A Spiritual Exposition of The Book of Esther, Chapter 2
Introduction
This post is the second of what will hopefully be ten posts in total to provide verse-by-verse expositions of each of the ten chapters of the Book of Esther. The reader should fully understand that these studies are solely intended to show the many spiritually hidden aspects of God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan, which God has intricately interwoven within the historical account of the Book of Esther. The key to understanding the true meaning of the Book of Esther is to see that the whole book is an Historical Parable, which prophetically points us to the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, Who Is The Only Lord, God, and Savior. Moreover the book is one of concealment (“Esther” in Hebrew means “concealment”) that spans from Old Testament National Israel, to the future fulfillment of the feasts of Passover and Pentecost in the New Testament era, and a “preview” of the yet to be Judgment Day and beyond into eternity in the New Heavens and the New Earth. We can also see key personages of the Bible throughout this book by those who serve as “Types” to each represent 1) God the Father, 2) Old Testament National Israel, 3) the Lord Jesus Christ, 4) Eternal Israel, 5) The Holy Spirit, and 6) the Devil. A summary overview Christian commentary of the Book of Esther is Here (which also includes a link to a much more comprehensive study).
The Spiritual Theme of Chapter 2. God Remembers His Covenant: The Establishment of the New and Better Covenant (Esther 2:1-4) Please also see Hebrews 8:6-13.
- Jesus Christ (as “Typified” by Mordecai) Shows Mercy to the Fatherless (Esther, a “Type” for Christ’s Chruch) (Esther 2:7)
- The Work of the Holy Spirit (as “Typified” by the eunuch Hegai/Hege) in Anointing and Purifying the Believer (as “Typified by Esther) to enter into God’s presence: (Esther 2:15)
- Esther replaces Vashti as Queen (Esther 2:16-20)
- A Rebellion Against the King by Those (possibly eunuchs) Who Kept the Door, Bigthan and Teresh (possibly representing the fallen angels of 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6 Revelation 12:9?) (Esther 2:21-23) and/or the Fall of Adam and Eve? Their treachery is made known to Mordecai, who relays it to the king via Esther, and the rebells are executed and cursed. [NOTE that the first verse of Chapter 3 also starts with “After these things” and then Prince Haman was immediately elevated in power over the kingdom.]
Vashti’s Successor Sought
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.“
This verse CANNOT be interpreted (as some Bible teachers might claim) as saying that king Ahasuerus changed his mind, and that later he intended to restore queen Vashti to her former estate, because Esther 2:4 and Esther 2:17 make it clear that Vashti is removed and replaced by Esther.
How then are we to interpret this verse? Well, we must realize that God, in effect, had been married to National Israel in the Old Testament as we read in Isaiah 50:1, “Thus saith the LORD, Where [is] the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors [is it] to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.”
We see this again in Jeremiah 31:31-34, “¶Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.“
Moreover, God did warn Old Testament National Israel that He would put her away for her rebellion in Hosea 2:2, “Plead with your mother, plead: for she [is] not my wife, neither [am] I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;“. We also know that God would betroth Himself to whom He had not been previously married, as we read in Hosea 2:23, “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to [them which were] not my people, Thou [art] my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.” We also know that this people who were “not my people” includes those chosen by Grace out of all the world (the Gentiles), but that it also includes “a remnant” from National Israel (Hosea 2:16-20).
Also in the Book of Hosea we read where God is referring to Old Testament National Israel in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” This is scary stuff! Old Testament National Israel had become apostate!
Note also the similarity with what we read in Ezekiel Chapter 16. There God talks about how He took pity on National Israel of the Old Testament, and how He loved and cared for her, and He raised her up and made her beautiful from Ezekiel 16:1-15. However, Ezekiel 16:15-59, beginning with the words, “But thou didst trust in thine own beauty” (just like queen Vashti), shows us God’s disdain and judgment upon Israel for her spiritual adultery, but nonetheless, in the last four verses in Ezekiel 16:60-63, God says that he will remember His covenant and promises to establish a new and everlasting covenant (And that covenant was fulfilled with the spiritual eternal Israel, the true believing Christians, out of all the world saved by grace and not by the works of the law with with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, which heralded in the New Testament Era).
This is exactly what was said earlier in Jeremiah 31:31-34. “¶Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.“
The King “Remembered Vashti“
With respect to “remembering” Vashti, we know that God never forgot His Covenant with (Eternal) Israel for we read in Leviticus 26:42, “Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.” This is also repeated in the last four verses in Isaiah 16:1-63, beginning with “Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.”
And note the similarity with the covenant of the Rainbow in Genesis 9:15, “And I will remember my covenant, which [is] between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.“
Psalm 98:3, “He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.“
Psalm 105:7-10, “He [is] the LORD our God: his judgments [are] in all the earth. He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations. Which [covenant] he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant:“
Psalm 111:5, “He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.”
God remembered and performed His covenant unto Israel with a new and everlasting covenant in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ (with the “spiritual” “eternal” Israel, the true believing Christians, Jesus’ Church, out of all the world saved by grace, and not by the works of the law, through the fulfillment of God’s law by Jesus Christ His Beloved Son). That is why we also read in Luke 1:72, that Zacharias, under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit, said that in Jesus Christ, God was about, “To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;”
And it should be very clear to the reader that the everlasting/eternal covenant is talking about a promised country that is not a literal country of this earth (which will be disolved…”the elements will melt with fervent heat” as we read in 2 Peter 3:10 & 2 Peter 3:12), but rather it is Heavenly: Hebrews 11:16, “But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.“
Did God Permanently “Put Away” Old Testament National Israel, Like Vashti, for “what she had done, and what was decreed against her“?
The answer is YES! This is because God did warn National Israel that He would put her away for her rebellion in Hosea 2:2, “Plead with your mother, plead: for she [is] not my wife, neither [am] I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;“. We also know that God would betroth Himself to whom He had not been previously married, as we read in Hosea 2:23, “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to [them which were] not my people, Thou [art] my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.” We also know that this people who were “not my people” includes those chosen by Grace out of all the world (the Gentiles), but that it also includes “a remnant” from National Israel (Hosea 2:16-20).
