Esther

This book has been percolating in me
ever since I heard a series of lectures by Ray Stedman
http://RayStedman.org/Esther

When trying to understand the meaning of scripture,
there's a balance between reading the text literally
(assigning no meaning except the obvious one)
and reading too much into the text
(assigning a meaning that was never intended)

Reading the text literally 
is merely a history lesson;
interesting, but with limited value.
Reading too much into scripture
has led to divisive interpretations,
and I certainly want to avoid that risk.
but 
I believe there is a middle ground 
where we can appreciate the historical value of a story
and also apply a teaching for our own lives 
without stretching the truth for our own purposes.

Taken at face value,
The Book of Esther is a valuable historical record,
an important chapter in Jewish history;
but maybe it can be understood in a more personal way...
I think another meaning is hidden inside Esther
that can teach us something about
the conflict between
spirit
and
flesh
.

The commentaries available to me
don't mention this hidden meaning
(which is probably a danger sign)
but I'm convinced that this book 
can be interpreted as a beautiful parable
illustrating the spiritual life in each of us.

One thing I can say for sure:
This book revitalized a relationship 
that had grown distant in my own life.
Maybe that's the only thing that matters.

Each section below starts with 
a summary of the historical events,
exactly as they are laid out in the book.
Following that is a description of 
what I think it could mean in a spiritual sense.
If the book of Esther is truly a parable
there should be something we can learn from it, 
so the last section collects various random thoughts 
and ideas that popped up along the way.
 
(KS)


Chapter 1

THE FACTS:
The empire celebrates prosperity
with a long feast throughout the kingdom,
and a shorter feast inside the palace.
On the last day,
the king commands the queen's presence
to show off her beauty to his guests,
but
she refuses to appear.
In anger, he consults advisors
who fear that her failure to obey his command
will lead to strife throughout the kingdom.
They recommend that she be banished
from his presence forever
.
The king agreed,
and sent his decree throughout the empire,
hoping that
"wives shall give their husbands honor"
and
"every man shall rule his own house"

.-oOo-.

As a parable:

The EMPIRE
represents your LIFE
and everything affected by it

The CAPITAL
represents your BODY

The CASTLE
represents your PERSONALITY,
the "you" inside your body

The KING
represents your SOUL
which has three components:
your mind (ability to think)
your will (ability to decide)
your emotions (ability to feel)

The QUEEN
represents the HUMAN SPIRIT
a second subconscious voice;
The component within us that enables communication
(or communion) with God.
This spiritual component makes mankind unique among animals


Now, before reading any further,
it might seem like quite a stretch of the imagination
to assign these attributes to the characters in this story.
I agree.
In fact, it probably never would have occurred to me
if not proposed by a trusted teacher.
But if you think about the rest of the story 
with these labels in mind,
I think you will agree that it is quite illuminating.

The way the events unfold in this story seem very similar 
to the way a Christian life develops.
  
So, 
if you are feeling courageous and adventurous,
let's see if we can learn more about the interaction of
SPIRIT and FLESH in a LIFE,
and how it affects the BODY and SOUL.


With the above definition of SOUL in mind,

here's a Bonus Question:

"Does God have a Soul?"

and now, back our parable...

As the story opens,
the whole empire is prosperous and celebratory.
The body, soul and spirit are in proper relationship.

This time is similar to
the Garden of Eden
where all is well and right,
or to
the innocence of a child
beginning a new life

Eventually, every person asserts their own will,
and through some selfish act
denies
turns away
becomes separated from the spirit. 
The communion or relationship is damaged.

Now removed from the Garden,
no longer innocent,
each of us has experienced a fall.
Each of us has sinned.
 
The king deliberately turned his back on his Queen.
banished her.

SIN
is any decision that separates us from God

Romans 3:23

for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,

Answer to Bonus Question: YES!

God has a soul.

Matthew 12:18

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,

my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

(fk)


Chapter 2

THE FACTS:
A lonely king begins searching for a new queen.
Many young women gather at the palace
and are placed into the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch.
Esther, a beautiful Jewish orphan
(adopted and raised by her older cousin Mordecai)
pleases Hegai, and he moves her into the best rooms.
During a year of purification, Mordecai checks on her daily.
Esther comes into the presence of the king,
who falls in love with her and makes her his new queen.
The whole empire celebrates with a feast.
Esther obeys the command of Mordecai,
and never reveals the fact that she is Jewish.
Mordecai learns of a plan to kill the king and tells Esther.
Esther tells the king, 
the men are hanged,
and Mordecai's name is written into the king's book of records

.-oOo-.

