SUMMARY OF TWO READINGS ON ESTHER
[p. 460] SUMMARY OF TWO READINGS ON ESTHER
Esther 1; Esther 2:8-17; Esther 4:13-17; Esther 5:1-3
It was thought we might read Esther as suggesting certain features of the assembly. There are evidently features which may be taken up as assembly exercise set out in pattern here that are not found in the other figures that we have been contemplating as relating more particularly to the assembly, and it may be helpful to view these in a simple way. No doubt the book viewed dispensationally is occupied with the exercises of the Jewish remnant, but it should have a very distinct moral bearing on us, having been written, like other scriptures, for our learning.
Esther, as raised to the throne and as standing in relation to the king in affection for he loved her, might set forth the power that flows from that position and relationship as seen in Ephesians, a power that can spiritually influence things for the preservation and protection of the saints in a scene where the enemy is ever at work to crush them and to overthrow the testimony. The privilege side of Ephesians would not be in view, but rather the position the saints are set in and how that can be turned to account for the deliverance of God’s people and the furtherance of His thoughts on earth. Esther puts everything at stake, using her queenly position that she may rise to the privilege it afforded her of standing by and preserving the testimony in an evil day, making everything subservient, so to speak, to what she is as a sister, prepared, if her brethren perish, to perish with them.
We get in the first chapter the divine ideal in regard to the kingdom. The scene can be viewed as describing what will be manifest in the millennial day, the imperial rule of Christ. The Spirit of God dwells [p. 461] largely on the thought of rule seen in the headship of Christ universally in the coming day, and what is emphasised is the importance of that principle permeating every household in the realm. The book thus shows how God is to secure supreme rule over the whole world and display His majesty, and how this is worked out in relation to His government, the unchanging character of which is indicated in the reference to the laws of the Medes and Persians, which alter not.
Vashti is not in sympathy with the moment; she prefers her own circle and her own feast. This carries its own warning. It typifies, perhaps, the indifference of the Jew who, as the elder son in Luke 15, would not go in, and may be compared to the attitude of Christendom now. Then what comes to light is the way sovereignty works in the presence of such a situation to secure a responsive element.
The vision of Ahasuerus’ kingdom is no doubt a prophetic allusion to the kingdom of Christ. Reference is made to his “glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty”, language which at once suggests Christ. The light of the kingdom in display comes to us in the way of confirmation; that is a principle in Scripture, so that chapter 1 would be a support for all that follows. Abraham was shown the land, Moses was shown the pattern of the tabernacle, and in this book the glory and magnificence of the kingdom become the light to sustain the soul in view of exercises to follow. It is Peter’s line. Captives in an evil day need confirmation, those who are scattered and unknown and despised are rallied and sustained by the light of the millennial day. Esther presents a kind of complement to Ezekiel. In Ezekiel we have the light of the temple in a future day; here we have the light of the imperial character of the kingdom so that account is taken of the large number of provinces, and the [p. 462] isles are brought in at the close. These two books thus fill out in a kind of prophetic way Ezra and Nehemiah, where the house and the walls of the city are built in days of adversity.
When we come to detail, the hangings of the court are interesting, as indicating the kind of atmosphere and surroundings that would mark the throne. The colours, “white, green, and blue”, might speak of the purity, the fresh verdure and the heavenly character given to the kingdom down here by the heavenly city which will influence all that is set forth in figure here. Then there is the pavement, “The beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble”. The pavement would no doubt suggest the complete working out and disentanglement of good and evil; a scene of rest will be introduced on that basis. The white and black marble or alabaster and black marble would seem to point to this complete disentanglement of good and evil in a public way, the public answer to the Cross.
But this is not all that the rest of God is based upon; in the blue there is added what is from heaven, while the red might suggest the distinctive character that is imparted to all the Lord effects. If what has been brought to pass in the death and resurrection of Christ is to come into public display, certain elements must be wrought out in the saints. These are set forth in what follows in the book. Mordecai considers for the rights of the king when his life is in danger; so, too, he cherishes Esther, walking in the court daily, concerned as to the promotion of what is of God here. These elements will come out in the kingdom.
