Idolatry
Esther 3
2. 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.
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The intoxication of Power
Esther 3:
1. After these things did the king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammadaatha the Agagite and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him
The Thrills and Frills of Ambition
Attained
Esther 3:
1. After these things did the king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammadaatha the Agagite and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him
Reason for Redemption
Esther 2:
19. And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.
The Final Feast
Esther 2:
18. Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.
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
Esther 2:
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, 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 her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women
12. Now when every maid’s turn was come to go to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)
Hege or Hagai was a chamberlain, an officer of the kingdom in the charge of the king’s women. Like all other chamberlains, he’s eunuch. Stating this fact is significant because he stands, as it were, in the place of the Holy Spirit. Or shall we say he stands in the place of the agent of the Holy Spirit. Either way, he stands stands, a representative of the Eternal Spirit.
A eunuch is a special breed completely disinterested in the women as far as expression of carnal love is concerned; it’s impossible for him to go beyond the platonic. Jesus Christ delineated three types of eunuch: “For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb, and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of heaven’s sake…” (Mathew 19:12). Eunuchs may result as a result of some bodily dysfunction from birth; or as a result of castration. However, there are men who become eunuchs because of their intense love for the kingdom of heaven. Paul was one; Barnabas was another example. These were single mindedly committed to God’s longing. They’d not be distracted by any other business. It wasn’t that they were eunuchs as a result of some genetic mutation or because they were castrated. They were not piece of wood without feeling or longing for the erotic feminine touches of the opposite sex. They simply decided to keep their feelings in chech, and this by determination. “He that standeth steadfast in his heart….but hath power over his own will and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin….” (1Corinthian 7:37). This is one sacrifice for the kingdom of heaven. Being a eunuch because of the kingdom throws one up as being utterly given over to God, a unique sacrifice! God promised the eunuchs-for-the-kingdom’s sake: “Even them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off” (Isaiah 56:5).
Hege was a chamberlain, a eunuch of the king. His job is to raise up a woman to a queenly status pleasing to the king; he is to make her worthy of her calling. As a man, he has no personal interest in the virgins; his life’s call can be sum up in one sentence: to make the king happy by finding, selecting and grooming a woman that thrills the heart of the king. This vividly recalls the story of Abraham’s servant sent out to scout a wife for Isaac. What utter commitment the man exhibited! He wouldn’t speak of himself but of his master and his son. The Holy Spirit speaks not of Himself but of the Lord. “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come: he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come” (John 16:13). The Spirit of truth reveals Truth and coaches the bride of Christ; He’ll not sway the interest of the bride of Christ from going on with Him. The human vessels in the hand of the Holy Spirit are not supposed to draw the attention of the bride to themselves either. And, God help my soul, this is so blatantly violated today! Leaders in the church, this bride of Christ, are finding it hard to imitate Paul: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2Corinthians11:2).
Men of God stand in the place of Hege to give the bride who’s to be queen all that is necessary for purification, for perfection. After grace has harvested in the bride; the journey to satisfying the King begins earnestly thereafter. In the store house of the Spirit is the abundance of required items to make her perfect, to make her pleasing to God. In the store house is no lack for the committed Hege to raise the queen for the king. Says Paul, “….we preach, warning everyman, and teaching everyman in all wisdom; that we may present everyman perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Processes are involved in the job of perfection and we need men who are absolutely sold out to Christ and who are competent in rightly dividing the Word of God to fulfil this job. We are still hanging around here because of the job of perfection, the Spirit’s working.
Lord, that it may please You to give us fire-proved and wisdom-filled pastors, Amen
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.
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.
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!