Our scripture reading this morning will come from the book of Esther, Esther chapter 3. Esther is stuck between Nehemiah and Job, one of those books that can be difficult to find, just before Job and right after Nehemiah. We read in the entirety of Esther chapter 3. Congregation, hear the word of the Lord. After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hamadathah, the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. And all the king's servants who were within the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage. The king's servants, who were within the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why do you transgress the king's command? Now it happened when they spoke to him daily, and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai's words would stand. For Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai. In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast pure, that is, the lot, before Haman, to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, there is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in our provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from all other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore, it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed. And I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work to bring it to the king's treasuries.' So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hamadathah, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And 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 to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all the people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring. And the letters were sent by couriers into the king's provinces to destroy 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 be plundered of their possessions. A copy of the document was to be issued as a law in every province, being published for all people, 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. And so the king and Haman sat down to drink. But the city of Shushan was perplexed, thus far the reading of God's holy word. The book of Esther is an interesting story from the word of God. God's name is never explicitly mentioned in the book of Esther. Although, to be sure, as we will see here this morning, God's presence is certainly felt in the book. Even though we find Israel exiled into the Persian Empire for her sins, in that she is separated from the promised land of Israel, and even though only the poorest of the poor are left to work the fields, God is still in control of the situation. Well, the story begins of Esther with King Ahasuerus throwing a party which lasted six months. And as the drinking became heavy, Ahasuerus called for his wife, Queen Vashti, to come before him that he would show her beauty to the rest of his nobles. However, she declined his invitation, and Ahasuerus banished her away from the kingdom and even issued a kingdom-wide decree that men are to be the masters of their homes. Well, soon after this, Esther, in God's providence, replaces Queen Vashti after the king put on a type of Persian beauty contest. King Ahasuerus shows us that the kingdoms of men often don't rule in a way which is for the benefit of the people, typically for the benefit of themselves. Thankfully, this is unlike the rule of our God, who guides all things for the good of those who love him. But now here in Esther 3, you read the sparks of an ancient feud erupting once again into flames. A feud with much more far-reaching implications than that of the feud between, say, the Hatfields and the McCoys or other cultural things that we're aware of. In fact, the feud that we see bubbling up and burning here is an ancient and cosmic feud with universal consequences, and it's been going on since the foundation of time. It's the antithesis of Genesis 3.15 that promised that there would be enmity, friction, and opposition between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. For God himself had promised the serpent in the garden, I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and hers. You will bruise his heel, but he will crush your head. And so this morning we watch as the seed of the servant takes a swipe at the seed of the woman. And that the promise of enmity is quite alive and well, even in this story, where the name of God is not explicitly mentioned. First, we'll see this ancient feud, what it is, what it entails. Second, we will see an angry antagonist. And third, we'll see that sovereign God, the ancient feud, the angry antagonist, and the sovereign God. Well, right away we see the sparks of the ancient feud flying up in Esther 3, verses 1 and 2. Look again there with me. After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hamadathah the Achaegite, and advanced him and set his seat above all princes who were with him. And the king's servants who were within the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage. Well, this exaltation of Haman comes as a bit of a surprise, especially if we were to read what happened just before our scripture reading this morning. Mordecai, you see, had uncovered a plot to kill King Ahasuerus. It was even recorded before the king in their history books. But quickly, Mordecai's good deed was forgotten, and we see that King Ahasuerus gives Haman the post of power, second to no one but himself. And so all who meet Haman must now bow down before him and pay homage to him by command of the king. Not one person is exempted from this command. Not the king's servants, certainly not the king's subjects. And Haman expects that everybody will obey the command of the king. There is, however, one man who wouldn't play ball, who wouldn't go along with the command. In verse 2 we read that the king's servants bowed down at the gate as Haman approached, but there was one who would not. But Mordecai, we read, did not bow down or pay homage. Why? Why would Mordecai not bow down before Haman as he was commanded? Was he simply piously refusing to bow down to anyone but the triune God, the one true God? Perhaps Mordecai saw this as a horrific, honorific gesture of emperor worship, as we would see in the days of Rome. Perhaps Mordecai was jealous that he was forgotten after saving the king's life. Honestly, we don't know what Haman's or what Mordecai's motives were. We do know that Esther was not afraid to bow down to the king out of respect. In Esther 8, verse 3, she falls down and weeps before the king as she begs for her people's lives. We have no indication elsewhere that Mordecai had any scruples about showing honor to the king. And so there seems to be something very specific, something different going on here in Esther 3. And Esther 3 is our introduction to Haman, and it contains an extremely important detail that will shed some light on the situation. For in Esther 3, verse 1, we are introduced to none other than Haman the Agagite. Haman the Agagite. It's this right here, it's probably the reason that Haman or that Mordecai would have refused to bow down before Haman. You see, Haman's roots go back to the ancient enemy of Israel, the Amalekites, whose later patriarch was Agag. Perhaps you