Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. And as we're studying Esther, chapter three, as we're studying Esther, we have seen. And we will see increasingly The devil's persecution. His hatred, indeed his murderous intent against God's ancient people, the Jews, who are living at the time of Esther, at least some of them, in pagan Persia. Mm-hmm.
Welcome to the Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. The Jewish people have experienced persecution throughout human history. Today, as we continue our series in Esther, John traces antisemitism from biblical to modern times, exploring the spiritual struggle behind this persistent hatred. Yet we are encouraged by God's sovereignty over all and His faithfulness to His people. Here's Pastor John Monroe with today's message.
Continuing the story of Esther, we saw last time that there's an ongoing battle between right and wrong, between good and evil, between God. Yeah. And we see this battle very sharply in the book of Esther. God takes this Jewish young woman and she becomes the queen in Persia. But there are evil forces at work, personified in Haman, who hates Mordecai and all of the Jews.
he doesn't realize that Esther is Jewish. Listen carefully today as we see Haman planning to destroy all of the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. He's pursuing genocide. this hatred of the Jewish people still exists today. But God is still watching over the nation of Israel.
although it has been persecuted like no other nation throughout human history. Esther 3 verse 1 now King Ahasuerus. Promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hamadatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all of the officials who were with him. Esther is still queen in Persia. Between the end of chapter two and chapter three, there's about four years.
You may recall, as we saw last week at the end of chapter 2, Mordecai discovers a conspiracy to kill the king, King Ahasuerus. Rather than the king then honouring Mardikai, he promotes Haman. The villain. of the story.
Now Hayman's frauded, but now he's going to be provoked. His insecurities are going to be demonstrated. Verse 2. And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman. Didn't he love it?
For the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. Then the king's servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordecaia, Why do you transgress the king's command? And when they spoke to him day after day, and he would not listen to them, They told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, Notice this. For he had told them That he was a Jew.
And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. Here's his plan to deal with this, Hayman's plan. Verse six. But he disdained, that's Haman, disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone.
So as they'd made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, through the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus. He wants to commit genocide. He wants to wipe out the Jewish nation from the face of the earth. He's planning a Holocaust. And so the Haman goes to the king.
He doesn't mention the Jews by name. He explains that there's certain people. King throughout your kingdom, they don't respect you, they don't obey your laws, you don't get any profit for them. They're against you. Time they were wiped out.
King says, okay. and slippery evil human. Bribes the king by giving him 10,000 talents of silver, a huge amount.
So the king makes this terrible proclamation, verse 10.
So the king took his signet ring from his hand, gave it to him and the agagai, the son of Hamadatha, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to him, The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you. And the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and the dedict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's satraps and to the governors over all of the provinces, and to the officials of all of the peoples, to every province, in his own script, and every people in his own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet ring. Letters were sent by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction.
to destroy to kill. And to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, in one day. The thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the people to be ready for that day. The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa, the capital.
and the king and him and sat down to drink. Totally hardened. But the city of Susa was thrown. Into confusion. What a story, isn't it?
It's a very vivid. And dark illustration of Satan's attempt. to exterminate the Jewish people. Haman is an agent of Satan seeking to thwart the purposes of God. He is, in fact, a precursor of the Antichrist who during the tribulation period will seek to exterminate the Jewish nation and all those who don't have the mark of the beast.
But scripture says Our Lord says, John 4, salvation. is from the Jews. John 4 verse 22. And we know that our Messiah Our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, he comes from the tribe of Judah, the kingly tribe. And this is God's plan of salvation.
From the ages of eternity, that he's going to send his only son into this dark. hateful world, and when he sends his son He's born in Bethlehem. His ministry is in Israel. but he comes as the Saviour of all of the world. He comes to seek and to save.
The last. Down through history, right from the garden. Remember Genesis 3:15, where the Lord says the Satan. that there's going to be this conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, and they're going to continue that fight as it were, and we see it continuing down through redemptive history. We see Pharaoh at the time of Moses trying to kill all of the baby boys in ancient Egypt.
Big debate going on in our country about abortion, isn't there? It's a very, very ancient problem. Pharaoh. wants to kill All of the baby boys. In Egypt.
Herod at the time of our Saviour. wants to kill all of the little babies born and Bethlehem. and the area. When Gudi and I were Recently in Rome we read about the emperors, Emperor Nero. You know what they did with babies they didn't want?
Oh, they didn't have abortion then. But they took unwanted babies and they left them on the hills. for the wild animals to kill. Or a couple who wanted a baby, didn't have a child of their own, could go and maybe pick one of the children. Unwanted children.
Discard it. Killed.
Now pre-birth, often after birth throughout human history. Where does that all come from? Our enemy, he is a murderer from the beginning. And here Haman. Around 475 BC, obtains a decree to exterminate the Jews.
including the women. and children. In 168 BC, Antiochus Epiphanus killed 80,000 Jews, tried to exterminate Judaism. He erected in the temple in Jerusalem an image of Zeus. The Greek god, what blasphemy!
