Seemingly Insignificant Little Things | Sunday, June 6, 2021

Hey, welcome to Cross Connection Church's online service today! We're glad you're here. If you want more information about us, you can go to lifeinconnection.com. Also, hang around until the very end; you'll get some more announcements about what's going on.

If you came prepared to give today, you can do that at give.lifeinconnection.com. All right, God bless you.

Glory in creation, now revealed in You, how Christ! What a beautiful name it is. What a beautiful name it is—the name of Jesus Christ, my King. What a beautiful name it is; nothing compares to this. What a beautiful name it is—the name of Jesus.

So, Jesus, what a wonderful name it is!

Good morning and welcome again to Cross Connection Church online. As we begin today and come to Esther chapter three, I want to start this morning with a question that I want you to hold in your mind for a bit. Here’s the question: Have you ever been so angry with someone that you wished them harm? Just think about that for a moment and hold it in your mind.

Have you ever been so angry with someone that you wished them harm? You might wonder what could cause you to be so angry with someone that you would wish harm upon them. I can think of a number of things, and most of them would probably have to do with someone doing something malevolent or evil to my family or my kids. What would make you so angry that you would wish someone to be harmed?

Now, that wish—the desire to see someone be harmed, to wish ill upon someone else—there's a word for that. It's called malice. I'm assuming that it would probably take something significant to cause you to be malicious.

Now, let’s go a little further on this. What would happen if you not only had the desire, the malicious intent to desire harm upon someone, but you also had the right and the authority? What if the power was in your hand to not only wish harm on someone but to actually bring it to pass? You could have your wish and your desire fulfilled. That malicious desire you have could come to pass because it was in the power of your hand to make it so.

Now again, hold that in your mind because we're going to come back to that as we go through the text today. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes this to the Corinthians in First Corinthians chapter 10. He says in First Corinthians chapter 10, verse 11: "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the age have come." I always come back to that verse.

Every time I begin a study of anything in the Old Testament, it is important to remember that the stories of the Old Testament hold significant value. I think it's unfortunate that many people, both those who attend church regularly and those who do not, know very little about the Old Testament. This collection comprises the first 39 books of Scripture, from Genesis to Malachi. Many people are unfamiliar with these texts, and oftentimes, the stories written in the Old Testament seem to hold little value for them.

I know you might think that the stories of the Old Testament are not of little value, but we tend to undervalue them because we spend very little time thinking about or reading them. When we do consider them, we may find ourselves wondering about the relevance of these stories and situations. Whether we are reading in Kings, Chronicles, First Samuel, or Nehemiah, or Esther, as we are right now, we can sometimes question the relevance of these narratives to our lives at this moment.

We often read the Scriptures through the lens of ourselves, our circumstances, and our time, asking what they say to us. This is not a bad question; in fact, I would argue it is the right question. We should ask what the relevance of the Old Testament stories is for our lives today. How do these narratives apply to us? When we study the Scriptures, we should aim to move toward application. We want to observe what is in the text, interpret it correctly, and understand what it means. Then, we should bring that understanding into our current context, asking what God wants to speak to us in this moment.

Paul addresses this in First Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 11. When he refers to "all these things," he is talking about the events recorded from Genesis to Malachi, particularly the stories related to the children of Israel. In that passage, he discusses the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land. He states that all these things happened to the children of Israel and are written as examples for us; they are recorded for our learning.

For our instruction, the New King James Version that I'm reading from says, "Our admonition," and it states that it is for those upon whom the ends of the age have come. The events and stories of people like Moses, Ehud in the Book of Judges, and Esther in the Book of Esther are not just stories; they are histories. These events happened to the people of Israel, and they were written and recorded for us.

Now, how many of you think that we're living in the end of the age? A lot of people think that. You see that a lot right now with all the things going on in the world, in the United States politically, or with COVID and all this sort of stuff. People say it's the end of the world; it's the end of the age. So, a lot of people think we're living in the end of the age. If you think we're living in the end of the age, if you believe that these are the last days, then these things Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 10:11 were written for our instruction, for our learning, upon whom the end of the age has come. They are recorded as examples for us.

Now, get this: that's not the only thing that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10. When he states that all these things were written for our admonition and instruction, he goes on to continue in the very next verse. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, he says, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." Then he adds, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but with the temptation, will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it."