The king can manage on his own for as long as he wants to,
but
The king wouldn't have searched for a new queen
if her absence had not disturbed him.

As long as we think we are in control and doing fine,
God will let us go our own way.
When we realize loneliness, emptiness, or weakness
enough to give up the reigns,
spiritual growth can begin.

Once we notice something missing in our life,
we begin to look around.
The realization that we're not "being all we can be"
sets something free in us to change.

When we move our new queen into the castle,
the restoration begins.

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door,

I will come in to him and will dine with him

and he with Me.

Revelation 3:21

To him who overcomes

I will grant to sit with Me in My throne,

even as I also overcame

and have sat down with My Father in His throne.

Revelation 3:22

He who has an ear,

let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
 

Esther is our renewed spirit
who is able to communicate with
Mordecai, the Holy Spirit

Through the baptism of the spirit,
we are adopted into the body of the true church.

OUR SPIRIT
is influenced by
and learns from
THE HOLY SPIRIT

At the end of Chapter 2 the king is threatened by death,
but with Mordecai and Esther working on his behalf
the death threat is removed and he continues to live.

Could it be true?
The human spirit and the Holy Spirit
working on our behalf
can rescue us from death?
hmmm....

(fks)


Chapter 3

THE FACTS:
The king promotes Haman, the son of an Agagite, above all others.
Although the king commands it, Mordecai does not bow to Haman.
Haman is enraged, and casts lots to determine a date
for destroying Mordecai and all his people, the Jews.
Haman convinces the king that the empire would be better off
without the Jews, and offers to finance the genocide.
The king gives Haman his ring of authority.
Haman writes the decree and seals it with the ring.
The decree is sent out to all the empire,
and the city becomes perplexed, confused.

.-oOo-.

Haman is an Agagite.
Agag was the king of the Amalekites,
which were descendants of Esau,
unwisely spared by Saul
(1Samuel 15:3-11)

The Amalekites are an enemy of God,
a symbol of evil working in the human heart
and God has declared war.

Exodus 17:16  

And he said, A hand is on the throne of Jehovah; 

war is to Jehovah with Amalek

from generation to generation.

HAMAN represents The Flesh,
which opposes The Spirit.
self-ishness

Sooner or later,
there will be an event in our lives
when we think we've been wronged
or 
our pride is wounded
or 
our rights are ignored
or
we feel self-pity 
.
Something whispers to us 
that for the good of the empire
we should stand up for ourselves,
grab for what we deserve,
fight for our rights,
defend our honor.

This whisper encourages us to promote our SELF,
which the bible refers to as The Flesh.
The Spirit and The Flesh are opposed to one another
Spirit<>Flesh

Galatians 5:17

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit,

and the Spirit against the flesh.

And these are contrary to one another;
 

Jews won't worship a king.
Jews worship God.
By removing the Jews, the king is convinced
that he is acting in the best interest of the empire.

He doesn't know why he feels perplexed inside.
Something is bothering him,
but he doesn't understand 
that his decree to destroy the Jews,
will also destroy his queen!
  
(Fk s)


Chapter 4

THE FACTS:
The whole empire mourns the king's decree,
with "fasting and weeping and lamenting".
Mordecai is mourning in sackcloth and ashes.
When he refuses new garments from Esther,
she sends a messenger to find out why
and learns about the plot against the Jews.
Mordecai commands Esther to approach the king.
When Esther reminds Mordecai 
that approaching the king without his permission 
would risk her own life,
Mordecai tells her that deliverance for the Jews
could come from another place,
but her refusal will result in her own destruction.
Esther agrees to go,
but only after a fast of three-days and three-nights.

.-oOo-.

While the ego is congratulating itself
for making a decision for self-preservation,
there is great distress behind the scenes.

The spiritual life is caught in the middle.
If it does nothing, it could perish.
If it suddenly appears in our conscious mind
without being invited,
it runs the risk of being obliterated.

Since we are the decision-makers,
any attempt by the spirit to appear before us
is risking the possibility of us slamming the door on it.
We can kill it in an instant,
perhaps never realizing what we have done.

Mordecai's only hope is to work through Esther.
When she hears the news she is deeply distressed,
and asks for the truth through a messenger (Hathach)
Notice that when directly asked for the truth,
the Holy Spirit (Mordecai) responds with complete details.
He gives her the whole story, 
including the price Haman was going to pay,
and even a copy of the decree!

