The Bride Adorned

The Bride Adorned

by Priscilla Van Sutphin

In light of the words about Esther...I humbly submit...one piece of the pie...(we see only in part).

One of the typologies in the Bible of Christ and His bride is in the story of Esther.

Ahasuerus...King of Persia...means "king" Esther...means "star"...but Esther's Hebrew name was Hadassah which means "myrtle".

The myrtle tree is an evergreen that grows to 30 ft. tall. Isaiah 55:13 NKJ says,

"Instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree."

The myrtle is symbolic of fruitfulness. It grows abundantly in Israel, particularly around the Lake of Galilee and near Samaria and Jerusalem. The leaves are small, shiny, slightly scented, and leathery (hearty). The white or pinkish flowers are scented and are followed by blue-black berries, which can produce a perfume. Because it is an evergreen, its boughs are used for the feast of Tabernacles. (Nehemiah 8:15) Russian and Turkish leather smells unique because Myrtle bark and roots are used in the tanning process. Queens of England carry sprigs of myrtle in their wedding bouquets as a symbol of "peace". ( see Haggai 2:9)

VASHTI means beautiful woman. She was the deposed and divorced wife of King Ahasuerus, who represents in this book the first love of the Lord, Israel.

In Esther, Chapter 1, starting with verse 9-12...it says,

9) Queen Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. 10) On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded.....

Mehuman - means Faithful

Biztha - a eunuch (one incapacitated for wedlock)

Harbona - means bald man (uncovered head) [Jesus gave up His heavenly position]

Bigtha - means gift of God

Abagtha - means Father of the Winepress

Zethar - means sacrifice

& Carcas - means severe

Seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing the royal crown, in order to show her beauty to the people and the officials (kings and nations) for she was beautiful to behold. v.12) But Vashti refused to come at the king's command brought by his eunuchs; therefore the king was furious, and his anger burned within him.

Eunuchs were confidants to the king and I believe in this example represent the prophets. God speaks to and through His prophets. And they do not touch or molest the Bride.they nurture & protect, & teach the Bride. In the natural example, they care for the women.(the church is often represented by a woman symbolically). They are the watchmen in the king's court if you will. In this story they are asked to bring the queen before the king so he can show her beauty to the people, but the queen refuses to come, just as Israel refused to accept Jesus as Messiah; Vashti refused to come to her king. The anger of the king is aroused, then.

Jeremiah 3:8 Amp says

And I saw, even though Judah knew that for this very cause of committing adultery {-idolatry-}, I, the Lord, had put faithless Israel away and given her a bill of divorcement.

Then in verse 18b....Memucan (a Persian prince) said of the ladies of the kingdom

"they have heard of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will be excessive contempt and wrath."

And in verse 19b he says

"let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she."

The first quote in 18b suggests the Lord brings salvation to the gentiles knowing the decision of Israel to reject His love & authority. There is another application, I feel for the end-times, in that the church at this time, will also be held in contempt....for the pollution in its midst, for its un-Christlikeness. And the Lord is about to hand the reins over, to the generation of the righteous, whom He has called a " HOLY NATION UNTO GOD" which consists of the youth and children, and the true worshippers of God & His remnant church in our generations. Those willing to die to SELF and to be intimate with the Lord are those to whom He can entrust His glory. (Eunuchs cannot touch what rightfully belongs to the king. - Including His GLORY.)

In Chapter 2:5 it begins............

Now in Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai. (the great, great grandson of Kish)

Mordecai means "dedicated to Mars" who is the Greek god of war. Mars (697 Strongs) Ares in the Greek is a derivative of (4078) pegnumi which in some simpler forms means "to fix" [ Christ dedicated Himself to fix or restore relationship to Father God ] i.e.: specifically it means to set up a tent or a covering. Now in the desert, the tent of meeting was the Tabernacle of God. So Mordecai is another type of Christ in this story.

Mordecai was born into captivity and Christ left His heavenly throne and position to deliver us. Mordecai was born into poverty like Jesus. In Vine's, "poor" referring to ( Is.10:2, Ez. 18:17, Ex 22:25) says " the godly protect and deliver the afflicted", "while the ungodly take advantage of them, increasing their oppressed condition." Isaiah 58:6-8 (the true spiritual warfare chapter) says......

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring into your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh ? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."

Chapter 2:7 says

and Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther (fruitful star), his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. the young woman was lovely & beautiful. When her father & mother died, Mordecai took her in as his own daughter.

In the natural text...Mordecai also represents the true believers who take in the outcasts, orphans, the poor and discarded.

Micah 4:6-7 NKJ says

In that day," says the Lord, "I will assemble the lame, I will gather the outcast and those whom I have afflicted; I will make the lame a remnant, & the outcast a strong nation; so the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever.

