Bereansearching Bible Studies

Introduction

For the curious reader, it should be understood that this study is one of six “Character Profiles”, which in addition to this one include 1) King Ahasuerus, 2) Mordecai, 3) Esther, 4) Heggai/Hatach, and 5) Haman. These profiles are all excerpted from an in-depth, expositional commentary of The Book of Esther which shows, by many examples, how the Book of Esther was supernaturally crafted by God, through the orchestration of time and space along with God’s Holy Spirit inspired recording of it, to perfectly form an Historical Parable. More clearly stated, the Book of Esther has both an earthly/historical meaning and a heavenly/eternal spiritual meaning, which involves significant use of “allegories” and “types“. This study is one of many posted on this website to show that there are many such Hidden Treasures embedded within the various historical accounts that are recorded in the Bible. The Bible is a Spiritual Book, and the understanding of many of the key aspects of the Bible requires spiritual discernment. It should also be remembered that Jesus only spoke in parables to the multitude for the reasons explained here: “Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?“.

Beautiful Queen Vashti Was the First Queen of King Ahasuerus

Queen Vashti: Whose name in Hebrew is וַשְׁתִּי (vaštî)^H2060 means “Beautiful” was, evidently, indeed a beautiful first queen. When she was bidden by the king (by his “commandment”) to a great feast, she refused to come while holding her own feast for the women; so the king decreed that she could never again come into his presence.  The king also decreed, at the advice of his wise men, that her royal estate be given “to another that is better than she.”  King Ahasuerus sent letters to all his provinces to be published “to every people after their language” to find a replacement for Queen Vashti.

King Ahasuerus replaced his first queen, Vashti, for her disobedience in not coming to the King’s feast at the middle of the year (180 days after the first feast) when bidden by his commandment, and then he gives her royal estate to Esther (the Jewish orphan raised up by her elder Benjamite kinsman, Mordecai) who has been properly anointed by the King’s Chamberlain, Hegai.

Vashti Was Disobedient to the King’s Commandment

Vashti was a beautiful first queen, but she rebelled against the King and refused to come to his feast, but rather held her own feast for the women in the royal palace that belonged to the King.  Deuteronomy 31:16-18 explains how this can be so, as does Jesus’ parable of the “Great Supper” in Luke 14:16-24, particularly the last verse Luke 14:24, “For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” And note that it was the “chief priests and Pharisees” who knew that Jesus was describing them through those parables as we read in Matthew 21:45, “¶And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.“

For the queen to be disobedient to the king’s commandment, is the same as a wife usurping the authority of her husband, rejecting subordination, which is rebellion and contrary to God’s word as we read in 1 Peter 3:1, “¶Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands;” and in 1 Peter 3:5, “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:“. (Please see more below regarding Esther 1:20) Moreover, if punishment for rebellion is not meted out quickly then the rebellion will spread as we read in Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Esther 1:19, “If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.“

Queen Vashti Equates to National Israel of the Old Testament

How then are we to interpret this verse?  Well, we must realize that God had, in effect, 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.”

Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.“

2 Kings 17:23, “Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.“

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.“

God Rejected Old Testament National Israel but Remembers His Covenant

Old Testament National Israel Became Estranged from God

In Esther 2:1, we read, “After these things, when the wrath (חֵמָה (ḥēmâ))^H2534 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 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 replaced by Esther. 

Remember also what we read in Amos 8:1-14 concerning National Israel, particularly Amos 8:2, “And he (God) said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the LORD unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.“

Moreover, 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.“

God Remembers His Covenant

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 National Israel (as a corporate body) 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.

And what else does the Bible say on this issue?  With respect to “remembering” Vashti, we know that God never forgets His covenant with 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.”

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.”

We also see this spelled out in Isaiah 65:8-10, “¶Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing [is] in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and mine elect shall inherit it,and my servants shall dwell there. And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.”

Romans 11:15, “For if the casting away of them [be] the reconciling of the world, what [shall] the receiving [of them be], but life from the dead?”

The Bride of Christ (Eternal Israel) Is Better Than Old Testament National Israel

We also know that the believers are referred to throughout the Bible as the Bride of Jesus Christ (and Jesus Christ is also God).  That Bride is described in the Bible with all the attributes ascribed to Esther.  The true believers replaced National Israel (pictured by Vashti), God’s former chosen people, whom He effectively divorced at the cross (We see this in Jeremiah 3:8 regarding the initial divorce by God of the first ten tribes of Israel, “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.” as well as 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.“) because they would not come when bidden to the final Passover Feast (they rejected Jesus as Messiah, the Perfect Passover Lamb of God and His Wedding Feast and Great Supper…see Matthew 22:1–14  and  Luke 14:15-24).

Note what can be found in Isaiah 54:5-7, “For thy Maker [is] thine husband; the LORD of hosts [is] his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.” Salvation is given to God’s elect who were previously estranged from God because of sin, but now form His Bride, the eternal church of Jesus Christ. And those elect are not just a remnant of the Jews but include those believers who previously had no spiritual relationship with God, the Gentiles. That is why we read in Isaiah 54:3, “…thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles,…”.

Esther 1:20, “And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.”

Note the consistency with God’s Word on this topic. God ordained that the marriage relationship between a man and a woman is unequivocally a spiritual ‘Type’ for the marriage relationship between Christ and His Church as we read in Ephesians 5:22-25, “¶Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 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.Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. ¶Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;“

And reading a bit further on we find this additional admonition from God in His Word as we read in Ephesians 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.” 

Ephesians 6:2, “Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” While this has temporal implications and hearkens us back to the Ten Commandments in Exodus, we should be aware of the spiritual implications interwoven within the text. In essence, we are to honor God our Father in Heaven and our mother the Church from where we heard the Word preached, and, once saved, by being an active part within it.

Colossians 3:18&19, “¶Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. ¶ Husbands, love [your] wives, and be not bitter against them.“

1 Timothy 2:12, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve.“

Clearly Vashti did not render due reverence to her husband, king Ahasuerus per God’s directive. She served as the exact personification of what we read in Jeremiah 3:20, “Surely [as] a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.” 

A Remnant of National Israel Will Nonetheless Still Be Saved

However, God tells us that there will still be a remnant of National Israel that will be saved when we look back a few verses to Jeremiah 3:14&15, “¶Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” God is promising that The remnant of National Israel would be brought into the body of believers, the church, but only in an extremely small number. They would be taught by God’s “pastors” who would teach them the Truth about Jesus, the source of all knowledge and understanding, such that they would be saved.

God makes clear via the Apostle Paul writings in Galatians 3 that “eternal Israel” consists only of those who are in Christ Jesus, regardless of nationality (whether a remnant of the Jews or from the Gentiles (e.g., “Greeks”)) who are all saved by Grace alone, by faith alone, and not in any way based on either works of the law or ancestral lineage traced back to Abraham.

Conclusion

The takeaway is that God remembered and performed His covenant unto what was Old Testatment Israel with a new and everlasting covenant in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, Who Is The Seed out of the remnant of Jacob. And God’s elect, His servants, are the “spiritual” “eternal” Israel. They are 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;”

Note to the Reader: This post should be read in conjunction with the Book of Ruth. In that post, it is made clear that God does not completely abandon National Israel, as a remnant will still be saved. Naomi, Ruth’s widowed mother-in-law, is saved and blessed just like Ruth. Naomi represents the saved Jews of the world in Christ, and Ruth represents all the saved Gentiles of the world in Christ.

We should also remember that both Ruth and Esther are the only books in the Bible named for women as they also represents “widows” and “fatherless” respectively. For more on this please see this post: Widows and Orphans.

INTRODUCTION

This study explores  Proverbs 31:10-31, focusing on the spiritual significance of the opening rhetorical question, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Unlike most interpretations that emphasize the virtuous woman’s attributes as a model for feminine wisdom and strength in serving family and community in this temporal world, this study takes a different approach. This study asserts that the passage’s meaning rests not upon the earthly roles for a woman, but rather, more significantly, a deeper spiritual eternal perspective. While many God-fearing women can embody admirable qualities—modesty, kindness, dedication, and nurturing their children in faith—no human can fully meet the perfection described in Proverbs 31. Yet, by God’s grace, “saved sinners” actually do fulfill the Divine standard of the “virtuous woman” as viewed by God because of the imputed perfection from the Lord Jesus Christ because of His Atoning Sacrifice for the sins of His elect.

This analysis examines the passage through to the end of the Book of Proverbs, highlighting key words and their spiritual implications within the context of the entire Bible by comparing scripture with scripture consistent with what we are told in 1 Corinthians 2:13, “¶Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” It presents the “virtuous woman” as a metaphor for the Bride of Christ—the Church, the body of believers, by tracing key descriptive words throughout Biblical scripture to reveal this truth. Readers are encouraged to reflect on these connections and invited to share comments, questions, or critiques. 

To be clear, this study is explicitly “spiritual” in focus, and not a commentary on “earthly” roles of a woman from a human perspective. Most existing works already take that view. Perhaps the best such “non-spiritualized” commentary is that of Matthew Henry (circa 1710), found here, which does provide some interesting insights, such as noting that the passage’s structure of 22 verses, each begin with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, is akin to Psalm 119. Could that fact be giving us another subtle indication that the “virtuous woman” represents the eternal Church being a reflection of her Husband, Jesus Christ?…because of what we read in Revelation 1:8, where Jesus said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (See also Revelation 1:11, 21:6, 22:13)

Note to the reader: Although the description of the Virtuous Woman begins in verse 10 of chapter 31, we should take note that it is presented in the context of the preceding nine verses…which are explained to be prophetic (taking the form of a parable) as words of instruction to King Lemuel from his mother. Therefore, in addition to a warning of not perverting judgment, and how to also deal with the sad state of affairs of the lost, it sets the stage for the following description of a virtuous woman whom, implicitly, a king should seek for a bride.

Let us now pursue this perspective more closely…

Jesus is the Bridegroom/Husband and the Church is the Bride/Wife

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom/Husband, and the Church (the body of believers) is the Bride/Wife.  This concept is derived from both 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.“

Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels.“

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.”

And remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 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.“

And Jesus clearly referred to Himself as the Bridegroom in Mark 2:19&20, “And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”

Verse by Verse Exposition of Proverbs 31:10-31 Portraying the Bride of Christ

Proverbs 31:10, “Who can find a virtuous (חַיִל (ḥayil))^H2428 woman? for her price מֶכֶר (meḵer))^H4377 [is] far above rubies (פניים (p̄nyym)^H6443.”

Theme of this verse: The Church is “Priceless” and “Precious” (Because Jesus Christ and His Shed Blood are Priceless and Precious)

We should begin by asking ourselves, is there a meaning beyond just the literal earthly meaning of living happily if a man is married to a virtuous woman?  The answer is, yes, absolutely there is.  There is the spiritual meaning where the earthly shadow points us to the Heavenly substance. Moreover, although there indeed are, and always have been, many very virtuous/strong women/wives throughout time, the reality is that there have never been any “perfectly” virtuous women on earth.  This is because every one is under the curse of sin and death because of the fall of Adam. Romans 3:10, makes clear, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”

And that is where Jesus must come in, as only Jesus can make someone become righteous, and hence perfectly “virtuous”.  We read in Romans 4:8, “Blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Everyone needs the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to him or her, because no one is naturally righteous in God’s eyes.  We are all innately sinners, and, therefore, no one can be, or make themselves, righteous (perfectly virtuous).

“Who Can Find”?

Implicit in the opening rhetorical question is that a “Virtuous” Woman is a rarity in the world, and therefore exceedingly valued.  As we read at the end of the verse, she is so rare as to have an incomparable value. The word in the original Hebrew that is translated as “find” is מָצָא (māṣā’)^H4672, which is found 455 times in the Old Testament.  It means as it sounds, to “find”, but also to “secure”, “acquire”, “get” (thing sought), or to find (what is lost).   Interestingly enough, as lost sheep, all believers need to be found.  In Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus alluded to this in Matthew 18:12, “How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?” (Please see also “Luke Chapter 15 and The Parable of the Prodigal Son“.)  

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes our need for imputed righteousness plain. Jesus said in Matthew 5:48, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” The Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus can make someone perfect and therefore virtuous becuase of Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice on that person’s behalf.  Jesus serves as that person’s Kinsman Redeemer because Jesus paid the price for that person’s sins.

“Virtuous Woman”

This word translated into English by the King James translators is in the original Hebrew, חַיִל (ḥayil))^H2428, and is only translated as “virtuous” or “virtuously” four times in the Old Testament.  The other three times are:

1. Proverbs 12:4, “A virtuous^H2428 woman [is] a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed [is] as rottenness in his bones.”
2. Ruth 3:11, where Boaz says to Ruth, “And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou [art] a virtuous^H2428woman.
3. Proverbs 31:29, “Many daughters have done virtuously,^H2428 but thou excellest them all.“

This word חַיִל (ḥayil)^H2428 is actually found in the Old Testament ~243 times, and has also been translated variously as follows army (56x), man of valour (37x), host (29x), forces (14x), valiant (13x), strength (12x), riches (11x), wealth (10x), power (9x), substance (8x), might (6x), strong (5x), virtuous(-ly) (4x), miscellaneous (29x), the latter including “worthily“.  It is safe to say that this word is a compliment of the highest order, particularly when we think of Jesus, and His imputation of His substance to the believer. Just as Boaz, “a mighty man of wealth^H2428“, who married Ruth and served as her Kinsman Redeemer, so too is Jesus Christ the Bridegroom and Kinsman Redeemer to His virtuous Bride, the eternal Church as the eternal Israel of God.

Note these two times that the word חַיִל (ḥayil))^H2428 appears in the Book of Ruth: 

1. Ruth 2:1, “And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, ^H2428 of the family of Elimelech; and his name [was] Boaz.” and
2. Ruth 4:11, where we read of the blessing upon Ruth for her baby boy born of Boaz who became the grandfather of King David and ultimately a direct ancestor on Mary’s side of the Lord Jesus Christ, “And all the people that [were] in the gate, and the elders, said, [We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine houselike Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily^H2428 in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem.“

Ruth was identified as “virtuous”, and she certainly did “worthily”. Ruth married Boaz the mighty man of “wealth”.  We could also say that, in their marriage, they were both “valiant”, “strong”, “powerful”, and blessed with “substance”.  For a more in depth study on the spiritual implications of the roles of Ruth and Boaz please see “The Book of Ruth“.

It is also notable that the word translated as “virtuous” could also be translated as “strong“. In 1 Kings 8:2 we read, “And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which [is] the seventh month.” Interestingly enough, the seventh month (where we find the Feast of Tablernacles) was then called “Ethanim”, איתנים (‘yṯnym)^H388 (known post-Biblicly as “Tishri”), also means “strong” “enduring” “valiant” or “constantly flowing” as pertaining to a perennial stream aka, “living water”.) So we could then also say that a virtuous woman is like all those who come up to the Feast of Tabernacles, which is a parabolic reference to the believers going into Heaven for eternity.