Also in the Book of Hosea we read where God is referring to National Israel in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.“
Note also the similarity with what we read in Ezekiel Chapter 16. There God talks about how He took pity on National Israel, and how He loved and cared for her, and He raised her up and made her beautiful from Ezekiel 16:1-15. However, Ezekiel 16:15-59, beginning with the words, “But thou didst trust in thine own beauty” (just like queen Vashti), shows us God’s disdain and judgment upon Israel for her spiritual adultery, but nonetheless, in the last four verses in Ezekiel 16:60-63, God says that he will remember His covenant and promises to establish a new and everlasting covenant (with the spiritual eternal Israel, the true believing Christians, out of all the world saved by grace and not by the works of the law). This is exactly what was said earlier in Jeremiah 31:31-34.
The Original Hebrew Word “decreed” Means “to cut-off“
Further confirmation that queen Vashti was permanently exiled from the presence of king Ahasuerus is indicated by God’s use of the Hebrew word גָּזַר (gāzar)H1504, which the King James translators interpreted here as “decreed” is actually translated elsewhere in the Old Testament variously as: cut off (6x), divide (3x), decree (2x), cut down (1x), snatch (1x). To “cut off” has a permanent connotation, as we read in Psalm 88:5, “Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off H1504 from thy (God’s) hand.” and Ezekiel 37:11, “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off H1504 for our parts.”
Jesus Said This Would Happen to National Israel
In Jesus’ Parable of the Vineyard and the Husbandmen, when Jesus was speaking to the Jews in His day concerning the what would happen to Old Testament National Israel for rejecting (and ultimately killing) Him, we read in Matthew 21:41-43, “¶They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out [his] vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. ¶Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. ¶Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” That other nation is the “eternal Israel” of God, the Christian Church, the Bride of Christ!
Esther 2:2, “Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:“
It would seem that the king’s counselors offered the king a remedy for the loss of his first queen (Vashti, who spiritually represented Old Testament National Israel). Therefore, spiritually speaking, the fair young virgins most likely represent those who God brings into the hearing of the Gospel of Salvation, represented by the New Testament Corporate Church. It is within the New Testament Corporate Church where the Elect/Chosen of God, the true Eternal Church (the Bride of Christ), will be found.
Again we should remember what God says in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.“
Esther 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]:“
Again it would seem that since the Word of God, the Bible, has gone out into the world, we know that it was entirely compiled and guided by God’s Holy Spirit, and by which many became professing Christians and came into the Corporate Church. (Hege/Hegai therefore serves as a Spiritual “Type”, who represents The Holy Spirit as is expounded further under verse 8 below.)
Esther 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.“
This would seem to have pointed us to the fact that it is within the Corporate Church that the Elect of God will be found, albeit as a smaller subset of that larger group.
Introduction of Mordecai, “A Certain Jew”
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;“
We must stop here for a moment to reflect quite awhile on this singular verse. This is a somewhat unusual verse in that it presents a lot of what at first might seem to be superfluous information on Mordecai’s ancestry. But we know that God does not waste any words. There is actually a lot of very significant information being provided to us to help us more clearly understand Who God Is, and more about His Magnificent Plan of Salvation through the Person and Redemptive/Atoning Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And because it is “concealed” within this verse, we, like the Bereans of old, much search it out. God specifically tells us in Proverbs 25:2, “[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing (dāḇār) : but the honour of kings is to search out a matter (dāḇār).” The concealing of The Word (Who Is Jesus) glorifies God, and it is an honor for the believers to search out The Word (Who Is Jesus).
Although the meaning of “Mordecai” (מָרְדְּכַי (mārdᵊḵay))H4782 is not clear, but it is said to mean “little man“, which is interesting, because it was Mordecai’s warning to the king that saved the kingdom and yet he was not remembered. Does not this sound somewhat similar to what we read in Ecclesiastes 9:13-17, “This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: [There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. The words of wise [men are] heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.“
This genealogy of Mordecai is important because, as a Benjamite, Mordecai was of the tribe of Benjamin (the only full brother of Joseph), whose name means “son of my right hand.” When Moses gave a blessing to the sons of Jacob/Israel, this is how he blessed Benjamin in Deuteronomy 33:12, “[And] of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by him; [and the LORD] shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.”
“Jair” means “He Enlightens“: “Shimei*” means “renowned” or “famous“: and “Kish” means “power” (also “bow” or “snare”…like the river Kishon). We know that a man named Kish was also the father of the first king of Israel, King Saul. 1 Samuel 9:1&2, “Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” The only progeny of King Saul to have been recorded as not having been killed off was Mephibosheth (King Saul’s grandson through Jonathan). Please see this exposition of Mephibosheth.
Is there a King Saul, Jonathan, Mephibosheth Connection to Esther and Mordecai?
It should also be noted that the genealogy provides some additional information that could be pertinent to any study of Mordecai, so let’s look a bit closer. The genealogy makes it clear that Mordecai was at least indirectly related (a kinsman) to King Saul.
As mentioned above, a man named Kish was the father of King Saul, who was also a Benjamite (perhaps ironically, so too was the Saul in the New Testament who later became known as Paul). While King Saul was an outwardly handsome man, of great stature, and a king after the people’s heart, he was faithless and not a king after God’s own heart as was King David. Nonetheless, God did show compassion and grace toward a remnant of that line by the hand of King David. This was true for Mephibosheth (a grandson of Saul through Jonathan) who we read about in 2 Samuel 9:13, “So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king’s table; and was lame on both his feet.” We also know that Mephibosheth had a least one son in David’s day, because we read that he had a young son named Micha in 2 Samuel 9:12 “And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name [was] Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba [were] servants unto Mephibosheth.“
While it remains unclear if Mordecai (and hence also Esther) are descended from Kish apart from King Saul (by the Shimei who cursed David?), or through King Saul via Jonathan and then Mephibosheth? (NOTE: The detailed lineages/decendents down from Mephibosheth are also listed to the end of the 1 Chronicles, Chapters 8 & 9 and do not provide any evidence of a direct from king Saul down to Mordecai or Esther).
