March 2019 USPS Volume 58 Number 3. In This Issue: AMALEKITES AMONG US

Transcription

1 March 2019 USPS Volume 58 Number 3 In This Issue: AMALEKITES AMONG US

2 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation.and that these days of purim should not fail among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed (Esther 9:28). This year March marks the most joyous holiday on the Jewish calendar purim the festival celebrating the Jews victory over Haman. This evil anti-semite had succeeded in convincing the King of Persia to sign an edict to kill all Jews throughout the 127 provinces of his kingdom. But one thing he did not count on the new queen of the land, Esther, was actually a Jewess named Hadassah. God used her to turn the tables on Haman! Before we go there, this conflict is much deeper than what appears on the surface. In the book of Genesis are two stories of sibling rivalry Isaac and Ishmael and Jacob and Esau. You may be aware of the modern conflict between Israel and her 22 Arab neighbors that stems from Isaac and Ishmael, but you may not realize there is another hostile connection through Isaac s son Esau. If you are acquainted with the story of Sarah-Abraham-Hagar, you know Ishmael was born to Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid of Sarah, because Sarah was barren. But true to His promise, after 25 years, when Sarah was 90 and Abraham 100, God gave them a son, Isaac, the child of promise. As the boys grew up together, Sarah s motherly instinct picked up that Ishmael and Hagar were mocking her son. She realized she and Abraham were old, and once they were gone, Hagar and Ishmael might rise up and overpower Isaac. She told Abraham they had to go. Abraham did not want them to go. Ishmael was his boy, and he loved him. He was grieved, but God said, In all that Sarah has said, hearken unto her voice, for in Isaac shall your seed be called (Gen.21:12). Isaac married Rebekah, his cousin from his father Abraham s clan, and they had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. When the twins were 2

3 grown, and Isaac was old and losing his eyesight, Rebekah helped Jacob to deceive Isaac so as to steal the firstborn-birthright blessing from Esau the elder brother. In the aftermath, an enraged Esau vowed that when their father Isaac was dead, he would kill Jacob. Thus, Jacob fled to his mother s family where he stayed 20 years. Esau s anger was reason enough for Jacob to flee. But Jacob did not flee only because of Esau s rage against him: His parents used this occasion to send him away to Rebekah s brother Laban, to find a wife from among her family. Esau had made their lives miserable by marrying two heathen Canaanite women, and Rebekah told her husband: I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? (Gen.27:46). Get A Godly Wife And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel your mother s father; and take a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban, your mother s brother. And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob s and Esau s mother (Gen.28:1-5). Now this was not lost on Esau. When he realized his father was displeased with his choice of Canaanite wives, he decided to marry a woman in the family too: And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had (two Canaanites) Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife (vv.8-9). This is significant. Understand what happened here: He went to his Uncle Ishmael Isaac s Egyptian half-brother and married one of his daughters. All other unions had been between Abraham s and Sarah s clan. But in this union, we have the joining of Ishmael and Esau, whose descendants became Israel s worst enemies to this day! And God s arch enemy! Look at Esau s lineage: These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz, duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek (Gen.36:1516). Esau s firstborn was Eliphaz, and his son was Amalek Esau s grandson. The Amalekites became Israel s bitter enemies. We are told in Gen. 28:18 that Ishmael s descendants dwelt from Havilah to Shure that is before Egypt, and we will see that was also where the Amalekites were settled. We re surprised by this. When Esau married the daughter of Ishmael, those two lines were joined, and the saga of this bitter conflict began. 3

4 The Exodus Enemy In their wilderness journey, the Israelites had grown to several million. Having come out of Egypt on their way to the Promised Land, they met up with some bad guys: Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand (Ex.17:8-9). As Moses stood on the mountain with the rod of God in his uplifted hand, the battle went for Israel. But when he tired, and his arms dropped, the enemy prevailed. Then Aaron and Hur stood on either side of him and held up his arms until the sun went down and the battle was won. The Lord told Moses to write down in a book for a memorial and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: For I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. For the lord has sworn that the lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation (Ex.17:8-16). We get the idea that it s not going to happen right away, but from generation to generation, they will be at war with Amalek, and they are still at war today. It was imperative that before Moses died and turned the reins over to Joshua, to make sure he did as God said, and rehearse this command in the ears of Joshua: Remember what Amalek did unto you by the way, when you were come forth out of Egypt; How he met you by the AMALEKITES AMONG US 4 way, and smote the hindmost of you, even all that were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he feared not God (Deut.25:17-18). This is pathetic. They not only attacked Israel they attacked them when they were faint and weary, and coming from behind against the weakest. Amalek did so because he did not fear God, and God did not take it kindly: Therefore it shall be, when the lord your God has given you rest from all your enemies round about, in the land which the lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; you shalt not forget it (v.19). God was serious about the Amalekite enemy, and Moses obeyed and rehearsed it in Joshua s ears, saying, Do not forget this! God has sworn that you are to wipe out Amalek! Joshua lived to be 110, and under his leadership, Israel took the Land of Promise, and the nation served the lord, even for all the days of the elders who outlived him. Sadly, during the time of the Judges, about 450 years, the nation went through a repetitive cycle of backsliding, judgment, and repentance: In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Jud.21:25). Finally, against His better judgment, God gave the people the desire of their heart to have a king like other nations (1Sam.8:5). Not a good idea. It s not a good idea to want to