In the New Testament, from the original Greek, the word translated as “virtue” is (ἀρετή (aretē))^G703: 1) 2 Peter 1:3-5, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue (ἀρετή(aretē))^G703: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ¶And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue^G703; and to virtue ^G703 knowledge;“ 2) Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue,^G703 and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.“

“More Precious than Rubies“

In Proverbs 3:15, God describes “wisdom” חָכְמָה (ḥāḵmâ)^H2451 and “understanding” תָּבוּן (tāḇûn)^H8394 in the female gender, just like the Virtuous Woman, “She [is] more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.” Moreover we are told in Proverbs 8:10-11, “Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom [is] better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” and in Job 28:18, “No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom [is] above rubies.” Also in Proverbs 20:15, we read that “There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.” Note also how the Apostle Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 3:12, to point out that the believers (those in Christ), in being part of the building of the eternal Temple of God, are considered by God to be, in addition to gold and silver, “precious stones“.

In sum, we can say that the Virtuous Woman is endowed with, “Wisdom”, “Understanding”, and “Knowledge” which are consistent with the attributes of the Believer in Christ, and hence the believer is more valuable than “rubies”. We know this is the case because every believer (as part of the larger Bride of Christ) was bought with the precious blood of Jesus, whose value is beyond price. Jesus gave all of Himself as a ransom to purchase the believers. We can compare this value, and purchase, to what we read about the “Pearl of Great Price”, which we read about as spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 13:45, “¶Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Similarly, the “hid treasure” immediately preceding in Matthew 13:44, “¶Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.“

Also note how in 1 Peter 3:1-5 we read of the virtuous wife how she is of great price in the sight of God, “¶Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation [coupled] with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But [let it be] the hidden man (woman) of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:“

And what really is the Price?

The “Price” for the Virtuous Woman (the Church) is the Shed Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Which Price is certainly immeasurable! Remember what we read in 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body,  and in your spirit, which are God’s.” and 1 Corinthians 7:23, “Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Peter 1:17-21, “¶And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning [here] in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope  might be in God.“

Proverbs 31:11, “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil (שָׁלָל (šālāl))^H7998.”

Theme of this verse: The Church “Evangelizes“

The word in the original Hebrew that is translated as “husband” is בַּעַל (baʿal)^H1167, which could also be translated as “lord” or “owner“.

The word in the original Hebrew that is translated as “trust” is בָּטַח (bāṭaḥ)^H982 as we read in Proverbs 3:5&6, “Trust ^H982 in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  The word could also be translated as “to have confidence“.

As for having “no need of spoil“,  Psalm 119:162, tells us “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil (שָׁלָל (šālāl))^H7998.”  If the believers (typified by the virtuous woman) rejoice for having God’s Word, it as if they already have acquired great spoil, and hence have no need of additional spoil.  So wouldn’t it be true also of the husband of the virtuous woman?   Certainly, Jesus has no need of spoil.

The word in the original Hebrew that is translated as “trust” is בָּטַח (bāṭaḥ)^H982 as we read in Proverbs 3:5&6, “Trust ^H982 in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”  The word could also be translated as “to have confidence“.

As for having “no need of spoil“,  Psalm 119:162, tells us “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil (שָׁלָל (šālāl))^H7998.”  If the believers (typified by the virtuous woman) rejoice for having God’s Word, it as if they already have acquired great spoil, and hence have no need of additional spoil.  So wouldn’t it be true also of the husband of the virtuous woman?   We know that Jesus has no need of spoil.

We also know that Proverbs 18:22, “[Whoso] findeth a wife findeth a good [thing], and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” and Proverbs 19:14, “House and riches [are] the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife [is] from the LORD.“ and in Ecclesiastes 9:9, we are also told by God to, “Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he (God) hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that [is] thy portion in [this] life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.”

Proverbs 31:12, “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

Theme of this vers: The Church “Testifies”

The believer, having the indwelling Spirit of Christ, The Holy Spirit, can only do “good” in the Spirit (only God is “Good” Matthew 19:17).  The Apostle Paul was moved to write in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ¶I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”   Remember that the believer is still a sinner in the flesh, and can do no good thing, but in Christ, the believer is clothed in the robes of Christ’s righteousness and is viewed as “good”.  Moreover, Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.“

Proverbs 31:13, ” She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.” 

Theme of this verse: The Church “Prepares”

“She Prepares for a Covering”

Wool and flax (used to make linen) which are for the purpose of making clothing to cover one’s nakedness of trespasses and sins. This is exactly what we read in Hosea 2:9, where we are told that God had provided National Israel (the non-virtuous woman) with “my wool and my flax [given] to cover her nakedness“, but that God was going to recover /take away that covering because of her adultery.  So we can say that the Virtuous Woman (the eternal Church) seeks to provide a covering for the nakedness of sins (the covering being typified by the wool and flax/linen), which can only come from Jesus, as the believer’s sin Bearer, through the faithful sharing of the Gospel of Salvation. Jesus as the Lamb of God provides the “spiritual wool” for the sin covering as we read in John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” As as for the flax/linen, we should remember what we read in Revelation 19:7&8, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.“

As for working willingly with her hands, we are again reminded of Philippians 2:13, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.“

However, it is not so with the slothful as we read in Proverbs 21:25, “The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.“

Moreover, the virtuous woman is diligently working as we read below and completely unlike the slothful woman who remains at ease that we read about in Isaiah 32:9, “Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech. Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come. Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird [sackcloth] upon [your] loins.“

“She Provides Food”

Proverbs 31:14, “She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.” 

Theme of this verse: The Church “Provides”

The food represents the “Word of God” as we read in Amos 8:11&12, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find [it].“

That that “food from afar” is the “Bread of Life from Heaven”…Who is Jesus. Remember what we are told in John 6:32, “¶Then Jesus said unto them (the Jews), Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven;  but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. ¶Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. ¶And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” and again in John 6:48, Jesus repeated, “I am that bread of life.“

When a Christian shares the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, then that Christian is sharing the Bread of Life from Heaven to give eternal life to an otherwise starving and therefore dying world.

In Ezekiel chapter 27, we read a lot about the merchant ships that brought all manner of goods and food from afar via Tyre, (although Tyre was condemned by God because of its pride).

The Christian is instructed in Romans 12:11 to, “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;“

Proverbs 31:15, “She riseth (קוּם (qûm))^H6965 also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.“  

Theme of this verse: The Church “Nourishes” in the “Night”

The virtuous woman “rises“, typifying the fact that the believers take part in the first resurrection, while it is still “night“.

We should remember that the first time this word “night” appears in the Bible is in Genesis 1:5, “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night...” And in we read Psalm 90:4, “For a thousand years in thy sight [are but] as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.”

The “thousand years” is also a metaphor for the whole New Testament era, when the devil was bound at the cross, as is found where referenced as the “thousand year reign” that we find in Revelation 20:2-7, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,” (The Final Tribulation is that little season when the devil is loosed at the end of the New Testament Era.)

This current temporal world (which includes the whole New Testament Era) is actually a time of spiritual darkness, which is typified in the Bible by the “night”. This brings to mind what we read in Romans 13:11&12, “¶And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

The believer knows that the time is short, and that Jesus is coming back again soon, and that the believer cannot stay asleep but must rise in the night to bring nourishment, the Bread of Life to a dead and dying world. Noting also, in speaking to the Church, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, “¶But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” and then immediately following in 1 Thessalonians 5:5-7, “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.” And speaking of the night and those who remain sleeping in the night, the unsaved will metaphorically be awakened suddenly at “Midnight” as is explained in this post: “Midnight in the Bible: A Metaphor for Judgment Day“.

We will not truly have “day” until Jesus returns, as it is written in Malachi 4:2, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Also in 2 Peter 1:19, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star  arise in your hearts:“

So the Christian shares the Gospel of Salvation through the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And in doing so, Christians become as Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

Remember also what the Apostle Paul was inspired to say in 1 Thessalonians 2:9, “For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.“

The meat, like bread, represents the life giving Gospel of Salvation that dispersed by the eternal Church of Christ. Remember in John 6:55, where Jesus said, “For my flesh is meat indeed,  and my blood is drink indeed.”

Moreover, it has been pointed out to me by another believer that the virtuous woman serves her servants, much like Jesus was the Suffering Servant, Who served His disciples. “Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Clearly Jesus taught His disciples by His example, as we see in John 13:12, “¶So after he (Jesus) had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them,Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.“

The Lady of the House

We should take note of the fact that the Church is specifically referred to in 2 John 1:1 as the “elect lady” as we read here, “The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;” In Biblical times the lady of the house was also known as the mistress of the house and household as we read in Psalm 123:2, “Behold, as the eyes of servants [look] unto the hand of their masters, [and] as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes [wait] upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” The believers are dependent upon both God and His true church for guidance and nourishment. The word used here for “mistress” in the original Hebrew is גְּבֶרֶת (gᵊḇereṯ)^H1404, which can more correctly be interpreted as “lady of the house”.

Proverbs 31:16, “She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.” 

Theme of this verse: The Church “Propagates”

“She Propagates Fruit“

Psalm 128:3 tells us, “Thy wife [shall be] as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.“

Does being fruitful only refer to children in the earthly sense, or is there also a spiritual meaning? Let us look closer at the meaning of being fruitful in the spiritual sense, where the ultimate goal of the Church is to be fruitful for God as we see in Matthew 13:8, “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.“ In Ezekiel 17:8, God addresses National Israel should have brought forth fruit, but did not because, “It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.”

(The following is excerpted from another post on Jesus’ Parable of the Sower):

We can see the consistency between what Jesus expounded regarding the seed and the sower with what can be found in Isaiah 55:10&11 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.  

Moreover, looking ahead to the New Testament, we read in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”  And in 2 Corinthians 9:10&11, the Apostle Paul provides a tie-in to Isaiah 55:10&11, “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.” We know that the work that God is talking about is the people who believe as the result of faithfully preaching and teaching the Truth (Jesus Is The Truth) of the Gospel of Salvation.  This is clear in1 Corinthians 9:1, “¶Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?“

Please also note the consistency with  Isaiah 44:3&4, “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.” And note how this points us to Jesus Christ when we read of Him here in Isaiah 53:2, “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” The believers are considered by God to be Jesus’s seed. Jesus first sprang up out of dry ground and bears fruit with seed, and when the believers spring up with life (out of the “good ground” rooted in Christ), then they will bear fruit (other believers) through the spreading of the Word, the Good Seed, which is the Gospel of Jesus!

Jesus is the first/chief of those who will be raised/resurrected. 1 Corinthians 15:23, “But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” Psalm 85:12, “Yea, the LORD shall give [that which is] good; and our land shall yield her increase.“

There is a very clear correlation between the above and what we read in the “Parable of the Seed” found in Mark 4:26-29, “¶And he (Jesus) said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.” And the “harvest” is Judgment Day!

And we should also note how consistent this is with Hebrews 6:7&8, “¶For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end [is] to be burned.” (Please note how this is also consistent with the “Parable of the Wheat and the Tares” as found in Matthew 13:24-30, which is the only other parable that was explained by Jesus in Matthew 13:36-43 making clear that the unsaved, the “tares”…”the children of the wicked [one]” who respond to the Word by “bearing thorns and briars“, would be “burned” in a “furnace of fire” (Hell) “in the end of this world“.

Dear reader, please note how perfectly these verses harmonize with what we find in Ecclesiastes 11:1-6. There we read, “¶ Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.If the clouds be full of rain, they empty [themselves] upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.  As thou knowest not what [is] the way of the spirit, [nor] how the bones [do grow] in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both [shall be] alike good.”  

We are also reminded of what we are told in James 5:7&8, “¶Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.“

And regarding the vineyard, we are reminded that vineyards produce grapes, which produce wine when they are pressed in the Winepress. The wine represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ, by which God saves a people for Himself.

Proverbs 31:17, “She girdeth her loins with strength (עֹז (ʿōz))^H5797, and strengtheneth her arms.”

Theme of this verse: The Church is “Battle Ready”

This is reminiscent of how the believers are told to put on the “Whole Armour of God“:

Ephesians 6:10-19, “¶Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¶Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,..” and 2 Corinthians 6:7, “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,“

Proverbs 31:18, “She perceiveth that her merchandise (סַחַר (saḥar))^H5504 [is] good: her candle נִיר (nîr)^H5216 goeth not out by night.”

Theme of this verse: The Church is “Vigilant and Faithful”

Proverbs 3:13-15 equates “merchandise” with “wisdom” and then, moreover, we see that such wisdom is “more precious than rubies” exactly as the virtuous woman is described, “Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding. For the merchandise (סַחַר (saḥar))^H5504 of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She [is] more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.” Remembering also what we are told in Proverbs 8:11, “For wisdom [is] better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.“

It has also been shown that true “Wisdom” equates to knowing and loving the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthian 1:30, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.“

The virtuous woman, the eternal church, has the Oil in her lamp, which represents The Holy Spirit, and that candle/lamp does not go out.  The original Hebrew word that is translated here as candle is נִיר(nîr)^H5216 is translated variously as lamp (35x), candle (9x), light (4x).  Hence the virtuous woman’s “lamp” not going out by night makes much more sense.

We also know this from Psalm 119:105, “NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp (נִיר (nîr))^H5216 unto my feet, and a light unto my path.“

Job 29:3, “When his candle (נִיר (nîr))^H5216 shined upon my head, [and when] by his light (אוֹר (‘ôr))^H216 I walked [through] darkness;

Psalm 18:28, “For thou wilt light my candle: ^H5216 the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.“

Psalm 132:17, “There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp (נִיר (nîr))^H5216 for mine anointed.“

And note the contrast with the unsaved that we read about in Job 21:17, “How oft is the candle (נִיר (nîr)^H5216 of the wicked put out! and [how oft] cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.” and Proverbs 24:20, “For there shall be no reward to the evil [man]; the candle (נִיר (nîr))^H5216 of the wicked shall be put out.“ and Proverbs 13:9, “The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp (נִיר (nîr))^H5216 of the wicked shall be put out.“

In Exodus 27:20, we find, “And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp (נִיר (nîr))^H5216 to burn always.”  

Please also see “The Parable of the Ten Virgins”, where only the five wise virgins had oil (representing God’s Holy Spirit) in their lamps, and they were the ones who were ready when the bridegroom (representing Jesus) came at midnight (representing Judgment Day) in Matthew 25:6. The “five wise virgins”, like the “virtuous woman”, represent the eternal Church of God.

Proverbs 31:19, “She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.”

Theme of this verse: The Church is “Self Sufficient”

It should be noted here that both the spindle and the distaff are tools used in creating thread for weaving linen from flax. The distaff is a stick or spindle on to which wool or flax is wound for spinning into thread.

The point being that this is a allegorical reference to the fact that the virtuous woman is diligent in spreading the Gospel per Jesus’ Great Commission as the means for providing the “spiritual” white linen robes of Christ’s righteousness that we read about in Revelation 7:9, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;“. This is all the more clear when we realize that the virtuous woman, representing the eternal Church, the Bride of Christ, is herself similarly clothed in the fine white linen of Christ’s righteousness as we read in  Revelation 19:8, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.“

. In Matthew 28:18-20 (the last verses of Matthew), we see this clearly when Jesus spoke to His disciples, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.” And again in Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

In Zephaniah 3:16, we read concerning the “remnant of Israel” who represent the eternal Church at the end of the world “In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [and] to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.“

Proverbs 31:20, “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.”

