ESTHER 1:1-2:23

Any Reason For A Banquet

By Johnny Tatum

PART 2: SOMETHING IS MISSING

ESTHER 2

 

1 After these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.

Obviously, King Ahasuerus is lonely. Once he lashed out, he realized that he had gotten rid of something, and his anger subsided but that did not help because now he is lonely and restless.

Picture Of An Unbeliever: Any human being who has a soul but no spirit can never be happy!

Application: All unbelievers are missing something even if the external things of life appear to go well, if there have been many happy moments in life, and if it feels like a good life has been lived. Deep down they all know something is missing; however, their responses can vary, as follows:

Unbelievers who are aware of their loss say Something is wrong with me; I need something. When individuals know there is something missing, God works in their lives.

Unbelievers who blame others for their loss say I am not missing anything; nothing is wrong with me, but other people are doing wrong things to me.

Unbelievers who mask their loneliness with some kind of religion (any manmade activity or system used to try to gain God's approval and acceptance). These unbelievers sense their loss is in the immaterial area, because they rule out a lack of possessions or other people as a source of their problem. However, religion is a vestige (a visible sign of something that has once existed but exists no more) of the truth; the real problem is:

The soul is not plugged into a spirit.

 

The king is lonely and he knows it.

Picture: God is ready to move and to plug the soul into the power supply — His Holy Spirit.

2 Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, 'Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.'

3 'Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given them.'

4 'Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.' And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

In God's Providence: The individuals mentioned are not believers, but God is still in control.

 

Question:

HOW DOES GOD MOVE IN UNBELIEVERS?

The way God works in unbelievers is really amazing:

God forces unbelievers to do and say what He wants.

Example: Moab was in great fear of the sons of Israel, so Balak (king of Moab) asked Balaam (a diviner) to curse Israel. Balaam was forced to say to Balak what God wanted said; he blessed Israel! [See Numbers 22-24.]

Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak. (Numbers 22:38)

That is God's direct power! [Really, it is not surprising that God can do that.]

God uses unbeliever's free will in His providence.

In these situations, God does not force the unbelievers to do or say what He wants. Instead, the unbelievers use [their own] free will; however, unwittingly, they fall into God's plan.

Example: I do not believe God forced or moved in the people at the Cross to do any of the things that they did to Messiah Jesus — cast lots for His clothing, pulled on His beard, mocked Him — they were doing what they wanted to do. However, what were they really doing? Without knowing it… prophecy was fulfilled — and those individuals were just doing what they wanted to do.

And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand should be granted. And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23:24-25)

Prophecy

Unbeliever's Free Will Used In God's Providence

They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. (Psalm 22:18)

The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. They said therefore to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be." (John 19:23-24)

I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6)

And they spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. (Matthew 27:30)

And some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers received Him with slaps in the face. (Mark 14:65)

But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, "Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver Him; Let Him rescue Him, because He delights in Him." (Psalm 22:6-8)

And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" (Matthew 27:29)

And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Matthew 27:39-40)

In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" (Matthew 27:41-43)

The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. (Matthew 27:44)

 

In God's Providence: I believe that is what God is doing here in the Book of Esther. God is not forcing these unbelievers to do anything; they are doing what they want to do. However, God has this amazing ability to bring all that together in His providence.

 

5 Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

Mordecai is:

Picture: There is no question that Mordecai is a picture of Holy Spirit. Mordecai means:

A person who hides himself in humility.

 

God begins to move, and He brings up Mordecai as the first person being a mover in God's plan.

Application: This is exactly as it was with believers. The first step in our redemption was Holy Spirit regenerating us, and we are completely unaware of that happening.

Note: We thought our believing was an act of our free will; at the time, it was not.

Already, we had been regenerated, we had been brought light, we had been made alive and we had been brought encouragement. It is a combination of things God did for us before we consciously believed, as follows:

Now that our soul and our spirit are united, we have dominion in that area, and we are complete again just like Adam was before the fall! If we exercise it, that void will be filled — we will not be as prone to lash out and to get frustrated when things do not go our way — because our need for dominion has been filled.

 

6 who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled.

7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

The king is about to be united with his queen.

Picture: The soul is about to be united with a spirit.

8 So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.

I keep thinking about Cinderella (a fairy tale heroine who escapes from a life of drudgery through the intervention of a fairy godmother and marries a handsome prince).

9 Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king's palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem.