Luke might, in principle, give the hangings, and Matthew the pavement. The Lord says, “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up”. (John 2:17) Luke gives you the care with which He as the anointed One enshrines [p. 463] the spirit of the kingdom in the hearts of His own, and leaves them at the close in priestly care of all that is divine on earth. Then in Matthew you have the solution of every issue in connection with the disentanglement of good and evil. Kingly glory is prominent in this gospel, so we have described the way every rival will be overthrown publicly, the power of the enemy’s opposition being annulled at the cross, culminating in all power in heaven and on earth being committed into the hands of the King in resurrection for God’s glory and man’s blessing. Rest comes in, as has been said, on that basis.
Vashti’s refusal to recognize rule and to contribute to the glory of the king indicates a moral element of discord which would overthrow the universe, if that were possible, and which can only be met by the assertion of the truth of headship. It is worthy of remark that if God displays anything for the confirmation of His own, a lawless element is always brought to light, and God shows that one lawless element threatens the happiness of all. Here it was the best — the queen. Vashti had no consideration for the glory of the king. She is like the man without the wedding garment. It is solemn to discover this element in one’s heart. The woman was intended to be for the glory of the man. We learn in Vashti that the flesh will not do, that line is to come in no more before the king; if we come in it must be on the line of Esther. Vashti’s rejection was according to the counsel of the wise men. They would represent those who are in the secret of the Lord for the moment, and who know what is suited to a particular crisis or emergency. They “saw the king’s face”. Their wisdom shines, too, in that they can get beyond the immediate details to the underlying principle. The import of Vashti’s act is discerned by them, and her conduct is made but a vehicle for the establishment of the principle that is violated. The very [p. 464] details of a difficulty often hinder us from arriving at the principle that is at stake.
If a crisis arises that jeopardizes the rights of the throne it must be faced in every heart and every house, and met by the unswerving maintenance of divine principles. Such crises have arisen from time to time and have threatened to overthrow everything, but the enemy has been defeated by the issue being faced. God will have rule and headship established in His kingdom, and every man should be exercised on this line as to his house. If this principle is maintained in the houses of the saints evil cannot advance at the pace with which the enemy would forward it in the world. He cannot override spiritual power, and there is great spiritual power accruing from the saints being governed by divine principles.
The speaking of our own language would set forth the influence that flows from headship. It is a sad house where there is a mixed language, as in Nehemiah’s time, when the children of the Jews spake half in the speech of Ashdod and could not speak in the Jews’ language. Zephaniah 3:12 speaks of the Lord leaving in their midst a poor people who would speak a pure language. One has to think of this feasting in a moral way. The thought of spiritual festivity has place in Scripture. The drinking was according to the law, so it cannot be condemned in this connection. The heart being full of wine would point to the hour of supreme joy. One has to view wine in the scriptural setting as that which cheers the heart of God and man.
It would rob the chapter of its beauty if we were to regard Ahasuerus simply as a heathen monarch, nor would the Spirit of God occupy us with details of a heathen festival. The one who refuses to grace such a scene, typically that of Christ’s display, must go out; and yet what comes to light is the king finds a way to bring in what is for his glory without [p. 465] weakening the commandment that has gone forth. Esther is in full accord with this, as seen in chapter 5. When all is at stake she comes in before the king in her royal apparel; she in principle cherishes what is for the glory of God, and is prepared to die, if need be, with those in whom that glory is to be displayed, who, moreover, are her brethren, but as queen she represents the people of God through whom He will display His glory. Haman, like Athaliah in an earlier day, would destroy all “the seed royal”.