This implies that when we are troubled 
and desire the truth,
we should simply 
ASK FOR IT

The specific time period requested by Esther for fasting 
of "three days and three nights", 
surely rings a bell in my mind:

Matthew 12:40

For as Jonah was

three days and three nights

in the belly of the huge fish,

so the Son of Man shall be

three days and three nights

in the heart of the earth.

The meaning in this context is a mystery to me.
Regardless, this might suggest to us 
that in spiritual matters,
there is often a waiting period;
a necessary amount of time for preparation.

(Fk sS)


Chapter 5

THE FACTS:
Esther appears before the king.
The king grants permission for her to approach,
and promises her whatever she wishes
up to "half the kingdom".
She invites the king and Haman to a dinner.
At dinner, when the king asks for her wish,
she requests a second dinner the following day
with the king and Haman.
On his way home from the first dinner,
Haman's good mood quickly turns to rage
when Mordecai does not honor him in the street.
Haman shares the news with friends and family
telling of his promotion by the king,
and of his invitation to private royal dinners,
but he also tells them of his indignation
that Mordecai will not honor him.
Haman takes their advice
and prepares a tall gallows to hang Mordecai from

.-oOo-.

There may come a time,
when you see the need for a change in your life.
The spirit inside you tells you something
or shows you something
and in that moment you give it up.

The king has granted up to half his kingdom to his queen,
Is this the beginning of a 50/50 partnership?
What kind of sacrifice will this be?

At this point the queen has not asked for anything,
but let's just stop right here and think for a moment.
Is the king giving up his life?
No, this is not a suicide.
Is the king giving up his kingdom?
No, he will still rule over the empire.
Is the king giving up his soul?
No, he still retains his abilities;
to think
to feel
to make decisions.
God doesn't ask for these things.
He has given us a life
and he wants us to live it.

So what is Esther asking for here?

Her request is to have dinner.
Dinner?
Have they never sat together and shared a meal?
Such a simple request!
quiet companionship, 
peaceful.
Just sitting together and sharing a meal.

Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

I will come in to him and eat with him,

and he with me.

Notice that she doesn't request anything from the king.
She doesn't ask for any change in him first.
She sits right down alongside Haman;
the self-centered empire-threatening influence
who has been controlling the king all along.

She doesn't demand a private audience.
She takes him just as he is,
Haman and all.

If we can step back and let the spirit work,
without any pushing from our own will,
events unfold in the most unexpected ways.
but I'm getting ahead of myself....
What happens HERE,
at THIS dinner?

Well, nothing.

After the meal, the king asks her again what she wants.
He repeats his offer, wanting to get to the point.
but Esther simply asks for his company
(and Haman's as well)
at another meal
the following day.

They agree to have another dinner.

I think this might be an illustration of a common experience.
When you are ready to hear what the spirit has to say;
when you feel you are primed,
and open to anything,
perfectly ready for whatever the Lord has prepared for you,
sometimes 
nothing happens

The Lord has his own timing,
His own agenda,
His own way of working out the revelations in our lives.
Maybe we shouldn't push it.
Maybe we shouldn't be so anxious.

I've  heard stories of people being led in a certain direction
(towards a specific ministry, for example)
and coming to a point where they give in to it
they accept it
they take up the calling,
and quite often,
nothing immediately happens.
We think we are ready for a change,
but no change presents itself.
There is a waiting period.

In the meantime...
Haman and Mordecai have just shared a nice meal together,
but when they see each other on the street afterwards,
Mordecai does not give Haman the honor he feels he deserves.
Haman is enraged.
Haman is so full of wrath he plans the execution of Mordecai,
and constructs a tall gallows
before the next dinner begins.

John 3:6

That which is born of the flesh is flesh,

and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
 

The flesh and the spirit will never peacefully co-exist.

I can't see this as anything other than what the parable suggests.
When the spirit begins working in a person's life,
the selfish nature becomes desperate,
renewing its efforts,
working in devious ways to maintain control.

(FksS)
 

Chapter 6

THE FACTS:
The king is reading the book of records because he cannot sleep,
and realizes that he has not rewarded Mordecai for saving his life.
The king asks Haman what he  should do to honor a man.
Haman thinks the king is referring to him, so he recommends:
dressing him in royal robes,
putting him on a royal horse,
and parading him through the city streets.
The king tells Haman to do these things for Mordecai, 
proclaiming
"Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor"
Haman does these things and returns home, humiliated.
Haman's fall is predicted by his wife and friends.
The king's eunuchs escort him to Esther's second banquet.

