Shabbat Shalom. We are studying the book of Esther. Esther, the Queen. Esther HaMalka. And we are drawing nigh towards the end of the book of Esther. Please turn to these 17 verses of chapter 8. Beginning with verse 1. On that day did King Achashverosh Give the house of Haman, the Jew's enemy, unto Esther, the queen. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was unto her. And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. And Esther spake yet again before the king and fell down at his feet and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite and his device that he had devised against the Jews. Then the king held out the golden scepter towards Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king and said, if it please the king and if I found favor in his sight and the thing seem right before the king and I be pleasing in his eyes. Let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hamadatta, the Argagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces. For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther, the queen, and to Mordecai, the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hung upon the gallows, because he laid his hands upon the Jews. Write ye also, for the Jews S it liketh you in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring. For the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse. Then were the king's scribe called at that time in the third month, that is the month of Sivan on the three and 20th day thereof. And it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews and to the lieutenants and the deputies and the rulers of the provinces, which are from India unto Ethiopia and 127 provinces. unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writings, and according to their language. And he wrote in the king's Achashverosh name, and he sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by post on horseback and riders, on mules, camels, and young dromedaries. wherein the king granted the Jews, which were in every city, to gather themselves together, and to stand for their lives, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish all the power of the people and the provinces that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take their spoil of them for a prey." upon one day in which the provinces of King Achashverosh namely upon the 13th day of the 12th month which is the month of Adar. The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment, and a decree was given at Shushan the palace. And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple. And the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. And in every province and in every city whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness. and feast, and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them. I'm going to stop here at verse 17 of this chapter. Now, brothers and sisters, the book of Esther is an extremely important book to study. Because we learn from the book of Esther of the Jewish community who remain in Babel, in Babylon while they should have been returning back to the promised land as others return through Ezra and Nehemiah and the days when they came back to the promised land and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple and the sacrificial system had been reinstituted. And God was honored when they returned back to the promised land. But those Jewish people that remained in Babel, in Babylon, were Jewish people who were part of the nation. Who should have been coming back to the promised land. Who should have not remained far away from the presence of the Lord. And yet God, in His providence, took care of them, watched over them. Because He had a plan for His people, Israel, to restore one day the nation, as Romans 11, 25 and 26 says, then all Israel shall be saved. And Israel as a nation one day will be restored, ultimately to be a blessing and a light to the nations of the world. But they were far away from the Lord. As we mentioned many times, again and again, that we don't even find once the name God mentioned in the book of Esther. We don't find once the word prayer in the book of Esther. We don't find once the name Jehovah in the book of Esther. It shows us of our own nation, the Jewish people who are not in a right spiritual state when they remain there in the land of Babel. And so the Book of Esther is teaching us the importance for us today as believers in Yeshua the Messiah, not to stay away from the Lord, but to come and to gather around Him where the Word of God is being taught, where Yeshua is being glorified, when the truth is being presented, where the brothers and sisters serve the Lord and minister around the person of the Lord. You remember what Yeshua said in Matthew 18.20, For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them. He promised blessing for those who gathered around him and having him as the object. So we are now towards the end of the book of Esther. The Jewish people had these enemies of the Jews by the name of Haman. He was an Agagite, Agagi in Hebrew. He was a descendant of the Amalekim, Amalekites. And the Amalekim were the first tribe that attacked our nation, Israel of all, that came out of Egypt. They were the first people to attack the Jewish people, the Hebrews, the Israelis who came out of the land of Egypt. And the Amalekites are a picture of the old nature, the flesh that we all possess. And you notice when we became believers in Yeshua the Messiah, the first enemy and the closest enemy that we had is none else but our own sinful nature that we live with every day of our life. And God, of course, do not want us to allow the flesh to rise up, and that's why Colossians teaches us to put the flesh where it belongs, to count it dead, to put the members of this old nature where they really