Any time we fail to obey God, there are consequences.

Sometimes those ramifications affect others that can even extend to future generations.

Today on Truth for Life, Alistair Begg helps us connect the dots between a hostile relationship in Esther's story

and blatant disobedience that occurred several generations before.

After these things, King Ahasweras promoted the haim and the agar-guide, the son of Hamadath, and advanced him and said his throne above all the officials who were with him.

All the kings servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to the king, had so commanded concerning him.

But Mordekai did not bow down or pay homage. Then the kings servants who were at the king's gate said to Mordekai, 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 Mordekai's words would stand for he had told them that he was a Jew.

And when Haman saw that Mordekai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordekai alone.

So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordekai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordekai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasweras.

In the first month which is the month of Nisan in the 12th year of King Ahasweras, they cast per, that is they cast lots, before Haman day after day and they cast at month after month till the 12th month which is the month of Adar.

Then Haman said to King Ahasweras, there is a certain people scattered abroad and distressed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom.

Their laws are different from those of every other people and they do not keep the King's laws so that it is not to the King's profit to tolerate them.

If it please the King, let it be decreed that they be destroyed and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charged of the King's business, that they may put it into the King's treasuries.

So the King took a signet ring from his hand and gave it to him in the Aga-Gaite, 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.

Then the King's scribes were summoned on the 13th day of the first month and an edict according to all that Haman commanded was written to the King's satrabbs and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples to every person.

It was written in the name of King Ahesuerus 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 13th day of the 12th month, which is the month of Adhar, 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 peoples to be ready for that day.

The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the King and the decree was issued in Susa the Citadel and the King and Haman sat down to drink.

But the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

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