remember the battle in the wilderness where Moses would raise his hands and the Lord would give Israel victory. That battle was with the Amalekites, and they received a generational punishment for their opposition to God and to his people. After giving his people this great victory over the Amalekites, the Lord gave this proclamation to his people. If you would, look with me at Exodus chapter 17. We read about this generational promise of our Lord. Exodus chapter 17, beginning at verse 14. Then the Lord said to Moses, Write this for a memorial in the book, and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And 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. Generation to generation. And so this, right here, is why the author of Esther adds this tantalizing little tidbit. That Haman is an Agagite. And so, as they say, the plot thickens. The book of Esther is not an island floating by itself in the Word of God. No. It's a continuation of the great story of the Gospel. God's story of redemption that goes from generation to revelation. Genesis to revelation. This is one of many of the prelude battles that was waged by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the seed of the woman. And so the opposition to God from the Amalekites between them and Israel should not be a surprise. After this battle, generations later, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, a son of Kish, was commanded to devote the Amalekites to destruction. This man was told to destroy them. everything, every soldier, the king, their livestock, to spare none, to wipe God's enemy from the face of the earth completely. And so in 1 Samuel 15, we read about this man. His name was Saul. Samuel says to Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice and 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. No, go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. And drop it down to verse 7 of 1 Samuel 15. And Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah all the way up to Shur, which is east of Egypt. And he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites, alive. and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless they did destroy. And so as Israel had entered the promised land, they were to cleanse it of all evil. In order to achieve true rest from their enemies, they were to fully defeat them, completely remove them from the land. But it didn't happen in the conquest of Canaan. It didn't happen with the reign of Saul. In fact, it never fully happened in the time of the kings. Congregation, our sins always bear serious consequences. Had Saul followed the command to wipe out the Amalekites, there would have been no Haman here to torment God's people. But the eye with an eye for personal gain, and to follow the desires and lusts of his flesh, has now cost his people generations later dearly. And so it is with us when we take our eyes off the rest earned for us by Christ, and we try to find a different form of rest, we harvest what we sow. And this is especially true for us who are parents with children. Our decisions affect them. The way we train them has lasting consequences. Our example bears upon the next generation of covenant children. What pet sins do you and I let be? What desires do we leave unchecked? What do we wink at at the expense of our own children? But now here in Esther, 75 years after the fall of Judah and 400 years before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the covenant people find themselves dispersed and occupied, still in search of that true and final rest. But now another son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, sees the face of the ancient foe and he refuses to honor him. What will become of this man? Can God's people ever find rest from their enemies? When will the seed of the woman finally and forever crush the head of the serpent, even as a serpent crushes his heel? There seems to be a lot more heel crushing going on here than head crushing, especially as God's son Israel is being handed over to death for a few talents of silver. No congregation, Esther is not an island floating in scripture on its own. The battle is raging, even here in this book. Even in this book where God's name is not mentioned. His name may not be read, but his mighty hand can certainly be seen. And as the seed of the serpent makes much noise, he will not get the last laugh. And so second we see the angry antagonist this morning. in Esther 3. Mordecai's act of protest doesn't go unnoticed at all. In fact, it went on days before it was brought to the attention of Haman. If you'll look with me at Esther 3, verse 3 and following. Then the king's servants who are within the king's gate said to Mordecai, why do you transgress the king's command? Now it happened when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman to see whether Mordecai's words would stand. for Mordecai had told him that he was a Jew. Well, as Haman approaches the gate once more, he finally notices Mordecai's act of defiance, as he had been told. And what does he do? What's his reaction as he sees this? We read in verse 5 that Haman was filled with wrath and anger. Now, Haman is a schemer, especially if you know the rest of the story of Esther. Haman loved a good scheme. He wants to get his way. He wants himself to be glorified. He could have had Mordecai handed over right then and there. He could have even killed Mordecai right then and there with his own sword. But Haman is too crafty for this. And nor would killing Mordecai alone be enough to satisfy his anger. Verse 6 tells us that, He disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they told him of the people of Mordecai, So instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai. And fast forward two millennia and the situation is still the same. It's not enough for the enemies of God to profane the name of Christ, the risen Lord, the king who humbled himself to the point of death for his subjects. The people of God are even persecuted in his name daily on almost every continent of the earth. Of course, this happens to varying degrees, but it indeed happens everywhere. But here, in Esther, Haman would not settle for Mordecai's death. He's thirsty for blood, and he wants to crush the people of God. And so, like the devil and the garden, Haman padded his proposal with half-truths and many lies. Read with me at Esther 3, verse 8. Then Haman said to the king, There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from all the other people's, and they don't keep the king's laws. Therefore, it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed. And I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work to bring it into the king's treasuries." Haman makes the covenant people sound like rebels. He says they have different laws. They don't keep the king's laws. And even Haman himself is willing to pay 10,000 talents of silver to betray the covenant people to death. It's important to note that when we read that Haman says that it's not fitting for the king to tolerate the people, a more literal translation of what Haman says there is that the king should not give them rest. What a powerful vision of