The remarkable Book of Esther is perhaps one of the most overlooked books in the Bible. Regrettably, many Christians are completely unaware of the story of Esther's rise to the position of Queen of the most powerful empire that existed in her day. Incredibly, some have even argued that the Book of Esther should not be in the Bible. Martin Luther held this view, citing the fact that the name of God is not found within the pages of this short book.
Yet, this beautiful story holds many treasures that have been waiting but for the right time to be revealed. We believe we are now living in that awesome season. We are living in an incredibly opportune time. As we delve into the deeper meanings of the Book of Esther, we will clearly see the hand of God as He works behind the scenes in this most intriguing story.
There are many ironies that can be found within the story of Esther. Perhaps one of the greatest is the realisation that although this story will turn out to be a signpost pointing to Yeshua, it is our brethren in Judaism that are much more familiar with this story than those who know and follow the Messiah of Israel. In Judaism, the events of Esther are celebrated every year during the festival of Purim. This annual reminder of the Esther story has preserved the memory of the events in the minds of those from Judah for over two thousand years.
Celebrating Purim Today
In modern times this festival is often celebrated with a Purim play, a lively theatrical performance often done by children who act out the story in full costume. These plays can be a joy-filled occasion full of laughter and fun because, in the Jewish tradition, everyone hisses and stomps when they hear the name of the villain of the play - wicked Haman.
Ironically, like Ruth, the story itself is also a kind of "play" - one in which the main characters are also playing a part. The main characters are acting out the roles of not only God and Satan, but they also represent God's peoples and their roles in history, as well as pointing out their deepest needs!
As we have seen, our God saw fit to divide His people into the two houses of Israel. In addition, we know that the "bride of Christ" is also called the "Commonwealth of Israel" and the "Olive Tree" by the apostle Paul. Could it therefore be that since Ruth is a story about the redemption of the "house of Israel", Esther is a similar story about the redemption and salvation of the "house of Judah"? Indeed, this appears to be the case. After all, there are but two books in the entire Bible named for women!
- Two Women
- Two Houses
- Two Witnesses
Is it time for this truth to be revealed in our day? Is it time for these two who have each had a role to play in the redemption of all mankind, to now be fully reunited and brought together in the Messiah as "one new man"? We believe so.
Seeing YHVH's Unseen Name
Scholars are divided as to the identity of the author of the Book of Esther, which was apparently written some time within a few years of 465 B.C. While the actual Name of God (YHVH) is not found in the plain text of the Book, it is well known that there are places where that Holy Name is found embedded into the text in the form of an acrostic (see example below). It also is said to be found in equidistant letter sequences - the so-called Bible Codes. In these examples, it is as if the Almighty One, in His divine providence, is showing us in a mystical way that it is His hand working behind the scenes. Seen or unseen, in the end, He is found to be the Master of all world events.
A famous example of an acrostic that is worth mentioning, and one that will become more important as we conclude our search, was found in the sign written by Pilate and placed over the head of Messiah Yeshua. We do not know to whom should be given credit for the original work, but it is now well known among many Bible teachers that there was an important acrostic embedded in the words of this sign that in English says:
Jesus
Of Nazareth
The King
Of the Jews
In Hebrew this would read:
Yeshua
Ha Natsari
Ve Melech
Ha Yehudim
Hebrew is written right to left, thus their acrostic would be on the right side of the sign and run from top to bottom. Even in English we see that the first letters of each Hebrew line spell Y-H-V-H, and may possibly be pronounced Yahweh, which is the Name Jewish people believe to be the unutterable Name of the LORD!
More Veiled Truths
There are many other ironies in the Book of Esther, not the least of which involves the peoples that are at odds with each other in this story. Haman, it turns out is a descendant of Agag, the Amalakite king whom King Saul spared to his own undoing (1 Samuel 15). Mordecai, the hero of Esther's story, is a descendant of Shimei, a relative of Saul. Shimei is famous for taunting King David during the worst days of David's reign. At the time of his son Absalom's revolt David led a band of faithful followers off into the wilderness to escape the wrath of David's rebellious heir.
In 2 Samuel 16 we find the account of Shimei, who, being a relative of the former King Saul, curses David from across the river as he slips away from Absalom. It is interesting that one of David's captains asks permission of David to "take off the head" of Shimei. Had David given consent to Abishai to execute Shimei, Mordecai and Esther would not have been born.
Thus we again see the providence of our God, His hand working behind the scenes down through the ages in order to bring His will to pass. We also see an obedient David not interfering with the plan of God.
- Frank Morgan, Ruth and Esther: Shadows of Our Future
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