible teaches us in the book of Numbers that Israel will be a nation that will dwell alone. They are to be distinguished from all other nations. God said, "I have chosen you to be a peculiar people, a nation that will give a testimony to the true and living God." That's why the Jewish people throughout the history, including today, are still a peculiar nation, a unique nation. Even though they are still in unbelief, God preserve our nation for the future day when they will be a restored nation.

And so Haman saying to King Ahasuerus, "They are not really profitable for you," in verse 8. In verse 9, Haman suggests to pay the king to help him with the destruction of the Jewish people by giving him a lot of money into his treasury. Notice, "If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed. And I will pay 10,000 talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge over the business to bring it unto the king's treasury."

Ahasuerus, "Listen, I'm going to help you with this. I'm going to bring from my own money that I have saved and I'm going to put this money in the treasury so you will have to actually pay much. I'm just going to help you. Oh, what I need is your approval to destroy the Jewish people." Notice he used that word in verse 9. "Let it be written that they may be destroyed." "Let it be written, they may be destroyed." In other words, the law of the Medes and Persian can never be altered.

So King Ahasuerus, write it down, seal it with your ring, and let us go ahead and destroy the Jewish people from the face of this earth. All what I need is your approval. I'm going to give you all the money that you need, and I'm going to help you to do the destruction of the Jewish people. Let me just make another one or two comments here. It is so important for believers in Yeshua the Messiah never to participate in any anti-Semitic things that are going on in this world.

The believers in Jesus and Yeshua the Messiah are to love Israel, are to support the people of Israel, are to pray for the nation of Israel, are to love the Jewish people, never, never to have hatred in the heart of a Christian towards the people of Israel. The opposite is the responsibility of any one of us who know the Bible and believe and love Yeshua the Messiah. When someone hates the Jewish people, he's exactly following Satan's ways.

And Satan will to hate the people of Israel. We are to love our nation Israel. And every Christian upon the face of this earth who is not Jewish, are to love the Jewish people and recognize that they believe in a Messiah that came out from the nation of Israel. And that as we read, salvation is of the Jews. And this is the Jewish Messiah Yeshua himself as we find out in the Gospel of John.

Secondly, let me also mention here another point that notice how the flesh represented by Haman here is always ready to help to destroy the spiritual life of the believer. You see, the flesh in us is always ready to help us not to walk with the Lord. Always help. He says, "Just, you know, carry on your own way. This is okay. Carry on your own way, and it will destroy the spiritual life of the believer."

That's why again, Paul says, "Walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Don't let the flesh have its own course, because every time you will allow the flesh to have its own way, you will be defeated spiritually. That's why many times, brothers and sisters, we don't enjoy the Lord. We can't sing to Him. We can't enjoy to serve Him because we have allowed this sinful nature to have its own course.

So, Haman is saying, "King Ahasuerus, let me help you to destroy the Jewish people. I'm going to give you 10,000 talents of silver into your hands. You're going to have so much. I'm going to help you to destroy these people, the special nation here that are not following your law." Notice in verses 10 and 11, King Ahasuerus have agreed to it. No investigation. He doesn't inquire, "Who are these people? Let me, let me talk to some of them. Let's see. Let me see who those Jewish people."

You know, Jewish people throughout history have done so much in helping the welfare of the whole world. Even though they have not accepted Yeshua the Messiah yet, we have Jewish scientists and doctors and in medicine, in science, in law. In many, many ways, the Jewish people were so beneficial to the world in which we live in. Had King Ahasuerus was wise, he was doing some investigation. "Let's see who are these people." And one of these people was Mordecai. He saved his life. And by the way, his wife is a Jewess.

Whom she will end up to be killed because the law of the Mede and the Persian will never be able to be altered. So, notice he without investigation, verses 10 and 11, "The king took his ring from his hand. He gave it unto Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite." And notice, the Bible adds here in verse 10 this expression, "the Jews' enemy." "Tsorer haYehudim." The one who hate the Jews. He is influenced by Satan. He is influenced by the flesh. He hates that which link with the living God, the people of Israel. The tribe Yehudah come from the word lehodot, to give thanks, to give praise to the living God. Well, he hated the Jewish people.

And so in verse 11, "And the king said unto Haman, 'The silver will be given unto thee, and the people also to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.'" In other words, Haman, don't give me that money, keep the silver for yourself. And on top of it, I'm going to give you these people that I didn't investigate who they are. I'm going to give them unto your hand. Do with them whatever you want to do.