.-oOo-.

When Mordecai learned of a plot against the king,
he told Esther, and she informed the king.
The plot was thwarted,
and Mordecai's name was recorded in his book of chronicles.

Now the king realizes that he never thanked Mordecai.
He wants to honor him for his debt,
but he has no awareness of the fact that
Mordecai has been working behind the scenes all along.

He is now conscious of 
Mordecai's good influence,
but he is not yet aware of 
Haman's bad influence.

He might suspect that SOMETHING is going on 
behind the scenes
(hence his insomnia),
but he has no idea that Haman and Mordecai are enemies.

The king escalates the tension (unknowingly)
by asking Haman to honor Mordecai.
This seems like particularly unfortunate timing,
because Haman has recently been congratulating himself
on his good fortune,
and has prepared a gallows 
to rid the empire of his enemy.

There is a battle brewing behind the scenes
and the king is oblivious.

Ephesians 6:12

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,

but against principalities,

against powers,

against the world's rulers,

of the darkness of this age,

against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The soul has promoted the spirit into a position of honor.
The flesh is highly agitated 
and wants to extinguish the spirit.
At that critical moment in history,
it was time to sit down together 
and share another meal.

(FkS)


Chapter 7

THE FACTS:
Esther informs the king that their enemy is Haman,
and pleads for her own life and for her people.
The king is angry, and goes into the garden alone.
When he returns, Haman is begging Esther for mercy.
Haman is hanged on the gallows prepared for Mordecai

.-oOo-.

Esther has waited until this moment.
She knows the king is receptive
and the time is right.

When we want to know the truth,
the spirit will show it to us.

John 6:63  

It is the Spirit that makes alive,

the flesh profits nothing.

The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life.

Have you ever been surprised
by a thought coming into your awareness,
seemingly from nowhere,
where suddenly you see something for what it really is?
Have you ever been shown something in your life
that shouldn't be there?
Clearly seen something you know you would be better off without,
but you have been courting it,
entertaining it,
enjoying a selfish pleasure?
Or maybe you have hurt someone;
denied them love or mercy or kindness,
and you suddenly see your own weakness for what it is?
Maybe your reaction is embarrassment,
or shame
or a new resolve,
or even anger.

When the king realizes the true nature of Haman
and what his plans mean for the health of the empire,
he is upset 
and removes himself from their company.
He needs a moment alone.

I can see him pacing,
lost in furious thought,
searching his soul for what to do next....
He returns to see his enemy groveling pathetically.

The king is ready for a change.

Is it divine irony that Haman is executed 
on the same gallows that he has prepared for Mordecai?
Or is there some spiritual principle at work here?

I'm impressed with how quickly and decisively the king acted.
I typically don't, I'm ashamed to admit.
I rationalize,
I compromise,
I toy with my life
I want to keep my pleasures.

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus said to His disciples,

If anyone desires to come after Me,

let him deny himself

and take up his cross and follow Me.

We've reached the point in the story that I have not grown to.
I want to learn more about what this is all about
but inside I know that I'm still trying to hang on to things. 
I don't want to give up yet.
I can't seem to "deny myself"

.-oOo-.

Writing beyond this point is hypocritical
because I am stuck (temporarily?) at this point.
I can't say what life is like when flesh is defeated.

but
we will work through the parable to the end.
Its almost over....

.-oOo-.

Haman builds a gallows for Mordecai,
the first step in destroying the Jews
but it becomes the means for his own death.

A cross is built for Jesus,
but it provides a way back to God.
It overcomes sin.

I think this might illustrate a principle
that God can use the attempts of his enemies against them
for good.

How quickly everything changed...
Just one day ago Haman was on top of the world,
now he is dead.

You may not have the same life tomorrow.
Does that thought promote fear?  or excitement?

(fKS)


Chapter 8

THE FACTS:
The king gives Esther the House of Haman.
The king meets Mordecai for the first time.
The king gives Mordecai the ring of authority.
Esther sets Mordecai over the House of Haman.
Esther is upset about the decree to kill the Jews.
The king can't revoke the decree,
but grants Mordecai and Esther permission to write a new one.
A new decree is sent to all the empire
allowing the Jews to defend themselves.
The city rejoices when Mordecai appears with crown and robes
The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor.
The empire enjoys a feast and a holiday.
Many Gentiles convert to Judaism.

.-oOo-.

The Presence of The Lord.