Picture: Not only did the Lord God redeem us, regenerate us, make us a new person, plug our soul into our new spirit; He also gave us gifts. When we were redeemed, we did not know it, but spiritually, we were seated in the heavenlies at that moment.

10 Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known.

Esther is advised that she should not make it known that she is a Jewess, because the Jews are hated.

That has been the long history of the Jewish race, and that is satanic — Satan hates the Jews. Satan tried to keep Messiah Jesus from being born, and even after He was born, Satan tried to kill Messiah Jesus and to destroy the Jewish race. [See our Matthew 2:12-23, Exposing The Only One study.]

Picture: Our new person is invisible to the eye; it is hidden. When we look at a believer, we see the same old person, however, when believers are fully restored in heaven, it will be just the opposite. The old person is going to be obliterated, and we will see [in each other] the new person — that part which is now hidden.

 

Esther was taking quite a chance, because every young lady who was brought to this contest became the king's concubine (slave) for life — Esther would become either a slave or a wife

Picture: Esther (a picture of our new person) could not go back to the old way.

Technically speaking, Esther sinned because she concealed her identity as a Jewess (no matter who told her to hide her Jewishness).

Picture: Again, we see God's providence, as follows:

Note: God using sinful acts does not make sin good and right, but it does mean God can use it. [See our Ruth Introduction: Was Ruth The Link For the New Testament? study.]

Application: When we sin, we can confess our sin [for our own benefit] and say Lord God, I praise You that are so sovereign and so merciful that You can use even my sin!

 

11 Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

Picture: Holy Spirit is always keeping watch for believers.

12 Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women — for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women —

13 the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.

14 In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.

16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

The king has finally found a queen!

Picture: The restless soul has found a spirit to plug into, and we can have dominion in the sense that our soul is where it is supposed to be.

 

Illustration:

A SOUL AND A SPIRIT

I believe the relationship between a soul and a spirit is like the relationship between a woman and a man. A woman is designed to be a follower; if a woman is the follower, then she will be happy and stable. A man is designed to be the leader; if a man is the leader, then he will be happy and stable.

Note: This does not mean that one role is better than the other is; these are just two different roles.

Picture: The soul is like a woman.

Application: For every human being, the soul — mind, will, emotions — desires to submit and wants to be led. However, for an unbeliever, the soul does not know who is to lead even though he is looking for a leader — and if there is no spirit, the soul will try harder to take control.

Illustration:

PLUGGING INTO THE POWER SUPPLY

The other day, I was working on my car and I decided to listen to the radio. I turned on my radio, but it did not play. I increased the volume, but it still did not play. I thought This is an old radio. However, the real problem was the radio was not plugged into an electrical outlet. Sure enough, I plugged the radio in and it played just fine — in fact, very LOUD!

Application For Unbelievers: The soul is looking for a leader, but it does not know where to find one. Therefore, the soul tries to make itself a leader by asserting itself more. [That is just as foolish as trying to play a radio louder when it is not even plugged in!]

Notice: Do you recognize that something is missing in your life? Do you want to be created a brand new person? Do you want your soul to be plugged into a new spirit, so you can be led by God's Holy Spirit instead of foolishly playing your own radio louder and louder? Then acknowledge in prayer to God:

I confess I am a sinner and I deserve to go to hell because of my sins. But I believe that when Messiah Jesus died on the cross, He was paying the penalty for my sin. And that when He arose again, He rose to give me eternal life.

If you have trusted in Messiah Jesus, then God has already begun a good work in you — He has given you His Holy Spirit, He has created you a brand new person, He has gave you a new spirit, and He has plugged your soul into your new spirit. We praise His name forevermore for the glorious things He has done just for you!

Application For Believers: We can live our lives under the old way where the soul is boss — let our flesh be the leader — or we can live the new way and let our soul be led by God's Holy Spirit through our new spirit. That is what is meant in the following verse:

We are taking every thought captive to Messiah. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

As we analyze our thoughts, we never want to forget that we are complete:

Where do thoughts originate?

In our souls — in our minds.

What do we do?

We plug them into Messiah.

How?

By an act of our will.

 

Next:

Esther 1:1-2:23, PART 3: TRYING TO REACH THE KING

 

To: Matthew 2:12-23, What Was Spoken Was Fulfilled: Exposing The Only One

The Book Of Ruth, Introduction: Was Ruth The Link For The New Testament?

Back To: Esther Home Page

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