Have you ever hubristically, arrogantly thought, "I've got this. I can handle this situation, this temptation, this trial, this test. I can handle this; I've got this"? Well, Paul would say, "Take heed. Be careful. Be cautious" when you get into that place of thinking you have it all under control.

Or have you ever been tempted to wish someone harm? Like I asked at the very beginning of this message just a few minutes ago, have you ever been so angry with someone that you were tempted to be malicious, to wish harm upon them? Have you ever been tempted to wish...

Someone harming others is pretty common. Those are temptations that are common to man. Paul says in First Corinthians, chapter 10, verses 11, 12, and 13, that these things in the Old Testament, like the Book of Esther that we've been studying, have been written for our instruction and admonition. We should be cautious when we arrogantly think, "I can handle this sort of thing," or when we are tempted. When we go through temptations, trials, and tests, we need to realize that God has written these things for our learning, to prepare us, and to equip us to be perseverant and endure through those situations.

A few weeks ago, we began this study in the Old Testament Book of Esther. I am really grateful for Pastor Jason, who took us through Esther chapter one, and Pastor Mark, who covered chapter two last week. Many of you may have been tempted to think that the Book of Esther has little value or relevance, especially since it doesn't mention God once. I know that Pastor Jason and Pastor Mark have pointed out that the Book of Esther is unique in Scripture because there is no explicit mention of God by name or His active working in the story.

However, if you look underneath the surface, as we will continue to do over the next several weeks, you can see God working even if it's not explicitly mentioned in the text. Throughout history, some people have thought that the Book of Esther is of little value and relevance, and that it shouldn't even be in the canon of Scripture—the whole library of the Bible, the 66 books. Some have argued that this book shouldn't be included because God is not explicitly mentioned. But we are going to see God working in this passage.

In the last two weeks, Pastors Jason and Mark have introduced us to some of the characters in this book. First, of course, is King Ahasuerus, and then there was Queen Vashti in chapter one. You may have already forgotten her, as they moved on from Queen Vashti when things weren't going quite the way the king wanted. We met King Ahasuerus, Queen Vashti, and then we met Hadassah, or Esther, and of course, Mordecai.

Today, I am going to introduce you to another very important character—someone who will become very central to this story in the Book of Esther as we continue over the next several weeks. One of the things that will become clear as you get to know this character is...

A new character is introduced in the book of Esther, and there is an unnamed character behind this character. Much like we have discussed in the last couple of weeks, God is seen sovereignly working in the book of Esther, even though He is not named or explicitly revealed in this passage. There is another character that appears in the book of Esther, behind the character we are going to meet today, who is also not explicitly named or clearly revealed. However, there is something going on behind the scenes that we will explore.

One of the keys to remember when reading through the book of Esther is that, although God is not named or mentioned explicitly, you will see Him and His work if you look closely. We will observe this as we go through the chapters. In the same way, there is another character who is not named explicitly in the book, but you will see His work as well.

In the last two weeks, you were introduced to King Ahashuwaris, Vashti, Esther, and Mordecai. You learned about Vashti's fall and Esther's rise. Now, we read Esther chapter 3, verse 1: "After these things." I can't even go further than those first three words; I have to stop right there. "After these things" are the very same words that started chapter 2.

When we come to chapter 3, some time has passed. In chapter 2, some time had gone by since the events of chapter 1, which included the fall of Vashti. After these things, four years have passed. You don't see this explicitly in the text; you have to do a little deduction and look at the dates mentioned in chapters 1 and 2. What you find is that the events of chapter 1, which detail the fall of Vashti, occur, and then four years pass before the rise of Esther.

Now, after the rise of Esther, another five years have passed. We have moved from the time when Esther was raised up to be queen, and now five years have gone by.

After these things, there’s a lot that’s been going on. We moved from one major event to another major event: the fall of Vashti, the rise of Esther, and now, five years pass. We come to Esther, chapter three, verse one. After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman.

I have to stop right there. I can’t go any further than those words: after these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman. It is very easy to overlook what sometimes looks to us to be a very little thing, especially after really big things happen. However, what you realize is that these little things often end up being quite big.

It was a kingdom-rattling event when Vashti was removed. It shook the world of that day. If they would have had CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post at that time, the headlines on every single news outlet, the crawlers running at the bottom of the screen in a 24-hour news cycle, would have been talking about what happened with Vashti there in Shushan at the palace. What we read in chapter one was a kingdom-rattling event when Vashti was removed from her position as queen. It shook the world.