However, if descended from Kish through Saul/Jonathan/Mephibosheth/Micha, and perhaps a later unlisted descendent who was also named Kish (again meaning “power” (also “bow” or “snare”…like the river Kishon), then both Mordecai and Esther would also be viewed as having:
1) A “royal lineage” through the failed house of Saul (and only due to the promised covenant between David (a type of Jesus Christ) and Jonathan (whom David loved and Jonathan loved David).
2) And, been beneficiaries of the eternal covenant established between the house of David and Jonathan, Saul’s son, that would ensure Jonathan’s seed continued “forever” as we read in 1 Samuel 20:42 “And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.”
This genealogical connection would then be particularly noteworthy, and yes, even amazingly ironic, when we consider that King Saul disobeyed God’s command to utterly destroy the Amalekites, as we read in 1Samuel 15:2&3, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember [that] which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid [wait] for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.” King Saul disobeyed God by capturing, but not killing, Agag, “Agag the king of the Amalekites“1 Samuel 15:8.
The following is the discourse between King Saul and Samuel, who, as a prophet of God, condemned King Saul for that disobedience. In 1 Samuel 15:20-23, we read, “And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from [being] king.”
It is therefore a most interesting irony that if King Saul been obedient to God’s command to kill the Amalekites, then the book of Esther would not have been written, because the adversary, Haman, who sought to destroy Mordecai and all of his people (the Jews), was none other than a descendent of king Agag (Samuel hewed king Agag in pieces in 1 Samuel 15:33)!
However, it all clearly served God’s Purpose for history to develop as it did, according to His Providential Will, to ultimately bring Glory and Honor to God through the fulfillment of His Covenant Promise to Abraham (as well as all of the Old Testament prophesies) to bring about the immaculate birth, sinless life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ to save a people for Himself.
Mordecai and Esther, as Benjamites (Likely of King Saul’s House) Fulfilled God’s Command that King Saul Had Disobeyed
So is it not most interesting, yes, even amazing, that, in the book of Esther, those who are possibly the descendants, or at the least, relatives, of King Saul, being all Benjamites, descended from a man named Kish would thus have fulfilled the earlier command of God, which King Saul had failed to do, in putting out the name of Amalek forever. That command’s fulfillment would be typified by the hanging of Haman and his ten sons as we read in Exodus 17:14-16, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this [for] a memorial in a book, and rehearse [it] in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn [that] the LORD [will have] war with Amalek from generation to generation.” It was therefore clearly all foreordained by God to play out and be recorded exactly as it occurred in Esther!
(NOTE: There is one additional irony to be found in the Bible with regard to the Amalekites and King Saul, the son of Kish, because according to 2 Samuel 1:13, it was was none other than “the son of a stranger, an Amalekite” who looted King Saul’s crown and who evidently falsely claimed to David that he had dealt the final lethal blow to King Saul after King Saul had been wounded in battle by Philistine archers (even though the wounded King Saul is recorded in two places in the Bible as having taken his own life by falling on his sword, see both 1 Samuel 31:1-6 and 1Chronicles 10:4). The full account regarding that Amalekite begins in 2 Samuel 1:1 where we read that, “Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had abode two days in Ziklag;” and ends with David putting that Amalekite to death 2 Samuel 1:16, “And David said unto him, Thy blood [be] upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.” The same account is also brought up later by King David in 2 Samuel 4:10, “When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who [thought] that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:”).
It is also clear that no matter how many times the Amalekites were “slaughtered” at various times in the Bible, that nonetheless, somehow, Haman survived (and Haman was a descendent of king Agag, who ruled the Amalekites in the time of king Saul and king Agag was killed by Samuel). It seems clear however, that even though the last Biblical reference to the slaughter of the Amalekites, which occurred during the reign of Judah’s King Hezekiah (where we are told 1 Chronicles 4:41-43 that 500 men from the tribe of Simeon “smote the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped)” that some Amalekites must have continued to live until the time of Esther. Given that there are no further mentions of the Amalekites (or Agagites) beyond the Book of Esther, then it is safe to conclude that the death of Haman and his ten sons marked the final end of the line for the Amalekites. [And we should not miss the point that it is also entirely consistent that the Amalekites, who are typological representative of the devil’s host opposed to the eternal Church of Christ, are portrayed in the historical parable of the Book of Esther as being wiped out on Judgment Day.]
Who is Jair?
As noted above, “Jair” means “He Enlightens“: Jair’s father was “Shimei“, which means “Renowned” or “Famous“: and his grandfather was “Kish“. As for Jair, we read of a man named Jair in Judges 10:3-5, who was a judge in Israel; and in 1 Chronicles 20:5 of another son of a man named Jair (named Elhanan, which means “God is a gracious giver“) who slew the brother of the giant Goliath. The genealogical namesakes remind us that Mordecai (like Saul who became Paul) was of a line that should have been cut-off by God, but nonetheless was instead a recipient of God’s grace.
Who is Shimei?
Shimei (or Shimhi or Shimi or Shimea) is also the name of a man descended from Saul who we read about in 2 Samuel 16:5, “And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name [was] Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.” Later in 2 Samuel 19:16-20, Shimei repented of his sin against David and begged for mercy, and David granted it, as we read in 2 Samuel 19:23, “Therefore the king said unto Shimei, Thou shalt not die. And the king sware unto him.” However, in the case of that Shimei, we later read 1 Kings 2:36-46 that because he did not obey King Solomon’s commandment to not cross the Brook Kidron (he turned again to folly), King Solomon had that Shimei put to death. (For more background how this was pre-determined by David immediately before his own death in his last words of instruction to his son Solomon, please see also 1Kings 2:8&9).
It is not possible to definitively rule out that Mordecai (as well as Esther) is descended from this same Benjamite Shimei, because this Shimei could have had children after being spared by king David, and before his being later put to death by Solomon. If that were so, then this would be another irony in that had David not spared Shimei, then Mordecai and Esther would not have been born…much like the ironic twist wherein if Saul had destroyed Agag and all the Amalekites, then Haman would not have been born. In any case, these comments are purely speculative on this teacher’s part, which are presented solely because of the mention of the Benjamite name, “Shimei”.
