Providential Provision
Book of Esther
Chapter 1 and 2
The thing we should
already know is that God is working behind the scenes to place people
in certain situations that become a benefit to His people. The Jews
(Hebrew) and also the Church. All those in the family of God!
Some question the
reason the Book of Esther is included in the Old Testament Canon of
the Bible. We may not know the actual man who used his pen to write
the words of Esther, but our only concern should be that the Holy
Spirit gave these words to us and we can learn from all the 66 Books
of the Bible.
2Ti 3:16 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the
man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The Book of Esther
was written to the Jews but again the Church can learn the workings
of God!
Again we can see how
we are placed in particular places of work, of communities, of
nations, to be available for God's use. Until that time comes, we are
to spread the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and be active in the
Church.
In the end, the time
of Esther is remembered as a national feast day called Purim.
Purim is remembered
to commemorate the deliverance of the Jews from Persia.
The main topic we
should see is, that God is working in the world to keep His truth as
is written in the Word of God.
God has a plan and
that plan unfolds at the perfect time and will continues to do so,
even after the Rapture of the Church!!!!!
*****Est 1:10 On
the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he
commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and
Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of
Ahasuerus the king,
Est 1:11 To bring
Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the
people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
This king is named
Ahasuerus in the Hebrew, but he is Xerxes in the Greek language. The
title Ahasuerus is used somewhat like we use the title President.
This Ahasuerus maybe the third King of Persia.
Those of us who
might be ashamed of our past know that there is a big difference
between intoxicated and sober. While intoxicated a person might be
able to walk and to talk, but decision making may not be a wise thing
to do while in this condition.
We must understand
that God made mankind in His image. This may not mean in looks or in
physical attributes, but it certainly means for us to have the
characteristics of God!
Whatever instrument
used to tarnish the glory of man or woman, whether it be alcohol,
drugs, or immorality or any other such thing is a terrible sin in the
eyes of God.
Whatever we do or
say that is unbecoming of God's character and anything we do that we
would be ashamed of at a later time then comes from these evils and
no only destroys our character or better said our integrity, can
cause us sinful harm and cause injury to others!
The fact is
drunkenness does not destroy responsibility!
We are always
responsible for our actions when we have taken it upon ourselves to
do these things!
We are accountable
for our actions!
What does the
Scriptures teach us?
Pro 23:29 Who hath
woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who
hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Pro 23:30 They that
tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
A chamberlain, men
who were made eunuchs, were for the most part were grown children
from high ranking nations that had been conquered by Persia.
Again God said it
this way:
Isa 39:7 And of thy
sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they
take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of
Babylon.
Some of these
chamberlains were sent after Vashti who was the Queen of Persia at
this time.
They went and Vashti
said no.
*****Est 1:12 But
the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his
chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned
in him.
We must understand
the King had many other men with him and Vashti was a beautiful woman
and the king was treating her as nothing but a concubine he could
show off to a bunch of drunken men.
To be quiet honest,
when a beautiful woman is paraded before a bunch of sober men, many
of the men will commit the sin of adultery in their minds.
Mat_5:27 Ye have
heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit
adultery:
Mat_5:28 But I say
unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart.
In a room full of
drunken men it would only make matters much worse.
This was no way to
treat a wife and Vashti had every reason to refuse to do this thing.
But as drunkenness
does, the mind reacts in anger when the pride of a drunken man is
bruised.
Now we know that God
did not set this thing up, but He did use it to be a part of His plan
to help the Jews.
What do a bunch of
drunks do?
*****Est 1:12 But
the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his
chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned
in him.
We must understand
that whatever is ruling our heart, whether it be, pride, vanity,
anger, or lust or most other things will greatly display itself under
the influence of alcohol or drugs!!
These men gathered
not just for one day, but this thing went on for weeks, and no doubt
that Vashti knew what was going on at these meetings.
The king would put
on a show of just how powerful his nation was and show off the great
riches of his monarchy.