Theme of this verse: The Church is “Ministers”

Everyone by nature is poor and needy as everyone, because of sin, is on the road to Hell apart from the Sovereign Grace of God. And God works through the Gospel, shared by believers, to lead others to Salvation via the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what we read in Romans 10:13-17, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. ¶How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.“

Proverbs 11:16, “A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches.”

Proverbs 22:9, “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.“

Proverbs 29:7, “The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: [but] the wicked regardeth not to know [it].“

Proverbs 31:9, “Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.”

In Amos 8:4–7, we read how God condemns National Israel for its apostasy and disobedience, “Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,…, The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works.“

Isaiah 58:6&7, “[Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?“

Romans 12:13, “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.“

It is also worth looking again at the post “Widows, Orphans, Strangers, and the Poor“.

Proverbs 31:21, “She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household [are] clothed with scarlet (שָׁנִי (šānî))^H8144.”

Theme of this verse: The Church “Endures”

The Bride of Christ, the eternal Israel, covers her household with the Atoning Blood of Jesus, and she is NOT “afraid“. She is diligent and NOT slothful.

Proverbs 20:4, “The sluggard (עָצֵל (ʿāṣēl))^H6102 will not plow by reason of the cold; [therefore] shall he beg in harvest, and [have] nothing.“

Please see the post covering the Parable of the Talents for a discussion on what it means to be “afraid“.

Proverbs 31:22, “She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing [is] silk and purple.” 

Theme of this verse: The Church “Reflects Christ’s Royalty”

The original Hebrew word for “silk” is שֵׁשׁ (šēš)^H8336 which is also translated as “fine twinned linen“, for example:  Exodus 26:1, “¶Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle [with] ten curtains [of] fine twined linen (שֵׁשׁ (šēš))^H8336, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: [with] cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.“

NOTE to the reader: The three colors intertwined in the curtains of the Tabernacle are most interesting for the following reasons: 1) Blue, in the original Hebrew is תְּכֵלֶת (tᵊḵēleṯ)^H8504, like the sky, represents Heaven where God resides, so we can relate Blue to God; 2) Scarlet is a most interesting word, because in the original Hebrew the word is תּוֹלָע (tôlāʿ)^H8438, which can also be translated as “worm“. This is because a certain “worm” can be used to make a scarlet/crimson dye that is “blood red”. In Isaiah 41:14, we read, “Fear not, thou worm ^H8438 Jacob, [and] ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.“. The “worm” (תּוֹלָע (tôlāʿ))^H8438 is equated with mankind in Jacob/Israel, who has red blood that is tainted with sin. This is what we find in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet (שָׁנִי (šānî))^H8144, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red (אָדַם (‘āḏam))^H119  like crimson (תּוֹלָע (tôlāʿ))^H8438 , they shall be as wool.” and in Job 25:6, “How much less man, [that is] a worm (רִמָּה (rimmâ))^H7415? and the son of man, [which is] a worm (תּוֹלָע (tôlāʿ))^H8438?” The Scarlet is associated with man and man’s sin. And Jesus had to Atone for the sins of His Elect by becoming a worm and shedding His Blood as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” But what about 3) Purple? What happens when we mix blue with red (scarlet)…we obtain “purple”. Jesus is the only God-Man, and He is the Bridge between God and mankind!

We should also take note that the Priestly garments created for Aaron and his sons involved the use of “fine linen” as we read for example in Exodus 28:5“And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen ^H8336 .” And also in both Exodus 28:39, regarding the construction of the priestly garments, “And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen ^H8336 , and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle [of] needlework.“and Exodus 28:8, “And the curious girdle of the ephod, which [is] upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; [even of] gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and ^H8336 fine twined (שָׁזַר (šāzar))^H7806 linen.^H8336“.

But what was the point of the linen for the priestly coverings? We are told at the end of Exodus Chapter 28 the following: Exodus 28:42&43, “And thou shalt make them linen (בַּד (baḏ))^H906 breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy [place]; that they bear not iniquity, and die: [it shall be] a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him. The point being that every believer is anointed by God to be a priest in His Tabernacle/Temple in Heaven, and each must be clothed in the robes of Christ’s righteousness that is being typified by the fine white linen, and without such sin covering no one can enter into the presence of God and must die to spend all eternity in Hell.

Let us not forget what God says in Job 36:7, “He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings [are they] on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.“and Revelation 1:6, “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.“ Moreover, in Ephesians 2:4-6, the Apostle Paul was inspired to write: “¶ 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:“

For more background on what this means, please see this post: “The Children of God“.

Note: The “linen” (בַּד (baḏ))^H906 is equated with “fine twined linen” in Exodus 39:28, “And a mitre [of] fine linen^H8336 , and goodly bonnets [of] fine linen^H8336, and linen ^H906 breeches [of] fine twined ^H7806 linen^H8336 ,”

So, as before, we can see that the virtuous woman is diligent in her work of sharing the Gospel by which she also is similarly saved, bearing in mind the admonition we read in Philippians 2:12&13, “¶Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.”

Proverbs 31:23, “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.”

Theme of this verse: The Church’s “Glory is Christ”

Is is interesting to note that two of the prominent “Types” of the Lord Jesus Christ were known as men, and elders, who sat in the gates of the city,1) Boaz in the Book of Ruth, and 2) Mordecai in the Book of Esther.

Proverbs 31:24, “She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.”

Theme of this verse: The Church’s Goal is to “Provide Covering for All”

Much has already been said concerning the fine linen and the production of coverings for sin through the sharing of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, because of the “flax” that mentioned in verse 13, the fine linen can then be produced.

Speaking of merchandising, Jesus’ Parable of the Talents comes to mind, which is explained in detail here. Isaiah 55:1-3 also comes to mind which is exegeted in this post entitled: “Are You Buying It?“

Proverbs 31:25, “Strength (עֹז (ʿōz))^H5797 and honour (הָדָר (hāḏār))^H1926 [are] her clothing; and she shall rejoice (שָׂחַק (śāḥaq))^H7832 in time to come.”

Theme of this verse: The Church is “Pure”

Every believer, as part of the eternal church, is clothed with the robes of Christ’s Righteousness.

1 Chronicles 16:27, “Glory and honour (הָדָר (hāḏār))^H1926 [are] in his presence; strength (עֹז (ʿōz))^H5797 and gladness [are] in his place.”

Psalm 96:6, “Honour and majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār))^H1926 [are] before him: strength (עֹז (ʿōz))^H5797 and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.“

Revelation 5:12, “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.“

It should be noted that the word for “rejoice” in the original Hebrew is שָׂחַק (śāḥaq)^H7832. While it can also be translated as “laugh”, “play”, “mock”, it is more appropriated understood in these cases to mean “to laugh at, usually in contempt, in derision“ and most notably as we read in these verses with respect to when both God (and the believers) will “laugh” at the those who reject the Word of God:

[Note: For more on “laughter” as is discussed in the Bible please see this post: “Laughter in the Bible?“]

Psalm 2:4, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: ^H7832 the Lord shall have them in derision.

Psalm 37:13, “The Lord shall laugh ^H7832 at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.”

Psalm 52:6, “The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh ^H7832 at him:“

Psalm 59:8, “But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh ^H7832 at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.”

 Proverbs 1:26, “I (God) also will laugh ^H7832 at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;”

The time to come is Judgment Day, the condemnation of the wicked, and the entrance of the believers into eternity in Heaven with God. And that will be a time of true “Rejoicing” will take place as is explained here in

Proverbs 31:26, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness.”

Theme of this verse: The Church “Speaks God’s Word Only”

The Believers, the Body of Christ, use their mouths and tongues to spread the Word of God and the Gospel of Salvation, and thereby Honor God in the process. For more on this please see: “Honoring God With One’s Mouth and Tongue“.

Proverbs 31:27, “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.”

Theme of this verse: The Church is “Faithfully in Communion with the Saints”

True Christians are concerned about the welfare of their families, friends, neighbors and yes, also widows, orphans, and strangers wherever they are found (remembering also that God is not just talking about literal widows orphans and strangers as we see revealed in the Books of Ruth and Esther). But, more importantly, Christians are concerned for the eternal souls of others and not just their temporal welfare.

Proverbs 31:28, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her.”

Theme of this verse: The Church “Continues from Generation to Generation”

The children of the virtuous woman are those “begotten in the Lord” who become believers through having heard the Gospel preached by her. 1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.“

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Husband of His beautiful Bride, the eternal Church.

Proverbs 31:29, “Many daughters have done virtuously (חַיִל (ḥayil))^H2428, but thou excellest them all.”

Theme of this verse: The Church “Excels Above All Others”

The “virtuous woman”, because she is a typological representative for the Bride of Christ, then indeed does excellent above all others.

Proverbs 31:30, “Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”

Theme of this verse: The Church is “Eternally Beautiful and Praiseworthy in Christ”

True beauty is that found in the heart, and is present whenever a person becomes saved. That person fears the Lord and this verse hearkens back to the beginning of Proverbs in Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge: [but] fools despise wisdom and instruction.” That person has Jesus’ virtue endowed upon that person. This is why we find this rather unusual account presented in Luke 8:43-48 (and Mark 5:25-34), where Jesus’ “Virtue” (actually the original Greek word is δύναμις (dynamis)^G1411 which is most often translated as “power”) went out of Him to heal a sick woman, “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind [him], and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. ¶And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press [thee], and sayest thou, Who touched me? ¶And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. ¶And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” The believers who fear God, and have faith in Jesus’ ability to heal their sin-sick souls, will be endowed with Jesus’ virtue to make them whole and, hence, “virtuous” in God’s eyes.

Similarly we read in Luke 6:19, “And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue (δύναμις (dynamis))^G1411 out of him, and healed [them] all.” We should also consider what we read in 2 Peter 1:3, where this same word for “virtue” and “power” are used interchangeably, “According as his divine power (δύναμις (dynamis))^G1411 hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness,  through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue (δύναμις (dynamis))^G1411:“

The person, the she (or he), who becomes a believer will be eternally praised (honored) by God in Heaven and will reflect back the praise and honor to God for eternity.

Proverbs 31:31, “Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”

Theme of this verse: The Church Will Rejoice for Having Heard the Word, Jesus’ Gospel of Salvation, Faithfully Preached

Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” where the Apostle Paul hearkens us back to 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!“

Looking at this verse from the spiritual perspective brings to mind a number of questions:

1. What is the “fruit”?
2. What are the “works”?
3. What does this mean “let her own works praise her in the gates”?

Let us think about the key words in this verse:

“Fruit”

The first thing that comes to mind is what Jesus said in Matthew 12:33, “¶Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by [his] fruit.” And we know that Jesus was not just talking about literal trees but more importantly about people because of what we read in Luke 6:43, “¶For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.” (Please see also Mat 7:15–20 ). The virtuous woman represents the true eternal church, the body of believers, hence of God and therefore she is viewed by God as “good.” The Church bears “good fruit” which ultimately means that the Church brings in new believers through the faithful preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is also worthwhile to remember Jesus’ Parable of the Sower.

“Works”

The only truly “good work” is God’s Work, and God Works through the life of believers, through His Holy Spirit, to preach Jesus’ Gospel of Salvation to a dead and dying world as the means to harvest souls for God’s Heavenly Harvest House. The “work” is the saving of sinners through the faithful proclamation of that Gospel, and “the works” are those who have professed belief, and become a part of the corporate church. Ultimately, the lasting works who will form the eternal Church of Christ are likened to “gold, silver and precious stones” that we read about in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. Note the consistency with what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:1, “¶Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?”

Works Praising the Virtuous Woman

That “fruit”, and those “works”, who are spiritual representations of all those saved throughout time, and who will most certainly praise the Church in the gates of Heaven for having been used by Holy God to successfully bring in the harvest of wheat, for building of God’s Holy Temple with lively stones, for being used by God to bring in lost sheep into Jesus’ Flock.

Final Thoughts on the Virtuous Woman

Please bear in mind that there are only two other verses in the whole Bible that use the phrase “virtuous woman.“

Ruth 3:11, “And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.”

Proverbs 12:4, “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is asrottenness in his bones.”

Additional verses that underscore the same point can be found here specifically regarding a “prudent wife”:

Proverbs 19:14, “House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord.”

Moreover, if we look at the “Bride of Christ” from God’s perspective, who is clothed in Jesus Christ’s imputed righteousness, then we can see more clearly what this verse means: Proverbs 18:22, “[Whoso] findeth a wife findeth a good [thing], and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”

God uses examples of virtuous women in the Bible to represent Jesus’ Bride, the Church.

In addition to Ruth, named above, there is also Esther, and Anna (the Prophetess).

Note also the description of the beautiful Queen in Psalm 45:9-17, and how closely the verses correlate with the depiction of the Virtuous Bride of God.

Psalm 45:9-17, reads, “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. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.“

Psalm 113:9, “He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.“

Proverbs 8:17, “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.“

Song of Solomon 1:8, “If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.”

NOTE: The entire Book of the Song of Solomon is a spiritual portrayal of the love between Jesus Christ and His Bride, the Eternal Church of God, which is made up of all the believers throughout time. Dear reader, when you read Song of Solomon, please read it through that spiritual lens and you will see how God is speaking entirely from a “spiritual” perspective and not at all from a “carnal” as most of this unsaved of this world would view it.

1 Timothy 2:8-15, “¶ I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 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. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”

1 Timothy 5:1-3, “¶Rebuke not an elder, but intreat [him] as a father; [and] the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. ¶Honour widows that are widows indeed.“

1 Timothy 5:6, “But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.“

Titus 2:3-5, “The aged women likewise, that [they be] in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, [To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.“

1 Peter 3:1-6, “¶Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation [coupled] with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.“

Conclusion

This post on Proverbs 31:10-31 is intended help the reader to see how the “Virtuous Woman” spiritually represents the Bride of Jesus Christ (the eternal Church of God, the eternal Israel, the New Jerusalem). She was purchased by the precious shed Blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary, outside the walls of Jerusalem on Passover in 33 AD. Jesus’ Sacrifice is beyond priceless, and therefore so precious to God that she is of value “far above rubies“.

It is well worth repeating again what we are told in Proverbs 18:22, “[Whoso] findeth a wife findeth a good [thing], and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” and Proverbs 19:14, “House and riches [are] the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife [is] from the LORD.“ Every believer is spiritually embodied together as the Bride of Jesus Christ.

Postscript: A Christian Woman

It should be also noted that the Bible does indeed provide us with some additional information in New Testament references, which speak of the literal earthly attributes and lifestyle characteristics that should be found in chaste God-fearing Christian women (and wives) during this earthly sojourn. They provide instruction appropriate to consider within the context of this spiritual study of the virtuous woman. While there can always be discussion as to what extent the literal earthly temporal qualities overlap those found in Proverbs 31, without doubt one attribute clearly stands out: Proverbs 31:30 “…a woman [that] feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”

These verses are worth repeating:

1. 1 Timothy 2:9-15, “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. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.“
2. 1 Peter 3:1-6, “¶Likewise, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation [coupled] with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward [adorning] of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But [let it be] the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, [even the ornament] of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.“

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what was meant by the following verses concerning the building with “gold, silver, precious stones” versus “wood, hay, stubble” as it appears in the following context?…

1 Corinthians 3:9-15, “¶For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver,  precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day (Judgment Day) shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.“

Understanding requires a bit of study and comparison of scripture with scripture (“comparing spiritual things with spiritual” according to 1 Corinthians 2:13).

