Month: September 2023

         Only Myrrh and the Sweet Odours

We are continuing to reflect on the Book of Esther.

In the house of women under the custody of Hege, the queens to be undergo a rigorous regimen for purification. Purification is perfection to the one they’re about to show themselves.
This exercise lasts twelve months of two phases. One, the virgins, they use myrrh for six months and the second half of the twelve months, they use “sweet odours and with other things” (Esther 2:12). After that they each go at different evening into the king’s house with whatever they desire. In the king’s house, each pass the night with the king and go on to the second house of women under the care of Shaashgaz, another chamberlain who keeps “the concubines: she came into the king no more except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name” (Esther 2:14).

Myrrh was one chief ingredient that made up the compounding of the anointing oil in the tabernacle. When myrrh which was a bitter spice was processed into oil, it exuded a most amazing pleasant odour associated with love bites. Used 17 times in the bible, myrrh is frequently connected with love, especially in the Songs of Solomon.

The second ingredient of purification is “sweet odours.” There are other spices not mentioned. All said, the purpose of the oils is to overcome male resistance, through the sense of smell, and weave a heavy crush on the man.
Myrrh as a pleasant odour comes through sacrifice, through processes. What comes out at the end is a pleasantness that’s captivating. Paul speaks of Christ as having, out of love “given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour” (Ephasians 5:2). Myrrh is greatly valued in love tangles but it requires crushing, sacrifice and pounding to come to acquire the exceptional value. Christ was the sweet savour in the nostrils of God in the Old Testament as well as in the New; he’s the human sweet smell odour pleasing to God. These spices that constitute Christ make man acceptable to God and bring him to the all encompassing and embracing love of God. Talk of myrrh and sweet odours.

Esther 2:
15. Now when the turn of Esther , the daughte of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was to go in on to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her
16. So Esther was taken into king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign.
17. And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour (kindness – Marg.) in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti

This is what grace is all about. Grace and favour/ kindness are so interrelated that they’re interchangeable. Favour is the move behind picking up on somebody for good inheritance without the picked being qualified. As a teacher, I’ve always been guilty of this. A student might fail to pass my test, but favouring him, I could alter figures to make him or her pass while whispering under my breath, Lord, please have mercy on me. This is a bad practice but I am using it as an illustration. Esther receives favour that moves the entire being of the king to let down his jealously guided grace.

Esther has been well groomed by pastor Hegai and she doesn’t enter into the presence of the king, cringing or worried. She seems to have taken to heart all the instructions given by the seasoned pastor. As soon as the king sights her, he’s completely won over; he falls outrightly in love there and then. No bride who knows the nature of the king can miss the mark; Esther has learnt so much of the king. She knows better than to stand on her outstanding qualities, her beauty and elegance. She simply refuses to add any other thing apart from the saving knowledge of the Lord, the king

The King cannot miss me; I cannot miss Him. He’s bestowed on me His saving grace. This is the act of Your favour bringing grace. I cannot miss You for Your face is mine inheritance. I’m not to be distressed today because I feel inadequate in His presence. I’m leaning on nothing extra in me nor am I striving within me. I’ve learnt a great deal about Your nature, Your provisions; I’m standing only on the providence You gave: I’m learning to stand upon the cross of Christ alone, upon His death. I don’t have any goodness. I’m looking away from my weakness and I’m learning to trust in His strength alone, looking away from my afflictions, I’m leaning all of my entire being on Him in confidence. Of course, I’m holding to the Eternal Word whatever be the tides. I’m without anything extraneous addition than what He has provided  read more

         A Masterpiece as a Metaphor

Esther 2:
5. Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6. Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7. And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
8. So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hege, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, the keeper of the women.
9. And the maiden pleased him and she obtained kindness of him, and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her out of the king’s house; and he preferred and her maids unto the best place of the house of women.
10. Esther had not shown her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not show it.
11. And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.

Esther is an unfolding mystery story being penned by the Lord Himself. I’m no less a book being written by the Lord. Esther’s life was prophetic as mine is. No, she didn’t stand on the mountains wearing the skin of animal to proclaim the message of God; she was the living message demonstrated in classical love and obedience to the Writer. This is also my vision, to be so close to the Author of life that I’ll not turn out a flat character in the volume of His wonderful book.

In Shushan, the location of the palace was a humble man by the name of Mordecai, a member of the captives whose grandparents had been relocated by Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem in the year 597 B.C. He

This man was of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a redeemer of a kind to a fair and beautiful woman called Hadassah or Esther. How was Mordecai a redeemer? To redeem is to restore or to bring to balance what has been deficient. Mordecai had taken the place of the lost parents, adopted his uncle’s daughter to raise her up; he’s not only a locus parentis but a most caring one, always on the lookout for the good of his adopted daughter. He kept the name of the dead alive. Thus he’s what is called kinsman-redeemer.