But, as is often the case, you have a massive political shaking, a kingdom shaking, and four years go by. People move on; a lot of things happen. In fact, if you study the history around this time, you know that there were many events occurring in and around Persia, and King Ahasuerus was involved in some pretty major events that we don’t even read about in this passage.

The people moved on. They moved on from that 24-hour news cycle about Vashti being removed, and the kingdom starts going along. It’s amazing how quickly that can happen. All of a sudden, we have what we call a new normal. We have been through a world-shaking event in the last year and a half, and we’ve all experienced this. There will come, even though I hate the terminology and I’m sure you’re probably sick of it already, a point where we have kind of a new normal. People settle into new routines, and we move away from that kingdom-shattering event.

Another kingdom was stirring when Esther was raised up as queen. If they had had CNN in Persia at that time, the news would have been running 24 hours a day. After the whole beauty pageant thing that Pastor Mark talked about last week, they raised up a new queen. Time went by, and now five years had passed. Esther had been the chosen queen for five years, and now something more happens in the story—something that could easily be passed over. It seems inconsequential, but this event is significant as we read in Ezra chapter three, verse one: "After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman."

Haman may not seem like much when you just read those opening words. His name means "magnificent," so there must have been something about this guy that stood out. He probably thought of himself as pretty awesome. In fact, as you look at him, Mr. Haman, the self-promoter in the book of Esther, you can find out he thought he was pretty good. He loved himself well and put himself forward as amazing. His name means magnificent; he was awesome.

After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hamadatha, the Agagite. It is very easy to overlook little things that are actually really big things. Haman the magnificent was an Agagite. This is one of the reasons I think it is so important that we become the kind of people who simply read through the text of the Old Testament.

On that point, I want to encourage you: if you've never read from Genesis to Malachi, I know that for some people, it can be challenging. They try to start the year off right by reading through the whole Bible. They go through Genesis and feel pretty good through the 50 chapters. Then they get to Exodus and feel good making it through the 45 chapters, but when they reach Leviticus, things slow down. It gets a little challenging. If you can make it to Kings and Chronicles and all the different "begats"—he begat who, and so on—you'll find the genealogies of Chronicles can be tough to get through.

It's a really important thing to read through the text of Scripture. That simple reference that Haman was an Agagite is one of the reasons why I think it's essential to read through the Old Testament. The word "Agagite," which is so easy to overlook, is actually a key to this story, and not just to this story but to history—history that is happening right now. The history of Haman, who was an Agagite, continues; it keeps going.

So, what on earth is an Agagite, and why does it matter? Or why should I even care about that? To answer that, I have to tell you another story that seems unrelated to the Book of Esther at first glance. However, as you go through it, you will find that it does connect to Esther.

To understand what an Agagite is and why it matters, we need to go back to another story that started nearly 1,500 years before Esther, all the way back in the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Genesis chapter 25 is where we will begin. If you have your Bible or your Bible app, go to Genesis chapter 25. When you get there, remember this: what I shared with you from Paul in First Corinthians a little while ago—"All these things happened to them as examples for us, and they were written for our instruction and learning."

In Genesis chapter 25, we are brought back to the story of a guy named Jacob and Jacob's brother Esau. Jacob and Esau, or maybe I should say Esau and Jacob, were the twin sons of a man named Isaac. They were the twin grandsons of a man named Abraham. Abraham is a central and important figure in world history, not just in the Bible. He is significant in the three monotheistic religions of the world because Jews, Christians, and Muslims all look back to Abraham. They all refer to the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Esau—very important central figures.

In Genesis chapter 25, we are brought back to the story of Esau and Jacob, the twin sons of Isaac, the twin grandsons of Abraham. Esau was the older twin, and of course, Jacob was the younger twin.

In ancient times, the birthright, birth order, and seniority of birth order were extremely important, far more so than they are now. If you've ever read the Book of Genesis, then you know that from before Esau and his twin brother Jacob were born, they had a bitter sibling rivalry. You can read about it in Genesis chapter 25. While they were still in the womb, it appears that there was a battle going on between these two important individuals, Esau and Jacob.

This sibling rivalry even plays into the very name Jacob. The name Jacob was given to him because of this rivalry. When Esau was born, he was the first one to come out of the womb, and he was described in the Bible as red and hairy. So, they named him Esau, which actually means "hairy." His nickname was Edom, which means "red." They decided to call him Harry because he was hairy, and they gave him the nickname Edom for being red.

