Esther 8:8 - “Now write another decree in the king’s name on behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.“

The ancient Persians had an unusual custom in their legal system – the king’s official decrees were irrevocable or permanent.  This created problems when the king wanted to undo something he had already decreed – he could not retract his edict (see Daniel 6:11-15 for another story where this problem arose).  This strict Persian custom brought stability in their legal system, but sometimes produced unjust results.  In the book of Esther, the only way the king can counteract his first edict is to give a second one authorizing resistance against the first edict.

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Esther 7:9-10  – “Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, ‘A gallows seventy-five feet [50 cubits] high stands by Haman’s house.  He had it made for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.’  The king said, ‘Hang him on it!’ So they hanged Haman on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai.  Then the king’s fury subsided…”

Haman, the enemy of God’s people, had planned to have Mordecai killed (impaled or crucified) on a tall execution stake.  The word “gallows” in the original was actually a pole or cross to which they would impale the victim.  In an unexpected turn of events, Haman himself dies on the very execution stake that he planned to use to kill God’s servant.

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Esther 2:15-18 – “When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested.  And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.  She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins.  So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.  And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials…”

Esther appeared for the first time before the Persian Emperor with nothing more than what Hegai suggested for her.  This distinguished her from the other women (see Esther 2:13).  One important attribute of the faithful church is that she does only what God’s revelation tells her to do.  In contrast, many others who call themselves Christians follow their own opinions and chase every idea that sounds good or trendy.  We must learn as a church to follow the Lord and to do His will, nothing else.

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Esther 2:7 – “Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother.  This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.”

Esther, the wife of King Xerxes of the Persian Empire, is a prophetic symbol of the bride of Christ.  The bride of Christ is the faithful church (See Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:2; Revelation 21:9; Revelation 22:17).

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Esther 6:6-10 – When Haman entered, the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?” Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?”

So he answered the king, “For the man the king delights to honor, have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head.”

We see here a picture of the mentality of many religious leaders – self-promotion and seeking glory, and being oblivious to the Lord’s purposes.  Men seek to be elevated or have control over others.  The Lord carries out his project without glorifying man or yielding control to any human being.

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Esther 6:1-3 – That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him.  It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. “What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?” the king asked.

“Nothing has been done for him,” his attendants answered.

This passage is about a remarkable answer to prayer.  Esther and all the Jewish people had been fasting and praying for a deliverance from the genocide that their enemies were planning against them.  Esther had already received one blessing because of her fasting, when the King gladly welcomed her into his court even when she came uninvited.  From her perspective, that was the very thing for which she had prayed, and she received the very blessing she sought.

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Esther 1:13-14 – “Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king — Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan…”

Esther 1 lists seven wise men, the closest advisors of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes).  They represent the Holy Spirit and his operation in the Body.  Scripture teaches us about “seven spirits of God” or a “seven-fold Spirit” in Isaiah 11:2 and Revelation 1:20.  The seven names correlate to the seven-fold traits of the Holy Spirit listed in Isaiah 11.  These names also have specific meanings, and these help us gain a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit.

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Esther 1:10-11 - “On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas- to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at…”

The book of Esther is a prophetic illustration of the triumph of the faithful church, the Bride of Christ. The King represents Jesus, the King of Kings, Bridegroom of the faithful church. The first chapter lists seven eunuchs of King Ahasuerus (or Xerxes), mentioned in the verses above, as well as seven wise men (see Esther 1:14). This lesson focuses on the first group of seven.

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Esther 1:1-8 – “At that time King Xerxes (or Ahasuerus) reigned from his royal throne . . . and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials . . .  For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.  When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa . . . Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. By the king’s command, each guest was allowed to drink in his own way, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished….”

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