You notice that it says here in verse 10 that he took his ring from his hand and he gave it to Haman. The ring is the ring that the signature of the ring seal the decree that the Jewish people will be destroyed. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, in the next verses, and these are the last verses of our chapter today. In verses 12 to verse 15, the sentence of the death of all our Jewish people was given by Haman, and then the decree went forth.

And so we read, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 12, "Then were the king's scribes called on the 13th day of the first month." Now, I notice that, a whole year passed by. They cast lots every month. Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, Av, Elul, Tishrei, Cheshvan, Kislev, Tevet, Shevat, Adar. And now that the next month is back, you notice that in our chapter in verse 12, notice that it says that, "Then were the king's scribes called on the 13th day of the first month." This is the month of Nissan.

A year passed by that they cast lots, oh, it's not today. Cast lots again, oh, it's not today. A year passed by and from there on, now we find out that on that first month that now Haman is making a decision when will these Jewish people be killed. And so we read that he gathered all the scribes. He called them, and he tell them, "Listen, I want you to write this down."

You see, "written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers over every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language." In other words, he called the scribe and he says, "You write it in this language and you write it in this language, and you write it in this language, and all the languages of the land. Here's the day that the Jewish people will be killed."

In verse 13, it says, "And the letters were sent by post unto all the king's provinces." Listen again to the word, beloved brothers and sisters, verse 13, "to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish all Jews." Boy, that's remind me, it's exactly what happened just in the 1940s where Hitler. "All Jews must be killed." When he took them many, many of the people of Israel, the Jewish people in trains and brought them into the gas chambers.

All the Jews, boys and girls, and men and women, bring them into these ovens. Nobody seems to care and do anything about it. And here we find out that he's writing, and he's sending it to cause, to destroy, to kill, to cause to perish all Jews, both young and old, children and women in one day. And he set up the day. What will be the day? The 13th day of the 12th month, which is the month of Adar.

So, again, brothers and sisters, bear with me one more time. He called all the scribes on the month of Nissan, the first month. He gave them an instruction when the Jewish people will be killed, and this is the month of Adar. This month of Adar, even the date we have here. It will be on the 13th day of the 12th month. If you look at the calendar, the 13th day of the month of Adar, this is the month that the Jewish people will be destroyed, killed, caused to perish, all the Jewish people according to the plan that Haman, this wicked, evil man, had planned to do.

In verse 14, we find out that he prepare everyone to get ready for the destruction. "And the copy of the writing of the commandment was given to every province. It was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day." Get yourself ready, perhaps get the ammunition, whatever you're going to do, prepare yourself, get yourself ready on the 13th day of the month of Adar, all Jews must be destroyed.

And so we read in the last verse of Esther chapter 3, "And the post went out being hastened by the king's commandment. The decree was given in Shushan the palace." But listen to this, brothers and sisters. What did the King Ahasuerus and Haman, the wicked men, do? They go into the palace in order to spend some time, to sit down and to drink. While the plan of the destruction of the Jewish people was carried out, the letters were sent to all the provinces of Persia. Haman and King Ahasuerus are sitting down in the house, and they are drinking. It seems to be that every time this King Ahasuerus had a party, it's always connected with drinking.

And finally, we read, "But the city of Shushan was perplexed." Can you imagine, the capital city Shushan, in Hebrew, it says "nevokha," perplexed. What does that mean? We got to kill our neighbors, we got to kill all our friends, and maybe people that are around us that work with us. All the Jews to be killed. Can you imagine what it meant? So Shushan Habira, Shushan the palace was really, as it says here, perplexed because of this special command that was given by the king.

And so, beloved brothers and sisters, the lesson for us is very, very important. God has a plan for the Jewish people, and he's going to do something to restore Israel as a nation in a future day. His hands is moving about all the things. We're going to see it as we continue in the study of the book of Esther. But the enemy of God, Satan, the world and the flesh constantly want to go against the Jewish people to frustrate the plan of God, that God's plan will not come to pass.

And in our life also, Satan will always, the flesh will always seek to pull you down spiritually. "Don't walk with Yeshua. Carry on in your own way. Don't read your Bible, don't pray. No, no, you don't need God in your life. Carry on in the flesh." And the Lord will say, "No, no, no. You walk with me. I love you. I care for you. I gave my son, the Messiah for you. Follow me, and you will be blessed, because God's way is the best way." I can assure you this on a basis of the word of God. Can we say amen to that?