Esau, the hairy red one, came out of the womb first, but when he did, his younger brother Jacob's hand was holding onto Esau's heel. They looked at Harry, who was hairy and red, and said, "We're going to call you Harry; we'll call you Edom for short because you're red." Then they looked at the other child, who came out holding onto his brother's heel, and said, "We're going to call you Jacob," which means "heel catcher" or "supplanter." What an appropriate name that ends up being for this guy named Jacob!

Esau grew up to be a man of the field, as the Bible says in Genesis 25, while Jacob grew up smooth-skinned and was described as a mild man. Esau was the favorite of his father, Isaac, while the old tent-dwelling, smooth-skinned Jacob was, for lack of a better way of saying it, a mama's boy. Genesis chapter 25 states that Isaac loved Esau because Esau was a hunter, but Rebekah, their mother, loved Jacob.

So, you have this bitter sibling rivalry between Esau and Jacob, with Esau being Daddy's boy and Jacob being Mama's boy. This created a significant problem that would unfold in the years to come.

Later, when they were grown up, the story of Genesis tells us that Jacob, the younger one, the heel catcher, deceptively stole his brother's birthright. Not just the birthright, but the blessing of the birthright. He stole that from his brother Esau and his father through deception. You'll have to read the story in Genesis chapters 25, 26, and 27 to see exactly how it came to pass, but there was some deception that went on from this heel catcher to deceive his father and get the blessing.

In Genesis chapter 27, after Jacob steals the birth order blessing from his brother, we find in verse 41 that Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother." What Esau says is that when Dad dies, Jacob is dead. This is what he says in his own heart. Esau looks at the deception of his brother Jacob and hates him. He thinks that as soon as Dad is dead, he will not wait because it just wouldn't be right, but he promises himself that Jacob is done.

Seemingly little things sometimes have really big ramifications. Let me say that again: seemingly little things sometimes have really big ramifications. Esau is swindled out of his birthright, and there were all kinds of problems with Esau. Don't get me wrong; Jacob wasn't the only problem in this whole situation. You have to read the story of Genesis to see all the problems with Esau. He had a lot of problems as well. But Jacob steals the birthright from his brother, and there is a hatred, an animosity that begins to be kindled in the heart of Esau. He says, "I hate Jacob, and one day I'm going to get back at him."

Now, there is so much to say about this, but I really don't have the time because we're actually studying through the book of Esther, and here I am in the book of Genesis. I'd love to get into this, but I can't. I'm just going to give you the fast pass flyover on this whole situation. Esau hated Jacob and pledged in his heart, "I'm going to kill him one day." But he didn't do it. If you read through the rest of Genesis, it seems like maybe over time he decided that wasn't what he was going to do. Decades pass, and that doesn't happen.

The animosity and hatred between Esau and Jacob remain because there is something deeper than just their sibling rivalry. It is much bigger than the conflict between two brothers. There is something underneath the surface, something unnamed and not explicitly seen in the realm of humanity, but it manifests as hatred between Esau and Jacob.

After parting ways for about twenty years, both Esau and Jacob start families and have multiple wives. The Bible reports these situations without endorsing them. They have many children, and one of the children of Esau is particularly important. We read about him in Exodus chapter 36, which takes place years later after Jacob has stolen the birthright from Esau. This chapter tells us that one of the chief sons of Esau was a man named Amalek.

I am skipping a lot, as there is much that goes on in the story of Genesis that I cannot cover today. However, although I am overlooking many details, it is all part of a larger plot. Centuries later, hundreds of years after Esau and Jacob, their descendants have multiplied significantly. The descendants of Jacob become the children of Israel because God changes Jacob's name to Israel, as noted in Genesis chapter 32. Meanwhile, the descendants of Esau also grow and become numerous.

The descendants of Israel end up as slaves in Egypt. You may be familiar with this story if you have read through Genesis and Exodus. Exodus recounts the story of the descendants of Jacob, who are in Egypt and become a great nation. Hundreds of years pass, and they remain enslaved until God delivers them through Moses. You remember that Moses goes to Pharaoh in Egypt and says, "Let my people go." Moses is the deliverer that God uses to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

While Israel is traveling in the wilderness, they are headed from Egypt...

To the promised land after their exodus from Egypt, we are told in Exodus chapter 17. This is immediately following their departure from Egypt and crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, with the Egyptian army being destroyed. They come into the wilderness, traveling from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai, where they are going to receive the law from God.