Although Mordecai has been residing in the kingdom,
and acting on behalf of the king to save his life,
they never lay eyes upon each other 
until Haman is gone.

Esther 8:1  

On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman,

the Jews' enemy, to Esther the queen.

And Mordecai came before the king,

for Esther had told what he was to her.

Can the Holy Spirit flourish in a life ruled by the flesh?

Notice that the ring of power
never appears on the finger of the king.
first
He gave it to Haman,
then
He moved it from Haman's finger to Mordecai's.

Esther 8:2

And the king took off his signet ring,

which he had taken from Haman,

and gave it to Mordecai.

And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
 

We are merely deciders

When we decide, we either
give ourselves to the desires of our flesh
or
give ourselves to the desires of the spirit

Although Haman has been defeated,
the House of Haman stills exists!
Although our decision to give the reins to the Lord
baptizes us into the body of the church 
by the Holy Spirit,
we shouldn't be surprised by the continual discovery
of the flesh affecting our lives.
Haman has ten sons.

We may have consciously yielded our lives to the spirit
with all our heart
with all sincerity
and yet we find ourselves returning again and again 
to our old ways.
or we fall in new ways.

Romans 7:18

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.

For I have the desire to do what is right,

but not the ability to carry it out.

Romans 7:19

For I do not do the good I want,

but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
 

What should we do when we realize this is happening?
Should we make an effort to suppress it?

no.

Notice that the king doesn't try to manage the House of Haman
using his own will power.
He gives it over to Esther;
and Esther immediately gives it over to Mordecai.

I find this transfer of authority quite interesting.

It suggests that we NOT try to manage our struggles on our own.
nor should we try to manage it with someone else.
not with a friend.
not with a partner.
not with a pastor.
We shouldn't try to manage it at all.
Recognize the helplessness,
turn it over to Christ.
Give Him the ring.

Perhaps we wear the scars of our decisions forever
Regardless, 
we can always write a new decree.

When the Holy Spirit takes the House of Haman
(when we move the ring from flesh to spirit),
we experience:
light
gladness
joy
honor

(KS)


Chapter 9

THE FACTS:
When the time comes for the decree to be fulfilled,
the Jews gather together and no one can withstand them.
Mordecai is feared by the rulers, and his fame grows.
The Jews kill five hundred men in the palace,
and Haman's ten sons,
but leave the spoils.
Esther asks for one more day
and for the ten dead sons to be hung from the gallows.
The Jews kill three hundred more in the palace,
but leave the spoils.
The Jews kill seventy-five thousand in the empire,
but leave the spoils.
The empire celebrates two days of feasting and gladness,
The palace celebrates an extra day of feasting and gladness
Mordecai sent letters to create a perpetual Memorial Day,
(the 14th-15th days of Adar)
the Feast of Purim.
The Jews ordained it forever.

.-oOo-.

Under the king's first edict 
inspired by Haman,
the Jews would be attacked and killed
without having the ability to defend themselves.

With the addition of the second edict,
inspired by Esther,
the Jews would STILL be under attack,
but now could defend themselves.

This suggests to me that the enemy in us
conspires to defeat us
and that the spirit within us
cannot help 
unless it is unbound by our own will.

Romans 7:5

While we were living in the flesh,

our sinful passions, aroused by the law,

were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

Romans 7:6

But now we are discharged from the law,

dead to that which held us captive

so that we serve not under the old written code

but in the new life of the Spirit

Now imagine I make the following statements to you;
"I have decided to give up self-seeking"
"I have decided to give up impatience"
"I have decided to give up ambition"
"I have decided to give up pride"
"I have decided to give up anger"

What would you think of me?

I suspect you would wish me good luck,
but inside you would doubt that I could do it.
(and I assure you, I cannot)
One moment of weakness
and I will find myself right back in the muck of it.

Will-power alone is not going to be enough.
To truly conquer these traits will take a battle,
and I will need power on my side
to have any chance of winning.

Ephesians 6:12

We wrestle not against flesh and blood

but against principality,

and powers and rulers of the world's darkness...

Haman has already been dealt with,
but his family remains.
Ten sons also must be defeated.

Does the king fight them personally?
no.
Realizing that we cannot win this battle alone,
we give the reins over to one who can.

The story plainly states that no one touched the spoils.
In fact, it tells us THREE TIMES!
I think this means that we have to be careful 
not to seek personal gain through these victories.
Although we do gain, it is for the glory of God.