Esther 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.“
This verse provides us some history regarding Mordecai who was among those who were taken into captivity in Babylon. It is important to also note that Mordecai is specifically mentioned in two other books of the Old Testament as being among those who later returned to Jerusalem in the restoration, following the previous captivity into Babylon, as can be found in both Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7. This double witness validates that Mordecai was a real person in history during the associated time period.
Jeconiah (as we find in Jeremiah 24:1 is also called “Jehoiachin” and “Coniah” In Jeremiah 22:24, we read, “¶As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;“, was a king of Judah who was deported as part of the Babylonian captivity In 1 Chronicles 3:16&17, we read, “And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son. ¶And the sons of Jeconiah; Assir, Salathiel his son,“
This verse hearkens us back to the initial captivity that we read about in 2 Kings 24:14, “And he (Nebuchadnezzar) carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, [even] ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king’s mother, and the king’s wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, [those] carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.” and
2 Chronicles 36:10, “And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.” and
2 Chronicles 36:20, “And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:” and
Jeremiah 24:1, “¶The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs [were] set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.” (please see also to the end of the chapter ending with Jeremiah 24:10)
Introduction of Esther
Esther 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.“
Here we learn that Esther was an “orphan”. Please see Ruth and Esther: Widows and Orphans
Not only was Esther an orphan (“fatherless”) but we learn from this verse that her Jewish name was Hadassah (“Myrtle“) and that she was fair and beautiful. From this short and sweet introduction we can determine a lot about Esther.
Esther: A Portrait of the Bride of Jesus Christ, His Church
Esther 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.“
Esther 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.“
Esther’s Name
Esther’s Persian name, of uncertain meaning or derivation. Some commentaries claim that the name means “a star,” which, if true, would be consistent with the theme that Esther represents the believers over whom the devil wants to reign as we read in Isaiah 14:13. Note also in Psalm 148:3, “Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.” bearing in mind that Jesus is the Light! John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.“
Esther’s Hebrew name “Hadassah“, means “myrtle wood.” Because this name is of Hebrew origin it is easier to find correspondence in other parts of the Bible. When we search the scriptures, we find the following verses in which hadassah (“myrtle”) is also used:
Nehemiah 8:15, “And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as [it is] written.“
Isaiah 41:19, “I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, [and] the pine, and the box tree together:“
Isaiah 55:13, “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off.“
Zechariah 1:8-11, “I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that [were] in the bottom; and behind him [were there] red horses, speckled, and white. Then said I, O my lord, what [are] these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these [be]. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These [are they] whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.“ Jesus stood among the myrtle trees because they represent His Elect!
It can be concluded from the above that the myrtle tree is a representation of the believers, i.e., in the case of Isaiah 41:19, where in the wilderness (i.e., the world) thorns (unsaved people) flourish, God raises up myrtle trees (the believers). Please notice how in Zechariah 1:11, the “angel” (actually “messenger”) of the LORD stood among the myrtle trees. Does not God stand among the believers? Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
The “myrtle tree” is most likely the aromatic common myrtle (M. communis) is native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. This evergreen tree is said “to grow more than 5 meters, or about 16.5 feet, high. The opposite leaves are thick and lustrous, with many small, translucent, oil-bearing glands. The solitary white flowers, about 1.8 cm (about 0.7 inch) long, are borne on short stalks. The fruit is a purplish black, many-seeded berry. Myrtol, a volatile oil found in most parts of the plant, was formerly used as an antiseptic and tonic.”
A quick aside…In Isaiah 61:3, we read where God says, immediately following the most significant Messianic verses in Isaiah 61:1 & Isaiah 61:2 (The same words proclaimed by Jesus in Luke 4:18 and John 1:32, John 3:34) addressing Jesus’s salvation gospel message to the otherwise hopeless of the world (those who would become His Church) ” ...that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” God often compares healthy and fruitful trees to His people in the Bible.
A Hidden Spiritual Gem in Esther’s Name
We should also remember again that the name “Esther” is also a cross-cultural “homophone“, in that in Persian Esther means “Star“, but in Hebrew, Esther means “Concealed“. At a minimum, one could say that, by changing her name from Hadassah (Jewish) to Esther (Persian), it would have certainly helped her to “hide” or “conceal” her Jewish identity from potential enemies like Haman. While providing an interesting play on words (“pun”), we have also been shown from this study that there is far more hidden in the Book of Esther (by God) than just Esther’s Jewish identity.
For a much more in-depth exposition on Esther being a “Book of Concealment and Hidden Truth for the Believer“, please see this “The Hidden Spiritual Gem“.
Esther’s Attributes:
Esther was a “maid” (verse 2:7)
…2 Kings 5:2-4, “And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord [were] with the prophet that [is] in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And [one] went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maidthat [is] of the land of Israel.” NOTE; God used the little “maid” to be a witness of His power in Syria.
Esther was “fair” (verse 2:7)
…Job 42:15, “And in all the land were no women found [so] fairas the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.” Song of Solomon2:10, “My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.“
Song of Solomon 4:7, “Thou [art] all fair, my love; [there is] no spot in thee.“
Song of Solomon 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?
Esther was “beautiful” (lit. of good appearance or good countenance) (verse 2:7)…Song of Solomon 6:4, “Thou [art] beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as [an army] with banners.” and Isaiah 52:1, “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.” NOTE: God declares his bride to be the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21:2, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.“
Note also the description of the beautiful Queen in Psalm 45:9-17, and how closely the verses correlate with the depiction of Queen Esther and her coming into the presence of king Ahasuerus.
Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!“
Esther was a “virgin” (verses 2:3 with 2:8)
…Isaiah 62:5 “For [as] a young man marrieth a virgin, [so] shall thy sons marry thee: and [as] the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, [so] shall thy God rejoice over thee.” Jeremiah 31:4, “Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.“
1 Corinthians 7:28, “But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.”
2 Corinthiana 11:2, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.“
Esther was an “orphan.” (Esther 2:7)
… Lamentaitions 5:3, “We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers [are] as widows.“
As and orphan, Esther was also “fatherless”…Deuteronomy 10:18, “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.“
Job 29:12, “Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and [him that had] none to help him.