When we think of “gold“, “silver“, and “precious stones“, we think of things that are obviously more lasting in the presence of fire than “wood“, “hay” and “stubble“. God specifically makes clear the point that the believers are “precious” in His sight and protected from the fires of Hell because of Jesus’ Atoning Sacrifice; while also comparing unsaved peoples to the inflammable “wood” or “hay (dry grass)” or “stubble” which are easily burned and consumed by fire.

The Elect Are Precious (the Righteous Because Jesus is Righteous) And Belong to God and Are Those To Be Saved

Note what God says in Malachi 3:16-18, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.“

Zechariah 13:9, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.” [Jeremiah 23:29, “[Is] not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer [that] breaketh the rock in pieces?“]

Flammable Wood and Stubble (the Wicked) Are To Be Condemned and Burned Up

We see examples in Zechariah 12:6, “In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, [even] in Jerusalem.”

We also we see similar references to “stubble” in:

1. Isaiah 5:24, “Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” and
2. Isaiah 47:14, “Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: [there shall] not [be] a coal to warm at, [nor] fire to sit before it.” and
3. Malachi 4:1, “¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.“

It is also interesting to consider the spiritual implications of Job 22:23, “If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the [gold] of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.“

“We are Labourers together with God“

The believers are made co-laborers with Jesus in the building of His Church, His Bride, The New Jerusalem. For additional background, please see this study on Nehemiah Chapter 2. Nonetheless, we must never forget God’s unequivocal pronouncement in Psalm 127:1, “[[A Song of degrees for Solomon.]] Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain.” God is the ultimate Builder and the Chief Architect.

1 Colossians 3:9, “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’s building.“

Luke 10:2, “Therefore said he (Jesus) unto them (His disciples), The harvest truly [is] great,  but the labourers [are] few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.“

We build Up a Spiritual House on the Foundation of Jesus Christ, the “Chief Corner Stone, Elect, Precious“

1 Peter 2:4, “¶To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious,“

1 Peter 2:5-8, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. ¶Unto you therefore which believe [he is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.“

Note to the Reader: The Apostle Paul was referring back to Psalm 118:22, “The stone [which] the builders refused is become the head [stone] of the corner.” and
Isaiah 28:16, “¶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone,  a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.“

Ephesians 2:19-22, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God: And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone: In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

Hebrews 9:24, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:” And in that vein, let us also recall what we find in 2 Corinthians 5:1, “¶For we know that if our earthly house of [this] tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” For a more in-depth study on the Holy Temple of God, which is not made with hands, please see this study: “The Holy Temple of God, Will it Ever Be Rebuilt?“

“Every Man’s Work Shall Be Made Manifest“

The “work” that God is referring to is only serving God by be a faithful messenger in bringing the true message of Salvation to a dead and dying world seeking to add true “living stones” in the building of the eternal Temple of God. The believer has no control over how or when a person will respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Atoning Sacrifice, because that is God’s business. The Parable of the Sower and the teaching of the Potter and the Clay make this clear.

On Judgment Day, everything will be revealed as to who is to be saved and who is not, and those to whom the Gospel was faithfully preached who are drawn by God the Father to Jesus will be saved and refined by fire because Jesus went through the fires of Hell for them, or those for whom Jesus did not Atone will be burned in the the fires of Hell. The believer who preached will suffer that loss, but that believer will not lose his or her own salvation, because Jesus endured the fires of Hell for all believers.

Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.“

Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no  good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.“

Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”

Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.“

Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:“

Philippians 2:12&13, “¶Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but  now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.“

The Great Division

The key is that there are only two kinds of people in the world. The saved and the unsaved, the spiritual and the carnal. All who will be saved will be saved by being brought vicariously through the fires of Hell in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no such thing as a “carnal Christian. On Judgment Day there will be the great separation between the wheat and the tares…the sheep and the goats…the saved and the unsaved. Please see: The Great Division and The Threshing Floor of God,

Conclusion

The only truly “good work” is God’s Work, and God Works through the life of believers, through His Holy Spirit, to preach Jesus’ Gospel of Salvation to a dead and dying world as the means to harvest souls for God’s Heavenly Harvest House. The “work” is the saving of sinners the proclamation of that Gospel, and “the works” are those who have professed belief and become a part of the corporate church. Note the consistency with what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:1, “¶Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?”

The Holy Heavenly Temple of God is being constructed with living souls, as “lively stones“, from all mankind drawn to Jesus throughout temporal history. Those saved souls (the true believers) are represented by the “gold, silver, and precious stones” that do not burn and are only refined by fire. Sadly, there will be others, represented by the “wood, hay, stubble“, who, after having heard the Gospel, will come into, and associate themselves with, the external body, the corporate Christian church (vice the Eternal Church of Jesus Christ), but who are in reality are not part of God’s Elect. Those persons will be burned and lost forever. Those who faithfully preached the true Gospel to those making up this latter group will not be held accountable by God for that failure.

This reality, which might be hard for some to accept, is nonetheless clearly taught by Jesus in His Parable of the Ten Virgins.

Please also note the parallels with these verses:  2 Timothy 2:15-21, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane [and] vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. ¶But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” And remember that the vessels of honor versus dishonor as are mentioned in Romans 9:21, “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?” Please see also this post: “The Potter and the Clay“

It is therefore all the more poignant that we look back now at the four preceding verses of those covered in this post: 1 Corinthians 3:5, “¶Who then is Paul, and who [is] Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.”

2 Timothy 1:8-11, “¶Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.“

Therefore God is entirely Sovereign, and God gets the ALL of the credit for the salvation of souls, while the “reward” that is given to the believer who has been given the role in the labor of planting and watering will be the same “reward” that will be given to each and every believer as Jesus said in Matthew 25:23, “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” And remember also what we read in Isaiah 58:8, “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.” [Note the phrase “shall be thy rereward” is from the single original Hebrew word, אָסַף (‘āsap̄) ^H622, so the last part of the verse could also be interpreted as effectively saying “gathered up to the glory of the LORD is the believer’s reward”]. Similarly, we also read in Gen 15:1“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward.“

At this point, this teacher highly recommends that the reader please also see these studies on “The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard“, “The Parable of the Sower“, and “The Doctrine of Election“.

Introduction

The world today faces turmoil—not only physical and moral but, most critically, spiritual. The Bible illustrates what happens when nations turn away from worshiping and from obeying the one true God, becoming morally bankrupt as a result. Alarmingly, the majority of formerly Christian churches have also strayed, embracing apostasy by following the ways of man rather than the ways of God. Repenting and returning to God’s Word would bring blessings, while continued rebellion invites God’s wrath and, ultimately, eternal destruction in Hell. The Book of Isaiah offers historical lessons for ancient Israel and spiritual insights for our world today, especially in the Western world, once a hub of Christian evangelism.

Key Lessons from Isaiah

Isaiah provides some important lessons, which applied to National Israel in Isaiah’s day, from a physical and temporal perspective, but, more significantly, Isaiah also provides very insightful spiritual lessons applicable to our world in our day.

So let us just review and ponder a few selected verses from the first three chapters of Isaiah, and then think carefully about:

1. What they are saying in the historical and prophetic sense to National Israel, and
2. What they are saying that is also prophetically applicable to everyone in the world in our day…particularly the Western world as it is now (because for centuries, it had been a center of Christian evangelism).

Let’s examine selected verses from Isaiah 1–3 to understand their historical context for Israel and their relevance for our world today.

1. God Invites Us to Reason

God says, “Let Us Reason Together“

Isaiah 1:18-20, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].”

Isaiah 1:21&23, “How is the faithful city become an harlot!  it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.“”Thy princes [are] rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.“

Meaning:
Historically, Israel turned from God, embracing corruption and injustice. Today, these verses warn all societies and individuals to repent. God offers forgiveness and restoration to those who obey, but promises wrathful judgment for those who persist in rebellion against Him, not just temporal punishment but eternal.

2. A Day of Reckoning Awaits

Isaiah 2:11&12, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts [shall be] upon every [one that is] proud and lofty, and upon every [one that is] lifted up; and he shall be brought low:“

Meaning:
God will judge pride and arrogance. For ancient Israel, this foretold Divine punishment and the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem and being taken captive to Babylon. For us, it signals the coming Judgment Day (and its Prequel “the Great Tribulation”), urging humility and reverence for God. (See also: Judgment Day is Coming Soon! and Is Hell Real?

3. God Will Remove Honorable and Prudent Leaders and Replace Them With Vile Ones

God states that, among the punishments for a nation’s disobedience, He would remove the honorable and competent leaders who previously ruled that nation…”Isaiah 3:2&3, The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient,The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.“

Again, we should bear in mind that Isaiah can be interpreted on two levels. One level addresses the temporal civil affairs of life in the physical world, which in the case of National Israel involved its kings, princes, and judges, as well as Israel’s spiritual leadership involving its priests. The other level is spiritual, involving prophesy that also applies to all the civil affairs of mankind through to our day, but most importantly from God’s vantage point, the spiritual health of His Corporate Church (that has within it the eternal Church consisting of a small subset of true believers).

God said that He would replace honorable and prudent rulers with immature, corrupt, and oppressive rulers (and yes, that includes women):

• Isaiah 3:4&5, “And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.“
• Isaiah 3:12 “[As for] my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause [thee] to err, and destroy the way of thy paths“.
• The people’s open sin, like Sodom’s, will testify against them. Isaiah 3:9, “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide [it] not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.“

Meaning:
Israel’s weak and corrupt leadership bred disobedience. Israel served as a figure of the New Testament era corporate Church.

The corporate church of Jesus Christ is today beset with corrupt governance, which has led the global populace into apostasy. As a result, today’s societies lack good governance (women can vote, serve as leaders and judges, and the voting age continues to be lowered) as a consequence of both the church, and hence nations, turning away from God. This has only led to greater injustices that have created a social order that is less stable and secure.

God states clearly the following, which is not being taught or obeyed in our day:

• God’s authoritarian line is that the woman is to be subject to the man, not the reverse, as we read in Ephesians 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.” and 1 Corinthians 11:3, “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman [is] the man; and the head of Christ [is] God.”
• Likewise, women are to have no authority in the churches as is made clear in 1 Corinthians 14:34, “¶Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but [they are commanded] to be under obedience, as also saith the law.”

Many so-called “Christian” denominations now have their top ecclesiastical positions being held by women. We see women pastors, elders, and deacons and in other positions of authority within the church. Consequently, we also have women in top leadership positions in civil authority. Rebellion by those that claim to be the people of God unequivocally infects the society and vice-versa. Only the true children of God will actually see and understand this as God’s punishment for sin against Him. The rest are duped by the devil into believing that because a country calls itself Christian, it will have the blessing and favor of God regardless of its actions. One could argue that the Western world, in spite of thinking that it is mostly Christian, is actually the main proponent of the most vulgar and pervasive of sins. Just look how much of the Western world now champions homosexuality under the banner of “Pride” and promotes the so-called “transgender” movement that includes the mutilation of children. Isaiah 3:9, “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide [it] not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.“

And it is no coincidence that they rally under the usurped banner of the rainbow. And we should all remember what happened to Sodom for such sin: Genesis 19:24&25, “Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.“

Moreover, today the focus of so-called Christian church leadership is upon various false gospels (e.g., works gospels and “free will” gospels) and erroneous doctrines now being followed within Christendom that are more modeled after the world, to appeal to the world, rather than being standard bearers of the Bible’s teachings (e.g., regarding the marriage institution and homosexuality). 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.“

We must remember that God does not alter His nature or His ways, our God is an unchanging God, ensuring that these principles still apply: Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Therefore, the warnings of God through the Prophet Isaiah are just as relevant today as they were in Isaiah’s day. The key difference being that in Isaiah’s day it portended the destruction of National Israel (apart from a saved remnant), but now in our day, it portends the destruction of the world (apart from those who are the saved remnant, being God’s elect in Christ) and the coming Judgment Day.

4. Supporting Scriptures

• Psalm 12:8, “The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.”
• Ecclesiastes 8:11-13, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his [days] be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.”
• Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
• Proverbs 24:24, “He that saith unto the wicked, Thou [art] righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:“
• Proverbs 28:28, “When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.“
• Proverbs 29:12, “If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants [are] wicked.“

For more insights, see Biblical Proverbial Wisdom and Truth (w/Axioms & Maxims) Applicable to Our World Today. Biblical guidance is provided by God to the believer on how to maintain an eternal perspective of the current wickedness, drawing heavily from Psalm 37 and Psalm 73.

Conclusion

The Christian’s focus should be on continuing to share the Gospel of Salvation made available by The Person and Work of The Lord Jesus Christ. Regardless of how that Gospel may be received by the hearer, we can rest in the knowledge that God’s Word will not return to Him void as we are told in Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper [in the thing] whereto I sent it.” More on this can be found in the study of the study on the Parable of the Sower.

We must also warn of the coming Judgment Day for the unrepentant, as Hell is real!

Finally, as this world nears its final days and heads towards oblivion and that final Judgment Day, Jesus lovingly tells His sheep, the true believing Christians, the following:

1. That the devil will be loosed from spirit prison for a “little season” (the “Great Tribulation”) according to Revelation 20:3, Revelation 20:7-10, and 2 Thessalonians 2:5-12), and, as a result,
2. Mark 13:19 “For [in] those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created  unto this time, neither shall be.“ and
3. Luke 21:28, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.“

POSTSCRIPT: Judgment Day is in View

Before proceeding with this postscript, this teacher wants to alert the reader to the fact that whenever God uses the phrase, “In that day“, that phrase almost always (if not always) points to Judgment Day! While the phrase can also be interpreted in many instances as having a temporal application, the fact of the matter is that those temporal warnings are just prefigurements of the final Judgment Day to come. That having been said, let us move on…

There is another aspect to the warnings of the opening chapters of Isaiah. We read in Isaiah 2:19-21, “And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made [each one] for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

Is not this entirely consistent with the very last words of the Lord Jesus Christ on the way to the cross, foretelling the future, where Jesus said in Luke 23:30, “Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.”

Similarly we read in Revelation 6:12-17, “¶And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?“

Note how the last two verses above (Revelation 6:16&17) are in complete and absolute harmony with what we saw above in Isaiah 2:19-21, “And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made [each one] for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Similar wording is also found in Hosea 10:8, “The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.”

For more on why there is no doubt that these verses are clear and unambiguous warnings to the world in our day regarding the soon to come Judgment Day and for the unsaved only Hell to pay, please see “The Heavens Shall Be Rolled Together as a Scroll“.

Judgment Day Warnings Are Found Throughout the Bible!

Although this may not be well known, the fact is that, either directly or indirectly, the majority of the Bible points to Judgment Day The whole summation of the Bible is to tell us that the only way to avoid having to deal with Judgment Day, and Hell and the Lake of Fire that will follow because of mankind’s inherent sin nature, is to have Jesus Christ, The Lamb of God, as Lord, God, and Savior of your life NOW! The warning is simply to make peace with God now, through Jesus (as the only acceptable sin Substitute) before it is too late! Today is the Day of Salvation!

