In Zechariah 12:10 we read, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem”. There will be no lasting peace in the Middle East. The Jewish body in Christ is increasing annually as the return of Jesus grows nearer.

On the 14th February the Jewish people dress in costumes and celebrate the defeat of Haman. Haman is a type of the person who has opposed the Jews throughout history. (E.g. Hitler).

In 2 Timothy 1:9 we read, “Who has saved us and called us to a holy life… for his own purpose and grace”. God has something for each one of us to do. Esther typifies the Messiah – “she had no father or mother”. The entire fate of the Israeli people depended on this young lady winning a beauty contest. The fate of the whole world ultimately depends on this young lady. Without the Jews, the Messiah would not have been able to come.

God had a calling for Esther. What would have happened had Esther lost? See Esther 4:13. If we don’t do it, God will get someone else to do it. When the Jews reject God, God turns to the Gentiles. When the Gentiles reject God, he turns back to the Jews.

1 – The season of myrrh (vs. 12)

Each young woman was given twelve months to prepare before going in to see the king. She would receive six months’ treatment with oil of myrrh followed by six months’ treatment with perfumes and other preparations. The details are not stated except that this was a procedure every woman went through to beautify her to meet the king. Remember, this was the king of the greatest empire on earth!

Myrrh is the season of wilderness, valleys and darkness. The temptation is to give up and backslide. It had only one use, anointing corpses for burial. See John 19 and Songs of Solomon 4:14. He anoints us for burial. We must die to ourselves. We must die to our own ambitions. Everything must go to the cross.

This is in contrast to the name it and claim it people. Most of this hype comes from the USA. The “prosperity” and “kingdom now” followers will suck people from other churches without seeing people saved for Jesus. They must die to themselves and be prepared to suffer for Jesus.

2 – The season of spice (vs. 13-15)

After the myrrh, came six months of other spices. This is the season of blessings. There is abundance and affluence. This is just as important as the season of myrrh. How do you handle blessings? You can get caught up in temporal things. This is not the reason why we are here. We are to hold those things lightly.

Work, marriage, etc can rule the roost to the exclusion of the permanent. Can we do what Esther did? (vs. 15). This is how she handled the season of spice.

3 – Trials and blessings both come from the Lord

If you can’t handle the trials, you won’t get to the blessings. If the devil can’t torpedo you through the trials, he will try to get you through the blessings. When God speaks to will or command, it is amazing how the excuses flow so freely and so fast.

(See Ecclesiastes & Psalms). Instead of making her own choices Esther trusted in the Lord. She did whatever Hegai, the king’s eunuch, suggested. Now she was in the position where God wanted her to be.

Categories: Esther