Psalm 68:5, “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, [is] God in his holy habitation.“
Jeremiah 49:11, “Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve [them] alive; and let thy widows trust in me.“
James 1:27, “ Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.“
Esther was “loved.” (Esther 2:17)
… Deuteronomy 33:2&3, “And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand [went] a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints [are] in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; [every one] shall receive of thy words.“
1 Kings 10:9, “Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.“
John 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.” We know that God loves those whom He sacrificed His Son to save.
John 13:23, “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.” Jesus loved John who typified all true believers.
John 13:34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.“
John 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” Jesus reveals (manifests) Himself to those whom He loves.
John 15:9, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.“
2 Thessalonians 2:16, “Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given [us] everlasting consolation and good hope through
grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
Esther found “Grace.” (Esther 2:17)
Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.“
Jeremiah 31:2, “Thus saith the LORD, The people [which were] left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; [even] Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.“
Acts 4:33, “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.“
Acts 15:11, “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.“
Acts 20:32, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.“
Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:“
Esther found “Favor.” (Esther 2:17)
…Genesis 39:21, “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.“
Psalm 5:12, “For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as [with] a shield.“
Psalm 30:5, “For his anger [endureth but] a moment; in his favour [is] life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning.“
Psalm 30:7, “LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, [and] I was troubled.“
Psalm 89:17, “For thou [art] the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.“
Psalm 119:58dd, “I entreated thy favour with [my] whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.“
Proverbs 3:4, “So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.“
Proverbs 8:35, “For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD.“
Proverbs 12:2, “A good [man] obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
Isaiah 60:10, “And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
Luke 1:30, “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.“
Acts 7:10, “And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.“
Acts 7:46, “Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.“
Esther Finds Favor
Esther 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.“
Introduction to Hegai/Hege
Hegai (Hege), One of the King’s Chamberlains, Appears To Be an Allegorical “Type” of God: The Holy Spirit
Esther was put in the king’s house and placed under the care and custody of Hegai, the keeper of the women. Hegai (Hege) (הֵגֵא (hēḡē’) H1896 was a chamberlain eunuch appointed by king Ahasuerus to attend Queen Esther whose name means either “eunuch” or “Meditation“; “Word“; “Groaning“; “Separation”, and he prepared Esther to come into the presence of the king by purifications “with nothing but what Hegai appointed“, and that was “six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with [other] things for the purifying of the women.”
1 John 2:20, “¶But ye have an unction (χρῖσμα (chrisma))G5545 from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” (“unction” means “anointing”) and in 1 John 2:27, “But the anointing (χρῖσμα (chrisma))G5545which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing (χρῖσμα (chrisma))G5545 teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.“ The anointing is of the Holy Spirit Who God the Father sent to the believers to lead them into all truth, and that Truth Is Jesus. Remembering also that in Romans 8:26 we read, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.“
Note also what Jesus said in John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that]shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” Note the consistency with John 14:26, “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
When we pray, we pray in The Spirit/The Holy Ghost, as we read in, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” and Jude 20&21, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
And we also know that The Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit: Romans 8:11-16, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ¶Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:“
Esther 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.“
Again we see this reference to “things for purification” which refer us again to the “unction/anointing” of God the Holy Spirit that all believers must receive. The Holy Spirit was sent by God the Father from Heaven for God’s Elect, Jesus’ Bride, the Church. It would seem that Esther had also been provided seven attending maidens as well, with the number seven (“7“) being a prime number that represents “Perfection” or “fulfillment” of whatever God has in view in the text, frequently “Perfection or fulfillment with respect to time” (but possibly also “Sanctification” for the Elect) as described further in this post.
Esther 2:10, “¶Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew [it].”
We must remember that Esther was a “Jew”, just like Mordecai was publicly known to be, of the tribe of Benjamin. And she was part of the captivity spoken of by God to the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 24:5-7 where God compared that remnant of the Jews to “good figs”, saying, “Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for [their] good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull [them] down; and I will plant them, and not pluck [them] up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [am] the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.“
While it was not initially clear why Esther’s heritage had to be concealed, it was later made known that it was all part of God’s Providential Plan to do “good” for His people, which ultimately, spiritually, points us to God’s elective grace towards His Eternal Israel, the Church, the Bride of Christ.
Esther 2:11, “And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.“
The words “to know how Esther did” could more accurately be translated from the original Hebrew as “to know the peace of Esther“. God never ceases to show compassionate concern and love for His Church for her peace with Him. Remember Jesus’ prayer to God The Father in John 17:9, “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.“
Queen Esther spiritually represents the Body of Believers (from both Jews (the remnant) and Gentiles; the true “Jews” or the eternal Israel also known as the Jesus church and spiritual bride)
Esther 2:12, “¶Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in 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 accomplished, [to wit], six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with [other ]things for the purifying of the women;)
Could the “One Year” Represent God’s Entire Salvation Plan, But Being Divided into Two Equal Parts?
In Esther 2:12, we read of a year of purification, “¶Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in 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 accomplished, [to wit], six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with [other] things for the purifying of the women;)”
It should be of particular interest as to why that “myrrh” was applied forthe first half of the year, and the “sweet odors” the last half of the year. The year is divided equally into two parts.
The First Six Months of the Year with “Oil of Myrrh“
We saw how in Chapter 1, that there was a six months period between two feasts, at the end of which Queen Vashti would not come when bidden by the king. Then here in Esther 2:12, we find another reference to six months (provided twice) wherein each of the two halves of a full year involved the two facets of Queen Esther’s purification, “¶Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in 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 accomplished, [to wit], six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with [other] things for the purifying of the women;)”
Therefore that 12 month period, divided into two equal parts, might well be a reference to the full “Acceptable Year of the Lord”, which would cover both the Old and New Testament Eras (as prophesied in Isaiah 61:2, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;” and referenced in Luke 4:19, “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”), wherein the 1/2 and 1/2 are a representation of equal importance of the two facets of purification over time. The first is the focus on the fulfillment of the Old Testament Sacrificial Laws with death of Christ as associated with the myrrh and the oil, typifying the application of the death of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The second 1/2 refers to the prayers of the saints for the elect sinners. Out of these two come, the choice of the favored bride, the new queen, Esther, representing the entire body of believers, the Bride of Christ.