We see this in both Isaiah 49:8, “Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee:and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;” and In 2 Corinthians 6:2, the Apostle Paul hearkens us back to Isaiah 49:8, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now [is] the accepted time; behold, now [is] the day of salvation.)“

The Result of Ignoring the Warnings

But what if that warning is not heeded? Have you ever heard the following verses in the Bible before? They are the means whereby God is providing us just a sample of insights of how bad it will be to the unrepentant world when Jesus Christ comes back on the clouds of Glory on Judgment Day:

Isaiah 2:19-21, “And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made [each one] for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

Similarly we read in Hosea 10:8, “The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.”

Among the very last words of the Lord Jesus Christ on the way to the cross, foretelling the future, said in Luke 23:30, “Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.”

And finally, there is no doubt that these verses are all referring to Jesus’ return on the clouds of Glory on Judgment Day when we this same language explained further in context in Revelation 6:15-17, “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?“

Judgment Day Foretold

And so there is no misunderstanding that this is unequivocally describing Judgment Day, we only have to look at the three preceding verses to the above verses and compare them with 2 Peter chapter 3:

Revelation 6:12-15, “¶And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.“

2 Peter 3:10-13, “¶But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. [Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [al]l holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for newheavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.“

And this should be a wake-up call to all who read this: Revelation 9:6, “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

Isaiah 55:6&7, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.“

God’s Admonitions and Warnings Are Clear

And this should be a wake-up call to all who read this:

Revelation 9:6, “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

Hebrews 3:7&8, “¶Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:” and Hebrews 3:15, “While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” (Referring back to Psalm 95:7–11)

But Who Will Really Heed the Warnings?

The believers will not have to worry, as we are told in Psalm 46:1-3 that God the Refuge of His People, “¶[[To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.]]”  “God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; [Though] the waters thereof roar [and] be troubled, [though] the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.“

As Jesus said in Matthew 7:13&14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Moreover, in Matthew 22:14, Jesus said, “For many are called, but few [are] chosen.”

At this point, hopefully, someone will say, “Wait a minute…What does “chosen” mean?” This teacher is so glad that you got this far and might have asked that question. The answer is that God also tells us in the Bible that He is Sovereign and that God Alone chooses who will be saved. That is really scary to anyone who stops to think about it because it means that man has no choice in the matter of salvation.

The reality according to the Bible is that Salvation is predetermined by what is known as Election. However, if anyone finds this to be scary, then that is a good thing. It means that God is working in that person’s hard and is likely drawing that person to Jesus such that that person will be saved. On the other hand, if a person refuses to listen, and stubbornly rejects the warnings and admonitions and refuses to come to God on God’s terms, then that person is on the road to Hell. There are only two results, to be with Jesus in Heaven for eternity or in Hell for Eternity.

 Isaiah 55:6, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.“

Zephaniah 2:3, “Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.“

Introduction

For the curious reader, it should be understood that this study is one of six individually posted “Character Profiles”, which in addition to this one include 1) King Ahasuerus, 2) Vashti, 3) Mordecai, 4) Queen Esther, and 5) Haman. These profiles are all excerpted from an in-depth, expositional commentary on The Book of Esther which shows, by many examples, how the Book of Esther was crafted by God, through the orchestration of time and space with the Holy Spirit inspired recording of it, to perfectly form an Historical Parable. More clearly stated, the Book of Esther has both an earthly/historical meaning and a heavenly/eternal spiritual meaning, which involves significant use of “allegories” and “types“. This study is one of many posted on this website to show that there are many such Hidden Treasures embedded within the various historical accounts that are recorded in the Bible. The Bible is a Spiritual Book, and the understanding of many of the key aspects of the Bible requires spiritual discernment. It should also be remembered that Jesus only spoke in parables to the multitude for the reasons explained here: “Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?“.

Hegai (Hege), The King’s Chamberlain, Prepares Esther to Come into the King’s Presence

1. Hegai (Hege) 

In Esther chapter 2 we read of the King’s chamberlains, the keeper of the women. The first was Hegai (who was in all likelihood a eunuch, see below).  We are told that Esther obtained kindness of him, and later received a total of twelve months of purification, six months with the oil of myrrh and six months with sweet odors.  It would not be inconsistent to conclude that in this prophetic parable, Hegai is a type of the Holy Spirit that anoints and purifies (sanctifies) and spiritually separates out the believers from the unclean (like the water of “separation” in Numbers 19:20), and Who makes it possible for the believers to come into the presence of The Everlasting Almighty King, God Himself!

Please note how in Esther 2:15 we are told, “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.”  Again we can see the connection with the Personage of 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!

Note how in 1 John 2:20, we read “¶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 (The Holy Spirit Is also a “Him”), Who God the Father sent to the believers to lead them into all truth, and that Truth Is Jesus.

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 (παράκλητος (paraklētos))^G3875, [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.” 

And is it not interesting that the original Greek word for Comforter is παράκλητος (paraklētos)^G3875 as we also find in John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, ^G3875 that he may abide with you for ever;” and then later in 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate ^G3875 with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.” [Note that that the word translated as “advocate” (hence an “intercessor”, see below) is the same as that which is elsewhere translated as “Comforter”]

It is also interesting that the name Hegai (also spelled once as “Hege” in the Esther account in Esther 2:3) is thought to mean in the Persian, fittingly, “eunuch” .  However, some translators have concluded that Hegai (Hege) can also be interpreted as “meditation; word; groaning; separation”.  If indeed this is the case, we can certainly see parallels between Hegai and the Holy Spirit given what we find in Romans 8:26-27, “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. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will] of God.”

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 8:16, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:“

2. Hatach

We are first introduced to Hatach in Esther Chapter 4.  There we see him as the vehicle of communication between Esther and Mordecai in verses 4&5 and between Mordecai and Esther in verses 9&10. It is also interesting to note that Hatach (הֲתָךְ hăṯāḵ reportedly means “Verily” (hence “Truth“) or possibly also “Gift” ), and is also a proper masculine noun. Both attributes are clearly used in the Bible as representations of the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit. See for example: for “Truth”; John 14:17, John 15:26, John 16:13 and for “Gift”; Act 2:38, Act 10:45, Hebrews 6:4. It was through him that Esther communed with Mordecai “to know what it [was], and why it [was]” and thereby learned the details of Haman’s plot against the Jews. Hatach was serving in the role of an intercessory communicant!

If we therefore consider that, if Esther represents the eternal Church (the believers) and Mordecai is an allegorical prefigurement of the Lord Jesus Christ, then it would seem quite reasonable to view Hatach, like Hegai earlier, as another “Type” representing God, The Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit.  Most particularly so, because 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.” The Holy Spirit communicates to us The Truth, and we know that Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). We also know that Salvation is a Gift, for in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” and Hebrews 6:4 says, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,…” and in John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

Finally, in 1 John 5:6, “¶This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water  only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.“

We can now more clearly see that both Hegai and Hatach served an important role in ensuring the deliverance of the Jews through preparation and intercession, just as the Holy Spirit Works in the preparation, sanctification, and intercession for the believers.

There is more that the Bible has to say regarding The Personage of The Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost. In addition to the above, we have this in John 3:5-8, “¶Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” 

We are also instructed concerning the anointing, sealing, and being given “the earnest” of the Spirit, God’s Holy Spirit, by Whom we are sealed to the day of redemption as we read in 2 Corinthians 1:21&22, “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, [is] God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” and Ephesians 1:13&14, “In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

NOTE: Another chamberlain, 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 entirely clear to this teacher what specific role Shaashgaz has, but he could 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.”

Introduction

For the curious reader, it should be understood that this study is one of six “Character Profiles”, which in addition to this one include 1) King Ahasuerus, 2) Vashti 3) Mordecai, 4) Heggai/Hatach, and 5) Haman. These profiles are all excerpted from an in-depth, expositional commentary of The Book of Esther which shows, by many examples, how the Book of Esther was crafted by God, through the orchestration of time and space with the Holy Spirit inspired recording of it, to perfectly form an Historical Parable. More clearly stated, the Book of Esther has both an earthly/historical meaning and a heavenly/eternal spiritual meaning, which involves significant use of “allegories” and “types“. This study is one of many posted on this website to show that there are a lot of Hidden Treasures embedded within the various historical accounts that are recorded in the Bible. The Bible is a Spiritual Book, and the understanding of many of the key aspects of the Bible requires spiritual discernment. It should also be remembered that Jesus only spoke in parables to the multitude for the reasons explained here: “Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?“.

Esther: What’s in a Name? (Esther is a Book of Concealment and Hidden Truth)

Esther’s Persian name is of uncertain meaning or derivation, but is generally accepted to mean “Star” (although Esther’s Hebrew name is “Hadassah“, which means “myrtle wood“, and this will be addressed later in the following discussion).

Many Bible students are aware that there is not one direct/explicit reference to God to be found anywhere in the Book of Esther. This is because God has deliberately concealed Himself within the text, and, moreover, in the process, God has also deliberately concealed the Gospel of God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan, wrought by the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well. In fact, the entire Book of Esther concerns “concealment” and “hidden things of God”.

We should take a moment to recall what we read in Isaiah 45:15, “Verily thou [art] a God that hidest (סָתַר (sāṯar))^H5641thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.“

Esther’s Name Actually Highlights ‘Concealment‘

It is not widely known that the very name ‘Esther’ underscores this point. Although ‘Esther’, the Jewish orphan made queen in Persia (as found in the Book of Esther) was born with a Hebrew name, הֲדַסָה (hăḏasâ)^H1919 that was translated in the King James translation as “Hadassah“, which means “Myrtle” (in the feminine form that is found only once in the Bible, in Esther 2:7) because it is derived from the the Hebrew word הֲדַס (hăḏas)^H1918, a masculine noun, meaning “myrtle (tree)”. 

The masculine version of myrtle (הֲדַס (hăḏas)^H1918) is found six times in the Bible, and each time the myrtle tree is always cast in a positive light. In Isaiah 55:13, the myrtle tree is juxtaposed with a brier; and in Isaiah 41:19 it is a green tree planted by God in what had been a wilderness. It can be concluded from these two verses that the myrtle tree is a representation of the believers, where in the wilderness (the world) thorns (unsaved people) flourish, God raises up myrtle trees (the believers); in Nehemiah 8:15, branches from the myrtle tree are to be used in the construction of the Succoth booths (representing a Heavenly abode), and then in Zechariah, myrtle trees are found three times Zechariah 1:8, Zechariah 1:10, Zechariah 1:11, where a horseman is seen in a vision walking among myrtle trees and Zechariah is told by the horseman, “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.” This was during the seventy year period, which God had foretold by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 29:10&11 (see also 2 Chronicles 36:21) whereby God would cause the land to have its Sabbaths (rest) while the Jews were in captivity, but that God would later restore Jerusalem and also spoke “good words [and] comfortable words” (Zechariah 1:13).

However, the very name ‘Esther’ (the Persian name taken by Hadassah) underscores this point of ‘concealment‘. Esther in Hebrew is אֶסְתֵּר (’es·têr)^H635, which happens to be, phonetically, very similar to the Hebrew word אֶסָּתֵ֑ר (’es·sā·ṯêr)^H5641, which is a version of the Hebrew word סָתַר (sāṯar)^H5641, meaning “to hide” or “to conceal“, or “to close-up“, and that version, אֶסָּתֵ֑ר (’es·sā·ṯêr)^H5641, is found twice in this form in the Bible:

1.  Genesis 4:14 (translated in English as “shall I be hid;“ where we read of Cain crying to God, “Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid (אֶסָּתֵ֑ר (es·sā·ṯêr))^H5641; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, [that] every one that findeth me shall slay me.“) and 
2. Job 13:20, “Only do not two [things] unto me: then will I not hide (אֶסָּתֵ֑ר (’es·sā·ṯêr))^H5641 myself from thee.” 

Another version of the same Hebrew word is אַסְתִּיר (’as·tîr)^H5641, which is used only once in this particular form in the Bible, in Deuteronomy 31:18, where we read, “And I will surely (אַסְתִּיר (’as·tîr))^H5641 hide (אַסְתִּיר (’as·tîr))^H5641 my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.” (Note also that the word “hide” was doubled, and hence was translated as “surely hide“). In this later usage, God was specifically telling Moses in Deuteronomy 31:16-22 that, in the future, when the people of Israel would commit spiritual adultery, by worshipping other gods, that God at that point would “hide/conceal” Himself (hide His “face”) from National Israel as a result. (It is therefore all the more ironic that, derived from this forewarned concealment of God’s Face, a Jewish tradition has arisen, such that hiding one’s face (wearing a mask) is considered proper when the Jews celebrate the day of Esther/The Feast Purim.)

So then, we can see that the name Esther is actually 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 will learn from this study that there is far more hidden in the Book of Esther (by God) than just Esther’s Jewish identity. 

And we should all remember what God tells us in Proverbs 25:2 (KJV). There we find this extraordinary verse, “[It is] the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings [is] to search out a matter.” If we look carefully at the text as it reads in the original Hebrew using an Interlinear Bible or Online cross-reference like this: https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/pro/25/2/t_conc_653002, we find that it can also read like this… ”[It is] the glory of God to conceal a “word” (because it is from the Hebrew דָּבָר (dāḇār)^H1697, a masculine noun): but the honour of kings [is] to search out a “word”(because the word that was translated into English as “matter” is also the same word found in the original Hebrew to be דָּבָר (dāḇār)^H1697, which is translated more than eight hundred times in the Old Testament as “word.”).  It appears, therefore, that God is telling us that He is glorified by the concealing of The Word (Jesus Christ) in the Bible, and the believers are “honored” by being made able to search out The Word (Who is Jesus Christ) when reading the Bible. And as we will see, God has not only “concealed” Jesus Christ within the Book of Esther, but, in our day, God has graciously also allowed the believers to “search out” Jesus Christ from the Book of Esther. There is more on this here, and we should also remember Jesus’ own testimony along The Road to Emmaus.

Esther Comes Into View

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.“

The latter 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.

Another Look at Esther’s Name

Esther (a “Star”)

Esther’s  Persian name is 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 14:13-15, “For thou (the devil) hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” And note the similarity with Obadiah 1:4, “Though thou (the devil) exalt [thyself] as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

The Apostle Paul made this point in Hebrews 11:12 regarding Abraham, “Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.“

In Psalm 147:4, God says that , “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by [their] names.“

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.“

For more regarding the believers being referred to as stars as as a sign to represent them, we read in Genesis 1:14, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.” together with Daniel 12:3, “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”

The “physical” stars in the universe are simply “signs” pointing us to the spiritual “stars” which are the believers.

Hadassah (Myrtle Wood)

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:“

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.”

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.“

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.”