5 be like the world. Young people, it is not a good idea to want to be like everyone you see in the music world, entertainment, and sports world. Reluctantly, God gave them the king they asked for: Saul. The people were pleased with him, because he was head and shoulders above everybody. They could look up to him literally. But in time, it was revealed that he had a deceitful heart, and he rebelled against the word of the Lord through His prophet Samuel on two critical occasions. We will discuss the one that deals with the Amalekites. When Samuel anointed Saul to be king, he gave him specific instructions concerning them as Moses had commanded. This story takes place a while later, and Samuel was looking back to what he had told Saul on the day he anointed him to be king: Samuel also said unto Saul, The lord sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken unto the voice of the words of the lord. Thus says the lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass (1Sam.15:1-3). God did not want one person of the seed of Amalek to survive! He declared, I will blot out the remembrance of Amalek under heaven. And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, 200,000 footmen, and 10,000 men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley. And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites (vv.4-6). Israel still does this today, but the news does not report it. Before they bomb, they drop leaflets down, warning civilians they will strike certain places where terrorists are known to hide, giving them time to leave. Saul told the Kenites, We don t have a problem with you guys; you treated us well when we came out of Egypt, but God has sent us to destroy the Amalekites, and we don t want you to be caught up in the destruction, so get out of town! And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until you come to Shur (v.7). Remember, Ishmael s people were from Havilah to Shur, and the Amalekites are his descendants. Saul Spares Agag 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, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly 5

6 destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly (vv.8-9). Blatant disobedience. God couldn t have been any clearer Let not anyone survive, not even a donkey! But Saul spared the king and the best of all the animals, and it angered the Lord. And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning (Keep this in mind). And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be you of the lord: I have performed the commandment of the lord. And Samuel said, What means then this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? (vv.12-14). You destroyed everything? Why am I hearing baa and moo in my ears! Saul put the blame on the people; they had kept the best to sacrifice unto the lord, and the rest they utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell you what the lord has said to me this night. When you were little in your own sight, were you not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the lord anointed you king over Israel? And the lord sent you on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then did you not obey the voice of the lord, but did fly upon the spoil, and did evil in the sight of the lord? (vv.16-19). But Saul withstood Samuel, declaring he had obeyed, and it was AMALEKITES AMONG US 6 the people who had spared. And Samuel said, Has the lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the lord, he has also rejected you from being king (vv.22-23). Then said Samuel, Bring hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. In other words, Agag was thinking Whew, I got by! Saul didn t kill me! I survived! The king spared my life, and I m not worried about this little prophet-preacher guy! And Samuel said, As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the lord in Gilgal (vv.32-33). No More Amalekites? Finally, the last Amalekite is dead! God s Word has been fulfilled: He has wiped the memory of them from off the face of the earth. The servant of God slew the final Amalekite, King Agag right? Not according to Jewish history. This is why I wanted you to remember in the morning: From the time the battle was over, and they spared Agag as a pris-