The king was the
sole ruler of this nation of 127 provinces and these men who he was
drinking with were under his direct control.
In his drunkenness
he could not allow Vashti to be disobedient.
Pro 31:4 It is not
for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for
princes strong drink:
Pro 31:5 Lest they
drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the
afflicted.
In truth, his anger
may not have lingered if he was not urged on by bad councilors.
In all these things
Vashti was right.
In Persian Law it
was written that men should not cause their wife to be publicly on
display before men.
In fact it is this
time in history when Arabian women would wear all the things that
could cover her up before other men and led to the ridiculous
standard that some use for evil today.
Even without such a
law, women should never be asked to such a thing as Vashti was
ordered to do.
Vashti was right to
refuse!
After the anger:
What is wrong with
America today? In every facet of our life and our government we need
man and women of strong moral character but what we see are men and
women who are morally corrupt, insincere, dishonest, corrupt, unjust,
abusive, overbearing, even wicked and evil.
Just this week I saw
where a man who is a Governor, and claimed to be gay, married to
another man he called is husband, but also claiming to be a
Christian, questioning our Vice-President who is a Christian and
lives trying to be like Christ, which is the meaning of Christian. He
also questioned the sincerity of our President saying if he is saved
he could be no more than a babe in Christ.
I certainly question
his false doctrine!
Jesus Christ would
never go along with the gay lifestyle because according to the Word
of God it is the sin of fornication because only the marriage of one
man to one woman is seen as the truth of the Scriptures. This is the
world we live in today!
What happened after
this king sobered up and taken time to reflect on his anger?
*****Est 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.
He had given in to
his passion and pride and treated his wife as a woman of low or no
morals, when she had more morals the he and all his counselors but it
was she who was penalized.
When we act under
the influence of rage we will never do right. We may brag with our
lips and speak eloquent words. but our wisdom will be far from us. We
most certainly cause more harm than good.
We can also see this
king did have some feelings for his queen, but his actions had broken
this bond and it could not be mended because of some foolish law that
could not be broken.
He had committed
injury to himself along with causing this woman to suffer all her
remaining days! There was no remedy!
The laws of the
Medes of the Persians must stand or a precedent would be made!
This king would be
four years without a queen and even this remedy was set up by other
men.
It is this place
where we can see the hand of God.
God was not involved
in the party life nor the anger.
God is only involved
in solutions!
We will also see
where a poor Jewish girl who certainly was a beautiful woman could
stand in the midst of worldly royalty and be chosen as the new queen.
The historian
Josephus wrote that this king was so angered at his advisers that he
had them put to death.
So what was the
answer to this dilemma?
*****Est 2:2 Then
said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair
young virgins sought for the king:
Est 2:3 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 the women, unto the custody of Hege the
king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for
purification be given them:
Est 2:4 And let the
maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the
thing pleased the king; and he did so.
When this plan was
conceived none of these men could realize how Jehovah would take this
and make it useful to the restoring of the Jewish people to their
native land the Promised land!
We already know that
this king ruled over 127 provinces so there would probably more than
this number originally chosen to come to Sushan the palace of the
King.
This eunuch name
Hege had the job of overseeing the harem of this king. In reality
many of the kings including Jewish kings may have had only one queen
but they would sometimes have many concubines.
Hege would look
after these many virgins because they required more care and
certainly protection and Shaashgaz would then look after the
concubines of the king which we will see in a later Scripture.
The difference
between a queen and a concubine was that only the queen was entitled
to inherit the physical things of the king in some lands even the
throne.
What we see in all
these things is that the Word of God would be against all these
things in seeking a wife.
I guess nothing was
much wrong in the picking of the maidens except most of them would
probably be no older than 16 and as young as 12.
The wrong certainly
would come in the king's selection process.
Most men might see
this as delightful thing I personally do not. Sin is never the right
process!
Let's see how God
intervenes.
*****Est 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;
Est 2:6 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.
Mordecai was a
direct descendant of King Saul of Israel and a Benjamite. It would be
Mordecai that God would use to to install Esther as Queen of Persia.