belong. But Agag and Haman rising up in every generation. And here we find this Haman rose up and became next to the King Ahashverosh. And what does he do? He wants to destroy the Jewish people, the people of God. So we find out that Haman's wife, by the name of Zeresh, told Haman in chapter 6 and verse 13, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews before whom thou had began to fall, thou shall not prevail against him, but shall surely fall before him. God is intending To preserve His people even though enemies will rise in every generation. And we mention it in the study of the book of Esther that in every generation, There is another one who rise to seek to destroy the people of Israel, the people of God. And it's the same thing in the ecclesia, in the church today. In every generation someone will rise to seek to destroy the truth that is found in scripture and to discourage the believers from following after Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. So eventually, beloved brothers and sisters, if you remember, Haman set a decree, gave a decree, had the signature of King Ahasuerus, and he signed it, and the signature was upon that all the Jews will be killed in one day. According to Haman, this evil man, And you remember that it was according to chapter 3 and verse 12 and 13, it will be on the 13th day of the first month, as we read here, there was written according to all that Haman have commanded, that eventually all Jewish people will be killed on the 13th day of the 12th month, that is the month of Adar. One year was supposed to pass by. Everybody will receive those letters and information from Shushan the palace. And all the Jews in the 127 provinces were supposed to be killed in one day. Now brothers and sisters, we do not know what the population was at that time. Sometime around 500 or so BC when the Jewish people were scattered abroad. Could be a couple of millions of them. But in one day he was scheduled to be killed by Haman. But the opposite happened. God, in His sovereign plan to preserve His people, watched over the nation of Israel. And ultimately, if you remember, He destroyed this man by the name of Haman. And we read, this is how we ended in our last discussion about the book of Esther in chapter 7. What did they do? You remember that? So they hung Haman. on a gallow that he had prepared for Mordecai, then was the king's wrath pacified. So Haman eventually received what he planned to do for Mordecai, what he planned to do for the Jewish people. Eventually he himself was hanged on the very tree, etz in Hebrew, gallows, that he prepared for Mordecai the Jew. So what's happening right now? We have coming now to chapter 8. We have to remember, That the decree to kill our own Jewish people on the 13th day of the month of Adar haven't changed. That decree remains. So Esther understood that even though Haman died, the verdict was still given by the king of Persia, King Ahasuerus. It could never change. And you know Esther chapter 8 teaches us a very important principle that throughout the Bible we learn the principle of the fact that there is a law, there is a principle here in this world that sin brings death. Romans 6, 23, the wages of sin is death. That principle, that law never changes. It began in Genesis chapter 2, where God said to Adam, the day that you will eat out of this tree, thou shall surely die. And it remained today. Notice that? People were born, people die. People are born, people die. But not only physical death. The spiritual separation from God. It is a principle. Sin separates man from God. I'm going to show you this in a moment from this Esther chapter 8. So, in the first two verses, we see Mordecai had been promoted by King Ahasuerus. It says here in verse 1, on that day. By Yom Ahu in Hebrew. The king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews enemy unto Esther the queen and Mordecai came before the king for Esther had told him who he was and what he was unto her. See up to now Mordecai never told anyone who he is in a relationship to Esther. In fact, earlier, if you remember, he told Esther, Esther, don't let anyone know who you belong to. And Esther haven't revealed the fact that she was Jewish. So now Esther, after Haman was taken and hung on a tree, after she told him that she belonged to the Jewish people, that she is a Jewish lady, here we find out that she is telling King Ahasuerus. She said, for Esther had told what he was unto her. So Esther is now free to share with King Ahasuerus the fact that Mordecai is the one that took care of her. and she's a relative to him. He's Jewish, she's Jewish, and she already told the king that she belonged to the Jewish people because Haman wanted to destroy all the Jewish people. For this reason, he hung him on a tree. So now she's telling the king who Mordecai is. Now you notice, by the way, it says, on that day, the king Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, unto Esther. Notice the reverse happened. How God turned the tables? Up to this point, the Jewish people were now in a preparation to be destroyed by Haman and those that will kill them, but now things are changing. The providence of God, He protects His own people, even though they are not in the land, yet He provide and protect them, because He has a plan for His people Israel. Notice the word enemy is not quite right. It is much more than enemy. In Hebrew we call it, Sorer HaYehudim. It's the one who is not only the enemy, but is causing constant Sarot, or in Yiddish, Sero, trouble. He's not only an enemy, but he's causing constant trouble to the people of Israel, to the Jewish people. But his house was given to Esther. Esther now told King Ahasuerus who Mordecai is, and notice the promotion of Mordecai the Jew. It says here in verse 