We should also remember that the number six (“6“) identifies with “Work“, we see God’s Divine Work of Creation in six days, and also that “man” (who was created by God on the six day) and “man’s works” as opposed to God’s.
Then from Jesus’s Atonement, which marked the beginning of the New Testament Covenant Period with the sweet odors” being a reference to the Holy Spirit-inspired prayers of the New Testament saints. Please see Revelation 5:8, “And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” and Revelation 8:3&4, “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.“
The use of the word “myrrh” (מֹר (mōr))H4753 in association with the first half of the year is particularly noteworthy as it points to Jesus and His Sacrificial Death and Atonement. We can see this in part from the following verses: Solomon’s Song 1:13 “A bundle of myrrh [is] my well beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts” and in Matthew 2:11, when the wise men from the east brought three gifts to the child Jesus, “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”
Another presaging example of preparing Jesus’ body for burial is found in Mark 14:3-9, “¶And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured [it] on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, [this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.”
“Myrrh” was used as one of the ingredients to make holy anointing oil as we read in Exodus 30:23-32, “Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon half so much, [even] two hundred and fifty [shekels], and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty [shekels], And of cassia five hundred [shekels], after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.” That oil was used to anoint the furniture and vessels in the Holy Tabernacle and later Temple and to anoint the priests who were ordained to enter the Temple. Jesus would become our High Priest after the Order of Melchelzidek .
“Myrrh” is also he material used “to prepare” a dead body for burial as we read in John 19:38-40, where Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus prepared the body of Jesus with “myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound [weight]” before placing Him in the tomb, and “wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.”
Note how “myrrh” is applied elsewhere in the Bible: Psalm 45:8-17, “All thy garments [smell] of myrrh, and aloes, [and] cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings’ daughters [were] among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he [is] thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre [shall be there] with a gift; [even] the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. The king’s daughter [is] all glorious within: her clothing [is] of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.“ [Please note the similarities of some of the highlighted descriptive wording with regard to what we have been reading in Esther Chapter 2.]
So we can infer that the first six months is to remind us that the Old Testament Era points to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus (~2000 years from Abraham to Jesus fulfillment of the Old Covenant).
The Last Six Months of the Year with “Sweet Odours“
But is it not also interesting that the last half of the year (an equal part) is associated with “sweet odours“. We are reminded of Revelation 8:3-4, where we read that, “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” This is reminiscent of Psalm 141:2, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice.” And remember when John the Baptist’s father, Zacharias, as a priest, entered the Temple in Luke 1:8&9, “¶And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord, ” we then read in the next verse, Luke 1:10, “And the whole multitude of the people were praying without (outside the Temple) at the time of incense.“
We see in Esther 2:12, that Esther’s purification involved two steps covering two halves of a full year. “¶Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in 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 accomplished, [to wit], six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with [other] things for the purifying of the women;)”
Jesus’ death and burial are associated with “myrrh“. John 19:39 tells us, “And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound [weight].” (Note that it was also no accident that the last of the three gifts from the wise men brought to Jesus was myrrh in Matthew 2:11). Then from Jesus’ Atonement, which marked the beginning of the New Testament Covenant Period with the “sweet odours” being a reference to the Holy Spirit-inspired prayers of the New Testament saints. Please see Revelation 5:8, “And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.” and Revelation 8:3&4, “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.“
The Full Year?
Therefore that 12 month period, divided into two equal parts, is a reference to the Acceptable Year of the Lord, which is the whole New Testament Era (as prophesied in Isaiah 61:2, “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;” and referenced in Luke 4:19, “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”), wherein the 1/2 and 1/2 are a representation of equal importance of the two facets of purification. The first is the focus on the death of Christ associated with the myrrh and the oil, typifying the application of the death of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The second 1/2 refers to the prayers of the saints for the elect sinners. Out of these two come, the choice of the favored bride, the new queen, Esther, representing the entire body of believers, the Bride of Christ from both the Old and New Testaments.
A Possible Indication of God’s Timeline of History?
Could it therefore also be that we are being provided some insights on God’s timeline of history? The Old Testament Covenant Period lasted ~2000 years from Abraham until Jesus’ (the promised Messiah’s) Atonement, and then from Jesus’ Atonement, which marked the beginning of the New Testament Covenant Period with the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit until now, is about 2000 years as well.
The division of the year in Esther 2:12 might be interpreted as saying that the first six months represented the period of the Old Testament believers (the remnant saved by grace) that began with Abraham and ended ~2000 years later with Jesus’ death linked with the “myrrh“; while the last six months represents the New Testament Era, entailing the Church age, involving the active evangelizing of the whole world with the Gospel for the building Jesus Christ’s Church right up until Jesus’ Return in Judgment at the End of the World (~2000 years from 33 AD to the present time) linked with the “sweet odours“, hence God’s Holy Spirit having been poured out.
Esther 2:13, “Then thus came [every] maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.”
It is admittedly difficult for this teacher to be entirely confident of the spiritual meaning of this particular verse. However, it seems as though the women were able to determine how they might best prepare themselves to delight the king. It may be that this group of maidens represent the external “corporate church”, which believes that they can come into the presence of the God by their own efforts (choosing their own adornments) according to each’s own will, as opposed to Salvation by the gift of God’s grace alone (being adorned only with the Robes of Christ’s Righteousness). So there seems to be a division between the “maidens” and Esther who becomes the bride of the king… which is also the case where the true eternal church is actually a subset of the corporate professing church.
It may be that these maidens are allegorical examples of those that come under the hearing of the word in the corporate church, but never become saved, because they trust in their own works rather than solely God’s perfect grace. Remember what we read in Matthew 7:21, where Jesus said “¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” and in Luke 13:25, “When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.“
We should also remember 1 Timothy 2:9&10, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.“
Esther 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.“
From a temporal earthly standpoint we can understand how this could have been the case, as once each maiden would have been intimate with the king, they would have been effectively joined with him in marriage. From an eternal spiritual standpoint, this would seem to reflect the relationship that God has to the corporate church. However, only the eternal church, containing the ones who truly delight the Lord, would be among those that God specifically would have “called by name“.