In AD seventy the Roman army The superpower of the day under Titus marches into Jerusalem and kills over one million. Jews. In the victory march, Under Titus through Rome. They are demonstrating their superiority over the Jews by carrying the seventh branch menorah. The silver trumpets, and perhaps the Ark of the Covenant.
That's the Arch of Dides, which is in the Roman Forum. It's not my photography is bad, it's just so faded. Arch which was built In honor of the destruction. of the Jews. And the Jews who survived the Roman assault around AD seventy are scattered to the four corners of the earth.
Is that the end of the Jewish nation? in World War Two. There was the systemic extermination of Jews during the Holocaust. Approximately six million Jews. Estimated 1.5 children.
Think of the hatred. were exterminated during the Holocaust. Many are aghast. in the extermination camps in Auschwitz, Dachau and Treblinka and others. What hatreds?
What cruelty against innocent people. This is what the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg on 7 June 1946 said right after World War II. Of the 9,600 Jews who lived in parts of Europe under Nazi domination, it is conservatively estimated that 5,700,000 have disappeared. Most of them deliberately put to death by the Nazi conspirators. Only remnants of the Jewish population of Europe.
Remain. An attempt. By the Third Reich. to wipe and their view the scum. of humanity off the face of the earth and to destroy the Jewish nation.
This is history, it can't be denied. Anti-Semitism that we have today. We see in ancient history But it continues today, doesn't it? The hatred and the persecution against Israel. Present-day Israel has many enemies.
Want to destroy it, want to drive the Israelis into the sea, Hamas, Hezbollah. Iran, Syria, the Houthis and many others, they absolutely hate The nation. Of Israel, the spirit of Haman that we see here in Esther chapter 3 to annihilate, to destroy, to kill all of the Jews. It's sadly not dead. Wasn't it so sad in our own country within days?
of the October 7 attack last year by Hamas. where over 1,200 Israelis were killed. Butchered. including children, pregnant women. Over 250 hostages taken.
Within days of that happening, we had in our own country. rallies promoting Hamas. Hamas was hosting rallies on American campuses shouting, from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. In other words, Sweep them all. into the Mediterranean.
Get rid. of the Jewish nation. I read, surprisingly, in April of this year, summit ministries and RMG research. polling revealed that young adults here in the United States Of 18 to 24 are more than three times as likely as the general population to deny that Israel has a right to exist. If they deny that Israel has a right to exist, presumably they don't believe that Israel has a right to defend themselves.
Now as I say that, this is not to say that everything Which the present government of Israel does is right. I am not saying that. But I am saying this. No other nation in world history, none. Has been so persecuted.
So hated as a Jewish nation. Why is Israel repeatedly condemned in the United Nations, including by countries which are extremely repressive and undemocratic? Why is Israel so often targeted? an international Politics. Why Israel?
You've been reading what's happening in Sudan. It's largely forgotten. A hundred and fifty thousand people have been slaughtered in Iran's capital. 10 million people, a fifth of the population. have been forced to flee from their homes.
Did you get the number? Tan million people. And the famine looms in Sudan, I was reading. Not in Christianity today. But in The Economist, a secular magazine, it's estimated with this famine, millions could perish, they said, in the world's worst famine for 40 years.
Now where are the protests we see for Sudan? Did you see any Sudanese flags flying from Ivy Leagues? encampments this year. Do you see any protests that the United States must do much more to prevent the killings and famine in Sudan? Do you see the United Nations taking decisive action?
So the question is, repeatedly, why the hatred, why the condemnation of Israel, which is the only democracy in the Middle East? Here is the answer. We read it in Esther chapter 3. Satan. Hates.
the Jewish nation. Why? They're God's chosen people. Salvation is from the Jews. And our enemy hates followers of Jesus Christ.
He hates the church of Jesus Christ. If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, he's totally against you. He's totally against those who are baptized here today. You say, John, come on, you're getting a bit extreme. Listen to the words of Jesus.
John 15, 18, if the world hates you. Know that it has hated me before it hated you. They took Our Blessed Lord, Sinless. Perfect. His brilliant teaching, his miracles, his compassion, his love, and what did they do?
They crucified him. on a cross.
Now we ask Who will eventually win? Haman's satanic plot struck at the everlasting Abrahamic covenant with promised land. Greatness. and blessings to Abraham and his descendants. And the book of Esther is reminding us that all of the hatred and all of the plans of our enemy Satan, all of the persecution of the people of God will never thwart the invincible purposes of God.
Heyman. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran. All of these countries which hate Israel, they will never ever destroy the Jewish nation. God's promises and his word is at stake. God does not forget.
His ancient people. God does not forget his promises to them. You say, John, that's Old Testament.