that war that rages between God's people and between Satan himself. Excuse me. When we serve congregation of very gracious God, One who promises, in this era, rest in types and shadows. And He gives it to us fully in His Son, who fulfilled our covenant obligations for us. He endured covenant sanctions that even Israel endured now in exile as only a type. Christ endured the full wrath of God and full exile from God for us. He was betrayed for 30 measly pounds of silver, an even cheaper and more insulting and disgusting betrayal than we see here of God's people. But unlike Israel, our Lord was not betrayed against His will. In fact, our Lord Jesus Christ said, not my will, but yours be done. And in His death and resurrection, and in His rule, we can find true rest and the true seed of the woman. but not so here in the seed of the serpent who demands that the covenant people be deprived of their rest. Here again we see the people who are in the line of the seed of the woman are betrayed for silver, foreshadowing the events of her Lord's life, death, and resurrection. And so the situation looks dark once again for the people of God. And Esther 3, verses 10 and 11 We read that Ahasuerus gives Hiv's stamp of approval to Haman's wicked plan. So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hamadathah the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, the money and the people are given to you to do with as seems good to you. And so that decree goes out by courier. It goes out to all the governors of the kingdom. And what is the promise? What was the decree? To destroy. To kill. To annihilate. Both young and old, little children and women. There's an order given to exterminate the people of God. And so now Haman, the Agagite, the Amalekite, the representative of the seed of the serpent, has the king's approval to conduct warfare and extermination of every breathing soul of those who are part of God's people. Well, thankfully, the seed of the serpent does not get his way, because we have a sovereign God who is ordaining everything which will come to pass. And so thirdly, the sworn we have, take a look at that sovereign God. Even as the nations plot against the people of God, we can laugh with the psalmist as he tells us in Psalm 2, verse 4. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord will hold them in derision. Then he shall speak to them in his wrath, and distress them in his displeasure. Yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion. The Lord says to a king Ahasuerus and all those who work for the seed of the serpent, I am king, my son shall reign. While the covenant people receive horrible and tragic news of this potential extermination, the Lord will not stand still. He will not allow the seed of the serpent to strike the decisive blow against the seed of the woman. What do we read in Esther 3, verse 15, as our passage concludes? That the couriers went out, they hastened by the king's command, and the decree was proclaimed, and Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink. But Shushan was perplexed, or we could even read, thrown into confusion. Haman thinks that he's on the cusp of a great victory against the people of God. And once again we have another drinking party. But perhaps Haman's celebration is premature. This is a sober and frightful time for the people of God. But it's not a time for them to lose hope. Perhaps, as we said earlier, we don't hear God's name in this book. we do see his hand steadily at work. In the conquest of Canaan, the Lord caused confusion among the Hivites and the Amorites in Exodus 27, so that the Israelites could defeat them. The Lord did the same for Gideon and his men as he defeated the Midianites in Judges chapter 7. And early on here, we see cracks forming in Haman's plan. And Esther 3, verse 7, Haman and his men cast lots to determine when they should schedule their genocide. In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast pure, that is, the lot before Haman, to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. By congregation, we are reminded of Proverbs 16, verse 33. We are reminded that the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from whom? It's from the Lord. So not even the timing of Haman's wicked plot is left up to him. No, God is protecting his people. He's protecting the seed of the woman from the fierce opposition of the seed of the serpent. God's plan cannot and it will not be thwarted. The coveted people had to look to God for their salvation alone. Yet even as we face opposition in this life, we remember that the defeating blow has been delivered. That our ancient foe has been struck down. Christ came and all powers of darkness could not prevail against him. And he says that those powers of darkness will not prevail against his church. Even as teachers and Pharisees, governments and His own people were stacked against our Lord, He still prevailed. And even as Christ was betrayed by one of His own, He crushed the head of the serpent once and for all. And it's there that we find hope for our fight with sin, our fight with the devil in the flesh. But before history marches on to the foot of the cross, God was already graciously working and protecting His people. Even here in Esther, the Lord is redemptively at work securing this plan of salvation for those in all time. There's not a time in history where God's enemies will ever have the upper hand. And even though it appears so, the Lord is still sovereign. And even though Satan's head has been crushed at the cross, he still reels and he writhes as he feuds with God's people, trying to pull them away. Sometimes for us it feels like God isn't there. Perhaps Israelites hear this decree, they say, God, where are you? But God is there. He's revealed himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ. So regardless of our experiences as we walk through difficult times, through cancer, through death, dark times in our marriage, we're in God, where are you? You know He is there because He is the one who has shown Himself to be working through history. He's the one who has showed Himself in Jesus Christ as the Redeemer from sin. So congregation, the Lord is at work amongst His people. The Lord has defeated sin, death, and the devil. And the Lord has given us His Spirit to walk side by side with us, working us, witnessing and proclaiming the good news of Christ to us. Let's give Him praise, honor, and glory for that. Let's trust in Him. Let us pray. Father, we thank You that even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even though it seems that our enemies are great in number and strong, and that we cannot defeat them, we know that it is never in our own power that we can defeat our enemies. but we trust in you. We know that you have delivered the defeating blow, the defining blow in the battle against the seed of the serpent. We praise you that Christ is victorious. And so, Father, we ask that you would continue to witness that gospel to our hearts, that you would unite us to Christ more and more, and that you would cause us to depend on you. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our one and only Lord. Amen.