2, And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and he gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther sent Mordecai over the house of Haman. Notice now, it's not Haman any longer who remains alive, but Mordecai. It's not Haman any longer who has the ring of the king upon his finger, but Mordecai. God in his sovereign protection over his people have allowed the enemy to be defeated and yet the people who he has a plan for have been preserved. And now Mordecai become the one that received the house of Haman. Now I can assure you That Mordecai by that time sense that there is a miracle here that the God of Israel have provided for the Jewish people in protecting them from this enemy. And he was not as proud as Haman who is seeking to exalt himself. Mordecai, the Jew, you could see that he was now being really a humble person that seek the welfare of the people of Israel, of his own people. Even though he was not in the land, he was not, you might say, in a spiritual state that he should have been at, yet he still had a care for the people, and God have lifted him up, and you might say, exalted him. And again, I would like to suggest that Mordecai here, in type, in the whole shadows that we see here, is a picture of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. Man have humbled Him, God have exalted Him. Man have rejected Him, God have lifted Him up. And you remember, we have already studied in chapter 6, What shall be done unto the men whom the king desired to honor? And the king honored Mordecai. And now Mordecai became the one who ruled. And you might say reigned next to the king. But he ruled over the very house of Haman himself. Well now, beloved brothers and sisters, the issues still haven't been dealt with. Even though Haman was dead right now, but the verdict went out. And the verdict cannot be changed. This verdict was that all the Jewish people must die on that day that had been assigned earlier, that they all will be destroyed on the 13th day of the month of Adar. So what to do? So you notice what happened here? Esther knows that. Because the law of the Medes and Persians never changes. And so, look what we find out in chapter 8 now, in verse 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, Esther's second request from the king. And so we read in verse 3, Esther appeals to the king to put away Haman's verdict or mischief. We read in verse 3, And Esther spake yet again before the king, and she fell down at his feet, and she besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. You see this brothers and sisters, even though Haman died, But the verdict, the command to kill all the Jewish people signed by the king, Achashverosh himself with his ring could not be altered. So you might say the plan to destroy all the Jewish people in the month of Adar still remain. So what to do? So Esther is coming to the king. She says, please, if I will put it in a day-by-day language, please. She wept before him. She fell down at his feet. She besought him to put away, notice, the mischief of Haman the Agagite and his device that he had devised against the Jews. By the way, that word for mischief, again, is not a correct word. You know, sometimes we say about a little kid that he is mischievous. You know, Haman was not mischievous. He was evil. He was operated, you might say, under the satanic influence. He hated the plan of God. He hated the people of God. He hated the purposes of God. And he raised men, Satan that is, raised men in history to seek to destroy the plan of God. it was not a mischief in Hebrew we call it ra'at haman ha'agagi the word ra'a means evil this is evil the thing that Haman wanted to do was evil was sinful was wicked and so she this is Esther pleading with King Ahashverosh, please remove this. You notice verse 3 in the middle, put away the mischief or the evil of Haman Ha'agagi, put it away and his device that he has devised against the Jews. You know, Haman was planning. You know, they're amazing to think about history. Many people plan, you know, we're going to plan to destroy the purposes of God and the will of God for the people of Israel. The will of God for the body of Messiah. We are planning, we are going to destroy it somehow. They tried it in the past. They're going to try it in the future. They're trying in the present. And Yeshua said, the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. The plan of God will surely come to pass, whether we understand it, or whether we agree with it, or even whether we like it. The plan of God will continue, because God is sovereign. He will do His own will. So Esther beseeched King Ahashverosh, please remove this. Please put this away that verdict that have been given against the Jews 127 provinces. Probably couple of millions of Jews are going to die on that particular day. And so notice, the king responded to her in verse 4. The king told her, and it's so beautiful to see that he's handing her the scepter. It says in verse 4, And the king held out the golden scepter towards Esther. So Esther arose and she stood before the king. The king has accepted her. Okay, what do you have to say? Let's see how we are going to handle your request. Remember, she said earlier, she fell at his feet, she besought him, she wept, and tears were down her cheeks, and she's beseeching him to help her, and the king responded by lifting up the golden scepter towards Esther, so Esther could come closer. In other words, he has accepted the fact that she has a need and he's going to seek to help her and so beloved brothers and sisters here's the request from Esther Esther requests a reverse of Haman's decree against her own people the Jewish people and so she says in verse 5 and she said if it pleased the king and if i found favor in his sight And a thing seemed