7 oner of war instead of killing him, there was an overnight. Samuel came in the morning. Jewish history (not in the Bible) records that overnight while Agag was being held in the prison, they sent a girl with his dinner. He raped her, and she became pregnant. There was born of the dead Agag, another Amalekite, and the Amalekites show up again in Israel s history 500 years later. We pick up the line of Agag the Amalekite in Chapter 3: After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. Haman, a descendant of Agag, was promoted to Prime Minister over all 127 provinces of Persia. We see here the line of the Amalekites that would have been blotted out if Saul had obeyed and killed Agag in battle. And all the king s servants, that were in the king s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence (v.2). Jewish history states that Haman wore an idol on a chain around his neck, so I understand why Mordecai would not bow down to him. 500 years later we meet Haman, a vitriolic Jew hater, an anti- Semite on steroids. At this point, he does not realize that Mordecai is a Jew. Hadassah the Jewess Mordecai was raising his niece, Hadassah, and Esther 1 & 2 records the events that led to her becoming Queen. King Ahasuerus hosted a banquet for his men that lasted seven days, while his wife, Queen Vashti, hosted a banquet for the women. On the seventh day when the men were very drunk, the king commanded her to appear before him at his feast so he could show her off to his companions, but she refused. My guess is she knew they were going to be a bunch of drunks, and she did not want to subject herself to be ogled. When word got back to the King that she refused to come, he was embarrassed and angry. All the men began to say, Are you going to let your wife get away with this? If word gets out, then all our wives will think they can do what they want! You must do something about this! So he banished her, stripping her from being Queen, and gave all she had to Haman. It wasn t long before the king was lonely and wanted a wife. His advisors came up with the idea to have a beauty pageant to find a replacement. Word went out through all 127 provinces. This kingdom was large, and beautiful young virgins came from far and wide. Now Mordecai had had given Hadassah the Persian name Esther and told her not to reveal that she was Jewish. She was taken to the palace with many young women in the capital of Shushan. There was a long process of preparation before they saw the king. Every woman first had six months of treatment in oil of 7

8 myrrh which was to purify her. The oil of myrrh was commonly used for antiseptic and anti-fungal purposes and as a deodorant. Therefore, the first six months of preparation were for cleansing, healing and purification. Once it was certain she was free of disease, the next six months was spent maximizing her beauty, including bathing in milk baths. The idea being conveyed in Esther is purification precedes beautification. When it was her time, she would go with the king for one night. Every night he had a different girl until he decided who he desired most. They were given beautiful jewels and clothes from which to pick anything they wanted, but Esther chose none. Whatever the overseer gave her, she wore. She was not vain or full of herself, but humble, and Esther found favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her. And the king loved her above all the other virgins (2:15-17). Beauty pageant over! He crowned her his Queen. A Plot to Kill the King Uncle Mordecai kept in touch with Esther through her maidservants. One day Mordecai was at the gates of the palace when he overheard a conversation between two of the king s chamberlains of a plot to kill him. He sent word to Esther to report it right away, which she did, in the name of Mordecai. The plot was uncovered, and the men were hanged. The incident was written in the book of the Chronicles of the AMALEKITES AMONG US 8 King and put on a dusty shelf in the palace library (2:19-23). Meanwhile, Haman was basking in his honor as Prime Minister, but his servants pointed out that Mordecai did not bow before him, transgressing the king s commandment. Eventually they learned Mordecai was a Jew and told Haman: And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (not just Mordecai) that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai. In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar (3:4-7). When Haman was told that Mordecai was a Jew, he sought to destroy all the Jews in Persia. He cast lots to decide when it was to take place; then took his plan to the king, describing how much trouble the Jews were. They did not obey Persian laws and needed to be exterminated. Casting lots was the equivalent of throwing dice; from the Hebrew word for casting lots pur purim is derived, and it fell in the month of Adar. The Plan to Kill the Jews And Haman said unto King Ahasuerus, There are a certain peo-

9 ple scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king s laws: Therefore it is not for the king s profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king s treasuries. And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews enemy. And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you (vv.8-11). Haman had appealed to the king s pride, and he, unwittingly and hastily, signed off on the plan, sealing it with his ring, which meant it could never be reversed, no matter how bad a law it was! And the letters were sent by posts into all the king s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey (v13). After they killed the Jews, they could help themselves to their property and money. This was what the SS and Gestapo under Hitler did in WWII when they killed six million Jews. They rounded them up and put them in death camps and stole all their riches. Letters were sent to all provinces declaring: On Adar 13, all Jews will be killed, and their property taken. Hearing of the murderous decree, Mordecai and all the Jews lamented, wailing in sackcloth and ashes. Esther heard of Mordecai s behavior and sent her maids to inquire what was wrong. They returned with a copy of the decree and Mordecai s instructions that she should go to the king, reveal that she was a Jew, and make supplication for her people. But Esther replied that there was a palace law if anyone, man or woman, should enter the inner court of the king without being summoned, they would be put to death unless the king held out his golden scepter. Not only this, the king had not called for her in 30 days. For Such A Time As This Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within yourself that you shall escape in the king s house, more than all the Jews. For if you altogether hold your peace at this time, then shall enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but you and your father s house shall be destroyed: And who knows whether you are come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (4:13-14). We can imagine what came over Esther when she opened that scroll and read those words. Don t think just because you re the Queen sitting up in the palace you will escape! Also, notice the faith in his words: 9