We should also remember again (this was mentioned at the beginning of this commentary) 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 more detailed exposition on this facet of Esther, please see: “The Hidden Spiritual Gem“)

Esther’s Attributes:

Esther was “Better” than Queen Vashti (Verse 1:19)

Esther replaced Vashti as the King’s Queen, because Queen Vashti refused to come to the feast when bidden by King Ahasuerus according to this recommendation in Esther 1:19, “If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.“

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.“

We also see in Isaiah Chapter 49 regarding the ingathering of the Gentiles to God as part of that Bride. In Isaiah 49:18, “Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, [and] come to thee. [As] I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them [on thee], as a bride [doeth].”

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)

Lamentations 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 was made a “Queen.”  (Esther 2:17)

…1 Kings 10:13, “And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.“

 2 Chronicles 9:1-3, “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.  And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.  And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,.“

Mat 12:42, “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.“

Esther wore a “crown” (Esther 2:17)…Genesis 49:26, “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.“

Leviticus 21:12, “Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God [is] upon him: I [am] the LORD.“

Proverbs 4:9, “She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.“

Isaiah 28:5, “ In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people,“

2 Timothy 4:8, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.“

Revelation 2:10, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.“

INTRODUCTION

For the curious reader, it should be understood that this study is one of six individually posted “Character Profiles”, which in addition to this one include 1) King Ahasuerus, 2) Vashti, 3) Esther, 3) Heggai/Hatach, and 4) Haman. These profiles are all excerpted from an in-depth, expositional commentary on The Book of Esther which shows, by many examples, how the Book of Esther was crafted by God, through the orchestration of time and space with the Holy Spirit inspired recording of it, to perfectly form an Historical Parable. More clearly stated, the Book of Esther has both an earthly/historical meaning and a heavenly/eternal spiritual meaning, which involves significant use of “allegories” and “types“. This study is one of many posted on this website to show that there are many such Hidden Treasures embedded within the various historical accounts that are recorded in the Bible. The Bible is a Spiritual Book, and the understanding of many of the key aspects of the Bible requires spiritual discernment. It should also be remembered that Jesus only spoke in parables to the multitude for the reasons explained here: “Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?“.

Mordecai, a Jew and an Elder Who Sat in the Gate: A Spiritual Portrait of The Lord Jesus Christ

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;  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.“

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.“

We do know that 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 also know that a man, also 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 (see above), the son of Abiel (אֲבִיאֵל (‘ăḇî’ēl)^H22, meaning “El (God) is (my) father“), the son of Zeror (צְרוֹר (ṣᵊrôr)^H6872 meaning “Bundle“), the son of Bechorath (בְּכוֹרַת (bᵊḵôraṯ)^H1064 meaning “First Born“), the son of Aphiah (אֲפִיחַ (‘ăp̄îaḥ)^H647 meaning “I will make to Breathe“), 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 both Mordecai and Esther descended from Kish through Saul/Jonathan/Mephibosheth/Micha(h), 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 clearly served God’s Purpose for history to develop as it did, according to His 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 his later being 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.

An Elder in the City

We know that Mordecai was an elder in the city because he sat in the king’s gate.  Further, despite having saved the life of the king, he 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?

Regarding the Virtuous Women we read in Proverbs 31:23, “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.“

Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.“

2 Peter 1:17, “For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.“

Also in Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.“

In Psalm 145 we read, “(David’s Psalm of praise.) I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.”

Revelation 5:11-13, “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.  And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.“

Revelation 7:12, “Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.“

 Revelation 19:1, “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:“

Mordecai’s Attributes:

Humility

Mordecai was a humble man who did not boast of his having saved the King.

Wisdom

Mordecai always took the wise and appropriate actions towards God and man.

Concern for Others

Mordecai showed compassion to Esther by raising her up as his own daughter and continuing to be concerned about her welfare and that of her (and his) people.

A Man to Whom Glory and Honor Was Ultimately Given

In reviewing the attributes of Mordecai and his portrayal relationship to Jesus in overturning the forces of darkness and receiving honor and glory in ultimate victory we can look to Psalm 21:1-13, “{To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.} The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!  Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.  For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.  He asked life of thee, [and] thou gavest [it] him, [even] length of days for ever and ever.  His glory [is] great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.  For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.  For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.  Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.  Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath (אַף (‘ap̄))^H639, and the fire shall devour them.  Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.  For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, [which] they are not able [to perform].  Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, [when] thou shalt make ready [thine arrows] upon thy strings against the face of them.  Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: [so] will we sing and praise thy power.“

1 Timothy 6:14-16, “That thou keep [this] commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, [who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

And it cannot be anymore clear than what we also find emphasized in Revelation 19:16, “And he (Jesus) hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.“

(Note that in both Ezra 2:2 and Nehemiah 7:7 we can read of a man named Mordecai, clearly considered to have been a senior person at the time, who was taken into captivity by the King of Babylon and later returned after the captivity.  The dates of the various Medo-Persian kings is not entirely clear, but there is at least the possibility that this could be the very same Mordecai who, with Esther, had first been moved to Persia following the conquest of Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon.)

The Last Words: “speaking peace to all his seed”

The very last verse in the Book of Esther, Esther 10:3, reads as follows “For Mordecai the Jew [was] next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude (רֹב (rōḇ))^H7230 of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.“

There is a whole lot of spiritual meaning in this one verse, which is expounded upon in this post: “Esther Chapter 10” and provided below in the Appendix. The gist of it is that Mordecai the Jew was next (reigning at the right hand) of king Ahasuerus, which could not possibly be any more of a clear reflection of the fact that Jesus, “The Jew”, reigns on the throne at the Right Hand of God The Father in Heaven! And Jesus will be praised forever in Heaven by the multitude (the word is (רֹב (rōḇ))^H7230, which also means “abundance” or “plenty” ) of His brethren, the Saints, the children of God. But as the last verse indicates, given that Mordecai serves as a “Type”, then we can see that it is spiritually telling us that The Lord Jesus Christ (Who Is also “the Prince of Peace”Isaiah 9:6 ) Will Be Speaking Peace to All “His Seed”…to All of His People, His Saints, The Believers, His Church… forever in Heaven.

Conclusion

When we look closely at all aspects of the man, Mordecai, as provided in the “historical” account, we can see how miraculously and supernaturally God has crafted the recording of that account to reveal Mordecai as a “Type” or “Figure”, who spiritually is an unequivocal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. This exegesis is in perfect harmony with Jesus’ own teachings that we read about in the historical account of “The Road to Emmaus“.

Appendix: More on ““speaking peace to all his seed.”

Mordecai the Jew was next (reigning at the right hand) of king Ahasuerus, which could not possibly be any more of a clear reflection of the fact that Jesus, “The Jew”, reigns on the throne at the Right Hand of God The Father in Heaven! And Jesus will be praised forever in Heaven by the multitude (the word is (רֹב (rōḇ))^H7230, which also means “abundance” or “plenty” ) of His brethren, the Saints, the children of God.

NOTE TO THE READER: It is no coincidence that the account we read of in Daniel, Chapter 6, follows a similar patter to what we see with regard to Mordecai in Esther Chapter 10. Just as Mordecai is a “Type” to represent the Lord Jesus Christ and king Ahasuerus is a “Type” to represent God the Father, so to do is Daniel a “Type” to represent the Lord Jesus Christ, and king Darius is a “Type” to represent God the Father. Just as Daniel was trapped by false accusations and sentenced to death, so too was Jesus falsely accused and sentence to death by crucifixion. Just as king Darius subsequently lifted up Daniel out of the lions’ den in the morning, so too did God the Father resurrect Jesus on Easter Morning from the tomb, after Jesus had endured Hell (for the equivalent of eternity). Both the actions involving Daniel and Jesus were quickly followed by “Royal” decrees to the whole world of “peace”, with the admonition and warning to worship, fear, and revere God Almighty. Note the similarities with Dan 6:25-27, “¶Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.“

The last short chapter of Esther prophetically speaks of the believers rejoicing in Heaven for all eternity.  Just as the Jews in Esther’s day had rest from their enemies, we are reminded in Psalm 37:38-40, of the following: “But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the LORD: [he is their] strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.“

In the Psalm verse just previous to the one above, in Psalm 37:37, we read, “Mark the perfect [man], and behold the upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace.”  Who is He that is Perfect Who brings us peace?  The “Prince of Peace”,our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.  See Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.“

Numbers 6:26, “The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.“

Psalm 125:5, “As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel.“

Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.“

Mark 4:39, “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Only Jesus can speak this kind of Peace!

God, Through Christ Jesus, Speaks Peace to All of His People, His Saints, The Believers, His “Seed”!

“Peace” (Jesus Is the Personification of “Peace”)

Is it not a fact that Jesus Christ is “The Prince of Peace” (see Isaiah 9:6)? and that in John 20:21 we read, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”? And also in John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”?

Ephesians 2:14-18 makes clear how Jesus Personifies Peace, “¶For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us]; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.“

In Luke 7:50, Jesus said to the sinner woman who anointed his feet with ointment and washed them with her tears with her hair, “¶And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

It is almost impossible for anyone to not see how perfectly God crafted Mordecai to be a “type” of Jesus (as One with God Himself) as we can also read in Psalm 85:8, the following… “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.”  and in Psalm 122:7&8 we read where God is referring allegorically to the body of believers (Jerusalem, the city of God), “Peace be within thy walls, [and] prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace [be] within thee.” 

Psalm 37:11, “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.“

In Psalm 29:11, “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.”

And then, finally look at what we are told in Acts 10:36, “The word which [God] sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)”

Other relevant verses:

Romans 15:13, “¶Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.“

Psalm 132:16, “I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy (רַנֵּן (rannēn))^H7444.”

And let us not forget what God tells us in both Isaiah 48:22, “[There is] no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” and Isaiah 57:21, “[There is] no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.“

“To All His Seed“

Note also what is said in Galatians 3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” All believers are considered the seed (plural…the true eternal Jews) ) of Jesus Christ (singular), for we read in Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.“, and in Galatians 3:29, “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”  And the promise is the Covenant of God which He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as we Acts 3:23 “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.” The believers are the progeny (many) of the Lord Jesus Christ (One) to whom He speaks Peace…Philippians 4:7“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Again, in Psalm 37:26 we read, “[He is] (The LORD Is) ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed [is] blessed.“

Please note the beautiful and clear parallels between Esther 10:3 and the following verses:

2 Samuel 22:50&51, “Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. [He is] the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.”

Psalm 18:50,“Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.“

Psalm 22:30&31, “A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done [this].”

Psalm  25:13,  “His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.”

Psalm 37:25&26, “I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. [He is] ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed [is] blessed.“

Psalm 69:35 &36,  “For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.”

Psalm 89:4, “Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.“

Psalm 89:29, “His seed also will I make [to endure] for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.“

Psalm 89:36&37, “His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.“

Psalm 112:2, “His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.“

Proverbs 11:21, “[Though] hand [join] in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. Jesus is the only truly “Righteous” and His seed, the believers, shall be delivered on Judgment Day!

Isaiah 43:4-7 speaks of God speaking to Jesus about the gathering of the believers, Jesus’ “seed“, to whom God gives to Jesus from throughout the world to glorify Him, “Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; [Even]every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”

Isaiah 45:25, “In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.“

In Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.“

Isaiah 54:3, “For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.“

Isaiah 54:13, “And all thy children [shall be] taught of the LORD; and great [shall be] the peace of thy children.“

Hebrews 12:2, “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.”

1 Peter 1:22&23, “¶Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.“

1 John 3:9&10, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. ¶In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.“

The Bible makes it clear that, in God’s Eyes, a “Jew” does not necessarily refer to a literal physical descendent of Abraham through Isaac, as we read in Romans 2:28&29, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:  But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God.“

Romans 9:1-8 reiterates how God views the eternal spiritual Israel (the believers in the Messiah, Jesus Christ), for Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to write the following: “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:  Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;  Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”  

This is also consistent with what we read again in Psalm 22:23, “Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.” and Psalm 22:30, “A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.”  The Israel that is being spoken here in Psalm 22 is the Eternal Israel, those are the children of promise and counted for the seed. 

In the first instance “The Seed” being discussed is really only Jesus as we read in Galatians 3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” But, in the second instance, the Elect of God, being the children of promise and thus the true seed of Jacob/Israel, they are also the seed of Christ, Who is exemplified in the Book of Esther by Mordecai. 

To underscore this idea, God tells us in Ephesians 2:11-22, “Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.“

We also know that the devil seeks to destroy those who are believers, those who form the true Church and are the Bride of Christ as we read in Revelation 12:17, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments ofGod, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.“

In 1 Peter 1:23, in referring to the believer, it says that we are born again of the incorruptible seed by the word of God and therefore have eternal life through Jesus Christ… “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 

Finally, let us not forget what was noted earlier in the parable of Balaam regarding “Israel” (where Balak, the king of Moab, sought to hire Balaam to curse Israel), God made Balaam prophesy that Israel (and hence its ultimate King, Jesus Christ, Who Is Israel) would be exalted above king Agag, as we read Numbers 24:7, “He (Jesus) shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his (Jesus’) seed [shall be] in many waters, and his king (Jesus) shall be higher than Agag, and his (Jesus’) kingdom shall be exalted.”  (And let us not forget that king Agag points us to Haman, who is the Devil in Disguise, and whose kingdom will be destroyed forever.)

God’s Sovereignty is Manifest Throughout the Book of Esther

God, through His Word, the Bible, tells us the following:

1. God is completely Sovereign, and oversees everything that is going on in all of this creation. God has created all things for Himself, and continues to ordain and maintain them for His Glory, both good and evil (Isaiah 45:7; Proverbs 16:4; Romans 9:21-23). 
2. The Believers are not to fret or worry about all the evil around them in the world, or about the wicked evil doers, because the judgment and punishment of the wicked is certain and sure. God makes clear that Judgment Day is definitely coming, and that Jesus will Judge everyone in the world according their works. Revelation 1:13-18, describes Jesus in allegorical language to describe some of Jesus’ attributes as The Judge, “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes [were] as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Sadly, the vast majority of mankind will be sent to Hell forever. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 7:13&14, “¶Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [Is] the gate, and broad [Is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [Is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.“
3. When Jesus comes back on Judgment Day, the universe as we know it will be destroyed, but Jesus will create new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2 Peter 3:10-13, ¶But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
4. Luke 10:27, “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and  with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and  thy neighbour as thyself.“
5. Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.“

Introduction

For the curious reader, it should be understood that this study is one of six individually posted “Character Profiles”, which in addition to this one include 1) Vashti 2) Mordecai, 2) Esther, 3) Heggai/Hatach, and 4) Haman. These profiles are all excerpted from an in-depth, expositional commentary of The Book of Esther which shows, by many examples, how the Book of Esther was crafted by God, through the orchestration of time and space, with the Holy Spirit inspired recording of it, to perfectly form an Historical Parable. More clearly stated, the Book of Esther has both an earthly/historical meaning and a heavenly/eternal spiritual meaning, which involves significant use of “allegories” and “types“. This study is one of many posted on this website to show that there are many such Hidden Treasures embedded within the various historical accounts that are recorded in the Bible. The Bible is a Spiritual Book, and the understanding of many of the key aspects of the Bible requires spiritual discernment. It should also be remembered that Jesus only spoke in parables to the multitude for the reasons explained here: “Why Did Jesus Speak in Parables?“.

