The Serpent and the Seed: Week 5

The Battle for Christmas

Esther 8-10 The Struggle

The struggle between Amalek and Israel is ongoing: Exodus 17:16. Amalek is a type of the flesh. When Israel fights Amalek in their own strength, they lose. When the fight in God's strength, they win - as when Moses held up his staff. Saul battled against the flesh, but spared the king. We begin to put to death the flesh, but spare our pet sins.

In Gen 1 and Psalm 8, man was given dominion over all the earth. The name Ahasuerus used in Esther is a title. He can be seen as a type of the mind, will and emotions - the soul - of each of us. When Adam followed reason and emotion instead of God's revelation to take the fruit from Eve, he made his flesh "prime minister", just as Ahasuerus gave his ring to Haman, the Amalekite. In doing so, he came under the irreversible sentence of death, as a king with no queen was dead.

Mordecai is a type of the spirit. He was in the kings gate, but not allowed in the kings palace.

Esther (adopted by Mordecai, Romans 8:15) was the hidden work of God in the kings life. When the king harkened to and communed with Esther, she was able to expose the true nature of the flesh. The king crucified Haman, and brought Mordedai into the palace.

• 8:2 - The kings turns over control of his kingdom to Mordecai.
• 8:3 - Although the flesh was dead, its power remained, and the Jews were still under the sentence of death.
• 8:8 - Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
• 8:11 - Romans 7:22-24 Xerces was helpless against the sentence of death. But under Mordecai, the Jews were given the power to resist, but they had to resist.
• 8:13 - After the flesh is exposed and crucified, the new law must be made known.
• 8:16 - Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death (Esther 3:15); but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
• 9:7-10 Crucify the fruits of the flesh. If you had any doubts that Haman was a type of the flesh, please note that the names of all 10 of his sons are about the "self".
  1. Parshandatha means “curious self” or “busybody”
  2. Dalphon means “weeping self” or “self pity.”
  3. Aspatha means “assembled self” or “self sufficient.”
  4. Poratha means “generous self” or “self indulgent.”
  5. Adalia means “weak self” or more likely “humble self.” Have you ever known someone who is proud of being humble?
  6. Aridatha means “strong self” or “self assertive.”
  7. Parmashta means “preeminent self” or “self ambition.”
  8. Arisai means “bold self” or “foolhardy”
  9. Aridai means “dignified self” or “I am superior.”
  10. Vaizatha means “pure self” or “self righteous.”

  Since at least the 10th century, Jewish scribes have copied the names of Hamans 10 sons in a special format. In addition to the striking arrangement in two columns, several letters are smaller, and one is bigger. There are 3 versions of the format, but in the most common variant the three small letters are taf, shin and zayin, or 707, and the big letter indicates the 6th millenium. This is Hebrew calendar year 5707, or 1946. In a speech made on November 10, 1938, (the day after kristallnacht), A prominant Nazi named Julius Streicher said that just as "the Jew butchered 75,000 Persians" in one night, the same fate would have befallen the German people had the Jews succeeded in inciting a war against Germany; the "Jews would have instituted a new Purim festival in Germany."

  Adolf Hitler banned the observance of Purim, declaring it a capital offense to possess a copy of the Book of Esther. Making the connection between his Nazi regime and the role of Haman, he stated in a speech made on January 30, 1944, that if the Nazis were defeated, the Jews could celebrate "a second Purim".

  Hitler said in Mein Kampf, "I am embarked on a struggle to the death with the Jews for the hearts and minds of men. The Jews have inflicted two wounds on mankind. Circumcision for the body, and conscience for the soul. I am come to free mankind from their bondage."

  "The struggle for world domination will be fought entirely between us, between Germans and Jews. All else is facade and illusion. Rauschning, Hitler Speaks, p. 234

  On October 16, 1946, 10 Germans were hanged to death (11 were to be hanged, but one committed suicide). The court specifically prescribed hanging, as in Esther's original request.

  "Only Julius Streicher went without dignity. He had to be pushed across the floor, wild eyed and screaming "heil hitler". Mounting the steps he cried out: "And now I go to God." He stared at the witnesses facing the gallows and shouted "Purimfest, 1946" Newsweek Oct 28, 1946.

• 9:20-32 We need to constantly remind ourselves of the victory of the Spirit over the flesh.