10 If you don t help your own people, their deliverance will come another way. He was convinced, in spite of the evil edict that could not be revoked, God would deliver the Jews, just like He delivered them in the wilderness when Aaron and Hur stood, upholding the hands of Moses against the ancient Amalekites. His words pierced her heart! She replied: Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish (v.16). She basically said, Alright, Uncle, I hear you, and I will do what you say, but send word to all the Jews in the city to fast and pray with me and my maidens. Then I will go before the king, and whatever happens, if it means my death, so be it. On the third day, dressed in her finest royal apparel, Esther made her way into the throne room of the king, unsummoned and unexpected. When he laid eyes on this beautiful woman, who surely trembled, having not eaten in three days, and trembled because her very life was on the line, and trembled because the lives of thousands of her Jewish people were on the line, and trembled because the Spirit of God was upon her, the king extended his golden scepter. In that moment, God gave her favor with the king, just as He had done when she stood before him as a AMALEKITES AMONG US 10 beauty pageant contestant. Esther reached out and touched its top and sighed with great relief. He asked her what she wanted. Obviously, it had to be extremely important for her to break the law and risk her life. She invited him and Haman to a banquet that she had prepared for them, at which time she would make her petition. This reveals her faith that he would accept her request she already had the banquet prepared. Haman was quickly summoned to the banquet. There the king asked what her petition was, and it would be granted to the half of his kingdom. Obviously, he knew she didn t have a covetous heart and trusted she had something else on her mind. Esther replied: If I have found favor in your sight, and it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come to the banquet I shall prepare tomorrow. Imagine how elated Haman was! Not only was he enjoying the rank of Prime Minister with all its perks, but now he was dining with the King and Queen alone! He couldn t wait to go home and tell his wife and ten sons that he, and only he, was invited to have dinner with the King and Queen! And he was invited to come back tomorrow night! But his joy was short-lived! On the way home, he saw Mordecai at the gate, and as usual, he did not bow. At home, he told his wife of all his good fortune, the glory of his riches, how the king had promoted him above all princes. Today the Queen had invited him alone to a

11 banquet with her and the king, and he was to attend another banquet with them tomorrow. But he lamented: Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king s gate (vv.5:1-13). Mordecai Must Go! His wife told Haman to build a scaffold to hang Mordecai the next day before he went to the Queen s banquet. That night in the palace the king got a case of divine insomnia and called for his servants to bring the Book of the Chronicles and read to him. They happened to read the account of when Mordecai reported the plot to kill the king. He asked his servants what great honor was done for Mordecai for saving his life, and they said nothing was done. The king s response: We must honor him! What shall we do? I know, I will ask Haman what he thinks. He s my right-hand guy; he ll know what to do! At that very time, Haman was on his way to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows the next day. Before he could share his plan, the king said, What shall be done for the man the king wants to honor? Thinking it was himself, Haman said: Let him wear the king s royal apparel and crown, and set him upon the king s horse to be led through the city, and proclaim before him: This is the one the king delights to honor. The king instructed Haman to make haste and do so to Mordecai the Jew. I don t know how Haman held it together! Does God have poetical justice or what? God will turn the tables on the devil every time! No doubt, in shock, he did so, and then went home mourning with his head covered. When he told his wife of the unfortunate event, she spoke these most telling, remarkable, irrefutable words: If Mordecai be the seed of the Jews before whom you have begun to fall, you shall not prevail, but shall surely fall before him (6:1-13). Even the devil knows that once you begin to fall before the Jews, you re not going to prevail! Hitler tried to eradicate them from Europe and implemented his final solution, killing 6 million in death camps. Many don t know that his scientists were very close to attacking America. They had tested missiles that could reach New York City, because he believed it was run by the Jews, especially Wall Street. Before Israel became a nation after World War II, the largest nucleus of Jews outside of Europe was in NYC. He was bent on eradicating Jews off the face of the earth, but God said, I will bless them that bless you, and I will curse them that curse you (Gen.12:3). That night at dinner, the king asked Esther what was on her mind and the reason for her petition. She replied: If I please the king, let my life and the life of my people be given me. For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed. The king couldn t imagine who would do such 11