During that period, Exodus chapter 17 states that the children of Israel, as they traveled to Mount Sinai, were attacked. They were attacked by a group of people related to Jacob, the descendants of Esau. Exodus chapter 17 tells us this story in verse 1, where it says, "Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in a place called Rephidim." Amalek, the descendants of Esau, had a long-standing animosity. Hundreds of years ago, Esau had said in his heart, "When Dad's dead, I'm going to kill my brother Jacob." Although he never acted on it, that hatred was likely passed down to his children and grandchildren. They would have heard stories about their uncle Jacob being a swindler and a bad guy, instilling a desire for revenge.

Now, hundreds of years later, the children of Israel are coming out of slavery in Egypt. They are in the wilderness, approaching Mount Sinai, when Amalek came and fought against Israel. Israel was nearly overcome, but for the mighty power of God. When the battle was over, we read in Exodus chapter 17, beginning at verse 14, that they fought victoriously against Amalek.

Then the Lord said to Moses, right after the battle between Amalek and Israel, "Write this for a memorial in the book of the recount of the hearing of Joshua: I, God, will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." Moses built an altar and called its name "The Lord is My Banner," for he said, "Because the Lord has sworn, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

This is a powerful declaration. The Lord will have battle, war, and conflict with Amalek from generation to generation. Why will there be a perpetual battle between Israel, the people of God, and Amalek? What is going on? It is not just an earthly family feud or a sibling rivalry; there is something deeper at play.

There is something more than meets the eye; there is something going on under the surface that is unnamed and not explicitly clear. Decades later, after Exodus chapter 17, as the children of Israel wander in the wilderness for forty years, they are preparing to enter the Promised Land. Before we started studying Esther months ago, we were going through the book of Deuteronomy. I know I put that on pause, but someday we will get back to it.

In the book of Deuteronomy, as the children of Israel are getting ready to come into the Promised Land, Moses speaks to them. He says in Deuteronomy chapter 25, "Remember, Israel, what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt. Remember what happened in Exodus 17, how the people of Amalek met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers, the slow, older people who were at the rear of the camp when you were tired and weary. Amalek did not fear God. Therefore, it shall be when the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around in the land which the Lord your God is giving to you to possess as an inheritance, when you are resting in the Promised Land years from now, you need to remember this: you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget."

Now, I know by this time you are wondering what on earth this has to do with the book of Esther. We are not in the book of Genesis, we are not in the book of Exodus, and we are not in the book of Deuteronomy; we are in the book of Esther. What does this whole story about Jacob and Esau, and Amalek fighting against the children of Israel, and Moses telling them that they will destroy Amalek one day when they have rest in the Promised Land, have to do with Esther? Well, just wait; we are getting there.

Finally, hundreds of years later, after Moses has spoken to the children of Israel in Deuteronomy, outside the Promised Land, after they come into the Promised Land under Joshua, and after they begin to take possession of it, the children of Israel have rest in the Promised Land just as God had said through Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 25. They have rest in the Promised Land, and they ask God for a king. God reluctantly grants their request and gives them their first king. This story is told in the book of First Samuel. The children of Israel say, "We want..."

A king was established, and so God reluctantly gave them a king named Saul. God appointed Saul as the newly established king of Israel and gave him his first mission. This mission is outlined in 1 Samuel, chapter 15. God is speaking through a judge and prophet named Samuel, and we read in 1 Samuel 15:1, "Samuel also said to Saul, 'King Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore heed the voice of the words of the Lord.'"

Thus says the Lord of hosts: "I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now, Saul, you are the king of Israel. Go and attack Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey."

I know this is one of those passages that causes people in the 21st century to have all kinds of issues and problems. I'm not going to get into that today; we've talked about it before in Deuteronomy, and we'll come to that another time. However, there is something significant happening that has been going on for literally hundreds of years between Jacob and Esau, the descendants of Jacob, the children of Israel, and the descendants of Esau, Edom. The people of Edom, Amalek, have risen up and fought against the children of Israel.

This is not just an earthly conflict or a family feud; that is merely the earthly manifestation of something deeper. Now, the children of Israel have rest in the promised land, just as God foretold they would. God says to their newly ordained king, "You are going to fulfill what Moses had said 400 years before, and you are going to destroy the Amalekites."