Well listen to Paul. Adieu. Raised in Judaism. This is what he says. In Romans 11.
All Israel, as he is prophesying, all Israel will be saved. God has a future for Israel. God never goes back on his promises. God always watches over and cares for his chosen people, even in the midst of fierce persecution. And cruel.
opposition. How wonderful. He said, Well What's all this to do with me? Wow. Keep your eyes on Israel.
And remember this. The God who watched over his ancient people at the time of Esther. It's the same God. who watches over you. And me.
Yes, his eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me. You say, I'm concerned about our country. I'm concerned as well. Do you feel the mounting hostility against Christ's followers and their views and their values at your work, at your home, and society generally? Yes, I feel that, but I'm not discouraged.
I'm following Christ. And God always takes care of his people. Remember the old hymn through. Through every day or all the way, he will. Take care.
Of you? The best loved of all Sams, what does it say? The Lord is My shepherd. I shall know what? There's no need to fear.
There's no need to fear the opposition. There's no need to fear what's going to happen. that He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. That even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil. Why?
He is with us. God will take care of us. And that irrespective of which president will be elected. I have had some Christians, they're up in arms. If their candidate is not going to be elected, as if this is going to be the end of the world.
Is your trust in a president? Is your trust in a political party? No wonder you're upset. No wonder you're feeling miserable. We're people of God.
Yes, we're to be involved. In society. Yes, we are to vote wisely according to biblical values. and to know the candidates and to know what they believe. But We don't allow what is happening around us to swamp us and to paralyze us and for us to retreat, as it were, into our little spiritual cocoons.
What a time. For the people of God. To stand and to be light in the world, to be salt permeating the corruption. And when our Saviour comes. He comes to deliver us.
And what's his promise? From the Good Shepherd, John 10. I'm the good shepherd. I give my life for the sheep. And I give them What's this gift?
Eternal life. And they shall never perish. And no one shall pluck them out of my hand. My Father who gave them me is greater than all. And no one is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
I and my Father are one. Brothers and sisters, if your trust is in Jesus Christ, We are eternally secure. Jesus Christ is building his church. All over the world and the gates of hell, and Satan himself will not prevail against it. And we have a glorious Glorious future.
that we often have fear forget. that their eyes need to be up. And saying, even so, come, Lord Jesus, on one great and glorious day. Our Savior is going to come and he's going to catch up his bride, the church, and we will be forever with the Lord. Yes, and God's judgment is going to fall on this world.
Yes, the Jewish nation are going to be persecuted during the time of tribulation, but during that time, When our Saviour returns, they will look on the one whom they pierced. And so all Israel will be saved.
So as you go to your bed tonight, If you're a child of God, put your head on the pillow. and sleep well. Sleep well. The guard And remember, remember Psalm 121. The God who keeps Israel.
He doesn't just keep Israel. He keeps you and me. He neither slumbers No slaves. You afraid to go to sleep? God never.
falls asleep. God always watches over us. And God's purposes are often mysterious to us as He works in our individual lives, as He works in the affairs of the nations of this world. But He is in control, Esther is telling us. And yes, it seems that evil often seems to prevail.
And it seems that we are weak, and it seems that we are powerless. And you have the king Ahasuaris, and you have the evil Haman, the enemy of the people of God, but we look up. And thank our great God, this God. Who was our help? In ages past.
I would hope For years to come. Our shelter From the stormy blast. And our Eternal home. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and the end of his message about anti-Semitism. John has more to share in just a moment, so keep listening.
Isn't it fascinating how the study of Esther emphasizes the truth and relevance of God's Word? To help you follow along and get the most out of our study, we've created the Esther Listening Guide. This resource traces the background John mentioned today, showing how Satan's opposition to God's plan has taken different forms throughout centuries while remaining essentially the same spiritual battle. Request your free copy of the Esther Listening Guide today by visiting theverdict.org. Having a biblical perspective is increasingly rare in today's world.
Through your partnership with the verdict, you help provide this all-important biblical context to those searching for truth. Would you consider standing with us in this important gospel work? by giving a financial gift today. As a listener-supported media ministry, your contribution of any amount makes a significant difference. to give, simply visit theverdict.org.
And another way to carry this work forward is to share these Bible lessons with others. One easy way is through the Verdict Podcast. Not only can you revisit these teachings at your convenience, but each Tuesday you'll receive John's commentary podcast called Avizandam. where he applies biblical wisdom to current issues with insight and clarity. Subscribe today through your favorite podcast app or find it on our website at theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with closing remarks.
Well What's your verdict? We're learning how foolish it is to oppose God. Evil men like Haman sometimes seem to be in control. and it appears that nothing will stop them. Behind it all, Is our ancient foe, Satan himself, who is always seeking to thwart the purposes of God.
But our God is in control of all things. Make sure you are not opposing the purposes of God. Surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. Trust and love Him with all of your heart. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict.
I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