12 a thing and said: Who is he, and where is he that would dare to presume to do such a thing? When Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman, the king rose up in wrath and stormed out to the garden. I bet Haman swallowed a whole turkey leg. When he saw that the king was enraged, he started pleading with Esther for his life: Spare me, O wonderful queen! I meant you no harm! About that time the king came back into the room where Haman had actually fallen onto the couch where the Queen was sitting! When the king saw this, he exploded: Will you force my wife in front of me in my own house? He called for his men, and they covered Haman s face. When you cover somebody s face, you are getting ready to put them in a hangman s noose. His servants were glad to tell the king that Haman had built gallows for Mordecai. Then the king said, Hang Haman on them. (7:1-10). He gave all the wealth of Haman s house to Queen Esther, and his ring to Mordecai and promoted him to Prime Minister (8:1-2). I tell you, God knows how to turn it around and boomerang the devil! Finally we can say, Hallelujah! Horrible Haman is dead! Yes, but the problem was: The edict to kill all the Jews on the 13th of Adar was still in force. Esther pled with the king to reverse the law, but he could not. Although he could not rescind the edict to kill all the Jews, he issued a AMALEKITES AMONG US 12 new edict allowing the Jews to defend themselves, and the rest is history: Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword.. And no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people. The Jews slew 75,000 outside of Shushan and 500 in the city actually, 510, including Haman s ten sons: Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha. The king personally told Esther they were killed. Then said Esther, if it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan, to do tomorrow according to this day s decree, and let Haman s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows (v.13). They were already dead, slain by the sword, so why did she want them hung on the gallows? To make a public display. She wanted any secret enemies that might still be out there breeding anti- Semitic hatred, to see what happens to Agagites and Amalekites who come against the chosen of God, His Jewish people. Secret Hidden in Their Names And there is more something incredible is hiding in their names a secret code: In the Hebrew scroll, the first, seventh and tenth names, each has a single letter that is written in a smaller point size than the rest of the letters. For example, my name typed in

13 all caps is SHARON. But if I type the A in lowercase, it is SHaRON. The a jumps out at you. There is no grammatical reason for this curious oddity in the Hebrew text. The scribe wanted to draw attention to these letters, so what do they mean? Each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value. The three highlighted letters in these three names are: tet worth 400 shin worth 300 zain worth 7 equaling 707. On the Hebrew calendar, our 20th century was their 50th century. When you translate 5707 into our modern calendar, it is the year Thus 5707 = 1946 on our calendar. On October 16, 1946, at the Nuremberg trials for Nazi war criminals, ten men were executed and hung on gallows. (Originally, eleven men were to be hung, but one committed suicide by cyanide beforehand.) Just before Julius Streicher, a vicious anti-semitic writer, was hung, he shouted from the gallows: Heil Hitler! Purim Fest 1946! Remarkably, he related that event to the event in the Book of Esther! He got it! He equated the hanging of the ten Nazis in 1946 with the Agagite Haman s ten sons in the time of Esther, yelling Purim, because God will have the last say. Iran is Modern Persia Today, Persia is modern Iran, Israel s arch enemy. Their leaders have sworn to wipe Israel off of the map. Four years ago, during the festival of purim, Israel s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke by invitation to the whole U.S. House of Congress in an effort to convince them not to negotiate with Iran, and to take action to stop them from developing a nuclear bomb. It was a replay of the Book of Esther, and Netanyahu even referred to it as such in his address. Just as Esther went before the king to ask for her people s deliverance, he came to plead with our government to stand with Israel against Iran. The White House would not heed. They wanted to pursue peace talks that have failed over and over, giving Iran more time to develop nuclear weapons. Hitler made good on his word and slaughtered six million Jews. When WWII ended and the Jews were given their homeland, they proclaimed, Never Again! They were pacifists who went to their deaths singing, like sheep before the slaughter. Today they are surrounded by 22 nations and over a billion people who hate them and have openly declared their mission to drive them into sea. What Hitler said he would do, he did. We should believe the Iranians and other anti-israel groups that they will do what they say. While the UN is saying, Let s sit down at the peace table and talk about it, Israel is saying, Talking is not helping; While you re in the peace room talking, they are in the laboratory building. Israel s Prime Minister has 13

14 warned America not to think that we are safe here in America, because Iran is developing missiles that can cross the ocean and hit our eastern seaboard. They call Israel the little Satan and the United States the big Satan. Just like Hitler, they believe America is run by Jews, and the day will come when they will see the flag of Islam flying over the White House. Truly, there are still Amalekites among us! This is not a political thing. It has to do with what God said in His Word: For thus says the lord of hosts. he that touches you touches the apple of my eye (Zech.2:8). He will defend them and Jerusalem against all their enemies: And in that day, I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered against it (Zech.2:3). As true Christians, we are Israel s greatest friends. Let us support our government s pro-israel actions, because those who stand against her will surely fall. And we have come into the kingdom of God for such a time as this! AMALEKITES AMONG US 15