In Psalm 65:4, we read, “Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple.“
And we know from Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.“
Introduction of Shaazhgaz
We are also introduced here to a third Chamberlain (likely another eunuch) named Shaashgaz, שַׁעַשְׁגַּז (šaʿašgaz)H8190, meaning “servant of the beautiful“. Shaashgaz was in charge of the concubines in the “second house“, after each had her year of purifications and after having come into the presence of the King the first time. It is not clear to this teacher what specific role Shaashgaz has, but he coould serve as a ministering angel from Heaven (Hebrews 1:13&14) and/or an earthly minister of the church (Matthew 19:12). We do know that Esther was described as beautiful in Esther 2:7, “And he (Mordecai) 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.”
Esther 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.“
This verse is rich with spiritual meaning, portraying Esther as a “Type” of all the believers, Mordecai as a Christ-like figure, and Hegai as the Holy Spirit.
Esther as the Fatherless
Esther, an orphan (as we were told earlier Esther 2:7), represents the “fatherless” whom God defends (Psalm 68:5; Deuteronomy 10:17-19; Job 29:12). This aligns with James 1:2, where pure religion involves caring for the fatherless and widows—who spiritually represent all those who are redeemed by God.
Who Does Abihail Represent?
- Name Meaning: “Abihail” (Hebrew: אֲבִיהַיִל (‘ăḇîhayil)H32 “father of strength, might, strength, and virtue“) might initially suggest God the Father. However, Esther’s orphan status complicates this interpretation.
- Familial Context: Abihail is Mordecai’s uncle, making Mordecai Esther’s cousin and elder kinsman.
- Allegorical Role: Abihail could represent Adam, the first “father”, who together with Eve, died (like Esther’s parents). Believers, orphaned by Adam’s Fall, are adopted by Christ, the “second Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Jesus, as a kinsman-redeemer (like Mordecai to Esther), adopts the believers into His Church.
Mordecai as a Type of Christ
Mordecai takes Esther as his daughter, mirroring how Jesus adopts believers as “sons of God” (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1&2; Galatians 3:26). Believers become “heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29; Titus 3:5-7; Colossians 1:12), and “God, “Who Is rich in mercy“, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” and “hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-6).
Hegai as the Holy Spirit:
Esther takes only what Hegai provides, symbolizing believers relying solely on the Holy Spirit’s anointing. We can also see again the connection of Hegai (Hege) with the Holy Spirit, because the believers who have been sanctified by the anointing and indwelling of the Holy Spirit require “nothing but” that which The Holy Spirit provides in order to come into the presence of the Everlasting King…The Lord God Almighty!
Now this verse helps to make clear to us how Esther was different from the other maidens. She took nothing of her own choosing to delight the king, but rather “nothing but” that which was provided for her by Hegai. This is because, spiritually speaking, the only thing that can make a person presentable to God is to have been granted spiritual rebirth through the anointing of God The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, because of Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice. The true believers are gifted the Robes of Christ’s Righteousness to make them presentable before Holy God in Heaven. All the uncleanness of sin will be fully covered.
Key Takeaway:
Esther’s story, as found in this one verse, illustrates God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan: Despite having been spiritually orphaned by Adam (Abihail), the saints (Esther) are redeemed by Christ (Mordecai), and sanctified by the Spirit (Hegai) to be able to before Almighty God.
Esther 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.“
This is somewhat reminiscent of Ephesians 2:4-7, “¶But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised [us] up together, and made [us] sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.“
The numbers “ten” and “seven” also have a spiritual meaning, as is explained in detail in this post. They indicate, respectively, “completeness” and “perfection” (in this case with respect to timing). [It should be noted that the tenth month in the Hebrew calendar is actually around December (or the end of the year) in the Gregorian calendar.]
Esther Becomes Queen
Esther 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.“
Again we need to review the reference verses above: Ephesians 2:4-7, which employ the same key words as found in this verse. This is also somewhat reminiscent of the ten virgins in Jesus’ Parable where the five wise virgins represent the elect of God, and the five foolish virgins did not.
We should also note that “the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins;” The king loved Esther with the most intense “love”, אָהַב (‘āhaḇ)H157. Remember what Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus loves His church, the body of believers with the greatest love this world would ever know.
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.”
From a spiritual perspective we can see a correlation with what we are told in Psalm 146:5-7, “Happy [is he] that [hath] the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope [is] in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein [is]: which keepeth truth for ever: Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners:“
Ephesians 4:8, “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”
Esther 2:19, “¶And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.”
It is not yet clear to this teacher the spiritual implications of a second gathering together of the virgins, but we are told that it was at that specific time, that “Mordecai sat in the king’s gate“. In any case, we can understand this to mean that Moredecai was chosen to be one of the porters or door-keepers of the court reminiscent of Boaz in the Book of Ruth.
We also know that Mordecai had to have been considered an elder in the city, because he sat in the king’s gate. And remember what we read concerning the Virtuous Women in Proverbs 31:23, “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.“
Est 2:20, “Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.”
We should remember here that Esther’s Hebrew name was Haddasah (“Myrtle“), yet she continued to go by her Persian name Esther (“Star“). This was evidently the way that Mordecai had chosen to keep her Jewish identity hidden. It is noteworthy that in this temporal world no one can really tell from outward appearances who is part of the Eternal Israel of God or not. That identity will only be revealed on the last day.
As as for Esther being obedient to that commandment of Mordecai, we should remember also what Jesus said in John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” and John 15:10, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.“
Mordecai Saves the King
Esther 2:21, “¶In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan (בִּגְתָן (biḡṯān)H904 and Teresh תֶּרֶשׁ (tereš)H8657, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.”
Historically, only the city elders “sat in the king’s gate“, and they would serve as the city watchman to monitor who was coming and going through the gate and determine the type of commerce each person might be engaged in within the city walls. These two chamberlain were senior officials of the kingdom in that they were specifically described as “of those which kept the door” and “keepers of the door” (gate).
Bigthan (also Bigthana in Esther 6:2) means “In their wine-press” and Teresh means “Strictness“.