But if you've ever read 1 Samuel chapter 15, then you know that Saul, the first king of Israel, did not obey the voice of God. This disobedience ultimately led to his undoing. The passage tells us that he spared the best of what Amalek had to offer. Not only did he spare the best, but he also spared their king. 1 Samuel chapter 15 tells us that the name of the king of Amalek that King Saul spared was, wait for it, Agag.

There is so much more to this story, but I hope you're beginning to see the through line. People say the Book of Esther has no relevance; it shouldn't be in the Bible, and it's of little value. God is not mentioned, so why would we read it in 2021? What purpose does this book have for us? There is so much more to this story, and I hope that you're seeing this through line. Seemingly little things sometimes have really big ramifications.

After these things, Esther chapter 3, verse 1 states that King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hamadatha the Agagite. The king advanced Haman and set him on a seat above all the princes who were with him. In verse 2, it says that all the king's servants who were within the king's gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, as the king had commanded concerning him. However, Mordecai, whom you met back in chapter 2, would not bow or pay homage.

All of the king's people recognized Haman's elevated status. Haman was lifted up; he was the prince over Persia, just under the king. He was an advisor to the king, and everyone was expected to bow. The king commanded that when you see Haman, you need to bow to the Agagite. But Mordecai refused to bow and would not pay homage.

So I ask you the question I posed at the very beginning of this message: Have you ever been so angry with someone that you wished them harm? In verse 3, the king's servants who were within the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress the king's command?" The king had said that everyone needed to bow, and Mordecai was not doing it. All the other people around Mordecai questioned him, asking why he wasn't bowing to Haman when he came through. They insisted that he had to bow and follow the king's command.

But why wouldn't Mordecai just bow? What's the problem? Why not give honor to this man whom the king has honored? It's an easy thing; it's not a big deal. Why won't Mordecai bow to Haman? Because Haman is an Agagite.

A distant, very far-removed cousin to Mordecai, he is an Amalekite, and there is a whole lot of history there. There is much more going on than what we see when we read those words. After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hamadatha the Agagite. We read that so quickly and pass over these seemingly insignificant details, but they are not insignificant. There is a huge thing here in this passage, and it's not just an earthly matter; there is a spiritual element going on beneath the surface.

The story of Esther is intertwined with what we might call a cosmic battle between God and the enemy of God, whom we often identify with terms like Satan, the devil, or Lucifer. If you go through the Scriptures, you will find various ways in which there is an enemy of God fighting against Him. This battle began with the earliest people of God, Adam and Eve, in Genesis chapter 3. Throughout the Scriptures, there is a cohesive story that runs from Genesis to Revelation, and we see this battle unfolding. Underneath the story of Esther lies this cosmic struggle between God, who is not named and not explicitly seen, and the devil, who is also not named and not explicitly seen.

There is so much more here. In Exodus chapter 3, look at verse 4. We read that it happened when the servants of the king spoke to Mordecai daily, and Mordecai would not listen to them. The servants of the king told Haman to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew and would not bow to this Agagite. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him honor, he was filled with wrath.

So again, I ask you: Have you ever been so angry with someone that you wished them harm? This seems like an incredibly small thing to be so angry about, but after the servants of the king brought it to Haman's attention, I guarantee Haman probably never noticed when all the people were bowing. Now, Haman can't see anything but Mordecai's refusal to bow.

Mordecai can't see the dozens, hundreds, and probably thousands of people who are bowing before him everywhere he goes. People are bowing and paying him homage, but he can only see the one who isn't. He is filled with wrath. Why is he filled with wrath? I would be willing to bet that Haman doesn't even know the answer to that question because there's something more going on below the surface.

If you were to ask him, "Hey man, why are you so mad about this? Everybody else is bowing to you; it's no big deal. Why are you so mad about this one guy, Mordecai, this Jewish guy? What does it matter to you?" But Haman is filled with wrath, and he can't understand. He probably can't articulate why he's so mad.

Haman is not a fool—well, he's kind of a fool; we'll see that later on—but he is calculatingly cunning. He has the authority and the power as the second in command, just below the king. He has the ability to force this man, Mordecai, to bow, but he decides on something different.

Look at Esther chapter 3, verse 6: "But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone." He thinks, "I'm not just going to get Mordecai; I have something much more devious, much more cunning that I'm going to accomplish." He disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone because they had told him of the people of Mordecai, the Jews. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all of the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai.

Now, honestly, do you think that Haman came up with this devilish thought on his own? I suggest to you that this wasn't something that Haman conceived independently. Sure, it came to his mind that he wasn't just going to get Mordecai; he was going to get every single one of his people. It came to his mind, but I don't think he came up with that on his own.