We must still
understand that "all" Scripture is given to the Jew and to
the Church for us to learn from.
Even if Mordecai was
a baby when taken from his homeland by Nebuchadnezzar, he would be an
old man by our standards, but he was not too old to be used of the
Lord.
God chose him to be
an intricate part of this plan for a Jew to win the heart of this
king.
Sexual exploitation
goes against the Word of God, but today we live in a world of lose
morals and free sex and again there is nothing free in this life
beyond the gifts of God.
There are
consequences for all immorality!
No long term
relationship between one man and one woman can depend on a physical
relationship.
Eph 5:22 Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Eph 5:23 For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the
church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Eph 5:24 Therefore
as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in every thing.
Eph 5:25 Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it;
Eph 5:26 That he
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27 That he
might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish.
Eph 5:28 So ought
men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife
loveth himself.
Eph 5:29 For no man
ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even
as the Lord the church:
Eph 5:30 For we are
members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Eph 5:31 For this
cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined
unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Eph 5:32 This is a
great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Eph 5:33
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even
as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Mordecai had raised
his uncle’s daughter Hadassah, we know as Esther.
It was this Mordecai
who by the inspiration of God, saw a way to help the Jewish people.
*****Est 2:7 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.
The name Hadassah
was her Jewish name, but her name would have to change if she was to
be presented as anything but a Jew.
The significance of
the name Hadassah was so called "because as the myrtle spreads
fragrance in the world, she did spread good works, inspired by
Jehovah God!
The King named her
Esther.
The Holy Spirit will
now teach us how a beautiful Jewish maiden won the heart of a king.
We begin to see
another typology begin to develop.
She had neither a
father, nor a mother but she was fair and beautiful.
Mordecai had already
passed up two opportunities to return to his homeland.
Once when Zerubbabel
and again when Ezra had returned, and we can only surmise that he was
involved in the politics of Persia and was successful at it.
We see this today as
many successful Jews in America remain in America rather than return
to Israel as so many others have.
Remember many people
are in place by the hand of God to be used as according to God's plan
as we will see in this story of Esther who could not have survived
without her cousin Mordecai who treated her as his daughter.
Another thing we
should understand is that if the Persian government needed someone
for any reason, they just took them even if they were not willing.
Most of these women
jumped at the chance to be Queen of Persia.
Esther was put forth
by Mordecai and God knew she would be the chosen Queen!
*****Est 2:8 So it
came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard,
and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace,
to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's
house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
Est 2:9 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.
Because of the
humble grace and beauty of Esther she was not only taken because of
the king's commandment but she also found favor with Hegai and he
knew that there was something about Esther that made her special.
Esther was taken to
the king’s palace and began the year long purification process.
The Jewish historian
Josephus wrote that there were 400 ladies chosen to take part in this
process.
We can just imagine
that most all these ladies were willing to have a chance to become
queen of Persia.
The one thing that
was hidden from all these people including the king was that Esther
was a Jew!
Esther was a Jew,
she was a virgin, and she had kept herself pure according to the Word
of God, and not some Persian law which for the most case were immoral
laws.
In these things we
are reminded that Esther could represent a type of the Church, the
Bride of Christ.
The steps used to
please this king was in 3 steps.
1) Each one would be
given 12 months of beauty treatments.
Six months of oil
baths and massages.
Six months of
perfume, and beauty treatments.
2) At the end of the
first year each one would be selected to spend one night with the
king.
In order to look
their best they were given anything they requested that they thought
would enhance their chances to please the king.
3) After spending
that one night with the king, they were transferred to the king’s
harem, where they were would live until they were called upon again
by the king locked up from the outside world.
Let’s read more of
Esther:
*****Est 2:14 In
the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second
house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's
chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no
more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by
name.
Est 2:15 Now when
the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai,
who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto 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.
For one whole year
each of these young ladies had prepared just to spend one night with
the King of Persia. For these 12 months they got touch the luxuries
of the kingdom. We are sure most every one of these young maidens
would do everything they could to make themselves even more
attractive.