right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes. Let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hamadatta, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews. You read it in chapter 3. verses 12 to 15, which are at all the king's provinces. Now you see again, beloved brothers and sisters, Esther is basing her request and appealing to the king. She says, listen, if it please you, king, and if I have found favor in your sight, and if it seem right before the king, in other words, she's giving it to him to make the decision. And you remember what prophet 21 tells us that the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and eternal at whatsoever he will. And here you can see how God is turning the heart of the king. This is king Ahasuerus. He worked in his heart, in his providence, and he changed his direction. Earlier, he said to Haman, do whatever you want with these people. take the ring, put the signet in my name, destroy these people. But God changes the king's heart. And you can see how Esther wisely said, if it please the king, if I found favor in his sight, if it pleases in his own eyes, let the writing be reverse of the letters that were sent by Haman, the son of Hamadathah, the Agagite, which he wrote. Notice, she re-emphasized again, to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces. Now, brothers and sisters, again, It is amazing how we learn from these passages the principles that the Bible teaches us. The principles of the fact that certain things we can't reverse. Something new had to be introduced. And as I mentioned, beloved brothers and sisters, Scripture teaches us of these two eternal laws. One law is that sin brings death. In fact, I want you to turn to Romans 8 with me for one second, so I will just give you the two laws that are biblical, very clear, given to us in the scripture Romans 8 and verse 2. Look at this, Paul presented this before the believers at Rome. And he said to them, for the law of the Spirit of life in Mashiach Yeshua, Messiah Jesus, Christ Jesus, has made me free from, here's the second law, the law of sin and death. Two laws, the law of sin and death, and the Law of the Spirit of Life in the Messiah Yeshua. These are two verdicts that have been given to all humanity. The first thing, of course, is the Law of Sin, which leads to death. And then the second law is the Law of the Holy Spirit of God, Ruach HaKodesh, Which brings life to those who believe in Yeshua HaMashiach. Two separate laws. Both verdicts have been proclaimed and given to humanity. And you can't change the one, neither can you change the other. So Esther, and again, whatsoever things were written for time were written for our learning, Paul said in Romans 15. All the things that happened unto them were written for us. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, Shaul Paul wrote to the believers in those local churches, local assemblies. And so here we find out that Esther is asking from the king Ahasuerus, please, if it please the king, if I found favor in his sight, and if I pleasing the king, let the writing, let the verdict, Let the law that you have sent that all Jews must be killed on the 13th day of the month of Adar, let it be reversed. The letters have been devised by Haman and were sent that all the Jews will be killed. King Ahashverosh, please, if I found favor with you, reverse it. But you see, beloved brothers and sisters, you will notice this in a moment, that he couldn't reverse it. He could not reverse the decree. This is the law of the Medes and the Persians. And you see God did not give us this in order for us to discover the law of the Medes and Persians. This is the word of the Lord. And he gave it to us to understand biblical principles. That there is a law of sin which lead to death, and ultimately those Jews will die, should they go by this principle, by this law, because the verdict of God. The decree was sent. 127 provinces, the Jewish people worldwide will be killed, according to this verdict. Notice what it says here in verse 6, Esther continue in her request. And then she said to him, How can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? The word, my people and my kindred is Ami and Moladeti. Ami is my people. Moladeti is the people of the land that I belong to, the Jewish people. She said to King Ahasuerus, how can I do that? You can see how she was engaged by now. You remember earlier, she didn't want to go to the king, she was afraid. And in chapter 4, Mordecai told her, if you are not going to do this, God is going to come in another way to bring deliverance unto our people. And you are not going to escape the judgment that is going to come upon all our Jewish people. So she said to him, if you remember, you fast. Tell all the Jewish community to fast. No prayer, doesn't mention there, because the book of Esther shows us that they were not where they should be, these Jewish people. They should have been back in Jerusalem, in Yerushalayim, in the land of Israel, in Canaan, the land of the Bible, the land that God had given to our forefathers. But they chose to remain in the diaspora, in the dispersion. They were wrong. But God wanted them to come back to the land, but God preserved them. God washed over them. And so now she boldly coming to the king and saying to him, how can I endure to see what is going to happen to my people? By the way, even though Haman was dead, she knew that the verdict could not change. And that's why she's pleading, have mercy on my people. King Ahashverosh, I'm not able to see this evil that is going to come upon my people. She's beseeching him on behalf of her brethren. You know, it reminds me of the importance of praying in the New Testament language, Brit Hadashah language, for us to beseech on behalf of our families. our nation Israel, our friends, Jew and Gentile alike, to beseech the Lord. Be ye reconciled. Turn your heart to God. Come back to the Living God, accept the Mashiach Yeshua, because there is none other name given among men whereby you must be saved. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Yeshua said. No one come to the Father but by me to beseech people to appeal and to ask them to turn to the Lord and also to pray to God on behalf of our people. And so she is beseeching. She said, I will not be able to handle, to endure, to know that my people AMI and my kindred MOLADETI will end up to be consumed by the verdict that was given by the king and so here beloved brothers and sisters in the next two verses verses 7 and 8 we can see the importance of the understanding of the two principles that are taught in the Word of God. Or we can say it, the two laws, in Hebrew we call it, Shnei Chukim Nitzchim. It's an eternal laws, they were never going to change. Because look what we find out in verse 7. King Ahashverosh gives them a counsel and advice and he says, Then King Ahashverosh sent unto Esther, the queen, and to Mordechai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hung upon the gallows. Because, notice that, he laid his hand upon the Jews. Now notice now, the king now, all of a sudden realized that the people that he earlier sunk his ring in wax and stamped the letters, were the Jews. Now he is mentioning them by name. Oh, we have already hung Haman because of what he planned against the Jews. Now notice what he says in verse 8. He doesn't say, oh wait a minute, let's send another letter to say stop the verdict. He doesn't say it. You know why? Because he gives us the answer here in verse 8. He says write you also for the Jews, as it liketh you in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring, for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse." Now brothers and sisters, listen, what God gave a verdict here in this world, That sin lead to death that will never change. God could not reverse it. The wages of sin is death, we read in Romans Chapter 6. Romans 3.23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Look at Ezekiel 18 with me for a moment, if you just turn there. Ezekiel was presenting to the nation of Israel the Word of the Lord. And God said to Israel through Jechezkel, the prophet, in verse 4, Behold, all souls are Mine, as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son. He is Mine, God is saying to Israel. But then He said, the soul that sinneth, It shall die. God cannot reverse this principle. He is holy. He cannot reverse, He cannot change it. That's why dear beloved brothers and sisters, we visit many funeral homes many times during our lives, because there is a physical principle that no one could change. But not only physical, there is a spiritual lesson here. Sin separates us from God. And not only that sin leads us to physical death, but sin, unless God forgave that sin, leads us to eternal separation from God. Spiritually, a person without the Messiah is dead in his or her trespasses and sins. This will never be reversed. The soul that sinners eat shall die. This is the principle. God said to Adam, before even Chava, before Eve, took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, He said to Adam, the day that thou shall eat out of this tree, Mot, Tamut, dying, you shall die. And sure enough, Adam ate and he died spiritually that moment. He was separated from the Lord spiritually, which led him ultimately to die physically. We read the list in Genesis chapter 5. We read there that from Adam all the way unto Lamech, every one of them died. We read again and again. And he died. In Hebrew, Vayamot. one after the other the list is going on and he died and he died that verdict was declared by God already before even sin enter in and that's why God had to introduce another way whereby a sinner can receive life can receive forgiveness can receive a relationship back to God. And so you see what we read here. And I'm back in Esther chapter 8 and verse 8. We read, write you also for the Jews. Notice he's introducing now to write another verdict, another law, another letter. Not to remove the other one, he's going. But notice it says here, write to all the Jews. As you like, in the king's name, seal it with the king's ring, for the writing which is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring may no man reverse." Write another one. Write another letter. In fact, I just want you to go back to chapter 1 of Esther for a moment. And here I want you to read verse 19, you remember? That the Queen Vashti could not be restored back to the king when she refused to submit to the king and he gave a verdict that Vashni will no longer be his wife notice what it says in verse 19 of Esther chapter 1 it says if it please the king let there go a royal commandment from him and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes that it be not altered that Vashti come no more before King Ahashverosh and let the king give her royal estate to another that is better than she. Notice, the law of the Medes and the Persians that it be not altered. You can never change it. And that's a principle, biblical, spiritual principle taught in a word of God that the wages of sin is death. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. And the fact that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God means that all of us By nature, I deserve to die, will die physically, but unless we receive that new law that God has given, we will remain eternally separated from God. And so, in verse 8, he says, write another letter. Write all together another letter. He's saying to her, you and Mordecai, and I will seal it with my ring, and we will be sending this to all the Jewish community and all the people in the 127 provinces of the Persian Kingdom. So beloved brothers and sisters, notice from verse 9 on to verse 15, we have the second decree, the second law that was given to Mordecai and Esther for the Jewish people and for all the people around the world in these 127 provinces. It's a new law. is the law of the spirit of life in the Mashiach Yeshua is being represented here by this new letter and so we read in verse 9 the call for the king's scribe now to come then the king's scribe was called at that time he said in the third month notice a few months passed by now because earlier it was the month of Nisan Now we are in the month of Sivan, 3 months, Nisan, Iyar, Sivan, the first 3 months in the Hebrew Biblical calendar. So, then when the king's scribe called, at that time, in the third month, that is the month of Sivan, on the 3 and 20th day thereof and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews and to the lieutenants and the deputies and the rulers of the provinces that are from India unto Ethiopia 127 provinces unto every province according to the writings thereof and unto every people according to their language and to the Jews according to their writings and according to the language now can you imagine they didn't have internet in those days they didn't have telephones or television in these days they didn't have airplanes and cars and trains and buses that they will have to 127 Medinot in Hebrew as it says here these are provinces in Hebrew there was Medinot 127 countries From India all the way into Ethiopia. The then known world. So when they were writing and they were sending it away, somebody had to ride on a mule or on a donkey or on a horse or on a camel in order to get it some far away. And it takes a long time to get it. But not only these beloved brothers and sisters. They had to write this new law. The law, we would call it from a New Testament point of view, the law of the spirit of life through the Messiah, Yeshua, needed to be sent to all the nations of the world, but in all different languages. Can you imagine, beloved brothers and sisters? According to this verse 9, the writing thereof unto every people, after their language and to the Jews according to their language. You see the Hebrew language, Be'ivrit as we say, was written in Hebrew to the Jewish people. But it was written in every other language to the people of the world that they will know this new verdict that is going to be sent by the king, sealed by his ring. Now can you imagine? We are trying to translate a little booklet from one language to another. We have a difficult time. Oh, who is able to rightly be able to spell and write this different language? Imagine what it meant. It also tells us how large Persia have been in those days. You see, when you think about North America and Canada, we have 10 provinces and 3 territories. And then in United States, 50 states. But you can send a letter to the 50 states, everyone know English. But if you send it to the 127 provinces in different language is another story, beloved brothers and sisters. But everyone was to hear this new verdict that is going to come out from King Ahasuerus. And the king gave permission for Esther and for Mordecai to write whatever they wish. And he will just stamp that with his own ring. So notice that in verse 10, Mordecai prepare a letter, a new verdict, completely new. Because the law of the Medes and Persians cannot be changed. The law of sin and death cannot be changed. The wages of sin is death. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. So that is a principle that man has to realize. And here is the introduction of all together a new law, you might say, a new letter from the king. So notice verse 10. And he wrote in the king's name and he sealed it with the king's ring and he sent letters by the post on horseback and riders, mules and camels and young Dromaderies. In other words, there were all kind of animals that people were riding. The post, it says here, they went forward to go ahead with those letters and spread it all over the 127 provinces of Persia in those days. And now notice what it says in verse 11, the content of this new decree. What was the content? Look what it says here, and I'm reading verse 11, wherein the king granted the Jews. which were in every city, to gather themselves together, to stand for their life, to destroy and to slay and to cause to perish all the power of the people and the provinces that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take their spoil of them for a prey. Notice the verdict now was that it had given a right for the Jewish people to protect themselves on that day from what was going to happen because of the letters of the verdict that was sent by Haman earlier. Notice the five things that we read here in verse 11. He said, "...to gather, to stand for their life, To destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish. All power, whoever is going to come against them, they are to stand. Because the king gave them the verdict, the permission to do so. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, these Jewish people needed to believe that new letter. They have one letter in their hand that says that they are going to be dead, they are going to be killed. Now they are going to receive another letter, and the letter says, no, no, no, you can stand for yourself, and the others better be careful because you are allowed to stand, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish anybody who will try to kill you. They had to put faith. in a message that was given by the king's signature to those letters. They had to believe this new verdict is active, is true and they can act upon it. And you know, it's the same thing, beloved brothers and sisters, that we learn in Scripture. If any man is going to receive the grace of God, the provision of God, he or she, man or woman, must believe. Hebrews 11 says that without faith, it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10 verse 9, "...if thou shalt confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." They had to believe the new verdict. They had to accept this new principle, this new decree, this new law. Again, allow me. The first law was the law of sin and death. because of sin death came upon all men for all have sinned but the law of life or I should say the law of the Ruach HaKodesh the law of the spirit of life through the Messiah Yeshua is an all together a new law death we deserve because of sin life we receive because of the Mashiach Yeshua and what He has done for us when He died for us on the tree. So in verse 12, in verse 13, the appointed day for the Jews to protect themselves is the 13th day of the 12th month. This is the month of Adar, the very same day that they were supposed to be destroyed by the people of the world under the verdict that Haman gave by the signature of King Ahasuerus. Look at this verse 12 and verse 13 said, upon one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, namely upon the 13th day of the 12th month, which is the month of Adar. The copy of the writing for the commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people and that all the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. You know, you get one letter that says on this day, the 13th day of the month of Adar, you're going to be killed. Then you get another letter that says on the 13th day of the month of Adar, you can protect yourself and destroy the others who seek even to kill you. What are you going to believe? You see, that's the beauty of the Gospel. That's the beauty that we have, not only in New Testament, Brit HaChadashah, we find it throughout Scripture. From Bereshit, Genesis, to Malachi, in the Old Testament, in the Tanach, and from Matthew to Revelation, the principle that the Law of sin lead to death. And the law of the spirit of life in the Messiah Yeshua leads to life and a relationship with the Lord. And so it's so beautiful to see that they must have been amazed when they all of a sudden received these letters. It says in verse 14 that the king agreed and then he has urged the people to go and send them quickly to send this new message. Notice verse 14. So the post that rode upon mules and camels went out being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan, the palace, Shushan Habira, Shushan, the capital city of Persia in those days. Can you imagine now the king hastening the messengers? He says, go quickly, take this new message to all my 127 provinces. And I think of the love of God. who is hastening the message of the grace of God through our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. He urged men, be irreconciled with God. Accept the Mashiach Yeshua, the only answer for sin. Turn away, turn away from your evil way and come. God found a way to redeem my soul. No wonder Paul was saying in Romans 1.16, I'm not ashamed. of the Gospel of the Mashiach, because it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greeks and the Gentiles. I'm not ashamed of this message. There is a way. The verdict that the law of sin and death is there, it didn't change, but God found a way to deliver His people from that evil verdict. And you see, brothers and sisters, any man who one day will stand before God without the knowledge of Yeshua, the Messiah, will never have a word to say to God. God, I never knew of Yeshua, the Messiah, of God, of your son. God, I really didn't think that you would save me. God, I didn't experience your love for me during my life. God says, I have found a way. I've sent my son. And I judged him. I punished him. I laid upon him the iniquity of us all. He became a substitute, the just for the unjust. And no excuse man will have when he stands before God. Because the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life just believe just accept this new law new principle the law of the spirit of life through the Messiah Yeshua you will have life these Jewish people again we are having a picture here And again, beloved brothers and sisters, I don't apologize for a moment as I minister the Word of God to show that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning. That we, through patience and comfort of the Scripture, might have hope. When we read this passage, God did not want us to learn a little bit how the Medes and the Persians have their rules in history. He teaches us principles, lessons that will apply to our lives as believers, that will help us to appreciate who and what God has done for us. And so listen, beloved brothers and sisters, just to conclude this, you notice that in the next verses here, verse 15, Mordecai, as it says here, he went out from the presence of the king. Notice now Mordecai, he has royal apparel, Blue and white. He has a crown of gold upon his head. He has garments of linen and purple. And notice what it says in verse 15. The city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. The whole city of Shushan was so rejoicing. The new message gave joy. You see the old message kept them perplexed. Just please go back to chapter 3, when the first message was given. And notice what it says in verse 15, at the end, the post went out being hastened by the king's commandment. And the decree was given in Shushan the palace, and the king and Haman sat down to drink. Listen what it said at the end of verse 15, but the city of Shushan was perplexed. The Hebrew word preplex means nebuchad. They were amazed. Why would you want to kill all these Jewish people? Why will they die? Sadness. Down. Unhappiness. But now the second law was given. The second letter. The whole city of Shushan, the palace, the city was rejoicing and was glad. Life. And