Many of the biggest things in this world are happening because of forces beyond this world—things that we don't see. The manifestation of those things happens here in the realm of humanity, where we observe these events. But there are things happening under the surface. Why is there such animosity? Why is there such hatred?

The Jewish people have faced animosity for centuries, not just centuries, but millennia. Do you really think that this is just an earthly thing?

In Esther chapter three, verse eight, Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from all other peoples, and they do not keep the king's laws. They don't bow to me; therefore, it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that these people may be destroyed. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work to bring it into the king's treasury."

So the king took his signet ring off from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hamadatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. The king said to Haman, "The money and the people are given to you to do with them as seems good to you."

Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded. It was sent to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, and to the officials of all the people, in every province according to its script and every people in their language. In the name of the king, it was written and sealed with the king's signet ring.

The letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people so that they should be ready for that day.

The couriers went out, hastened by the king's command, and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed. Have you ever been perplexed by this animosity, this hatred?

This disdain for the Jewish people suggests to me that it is a conspiracy beyond this world. There is something more to this story. It is not just about Abraham; it is not just about Ishmael and Isaac. It is not just about Jacob and Esau, nor is it just about the children of Israel and the children of Amalek. It is not just about Saul and Agag, or Mordecai and Haman, or Esther. There is something more that is going on here.

Even though you sometimes don't see God explicitly named, you don't see His title, and you don't see Him coming through the clouds, there is still something happening behind the scenes. Even if you don't see this devilish spirit explicitly named in the pages of Scripture, there is still something going on. It is a conspiracy that is beyond this world. To look at what goes on, you have to come back next time.

Father God, I pray that You would cause us to have a hunger to look into these things. Lord, maybe even to begin to understand as we look around the world and the things that are happening in our world, even at this very moment. The geopolitical events that occur sometimes leave us scratching our heads, wondering why there is animosity between so many people, the Jewish people, and so many Christian people. What is all of this about? Ultimately, God, there is something going on.

Even though some people look at the world and do not see You explicitly, they do not see You named or Your hand coming through, there is still something happening. You are working, and You are moving, and You are doing something. However, there is also an enemy, an adversary, that is fighting against Your work.

I pray, God, that as we study through the remaining chapters of Esther, we would begin to be aware in a way that we may not have been before about these things that are happening. We need to have an understanding of what all of this is about. We must recognize that You are doing a work that You want us to be involved in, just as You were doing work 2,500 years ago at the time of Esther, calling her to be involved.

As we will see in the upcoming chapters, she has a choice to make about whether or not she will step into that and be a part of what You are doing. Even though she is not sure and not entirely certain that You will come through and work, she is placed in a position of choice.

Whether or not she is going to step in and be involved, Lord, we are in that place right now. How are we going to step into this for such a time as this? God, Lord, give us a passion to look into these things and to understand that the events that happened 2,500 years ago have applications and implications for what is happening today. There is a further work that You are doing right now that You want us to be involved in. I pray, God, that You would stir us to step into that and to take hold of it, for we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

How wonderful! Glory for You forever. What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus. What a powerful name it is; nothing can stand against it.

What a powerful name it is! Forever yours is the name. What a powerful name it is, the name of Jesus Christ, my King. What a powerful name it is, and nothing can stand against it.

Hey, thanks for joining our online service today. We're glad you were here! We'd love to see you join us for our in-person service, which is Sunday mornings at 10:30 at our campus in Escondido. If you'd like more information about that, visit us at lifeinconnection.com.

Alright, guys, God bless, and have a great week!

Hey, Cross Connection! We have a baptism coming up on June 27th. That's going to be a Sunday, right after the service. We will have the baptismal out, and we're going to have a little baptismal party right after the service on Sunday. You are invited! We want to celebrate. This is a time of celebration for those being baptized.

If you have not yet been baptized, this is one of the two primary sacraments that we practice here at Cross Connection Church. When we believe, we are baptized. We like to throw a party and have people there so we can be praying for you and experiencing that commitment with you. This commitment is between you and God, but it's an outward expression of what God has inwardly done inside of you by changing you and transforming you, continuing to do that work in you by indwelling you with the Holy Spirit.

If you would like to be baptized, sign up at events.lifeinconnection.com. We would like to know the headcount for all the people who would like to get baptized. I will see you on the 27th after the service.