Notice that the battle is extended
for an extra day inside the capital city.
No one can dispute the fact 
that there is more to be done inside than outside.
You can clean up your act at work,
You can patch up your relationships with others
You can do all kinds of "repair work"
in all aspects of the world that your life touches;
(your own personal empire)
Yet there is even more to wrestle with on the inside,
that no one else even knows about...
(right?)

But 
There's an extra day of celebration INSIDE the capital city.
Although everyone around you may celebrate your new life,
you have even MORE to celebrate with each victory.

This celebration
will continue forever
in the Kingdom of God.

(O)


Chapter 10

THE FACTS:
The king imposes a tax on the empire.
The king declares the greatness of Mordecai.
Mordecai is second in rank to the king,
great among Jews,
pleasing to his many brothers,
seeking the welfare of his people,
and speaking peace to his descendants.

.-oOo-.

You in Christ.
Christ in You.

Go in peace
to love
and serve
.

.-oOo-.



Points to Ponder

Mark 4:11

And He said to them,

To you it is given to know

the mystery of the kingdom of God.

But to those outside,

all these things are given in parables

Mark 4:12

so that seeing they may see, and not perceive;

and hearing they may hear, and not understand;

lest at any time they should be converted,

and their sins should be forgiven them.

If the book of Esther can be interpreted as a parable;
if it contains meaning for us beyond the historical facts,
it should be able to teach us something useful 
about our lives
about our selves
.

 
.-oOo-.

Irrevocable Decisions?

In Persian society,
once a royal decision was made it could not be revoked.

Esther 8:8

And you write for the Jews as it pleases you,

in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring.

For the writing which is written in the king's name

and sealed with the king's ring,

no man may turn back.

In Esther 1:19, it is also made clear
that the king's decree cannot be changed.

Esther 1:19

If it please the king,

let there be a royal command from him,

and let it be written among the laws

of the Persians and the Medes,

so that it may not be changed,
(snip) 

The historian Josephus says that
when the king's anger was over
he was exceedingly grieved
that the matter was carried so far,
and would have been reconciled to Vashti
but that,
by the constitution of the government,
the judgment was irrevocable
[Antiqu. l. 11. c. 6. sect. 2]
the Targumists carry it further,
and say that he was wroth
with those that advised him to it,
and ordered them to be put to death

In our personal role as "deciders",
once we assert our will
and make a decision that has spiritual implications,
is it permanent?
 
.-oOo-.
 
Purification Time
(Esther 2:8-12)

There is a delay between the time the king decides to restore his life
by looking for a new queen,
(Esther 2:4)
a time of purification
(Esther 2:12)
before he finally meets Esther
(Esther 2:16)

Is this significant?
Is there a delay between the moment we make a decision for Christ
and the time when we become aware of a new spirit living within us?

.-oOo-.

Multiple Spirits
(Esther 2:7)

In trying to understand this story as a parable,
I was confused that Esther and Mordecai
are portrayed as two distinct spirits.
When I became a Christian
I assumed that I was being given a small awareness of
THE Holy Spirit,
that only a small part of one all-encompassing great spirit
was now living through me.

Remember what happened at pentecost:

Acts 2:2

And suddenly a sound came out of the heaven

as borne along by the rushing of a mighty wind,

and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:3

And tongues as of fire appeared to them,

being distributed; and it sat upon each of them.

Acts 2:4

And they were all filled of the Holy Spirit,

and began to speak in other languages,

as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Wasn't the spirit that descended into them
all of the same spirit?
Or did the participants already have a spirit
and pentecost added to it?

I admit that I don't understand the nature of spiritual identity,
but it bothered me 
that there was a spirit in the palace
portrayed by Esther
and a distinctly different spirit
portrayed by Mordecai.

Esther 2:20

Esther had not yet revealed her kindred nor her people,

as Mordecai had commanded her.

For Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai

as she did when she was brought up with him.
 

Now that I think more about it,
I suppose it must be true that it should be this way,
our spirit is different than His spirit,
and I stumble into another verse that bears this out:

Romans 8:16 

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit

that we are the children of God. 

Two different spirits.

.-oOo-.

Spritual Growth

I heard my bible teacher Ray Stedman make a statement
after pastoring a growing congregation for over 25 years,
that most Christians he knows (or had ever known)
"never make it past chapter two".

That is a statement worth thinking about...!

.-oOo-.

Divine Grief
(Esther 4:1-3)

Esther 3:8

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus,

"There is a certain people scattered abroad

and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces

of your kingdom.

Their laws are different from those of every other people,

and they do not keep the king's laws,

so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them.