Many do the same
today, but most all are not aware that God looks upon the inside.
Each of these
maidens may have had the hope of becoming the Queen but after only
one night, all but one may live a life where there physical needs
were met but they would never be called upon again and they could not
return to their families nor have what most would call, "a
life"!
The chamber of the
concubines was nothing more than a prison with good food, all hope
destroyed.
All in all there was
nothing that happened in those 12 months that could make anyone
clean, much less pure.
It takes the blood
of Jesus to wash away all our sin!
When Jesus was dying
on the cross and the beating, and the crown of thorns, caused the
blood to run down into His eyes, as He looked through that blood to
those on the ground He said, "Father forgive them for they know
not what they do"!
Just as those
maidens found, there is little hope in this world, and powerful men
keep most of the world locked into the prison of a life without
benefits.
It is only the love
of God that can satisfy the soul!
When each maiden had
gotten her opportunity to spend that one night with the king, and
suddenly that night was over, and she found herself in the house of
the concubines.
It became Esther's
time to do this thing.
Esther requested
nothing more than the advice of the King's chamberlain, who knew the
king better than anyone.
The beauty of Esther
stood out because it was a natural beauty that the world could not
improve upon!
You see being a
child of God is to possess a beauty that cannot be improved upon by
the world.
It is a beauty that
is as a shining light that stands in a dark world!
Esther carried
herself as that child of God that needed nothing from this world!
Esther was not only
beautiful to the eye, but she was beautiful in her heart and carried
herself having a strong character.
When Esther walked
into a room, all eyes just naturally focused upon her!
Son 6:9 My dove, my
undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the
choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed
her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
Son 6:10 Who is she
that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the
sun, and terrible as an army with banners?
It was Esther who
pleased this king!
Son 8:10 I am a
wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that
found favour.
*****Est 2:16 So
Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the
tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his
reign.
Est 2:17 And the
king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and
favour 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.
The Bible always
slips in these little time lines which are always found to be true!
It was December,
after all Shushan was the winter palace.
What happened? It
was love at first sight.
King Ahasuerus
(Xerxes) loved Esther above all women he had ever seen!
Another type we can
see that Jesus loves the church.
Eph_5:25 Husbands,
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it;
It was Esther who
would be Queen of Persia!
There is a little
parable that we are reminded of here.
Mat 25:1 Then shall
the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their
lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Mat 25:2 And five
of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Mat 25:3 They that
were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Mat 25:4 But the
wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Mat 25:5 While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Mat 25:6 And at
midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye
out to meet him.
Mat 25:7 Then all
those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
Mat 25:8 And the
foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are
gone out.
Mat 25:9 But the
wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and
you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10 And while
they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went
in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11 Afterward
came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12 But he
answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Mat 25:13 Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son
of man cometh.
Why were many more
Jews released to go home?
*****Est 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.
Esther was certainly
a beautiful woman, but her beauty far exceeded that of just looks.
Esther undoubtedly
had characteristics that caused her to be attracted to the king.
She had pleased
Hegai the king’s chamberlain on first sight.
Esther was wise, she
had kept her nationality a secret and presented herself for who she
was, a young beautiful maiden from the lands of Persia.
We can know the each
of the maidens were sought for their differences. Persia was a
conquering nation and ruled 127 provinces.
Makes us think of
the Lord!
Joh_3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
In fact, it could be
said that the entire plan of God, is based upon this one Scripture!
Esther was
trustworthy, she was dependable, she was faithful, and we will soon
see that Queen Esther was loyal.
Just like the First
Lady of our own nation, Esther would have many official duties and
she would never be asked to dance before drunken house guest.
The King had learned
this lesson well!
What we should be
able to see is how God has taken a situation, caused by evil men, and
turned it into an opportunity to help the Jewish nation rebound from
captivity!
The Plan of God is
still working in this world!
Amen
Let's Pray!