The Lord is my kinsman-redeemer, always on the watch out for my good. Now, my good as defined by me is most time not good from His own point of view. Why did Mordecai, the kinsman-redeemer here strictly forbade Esther from revealing her nationality? This was kept even from her fellow Jews! Well, I don’t know. I don’t yet know for example why the Lord would keep me obscured to the world. I don’t know why he made me unknown to the world, I that was full of unusual tremors of excellence; I that believed that it’s my right to be relevant in the scheming of the world, in the comity of men renowned! Why for example would He just pass me bye and make the next man to me an achiever while I’m described as nonentity! Does He feel the weight of what it means to be a nonentity? Why would He not manifest me to the world? All others are having success as a walk over in their lives but no, not me; it would, if otherwise, bastardize my coined word resulting from concatenation of failures of life up to the twilight of life: un-Markian! Why does He delight in keeping me hidden, unknown and unrecognized!

Mordecai warned his kinsman daughter to keep a low profile. I’ve thought much about this very often. The wisdom of God dictated that or shall I say the wisdom of Mordecai wanted that. Ephasians’ sixth chapter tells me of the cosmic tussles the believers are constantly engaged in. These cosmic forces are quick to spot any one of vital importance to the Lord. In spotting that, they move with killing intent to crush and destroy the individual or the move of God. It’s after the visit of the Magi from the East, for example, that the devil moved in to destroy the baby that was to become the saviour the world. The visit of the Magi had thrown out the secret of God and pointed out the saviour. If God didn’t physically intervene within what the law of His nature could allow, the story of redemption would have been different. “…. behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying: Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee unto Egypt…” Satan would willingly destroy the helpless child Who had made incursion into his world. Even, when the Lord became an adult, he kept telling His disciples to keep certain revelations about Him and which they were privy to as secrets. Obviously, to keep the evil one from prising open the secret kept from the foundation of the world.

When I was a young man and new in Christ, I simply couldn’t keep in the great revelations of Christ. I devoured Kenneth Hagin’s books. But in this lurked potential dangers. I was just not yet of required stature to call the shot of the cosmic forces. I did too early for my good and, well, I’m still here by the mercy of God.

I’m a writer of great story myself. I know about developing real characters in my story. Sometimes, however, some characters, some scenes had assumed live of their own and leave me helpless. If Christ’s book that is me is to come out perfect, a masterpiece of creation, then I must stick to nstructions He gives; I must not stampede Him into bad writing. I must know when not to reveal my Identity and I most also know when to flaunt it. I’m a full length book of God written from eternity; I’m from and for eternity. I’m here to give life to the book; I’m a prophet living out the book. Jesus says of Himself, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7). My prophetic existence, living out all written about me, is to fulfill the heart of the Father, to walk worthy of Him unto all pleasing. This is my call; this is my life. I’m the book of the Father!

Christ is my kinsman-redeemer and He keeps coming to check up on me to see how I’m faring. He’s bringing me to grow up to Him. Most time, I’ve messed up the process of growth, yet the perfection of Chris’s book which is me is yet unsullied; even if I feel defeated and humiliated. He’s not embarrassed; He is not disappointed.

Angeles are learning of God’s wisdom through us. They’re gaining insight into the mystery of eternal life (promised by God) through reading us, the believers – the writing of the Lord. We are the book being written by Christ, read by angels, learning…. “…. to the intent that principalities and powers may learn of the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephasians 2:10). Yes, we’re the masterpiece of the Lord; we’re the emerging technology spun by the eternal wisdom of God -:such high tech the devil cannot unravel. “You yourselves are our letter from Christ, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody ” (2Corinthians 3:2).

Thanks so much, Lord. read more

                 God’s Own Vashti

Esther 2:
1. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her:
2. Then said the king’s servants that ministered to him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king
3. And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace to the house of women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women and let their things for purification be given them
4. And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.

We inadvertently left the issue of God’s own Vashti hanging in the last post. The first couple in the garden of Eden were a type of God’s queen, his wife; they’re his tender plant in the garden to which He returned often. Just when there was a lull in the frequency of visit, the interloper intruded violently into their space and sowed a seed of discord into the heart of the garden. Suddenly, the eyes of the couple saw into the far future and were fascinated by the glory into which they could step into outside of and without God! It was a quiet coup d’etat against God; His creatures on whom he’d generously devoted attention in creation revolted against His authority. read more

            The Law of Divine Nature

Esther 2
1. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her
2. Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king
3. And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of the kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace to the house of women, unto the custody of Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women, and let their things for purification be given them:
4. And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king and he did so.