Esther 3:9

If it please the king,

let it be decreed that they be destroyed,
 
-snip-
Esther 3:15

The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king,

and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.

And the king and Haman sat down to drink,

but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.

The king has done something
that he believes is good for the kingdom.

Esther is oblivious to the danger
while all around are in distress.

If we make a poor decision in good faith
and Esther as our subconscious guide is not alarmed,
How can we realize that we have lost our way?

Ray Stedman said; 
"It is most remarkable to see
that what grieves the heart of God
is not the enmity of the sinner,
but the unthinking foolishness of the saint"

When we decide to sin deliberately,
God allows it
and hopes
that we learn from the consequences,
that we learn not to repeat it.
that we learn enough to return to Him

It is another matter entirely when we jeopardize
our spiritual life without realizing it!

Often I cave in to temptation and choose my selfish pleasures,
and I am fully aware of the choice I am making.
But this situation is quite different...
Here the king is thinking he has acted correctly,
yet the empire is threatened through-out.
but still he senses something not quite right.
he is uneasy for no apparent reason
confused
So when we get that nagging feeling that something is wrong,
we should seek the truth immediately, as Esther does:

Esther 4:5

Then Esther called for Hathach,

one of the king's eunuchs,

who had been appointed to attend her,

and ordered him to go to Mordecai

to learn what this was and why it was.
 

If you honestly seek,
a moment of clarity will eventually come.
Maybe an answer will come to mind in a quiet moment,
maybe a particular verse will be illuminated in a new way as you read,
perhaps an image will form in your mind as you pray.
A phrase during a pastor's message will strike a nerve
and you suddenly remember an incident,
or a person you've hurt,
or an action you should have taken,
or one you took but now regret.

When we suddenly realize the truth of it,
we may be uncomfortable or embarrassed,
we may be tempted to rationalize it,
make excuses for it
or be reluctant to act on it,
we might rather push it aside
try to forget about it,
but we must not.

We should act immediately.


.-oOo-.

Mourning
(Esther 4:1-3)

Of particular interest to me is verse 4:14
Although Mordecai is in mourning, he says

Esther 4:14

For if you keep silent at this time,

relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place,

but you and your father's house will perish.

And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom

for such a time as this?"
 

Without a careful reading,
it would be easy to assume that the
"great mourning among the Jews,
with fasting and weeping and lamenting" in verse 4:3
is because the chosen people are under a death sentence.

Not So!
Verse 4:14 tells us that without Esther's help,
relief and deliverance will arise from another place.

So,
if God's people aren't really in danger,
who are they mourning?
THE KING!
The one solitary man who may be lost!

We can be sure that Christ
and his body, the true church,
(and the Holy Spirit living through it)
will prevail,
but we cry for those who are in danger of falling away

.-oOo-.

Unraveling, Revealing 
(Esther 5:4-8)

I find it interesting that
Esther didn't take advantage of her first opportunity.
After learning of the decree,
Esther's mission is to go to the king and seek help.
When the king agrees to grant her wish,
what made her hold back?
Why didn't she make her request right then and there?

Most of us would take advantage of the moment,
rather than waiting,
rather than take the risk of the king changing his mind.
What made her wait until dinner?

After fearing her own death,
and days of preparation
and the relief she must have felt
when the king receives her and grants her desire,
she must have realized that
she had him right where she wanted him.
What made her hold her tongue? 

So her plan is to:
bring Haman and the king together at her dinner.
and then, what?
The text doesn't imply that Esther had any other plan.
Was she herself wondering what to do at that first dinner?

If she had initiated a confrontation at that first dinner,
would the end result have been the same?
I don't think so.

What makes her request a second dinner?
Does she somehow know that the time is not right?

A lot happens between the first dinner and the second.
but ALL of it is beyond her control.
the king has insomnia
the king realizes his debt to Mordecai
the king lets Haman delude himself
the king commands Haman to honor Mordecai
Haman's wife and advisors predict his downfall

At the first dinner:
Haman was on top of the world
Mordecai was unknown to the king.

Only one day later:
Mordecai is publicly honored
Haman is feeling doomed.

That one day of waiting made a great difference!

So it was good that Esther waited, 
but how did she know?

.-oOo-.

A Continuing Problem
(Esther 9:13-14)

Even after Haman has been nailed to that tree
notice that the House of Haman still exists!

Esther 8:1

On that day

King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman,

the Jews' enemy, to Esther the queen.