you see, there is joy in the person of our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. He brings joy into the life of those who receive Him. He gives blessing, He gives shalom, peace with God through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Again, the law of sin and death Versus the law of the spirit of life in a Mashiach, in a Messiah Jesus. The one lead to death, the other one lead to life. The one lead us to a relationship with God, the other one lead us into eternal separation from God. Well, let me conclude with verses 16 and 17. And so, verses 16 and 17, we see the joy and the gladness that the Jewish people have experienced because their lives have been preserved. And so, we read here in verse 16, it says that the Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. In Hebrew, La Yehudim hayta hora v'sason v'simcha v'yakar. There was light, there was gladness, there was joy, there was honor. And it didn't even happen just to hear that message that they can be saved. And look at the last verse, beloved brothers and sisters, that leads us actually into the Messianic Kingdom, where Israel will be saved as a nation. It tells us, in every province and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decrees came, the Jews had joy and gladness and feast and good day. Notice what it says here at the end, and many of the people of the land became Jews. For the fear of the Jews fell upon them. Now what does it mean? Many of them became Jews. You cannot be a Jew unless you are a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. L'hiyot Yehudi, to become Jew, in Hebrew, it says here in this verse, to become Jews, it simply means that they have adapted and embraced the God that the Jews believe in. Like, for example, Ruth the Moabite, who said, your people shall be my people. Your God shall be my God. Where you go, I will go. Where you die, there will I die, and there will I be buried, Ruth said. Rachab the prostitute said, the fear of your God fell upon all of us. And she had embraced the God of Israel. Now those people could not go and get circumcision and become all Jews all of a sudden. How did they become Jews? They have embraced the truth that the God of the Jews taught. And that takes us also, beloved, to the Messianic kingdom in the future day, when Israel, according to Romans 11, all Israel shall be saved. Future tense. Today, The people that are saved from the mark of our own Jewish people are minority of the minority. But there is a day coming. That all the nation, as a nation will embrace the Mashiach Yeshua and be saved. A redeemed nation. And Israel as a nation will be saved. But the salvation of Israel will bring such a blessing to the nations of the world. You know, people make a mistake. They don't realize that. They think the more I'll hate the Jews, the more I'll please God. They don't realize that we cannot hate the Jews and please God. We have to love the Jewish people because one day God is going to bring about a blessing to the world through the Jewish people. Look, just to close with Isaiah 2, please. And Isaiah takes us to the future day when Israel as a nation will be restored. And I'm reading in Isaiah chapter 2, notice just the earlier verses. Verse 1, the word of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, and it shall come to pass in the last days. taking us to the kingdom age. That the mountain of the Lord's house, that word for mountain is the kingdom of the Lord's house, shall be established in the top of the mountains, not of all the kingdoms that will exist here in this world. The kingdom of God under the reign of the Messiah is going to be above all. And it shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it. Many people shall go and say, come, Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. For he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his path. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Yerushalayim. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, this is the plan of God here for this world that is filled with sadness and sorrow and the law of sin that leads to death. That one day will come and we long for that in our own hearts. God longs for that. Yeshua HaMashiach longs for that day. When Israel as a nation will acknowledge and accept this new law, the second law, the law of the spirit of life in the Mashiach Yeshua. And they will become as a nation, a redeemed nation. And all the nations will come and say, come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. And then He says, we will walk in His path. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. They will come to acknowledge that the God of Israel is the true and living God and they will bow their knees before Him and they will ultimately be, as it says here, they will become Jews in the sense of they will embrace the true and living God. Now, what about you and I today? Do you know if you and I, and I'm just going to close with this, in a practical way, will allow the law of the spirit of life in the Messiah Yeshua to control our lives. We will be able to influence others as well. And we will be able to lead others to the knowledge of Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. Today, how many times we fail by the manner of our behavior and we are not leading others to Yeshua, the Messiah, because they say, what are you going to give me? Look at the way you behave. Look at the way you act. I don't want your Jesus, your Yeshua. Keep it for yourself. But if we will allow the Spirit of God to lead us in our day-by-day life, to control our life, to lead us by the word we speak, the action that we have, we will also be able to be tools in the hands of the Lord. to lead us to be a blessing to people around us. May the Lord help us, beloved brothers and sisters.