Right of the bat, the purpose of God in creation of man has been for a being with whom he could express his divine nature. Man was meant to act out God. Man was on probation, on the path to being readied to be indwelt by God; he was on the way of being the satisfaction of God, the reflection of his Creator just, as a type, woman is supposed to be the satisfaction, the glory of her husband. “….. forasmuch as he (man) is the image and glory of God, but the woman is the glory of the man”(1Corinthians11:7). This truth should not elude me, Lord. I’m the reflection, the image and the glory of God! I’m Yours and You’re mine; intertwined! read more

The Riches of the Wisdom and
           Knowledge of God

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out” (Romans 11:33).

There’s is a need to juxtapose the above verse in the eleventh chapter of Romans with our long read in the story of Esther, today. It’s hard not to pause to think that there was an invisible hand directing the affairs of man, even when he believes that he is the one in control. Certainly, a hand was at work shaping history and destinies of men and, in this story, impulsing Vashti, the centre of the beginning of the story today, to suddenly misbehave, and lose all her glories to the bargain.

In the last episode, Vashti the queen of this glorious kingdom suddenly found the strength to misbehave towards her husband, the king, by disobeying the order or command of the king to show her off to the people. The story continues:

Esther 1:
13. Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgement:
14. And the next to him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes which saw the king’s face, and which sat first in the kingdom;)
The king Ahasuerus summoned a meeting of his seven wise men, the princes of the kingdom, laying before them the wifely misbehaviour of Vashti. He started:
15. “What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she had not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?”

And Memucan, one of the seven begins to point out the possible far reaching effects of this queenly rebellion of Vashti: rebellions of wives to husbands and spins of family disorders in the kingdom.

“Vashti the queen,” he says, “hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus
17. For this deed of queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought before him, but she came not.
18. Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day until all the king’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath”

Then the wise man begins his recommendation to restore order. Order in the homes, families and the kingdom is the focus of this judgement. read more

The Unsearchable Riches of His Grace

Esther 1:
10. On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded… seven eunuchs who served in the presence of the king
11. To bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing her royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people to behold. She was fair to look on.
12. But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains; therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger turned in him

Beautiful Queen Vashti is the wife of king Ahasuerus, the ravish of his heart, the excellency of his glory and the delight of his eyes. He loves her for who she’s and for her beauty. He sees her as the ultimate of life achievements. He wants to show her to the world and say, This is life; this is perfection. read more

                      The Unending Feast

Esther 1:
5. And when those days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days in the court of the garden of the king’s palace;
6. Where white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red (porphyry), and blue, and white, and black, marble
7. And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being divers from one another.) and royal wine in abundance, according to the state of the king
8. And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for the king had appointed to all the officers of the house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure
9. And Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

In the last post, we were reflecting on throne, king and kingdom. Here, it’s about the unending feast in the kingdom – the feast continues for another period of seven days in the royal garden court of the king in Shushan. The atmosphere is charged full of colours. I’ve allowed my imagination to essay forth a bird to view this scenery from the air. I see a pervading beauty and smell sweet odours that have blended into one. The hangings of white, green and blue clothes fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and….silver-gold beds on pavement of red…mother-of-pearl and precious stones. White is purity; green is life and blue is heavenly while purple signifies royalty. Red or porphyry is the colour of the blood of man’s redemption like the red cord hanging from Rehab’s window. In the worship instituted in the wilderness as the people of Israel moved towards Canaan, the Holies had articles mainly of gold; this typified God. Silver speaks of redemption.

What again, in this feast, are available? Special and most costly royal wines and every one was fed according to his desire. Wines speaks of liveliness, excitement; sense of being actively alive. The guests are served the best the king has. At the same time, similar feast is going on in the palace as Vashti, the queen, is carrying on her own feast. read more

The Unending Feasting

Esther 1:
5. And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people present (found) in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days in the court of the garden of the king’s palace

The last post was on throne and kingdom and kingdom. An everlasting kingdom in the offing. Scientists are, if unconsciously, are hastening the days of the kingdom; philosophers are agreed that something is about to give way in our cosmos; the religionists are pandering to it though only from the tip of their tongues; the prophets, real and fake, are announcing it. It will be absolute; a kingdom of new heavens and a new earth, according to Peter, whose bodily expression is righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). read more