And Mordecai came before the king,

for Esther had told what he was to her.
 
Conversion doesn't remove us from danger forever.
Haman has ten sons;
... a continuing problem.

And we still have our will and mind and emotion.
The flesh will continue to try and gain authority,
and we will continue to grant it,
unless we continue to pass the reins over to the spirit.
We will be put to the test.
We will be confronted with the trappings of the self;
self-pity,
self-seeking,
self-righteousness,
self-worth,
self-love.
pride, resentment, impatience, jealousy,
envy, lust, greed, gluttony,
etc, etc, etc.
self-life.
It is possible to be defeated by evil AFTER a conversion.
Can we be "reborn" on a daily basis?
How about minute-by-minute?

.-oOo-.

One Ring

Understanding This Verse
seems crucial for
Understanding True Christianity:

Esther 8:2

And the king took off his ring,

which he had taken from Haman,

and gave it to Mordecai.

And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
 

We remove the authority from The Flesh,
and gave it to The Spirit.

Here I record the words of my teacher Ray Stedman,
from a speech he gave in 1964:



This is a magic moment, full of possibilities. In your life, this is the moment when conciously and deliberately you reject the authority of self-interest and yield to the Holy Spirit the right to sovereign direction in all your concerns. Mordecai is brought in before the king, and the signet ring of authority is given to him. It is now possible for the wisdom and insight of Mordecai to manifest itself, through the authority of the king, throughout the entire empire. The moment we are ready to reject the authority of the flesh, we can give to the Spirit of God his rightful position as the prime minister of our kingdom.



This is sometimes called, in terms of human experience, "a second work of grace." It has also been called "full sanctification" or "the baptism of the Holy Spirit" or some other such term. It is often taken to be the true beginning of a Christian life and this has given rise to much confusion and misunderstanding in the apprehension of spiritual truth. It is quite wrong to look on this as though the Spirit of God were only now entering the life. You can see that Mordecai has been in the book of Esther right from the beginning, but it is only at this moment that he is brought before the king. This is the moment when the soul, the conscious life, becomes aware of the Spirit's right to rule in every area. But Mordecai has been there all along. He is not brought into the kingdom; he is brought before the king.




This is not, then, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That takes place at the beginning of the Christian life, is never repeated, and is continually the basis from which God works in our lives. But this is what the New Testament calls "the filling of the Spirit." Since the task of the Holy Spirit is to make real in our lives the person of Jesus Christ, this could also picture the moment we consciously and with permanent intent yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. To yield to the Lordship of Christ and to live a Spirit-filled life is exactly the same thing. These terms are interchangeable.



When we first yield conscious control of our kingdom to the Holy Spirit, we enter into a new experience in our lives. Our new Prime Minister sets about bringing everything in the kingdom under the authority we gave him, at the moment we place the signet ring of power upon his finger. This granting of authority may need to be reconfirmed in certain areas of our lives which we later discover are yet unsubmitted to him. 
For the strange thing about us is that we do not know ourselves. Though in some moment of dedication we may yield to the Spirit with all our heart and consciously grant him the right to rule, tomorrow we may discover there is another area that has not been brought under his control and this, too, must be submitted. When that occurs, we may have another experience of new advance similar to the first, so that it is possible to have many fillings of the Spirit. Each time, there is a return to the principle of dependence upon an indwelling Spirit for an activity.



This is reflected in the wisdom Esther displays in handling the "house of Haman."

Haman, the old prime minister, is now gone, but the sons of Haman are still around. The king gives Esther charge of them, and she immediately turns them over to Mordecai as the only one with the wisdom and knowledge to handle such a thorny matter properly.



You can recognize this in your own experience, if you are a Christian. You may come to the place where you know the truth about the flesh and believe that Christ's death has judged it within you; nevertheless, you discover evidence of the flesh still affecting you. Though the old man indeed has been hanged upon the tree, yet he still has, through the house of Haman, the ability to influence you, distract you, tempt you, and even defeat you. The answer to this is not to try to repress these influences by your will power. The king here makes no effort to try to overcome the house of Haman. He says, "It is your problem, Esther." And she, in turn, says to the Holy Spirit, "It is your problem. You handle the matter."



This is exactly what the New Testament tells us to do. We are to realize that our defense against the flesh will not be our own will power, our determination to control ourselves, but it will rather be a quiet resting upon the power of the Holy Spirit to handle the flesh whenever it appears, and an unrelenting dependence upon him to do so.



Thanks, Mr. Stedman
http://raystedman.org

My Website