In the Book of Esther, we are immediately introduced to King Ahasuerus. In the very first verse, Esther 1:1, we read, “¶Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this [is] Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, [over] an hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)“. In this literal historical narrative that forms the Book of Esther, king Ahasuerus is simply a man who ruled the vast empire of the Medes and Persians following the fall and capture of king Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. However, this historical figure serves another, much more important, role when viewed from a spiritual perspective. From that perspective, we will consider how king Ahasuerus can represent Almighty God/God the Father.

God Is The King Who Reigns For Eternity

We should begin with the fact that God declares Himself to be the King Who reigns over all creation. In Psalm 47:7&8, we read, “For God [is] the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.” Zechariah 14:9, “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.” Psalm 93:1, “¶The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, [wherewith] he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. Thy throne [is] established of old: thou [art] from everlasting.” And in Revelation 19:6, we read, “¶And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” and Psalm 10:16, “The LORD [is] King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.”

In Psalm 95:3, we are again specifically told that God is a “great King”, “For the LORD [is] a great God, and a great King above all gods.“

And when we look at the Persian king’s name, “Ahasuerus“, we gain some additional insight.  According to Strong’s Concordance this king’s name is of Persian origin.  It is said to be more of a title, referring to a king, rather than a specific name.  It is believed to be the same as either Artexerxes or Xerxes (which has been said to mean “Mighty Eye” or “Mighty Man“, but this is also unclear from the Biblical text alone). It has been claimed in more than one reference that the name means “venerable father“, which, if true, is extremely significant as we shall see later.

There is no genealogy provided (Remember that God Himself has no genealogy).  It should be noted that in Daniel 9:1 we read, that “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans;”. Darius is one of the kings of Persia who commanded, in Ezra chapter 6, that the Jews rebuild the temple and walls of Jerusalem.  In Ezra 6:14 we read, “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.”

NOTE: Given that king Darius is stated to have been “the son of Ahasuerus“, we can certainly wonder if king Darius might therefore also be the son of queen Esther? If that were to have been the case, then it would mean that Darius was half Jewish, half Benjamite, and of the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! It would also help to explain why Darius would have been motivated to have the Jews rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem. Moreover, given that Mordecai (and hence Esther) are descendants of a man named Kish (the name of the father of king Saul), we might also wonder, if the above is true, then perhaps king Darius would have also been a descendant of King Saul, hence Jonathan, and hence Mephibosheth (whose name means “Dispeller of Shame”). This lineage is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility of what God could have orchestrated. Also interestingly, let us not forget that the Apostle Paul was also a Benjamite, whose original given name was Saul, as in King Saul. We must never underestimate what God can do! For more on the implications of Mordecai’s possible relationship to king Saul, please see Mordecai’s Character Profile and this post,”The King Saul/Mordecai Connection“

All “Glory” and “Honor” and “Majesty” Belong to God, as He Alone is Excellent!

We first read of King Ahaseurus’ kingdom thusly:

Esther 1:4, “When he shewed the riches of his glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 kingdom and the honour (יְקָר (yᵊqār))^H3366 of his excellent (תִּפְאָרָה (tip̄’ārâ))^H8597 majesty many days, [even] an hundred and fourscore days.”

Now please note how the above description compares with the Kingdom of God:

Psalm 8:1, “{To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.} O LORD our Lord, how excellent (אַדִּיר (‘adîr))^H117 [is] thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 above the heavens.“

Psalm 8:5 “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ)) ^H3519 and honour (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926.

Psalm 21:5, “His glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 [Is] great in thy salvation: honour (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926 hast thou laid upon him.”

Psalm 24:10, “Who is this King of glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519? The LORD of hosts, he [is] the King of glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519. Selah.“

Psalm 45:3-5, “Gird thy sword upon [thy] thigh, O [most] mighty, with thy glory (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and thy majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926. And in thy majesty(הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926 ride prosperously because of truth and meekness [and] righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows [are] sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; [whereby] the people fall under thee.“

Psalm 72:19, “And blessed [be] his glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled [with] his glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 ; Amen, and Amen.“

Psalm 93:1, “¶The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty(גֵּאוּת (gē’ûṯ))^H1348; the LORD is clothed with strength, [wherewith] he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.”

Psalm 96:6, “Honour (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935and majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926[are] before him: strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.”

Psalm 104:1, “Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926.“

Psalm 111:3. “His work [is] honorable (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and glorious(also “majesty” (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926: and his righteousness endureth for ever.“

Psalm 113:4&5, “The LORD [is] high above all nations, [and] his glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,“

Psalm 145:5, “I will speak of the glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 honour (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926of thy majesty (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935, and of thy wondrous (פָּלָא (pālā’)^H6381 works.” [NOTE: The Hebrew word that was translated as “works” should more accurately be translated “words” (דָּבָר (dāḇār))^H1697. Therefore, we can also read it as saying “I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous words.“]

For more on the importance of the original Hebrew word, (פָּלָא (pālā’)^H6381, as found in association with the word (דָּבָר (dāḇār))^H1697, please see this Bible Word Study: פָּלָא (pālā’) “Wondrous” Things

And…Psalm 145:10-13, “All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.They shall speak of the glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power (גְּבוּרָה (gᵊḇûrâ)^H1369; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 majesty (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926 of his kingdom. Thy kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion [endureth] throughout all generations.“

Actually, all of Psalm 145 extols, and speaks praise to, Almighty God’s Glorious Honor and Majesty.

Psalms 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 [is] above the earth and heaven.“

Psalm 150:1&2, “¶ Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.  Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness (גֹּדֶל (gōḏel))^H1433.“ “Excellent greatness” can also be considered as “magnificence“

1 Chronicles 16:25-28, “For great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised: he also [is] to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the people [are] idols: but the LORD made the heavens.  Glory (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935 and honour (הָדָר (hāḏār)) ^H1926 [are] in his presence; strength and gladness [are] in his place. Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 and strength.“

1 Chronicles 29:10-13, “¶Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed [be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, [is] the greatness (גְּדוּלָה (gᵊḏûlâ))^H1420, and the power (גְּבוּרָה (gᵊḇûrâ)^H1369 , and the glory (תִּפְאָרָה (tip̄’ārâ))^H8597, and the victory, and the majesty (הוֹד (hôḏ)) ^H1935: for all [that is] in the heaven and in the earth [is thine]; thine [is] the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 [come] of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand [is] power כֹּחַ (kōaḥ)^H3581 and might גְּבוּרָה (gᵊḇûrâ)^H1369; and in thine hand [it is] to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious (תִּפְאָרָה (tip̄’ārâ))^H8597 name.“

New Testament References

Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.“

1 Timothy 1:17, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, [be] honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.“

Jude 1:25, “To the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”

Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.“

God and His Word are Unchangeable

God’s Law is eternal, unchangeable (cannot be altered or annulled) and is irrevocable, just like the law of the Medes and the Persians.

Esther 1:19, “If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.”   (Compare with: Daniel 6:8, “Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.”  and Daniel 6:15, “Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians [is], That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.“)

Malachi 3:6, “For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.“

Numbers 23:19, “God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?“

1 Samuel 15:29, “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.“

 Jeremiah 4:28, “For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken [it], I have purposed [it], and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.“

We also read in Isaiah 14:24, “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, [so] shall it stand:“ and then just three verses later in Isaiah 14:27, “For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul [it]? and his hand [is] stretched out, and who shall turn it back?“

God’s Word (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) is “Published” Throughout All His Empire

Esther 1:20, “And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published (גָּלָה (gālâ))^H1540 throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.” The original Hebrew word for published really means to “reveal” or “uncover”. The Word of God, Jesus Christ, Is revealed in the New Testament era!

Psalm 68:11, “The Lord gave the word: great [was] the company of those that published בָּשַׂר (bāśar)^H1319 [it].” In this case, the original Hebrew word for ‘publish’ is better understood as “delivering a message” or “preached” the Word.

Mark 13:10, “And the gospel must first be publishedamong all nations.“

Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.“

Deuteronomy 31:30, “And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.  Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.  My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:  Because I will publish  קָרָא (qārā’)^H7121, the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.  [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he.” The original Hebrew word used here for publish is better translated as “proclaim“.

And to emphasize that the Kingdom of God is from all nations, Revelation 7:9&10, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and beforethe Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”

 The Seven Wise Men in Shushan the Palace

In Esther 1:13&14 we read, “Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so [was] the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment:  And the next unto him [was] Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, [and] Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king’s face, [and] which sat the first in the kingdom;)”  Who do these seven wise men represent who knowboth times, law, and judgment?  God gives us the answer in Revelation 4:5, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.“

Please note the similarity to what we find in Exodus 19:16, where we read, “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [was] in the camp trembled.  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.”  and in Exodus 34:2, “And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.  Remember what God told Moses when Moses was to go up to Mount Sinai to visit with God?  In Exodus 33:20 we read, “And he (God) said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live“.  Doesn’t it appear that Mount Sinai was used of God to typify His throne?  Furthermore, by typifying God’s throne, both Mount Sinai in Exodus (and Shushan the palace in Esther 1:2, “[That] in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which [was] in Shushan the palace,“) must therefore represent Heaven.  We can say this because of what we read in Isaiah 66:1(and Acts 7:49), “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven [is] my throne, and the earth [is] my footstool: where [is] the house that ye build unto me? and where [is] the place of my rest?“.  Finally, isn’t it also reasonable to conclude that the seven wise men in the book of Esther could therefore be representative of the “seven Spirits of God” that are always with Him and see His face and Who know the times, law, and judgment (which relates to the “fire”)?

The key time elements of the Book of Esther effectively spanned a “year” according to Esther 3:7, going from the first month “Nisan” to the twelth month, “Adar”, which spiritually spans from creation to Judgment Day. We should therefore consider that King Ahasuerus’ reign spanned that entire period, which again points us to God, The Father/God Almighty, as He alone reigns over all Creation and all time (beginning to end).

No other entity could be so represented by King Ahasuerus as continuing to reign uninterrupted. For example, let’s take for example, Adam, he was a man of God’s creation in the likeness of God. Adam subsequently sinned and was cursed by God and Adam died. He did not continue to reign. He forfeited his rights to this creation to the wicked one, the devil, represented by Haman. Adam did not reign with a “golden sceptre”. Adam did not reign during the fulfillment of the Feast of Passover, or the Feast of Pentecost, and neither will Adam reign when Judgment Day comes. The believers do not make their prayers known to Adam, but to God the Father and certified in Jesus’ name. The believers boldly come into God’s throne room of grace for salvation, and not to Adam (Adam never had a throne and he could not even save himself).

APPENDIX: Questions and Answers

Having provided this study, and the fundamentals of the “Typological” or “allegorical” understanding by which it was derived, let us now look at a few questions that have been brought to this teacher’s attention regarding the preceding commentary and interpretations. It has been asked of this teacher by someone who is very familiar with the Bible (a former Dean of a well known Theological Seminary)…

“What are the implications of a pagan, drunken, self-centered, and rash king (who seeks and is bound by the counsel of his advisors) being likened to God?”

This Teacher’s Reply to the Question Can Be Broken Down into Five Parts:

1) Can A Pagan King Be Likened To God?

Let us take a look at the first part of the question: is it really possible that a “pagan” king can be likened to God?  If we turn to Genesis 41:39-44, we can see a similar account where another pagan king, a pharaoh of Egypt, elevated Joseph (who, like Mordecai, is a classic allegorical pre-figurement of Jesus Christ) to his right hand.  Notice the language, “And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;  And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him [ruler] over all the land of Egypt.”  Isn’t it Jesus Christ to whom every knee will eventually bow? (see Philippians 2:10)  And doesn’t the fine linen pertain to the righteousness of Christ which will eventually also be imputed to the believers? (See Revelation 18:19).  What about kings Cyrus and Darius of Persia when they each gave a commandment to rebuild the temple? (see Ezra 1:1-2, Ezra 6:12)  (Also note that in Ezra 6:14, Artaxerxes (Ahasuerus) is also listed with Cyrus and Darius, right after the God of Israel as having given that commandment.)  In Daniel 6:25, we read, “Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.”  Who is it that has the power to declare to all people, nations and languages, that dwell in all the earth, “Peace be unto you?”  Only Almighty God Himself! (John 20:19, John 20:21, John 20:26, and Revelation 1:4)  So then, you be the judge…can a pagan king be likened to God?

2) Is God Drunken with Wine?

Regarding the issue of “drunkenness”, there is no place in the book of Esther where there is an explicit reference to “drunkenness” on the part of the king Ahasuerus.  What was recorded in Esther 1:10 was only, “When the heart of the king was merry with wine.”  We should take a moment to review what is a “parable”?…A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly or spiritual meaning.  While we may speculate that in the historical context this means drunkenness, we have to be careful to see what God means “spiritually” by the use of such language.  If it can only mean drunkenness, then we would also have to accuse God of being a drunkard, because in Judges 9:12-13, we read, “Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, [and] reign over us.  And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?”  Incidentally, in this parable, “the vine” represents Jesus Christ (John 15:1+5), and as everywhere in the Bible, good wine represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Even “Strong wine” as we find in Numbers 28:7 “And the drink offering thereof [shall be] the fourth [part] of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy [place] shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD [for] a drink offering.”

Also take for example, in Luke 10:34, we read how the Good Samaritan treated the “half-dead man” (BTW: the half-dead man is someone who is physically alive, but spiritually dead, and hence unsaved), “And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”  The wine represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and the Oil represents the Holy Spirit (Psalms 23:5, Please see this study on Psalm 23), and Jesus is that Good Samaritan as He saves every believer.  

In Psalm 104:14&15, we read how the Lord God “causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;  And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man’s heart.”  We have just observed what the wine and oil represents, and every believer should know that the bread represents Jesus Christ’s body that was given for us (please see John 6:35 and John 6:31 and Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, and Luke 22:19 ).

Before we leave the subject of wine at the feast (Jesus’s death on the final Passover) to which Vashti (Old Testament National Israel) refused to come.  Did the wine (Jesus’s shed blood, as the atoning sacrifice culminating with His crucifixion) cheer God (make His heart merry)?  In Isaiah 53:5 we read how Jesus “[was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  And then in Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.“ and again in Hebrews 12:2, “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.”

One other aspect that relates to feasting and wine that is in the book of Esther (mentioned earlier above) relates to the “banquets of wine” at which king Ahasuerus sat down with Haman in the presence of Esther (Esther, chapters 5-7).  Did God ever sit down at a feast table with Satan in the presence of believers where wine was also present?  Indeed He did!  At the last Passover feast, the “Last Supper,” God (as Jesus Christ) sat next to Judas Iscariot (who we know was indwelt with Satan, Luke 22:3) in the presence of Jesus’s eleven other disciples (believers) at the Passover feast where we know the Jesus instituted the sacrament service with wine (representing His shed blood).  As Jesus said in John 13:18, “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture (Psalms 41:9) may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.“

Note also how that immediately after the banquet of chapter 7, Haman was hung on the high gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.  The same day as the Passover Feast at which Judas Iscariot subsequently betrayed Jesus (under the prompting of Satan, see John 13:2), Jesus was hung on the cross (see Galatians 3:13).  The fact of the matter is, although Satan sought to destroy Jesus at the cross, it was Satan who was actually dealt a death blow on that same cross.  (Incidentally, at the same time, so was Judas Iscariot (who in effect was typifying Satan) hanged, see Matthew 27:5).  On the last day, Judgment Day, Satan and all his dominion will be permanently cut-off and cast into the lake of fire, as typified by the death and subsequent hanging of Haman’s ten sons.