Esther 2:22, “And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai’s name.“
The treasonous plot was made “known to Mordecai”. We do not know the historical facts as to how this was discovered by Mordecai, but most likely was a result of Mordecai overhearing the plotters being near them in the king’s gate. This brings to mind the admonition of God in Ecclesiastes 10:20, “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.“
In any case, its true importance is how it spiritually relates to Jesus. While we cannot be certain that each word or verse can be perfectly interpreted in the spiritual context, it may be that Mordecai (serving as a “Type” of Jesus), shared the Truth of His Word with Esther (serving as a “Type” of the Elect of God) who then make petitions to the king (serving as a “Type” of God the Father) in the name of Jesus Christ.
We might also consider that a rebellion against the king by those (possibly eunuchs) who kept the door, Bigthan and Teresh, could possibly represent the fallen angels that we read about in
- 2 Peter 2:4, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;“
- Jude 1:6, “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
- Revelation 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.“
Another possibility is that the two traitors represent Adam and Eve, because they rebelled against God’s Commandment and desired to be like God (e.g, like the king in Esther).
Finally, it should be noted that it was extremely important that Mordecai was specifically named in a written record as being the source of the information that saved the king as we will later read in Esther 6:2, “And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.”
Esther 2:23, “And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.“
It is clear from a Biblical standpoint that these two named traitors and potential assassins were found out, and were subsequently condemned, and they were also “cursed” from a spiritual perspective because of what we read in Galatians 3:13, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:” This hearkens back to Deuteronomy 21:22&23, “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged [is] accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.“
The last part of this verse is again extremely important because it clearly states that the events surrounding the thwarted assassination plot were recorded in the king’s book of chronicles, such that it could later be researched to remember and recognize the meritorious role of Mordecai as we read in Esther 6:1&2, “¶On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.”
Further, despite having saved the life of the king, Moredecai and his good deed were soon forgotten. This is similar to the account in Ecclesiastes 9:14&15, “[There was] a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.” Isn’t this similar to the wisdom of Jesus Christ who became poor that the believer’s might become rich in Him. Didn’t Jesus save His beloved Church, the “city” of the New Jerusalem? Nonetheless, following the abasement Mordecai suffered by the putting on sackcloth and sitting in ashes, eventually he was exalted to the right hand of the king. Isn’t this similar to what we read of Jesus?
Additional Notes
1) How Can Queen Vashti Represent National Israel? and Being Permanently Replaced by Esther?
Many other people have also taken issue with the idea that Queen Vashti could represent Old Testament National Israel and “her royal estate being given unto another that is better than she,” (The another, meaning the Jewish maid, Esther, a figure or type of the true eternal body of believers from both the Old and New Testaments.) This can be so because the Gospel of Salvation (through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, The Jewish Messiah) is intended for the whole world, both Jew and Gentile, and no longer exclusive to National Israel (although a remnant will nonetheless be saved).
Please see Matthew Chapter 22 where Jesus provides the parable about the king who prepares a marriage feast for his son, but those that were bidden did not come…”they made light of it” and others slew the servants of the king. So then in Matthew 22:7-9 we read, “But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” Isn’t this just like the case we read about for Queen Vashti, the kings first wife, and then the search for another wife who was better than she (more worthy)?
The concept of God becoming estranged from Old Testament National Israel is a difficult one for most Christians to accept. God said that except for adultery there could be no divorce (please see Matthew 5:32 based on Deuteronomy 24:1) and the Bible makes clear the spiritual adultery of National Israel (please see Hosea 2:2). Nonetheless, based on Mark 10:2-12, God took the higher road, in that the final separation did not finally take place until the death of Jesus (God in the Flesh) on the cross. That death effectively terminated the previous marriage according to the original law (Genesis 2:24), freeing Jesus to marry another whom God esteemed to be better than she, which is the new bride, the eternal Christian Church.
2) Who Best Represents the Likeness of Jesus Christ: Esther or Mordecai?
Many, if not all, other commentaries on the Book of Esther claim that Esther (if she can be likened to anyone or anything) is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, because (the authors of those commentaries claim), “Esther saved her people from destruction.” Is that true? Before we begin to answer that question, we must first be aware that absolutely nowhere in the Bible is a bride (or queen) ever likened to Jesus Christ. Jesus is always the Bridegroom (or Prince or King), while the Church (the body of Believers) is always represented by a woman, the bride (see Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:19, Luke 5:34, Psalm 19:5, Isaiah 61:10, Jeremiah 7:34, Jeremiah 16:9, Jeremiah 25:10, Jeremiah 33:11, Joel 2:16, Revelation 18:23). That having been said, was it Esther or Mordecai that saved the Jews?
In Esther 2:22, we read where Mordecai overheard a coup against the king, “And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told [it] unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king [thereof] in Mordecai’s name.” Who had the knowledge at the first?, and in whose name was the testimony certified? The plot was first known by Mordecai, and he told it to Esther who then reported to the king in Mordecai’s name, not Esther’s! So let us now think about the spiritual implications.
When we, as Christians, petition (pray to) Heavenly Father, do we close the prayer in the name of the bride, or the Bridegroom? We are to pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ! He is the One with knowledge that gives life, and He imparts it to us by His Holy Spirit. We don’t even know how or what to pray for unless He first tells us. Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.“
Remember also that Esther was an orphan (being “fatherless,” she was, according to the Bible, spiritually desolate by nature…as everyone is before being saved), she was brought up or nourished by Mordecai, and not the other way around. He was, in effect, her kinsman redeemer (much as Boaz, another figure of Christ, to Ruth the Moabitish widow…and, as a “widow”, she was another Biblical figure of everyone who is desolate by nature before being saved. Please see: The Introduction to Ruth and Esther ). Esther went into the king’s presence at the instruction of Mordecai, walking by faith (“if I perish, I perish“). She only acted as any faithful believer in Christ should act, humbly trusting in God’s mercy alone to save her. Note that in Hebrews 12:2, we read, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” The Church is the vehicle that God uses to bring the salvation message to save the true Jews (the elect of God, the true believing Christians). The believers pray to their Father in Heaven for the salvation of God’s elect in the name of Jesus Christ. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Furthermore, aren’t the believers told in Hebrews 4:16 to “…come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.“? And please note the harmony with Psalm 65:4, “Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple.“
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Tags: Bible, chapter-2, david, Esther, expostion, faith, God
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