All the light of this in chapter 1 is intended to support us in suffering. You first get the impression of what you are suffering for, then you can afford to surrender in the sense of it. So when the throne is under alien influence the enemy’s machinations are circumvented by the priestly exercises expressed in Esther; thus the saints are preserved and the hostility of the enemy is exposed and nullified. Esther indicated in her readiness to perish when the test came how well she had answered to her six months with oil of myrrh, then her delight in bringing Mordecai forward that he might be supreme showed how she answered to the six months with spices. Six months with oil of myrrh might speak of the way we are nurtured under the grace of the anointed Man; then the six months with spices would suggest the way we become graced in His spirit; not now what God is to us in Christ, but what Christ is to God having place in our hearts. Mary in Luke 10 had her six months with oil of myrrh, and in John 12 she comes out in the good of the spices. There is nothing like a crisis to discover how we have spent our six months!
When Esther went in to the king in chapter 2 she required nothing but what Hegai appointed; Hegai would suggest the Spirit. What is of God only desires what is divinely provided. Liquid myrrh and spices [p. 466] would speak of the graces of Christ. Can we come before the King in the character and grace of the anointing? In the holy anointing oil liquid myrrh was to prevail; in the grace of that God accepts a man, so it is suggestive of what would mark the assembly. The anointing puts you in suffering sympathy with all who are suffering today for Christ. Esther did not simply send a sympathetic message to her brethren, but cast in her lot with them. She was not on the list, but she put herself on it voluntarily. “If I perish, I perish”, she said. Are we on this line? Some of us could circumstantially stand aloof from the pressure on our brethren; are we ready to do so? Esther remembered she was a sister before she was a queen, and recognises her obligations to her brethren.
It is interesting to note that Miriam, the first typical sister in Scripture, comes to light as watching over and seeking to preserve that which is precious to God, the babe in the ark of bulrushes. When the sister is introduced is it not in this connection, as setting forth the affection that would lead one to cherish and jealously guard what is precious to God? How far are we prepared in a crisis in the history of the assembly to perish for the preservation of the saints? Paul says, “Salute Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow-workmen in Christ Jesus, who for my life staked their own neck”, (Romans 16: 3,4). Then in Mark’s gospel the Lord says, “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother”. (Mark 3:35). We have thought a good deal of the brotherly element, but let us not neglect what is suggested in the sister, the readiness to perish for the testimony; its continuance hangs on such a spirit. The brotherly element might have activities more in view and might be seen in Mordecai. He is outside and Esther inside, but both are governed by the same spirit.
[p. 467] One is reminded in this connection of the opening of Acts. The spirit of Esther is seen in the close of chapter 4, where the disciples are gathered for prayer. There is the thought of fasting and an appeal to God for the protection of the throne; then the spirit of Mordecai might be illustrated in a vessel such as Stephen, who publicly defends the throne. In the prayer of the disciples we can realise how they discerned that all was aimed at them in the hostility of the enemy was really aimed at the throne.
Mordecai in result gets his right place in the kingdom, first in testimony in chapter 6, and finally in public administration in chapter 9. Thus we find the faithfulness of the saints in this way causes the schemes of the enemy to issue in Christ being brought into public evidence. In Philippians the magnifying of Christ among the saints means they “stand fast in one spirit ... and in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God”. (Philippians 1:27,28).
Haman, in presence of Mordecai’s exaltation, departs to his house in shame. What is set forth in Haman has to be judged in one’s own heart. No doubt he represents Antichrist, but John tells us already there are many Antichrists. He represents a great Babylonish element that would command respect from the flesh, but would destroy what is of God. How important to judge every principle in one’s heart that would answer to what has been set aside. Haman’s ten sons were hanged on the gallows. Every product of Babylon must be unsparingly dealt with. “Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones”. (Psalm 137:9).
Finally the blessing extends to the whole empire. The most distant part of the realm renders the king his due. It says, he “laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea”, and Mordecai becomes acceptable to all. He was “next unto Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed”. A beautiful suggestion of the conditions which will exist in “the habitable world which is to come of which we speak” (Hebrews 2:5), for the display of which all creation waits. Then shall be seen “the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days”.
Pages 469 - 513 — “The Revelation of God in Luke and John”. December, 1920 (Volume 51).