3) Is God Self-Centered?

There is not too much that can be said about this other than God is the Great “I AM.”

In Revelation 4:11, we read, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.“

In  Esther 1:4, we read about king Ahasuerus’ “riches of his glorious (כָּבוֹד (kāḇôḏ))^H3519 kingdom and the honour of his excellent (תִּפְאָרָה (tip̄’ārâ))^H8597 majesty …”  ( Psalm 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent (שָׂגַב (śāḡaḇ))^H7682; his glory [is] above the earth and heaven.” and Psalm 150:2, “Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent (רֹב (rōḇ))^H7230 greatness.“)

In Esther 1:1 we read that the kingdom comprised 127 provinces*.  This is a large prime number, and as a result, it cannot be divided into any smaller numbers.  God’s kingdom is also great and indivisible.  Just as the decrees or commandments of king Ahasuerus could not be rescinded, neither can the laws of God be nullified by another decree.  God’s law is eternal and irrevocable (as is to be expected of a just God). Matthew 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luk 21:33, God says, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”  God also says in the Bible (Romans 6:23), “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  When someone goes to Hell for his sins, it is an irrevocable edict.  And if someone is saved by grace (through Jesus’s perfect fulfillment of the law), God assures that person will remain in Heaven forever.

* Interestingly, Sarah lived 127 years as we read in Genesis 23:1 ¶ “And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: [these were] the years of the life of Sarah“.   We also know that Abraham was told that in Genesis 22:18 “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”  But Sarah, as the mother of Isaac, was also the vehicle by which God would bless all the nations of the earth through here Descendent, Jesus Christ.  So the number 127 would therefore seem to point to “all the nations of the earth” from another vantage point.

4) Is God Rash?

The anger and wrath of a just God in the face of sin is never rash.  When God sends sinners to Hell for eternity, some might consider that rash (particularly in our day).  If all we see in Esther chapter 1 is a simple historical account, it might appear as though the action of king Ahasuerus was rash.  Keep in mind that one sin is sufficient to send anyone to Hell (just look at what happened to Adam and Eve, and hence all of mankind descended from them, for their one sin).  Queen Vashti was bidden by the king to come to the feast (while at the same time she was holding her own feast “for the women [in] the royal house which [belonged] to king Ahasuerus.”).  Again, please see the Parables of the Two Feasts.

Please see Deuteronomy 31:16-18, because it lays the foundation for understanding why National Israel, as a people, fell under and have remained under God’s wrath and condemnation: “¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go [to be] among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God [is] not among us? And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.” 

God provides additional commentary in Psalm 95:10&11 regarding the nation of Israel after their coming out of Egypt, “Forty years long was I grieved with [this] generation, and said, It [is] a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.“

Remember the parable of Matthew 22:1-14?  In that parable, the “remnant”, that Jesus said was bidden to the wedding feast, but who refused to come and then mistreated and even slew the King’s servants (the prophets), was Old Testament National Israel!  Like Vashti, she acted rebelliously.  She refused to come.  She was disobedient.  Anyone who takes the same action in response to God’s command to “Come unto me” and to the wedding/marriage feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9) will be cast out of the presence of God forever.  Would anyone dare call that rash?

[NOTE: It has also been pointed out to this teacher, that Queen Vashti, who certainly does represent Old Testament National Israel, also has attributes that can also be likened to the New Testament apostate “Christian” church (as opposed to the true eternal church of Jesus Christ), which in effect also refuses God’s command to come to His feast, because it is conducting its own feast in the house that otherwise belongs to God]

[Some may think that because National Israel was restored as a nation among nations again in 1948, with its capital established in Jerusalem in 1967, that this means that God brought this about to restore His relationship with National again. Absolutely NOT! Rather, it is because it is the fulfillment of Jesus proclamation concerning the “parable of the fig tree.” Matthew 24:32&33, “¶Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors.” The parable was provided in the context of determining the time of the end of the world. Note that it does not say that there would be any fruit. Let him who has ears hear. For more on this topic, please see “Will the Temple Ever Be Rebuilt?]

5) Would God Seek and Be Bound to the Advice of Counselors?

The answer to this question is found in the fact that God is in three persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit.  That is why we read these plural terms in Genesis 1:26,  “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”  God Counsels with Himself.  Note also how there were seven counselors.  The number seven pertains to the perfection of God’s plan, so it is entirely appropriate that there would be seven counselors.  Please see Revelation 1:16 and Revelation 1:20 regarding the seven stars in Jesus’s right hand that were described as a “mystery” and which were “the angels (messengers) of the seven churches.”  Finally, as was explained above, God is bound by His own law that He established before the foundation of the world.

Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.“

Proverbs 24:6, “For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors [there is] safety.”

Introduction

This post is the last of ten posts in total providing 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 the Lord Jesus Christ, Who Is The Only Lord, God, and Savior. This is underscored by the fact that the Book or Esther is one of concealment (“Esther” in Hebrew means “concealment”), which 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 even beyond into eternity in the New Heavens and the New Earth.

We can also see six key personages of the Bible within the Book of Esther 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/Holy Ghost, 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 10 is Eternity: in Hell for the Unsaved, and in Heaven for the Believers (Esther 10:3) Please see Galatians 3:16 & 29.

Esther 10:1, “¶And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and [upon] the isles of the sea.“

This is a more difficult verse to dissect spiritually. But is would seem that this is saying, given that “laid a tribute” is referring a form of subjection and subordination. The original Hebrew word translated as “tribute” is מַס (mas)^H4522, which can also mean “discomfitted“. Note what we read in Isaiah 31:8, “Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited (מַס (mas)^H4522).” 

On the one hand we could say that Esther 10:1 is suggesting that all things within this entire creation have finally been subdued, and have fully become subject under the rule of Almighty God, and that all conflict is over forever. However, we should also remember that on Judgment Day, the wicked do not just die, they are cast into Hell forever. That is the price that wicked have to pay. That is the tribute that will be exacted by God at that time upon the unsaved of the world, being typified by “the land and the isles of the sea“. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The wages of sin is death. That is the tribute that will be exacted. And it is not just physical death, but eternal death in Hell, as we read in Revelation 14:11, “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the  mark of his name.” The unsaved will most certainly be “discomfitted” for eternity when Judgment Day comes.

Esther 10:2, “And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?“

We know that the entire Bible is a book of chronicles that has been recorded to declare God’s greatness, power, and might. Remember king David’s declaration in 2 Samuel 7:22-24, “Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for [there is] none like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth [is] like thy people, [even] like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, [from] the nations and their gods? For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel [to be] a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.” God has established His throne and redeemed His people, the Eternal Israel (the Church, the Body of Believers) forever, through the Person and Work of His Dear Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, through His shed Blood.

Esther 10:3, “For Mordecai the Jew [was] next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude (רֹב (rōḇ))^H7230 of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.“

Mordecai the Jew was next (reigning at the right hand) of king Ahasuerus, which could not possibly be any more of a clear reflection of the fact that Jesus, “The Jew”, reigns on the throne at the Right Hand of God The Father in Heaven! And Jesus will be praised forever in Heaven by the multitude (the word is (רֹב (rōḇ))^H7230, which also means “abundance” or “plenty” ) of His brethren, the Saints, the children of God.

NOTE TO THE READER: It is no coincidence that the account we read of in Daniel, Chapter 6, follows a similar patter to what we see with regard to Mordecai in Esther Chapter 10. Just as Mordecai is a “Type” to represent the Lord Jesus Christ and king Ahasuerus is a “Type” to represent God the Father, so to do we see that Daniel is a “Type” representing the Lord Jesus Christ, and king Darius is a “Type” to represent God the Father. Just as Daniel was trapped by false accusations and sentenced to death, so too was Jesus falsely accused and sentence to death by crucifixion. Just as king Darius subsequently lifted up Daniel out of the lions’ den in the morning, so too did God the Father resurrect Jesus on Easter Morning from the tomb, after Jesus had endured Hell (for the equivalent of eternity). Both the accounts involving Daniel and Jesus were quickly followed by “Royal” decrees to the whole world of “peace”, with the admonition and warning to worship, fear, and revere God Almighty. Note the similarities with Dan 6:25-27, “¶Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he [is] the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion [shall be even] unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.“

“speaking peace to all his seed.”

The last short chapter of Esther prophetically speaks of the believers rejoicing in Heaven for all eternity.  Just as the Jews in Esther’s day had rest from their enemies, we are reminded in Psalm 37:38-40, of the following: “But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous [is] of the LORD: [he is their] strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.“

In the Psalm verse just previous to the one above, in Psalm 37:37, we read, “Mark the perfect [man], and behold the upright: for the end of [that] man [is] peace.”  Who is He that is Perfect Who brings us peace?  The “Prince of Peace”, our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.  See Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.“

Numbers 6:26, “The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.“

Psalm 125:5, “As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel.“

Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.”

Isaiah 26:12, “LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.“

Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.“

Mark 4:39, “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Only Jesus can speak this kind of Peace!

God, Through Christ Jesus, Speaks Peace to All of His People, His Saints, The Believers, His “Seed”!

“Peace” (Jesus Is the Personification of “Peace”)

Is it not a fact that Jesus Christ is “The Prince of Peace” (see Isaiah 9:6)? and that in John 20:21 we read, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”? And also in John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”?

Ephesians 2:14-18 makes clear how Jesus Personifies Peace, “¶For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us]; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.“

In Luke 7:50, Jesus said to the sinner woman who anointed his feet with ointment and washed them with her tears with her hair, “¶And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

It is almost impossible for anyone to not see how perfectly God crafted Mordecai to be a “type” of Jesus (as One with God Himself) when we also read in Psalm 85:8, the following… “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.”  and in Psalm 122:7&8 we read where God is referring allegorically to the body of believers (Jerusalem, the city of God), “Peace be within thy walls, [and] prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace [be] within thee.” 

Psalm 29:11, “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.“

Psalm 37:11, “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.“

In Acts 10:36, “The word which [God] sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)” Finally, what we find in Psalm 29:11, “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.”

Romans 15:13, “¶Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.“

Psalm 132:16, “I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy (רַנֵּן (rannēn)^H7444.”

And let us not forget what God tells us in both Isaiah 48:22, “[There is] no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” and Isaiah 57:21, “[There is] no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.“

“To All His Seed“

Note also what is said in Galatians 3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” All believers are considered the seed (plural…the true eternal Jews) ) of Jesus Christ (singular), for we read in Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.“, and in Galatians 3:29, “And if ye [be] Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”  And the promise is the Covenant of God which He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as we Acts 3:23 “Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.” The believers are the progeny (many) of the Lord Jesus Christ (One) to whom He speaks Peace…Philippians 4:7“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  Again, in Psalm 37:26 we read, “[He is] (The LORD Is) ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed [is] blessed.“

Please note the beautiful and clear parallels between Esther 10:3 and the following verses:

2 Samuel 22:50&51, “Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. [He is] the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.”

Psalm 18:50, “Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.“

Psalm 22:30&31, “A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done [this].”

Psalm  25:13,  “His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.”

Psalm 37:25&26, “I have been young, and [now] am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. [He is] ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed [is] blessed.“

Psalm 69:35 &36,  “For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.”

Psalm 89:4, “Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.“

Psalm 89:29, “His seed also will I make [to endure] for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.“

Psalm 89:36&37, “His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.“

Psalm 112:2, “His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.“

Proverbs 11:21, “[Though] hand [join] in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

Isaiah 43:4-7 speaks of God speaking to Jesus about the gathering of the believers, Jesus’ “seed“, to whom God gives to Jesus from throughout the world to glorify Him, “Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; [Even]every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”

Isaiah 45:25, “In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.“

In Isaiah 53:10, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.“

Isaiah 54:3, “For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.“

Isaiah 54:13, “And all thy children [shall be] taught of the LORD; and great [shall be] the peace of thy children.“

Hebrews 12:2, “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.”

1 Peter 1:22&23, “¶Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.“

1 John 3:9&10, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. ¶In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.“

The Bible makes it clear that, in God’s Eyes, a “Jew” does not necessarily refer to a literal physical descendent of Abraham through Isaac, as we read in Romans 2:28&29, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:  But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God.“

Romans 9:1-8 reiterates how God views the eternal spiritual Israel (the believers in the Messiah, Jesus Christ), for Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to write the following: “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:  Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;  Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.  Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.  That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.”  

This is also consistent with what we read again in Psalm 22:23, “Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.” and Psalm 22:30, “A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.”  The Israel that is being spoken here in Psalm 22 is the Eternal Israel, those are the children of promise and counted for the seed.

In the first instance “The Seed” being discussed is really only Jesus as we read in Galatians 3:16, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” But, in the second instance, the Elect of God, being the children of promise and thus the true seed of Jacob/Israel, they are also the seed of Christ, Who is exemplified in the Book of Esther by Mordecai.

To underscore this idea, God tells us in Ephesians 2:11-22, “Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:  And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.“

We also know that the devil seeks to destroy those who are believers, those who form the true Church and are the Bride of Christ as we read in Revelation 12:17, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments ofGod, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.“

In 1 Peter 1:23, in referring to the believer, it says that we are born again of the incorruptible seed by the word of God and therefore have eternal life through Jesus Christ… “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 

Finally, let us not forget what was noted earlier in the parable of Balaam regarding “Israel” (where Balak, the king of Moab, sought to hire Balaam to curse Israel), God made Balaam prophesy that Israel (and hence its ultimate King, Jesus Christ, Who Is Israel) would be exalted above king Agag, as we read Numbers 24:7, “He (Jesus) shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his (Jesus’) seed [shall be] in many waters, and his king (Jesus) shall be higher than Agag, and his (Jesus’) kingdom shall be exalted.”  (And let us not forget that king Agag points us to Haman, who is the Devil in Disguise, and whose kingdom will be destroyed forever.)

CONCLUSION

God, through His Word, the Bible, tells us the following:

1. God is completely Sovereign, and oversees everything that is going on in all of this creation. God has created all things for Himself, and continues to ordain and maintain them for His Glory, both good and evil (Isaiah 45:7; Proverbs 16:4; Romans 9:21-23). 
2. The Believers are not to fret or worry about all the evil around them in the world, or about the wicked evil doers, because the judgment and punishment of the wicked is certain and sure. God makes clear that Judgment Day is definitely coming, and that Jesus will Judge everyone in the world according their works. Revelation 1:13-18, describes Jesus in allegorical language to describe some of Jesus’ attributes as The Judge, “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes [were] as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Sadly, the vast majority of mankind will be sent to Hell forever. Jesus makes this clear in Matthew 7:13&14, “¶Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [Is] the gate, and broad [Is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [Is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.“
3. When Jesus comes back on Judgment Day, the universe as we know it will be destroyed, but Jesus will create new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. 2 Peter 3:10-13, ¶But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
4. Luke 10:27, “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and  with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and  thy neighbour as thyself.“
5. Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.“