Mordecai is symbolic in this story of Christ who is our Protector, and Father to the Fatherless, demonstrating the spirit of Adoption for those who are grafted into the True Vine, and Christ who is our WISDOM.

2:8 shows Esther taken to the king's palace, into the care of Hegai (which means the Sprinkler) the custodian of the women......just like Christ is the head of the church (women). Hebrews 12:24 AMP says

And to Jesus, the Mediator-Go between, Agent- of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks [of mercy], a better and nobler and more gracious message than the blood of Abel [which cried out for vengeance]. (Gen. 4:10)

Jesus is the "Sprinkler" of the blood of our salvation.

Then in verse 9 it says

"Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor,...(Jesus said, Blessed are those who have not seen yet believed), so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. (So besides salvation (our allowance). He gives us beauty preparations go we'll be able to receive His glory (sanctification, & fullness of His presence).

Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king's palace, & he moved her and her maid-servants to the best place in the house of the women. (favor) Allowance also means our inheritance in Christ Jesus.

There are lots of 7's in this typology which is the fullness of God number; the number of God. The beauty preparations represent the preparation of the Bride of Christ. the cleansing and purifying process which makes us into the pure and spotless Bride of Christ. "Best place" is like favor.....Israel means favor with God and man.....and under the shadow of His wings.

In verse 12 it further states that there was 12 months of preparation

(12 being the number of apostolic fullness/government - 12 apostles, 12 tribes of Israel, 24 elders around the throne of God).

6 months first with oil of myrrh which represents the suffering that produces a sweet fragrance to the Lord; the building of the character of Christ in you.

Then 6 months with perfumes and oils, preparations for beautifying women.

This is the pouring out of Himself into us, His love, His power, that we begin to smell like Jesus, walk like Jesus, talk like Jesus, act like Jesus, so full of the perfumes & oils which rubbed in for 6 months in the natural might make one really smell beautiful, but the oils rubbed on people in those days & essential oils in these days are HEALING, and essential oils can even repair our DNA! This is the healing, delivering, anointing and equipping, & teaching of the Holy Spirit in preparation for the apostolic commission. The Holy Spirit's presence is often accompanied by an awesome smell of the scent of roses. That is so powerful & beautiful, you just want to keep breathing it in. We continue on till we smell like the Sweet Rose of Sharon, Jesus. The Rose of Sharon is actually a purple flower that smells like roses. I've smelled the roses many times, but one time following Che Ahn down some steps at Mott smelled the roses of the Holy Spirit on him.

Romans 5:3-5 NKJ

but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given us.

Back to Esther...

Verse 13: Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women's quarters to the palace.

14) In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who kept the concubines. She would not go into the king unless the king delighted in her.

Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it,. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14 NKJ)

Verse 15 says that when Esther went into the king, she requested NOTHING but what HEGAI (the Sprinkler - Holy Spirit) advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her

Likewise, if we look to Jesus alone, His advise, His opinions in total dependency on Him it will bring favor . We must follow the ways of Jesus, not our own ways. This is total SURRENDER to Him. Paul said he was a slave to Jesus. So must we be, if we want to walk in His ways, in His power, if we want to do the "greater things". We also who are grafted in to the vine, inherit the blessings of Israel, favor with man and God. I've noticed in my own walk. We can do NOTHING apart from God. He is the vine, we are the branches. The tree gets its water & nourishment through the roots, & the branches get theirs from the trunk. What are we rooted & grounded in ??? Hopefully the grace of God because to walk outside of grace means religion, and condemnation.

Verse 17 says that...king Ahasuerus loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set his royal crown , upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Jesus said...."If you deny Me before men, I will deny you before the Father." and in Revelation 3:8 NKJ it says, " I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it ; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.

Vashti is figurative of unfaithfulness in general, as well as, unfaithful Israel, the object of the first covenant. But the second "wife", the combined branch of Jewish and gentile believers, through the blood of Jesus, is made more beautiful than the first.

Matthew 13 has several parables which talk about the sower and the seed, the parable of the wheat and tares growing together until the end, and the parable of the mustard seed , and speaks of the least being greatest in the kingdom of God, and the pearl of great price which is about giving up EVERYTHING for the kingdom of God, for the precious relationship with Jesus. It seems to make it clear, that not everyone who cries...."Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven.

In verse 18, Esther, it says..."the king made a great feast (symbolic of the banqueting table of Christ, our Bridegroom), the feast of Esther for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.

Likewise our King of Kings will reward us in heaven according to our walk, & here on earth, the Holy Spirit also pours out His gifts, just because He loves us. & His Spirit is given "by measure" it indicates in 1 Corinthian 12:11 where it says....

But one and the same Spirit works all these things distributing to each one individually as HE wills.

From John 3:34 we know the Spirit was not given by measure to Jesus. He had the Spirit without measure. As we walk in obedience to God like Christ, He will also increase the measure of gifting for the greater works we will do & He has to clean us up by His power so we need to ask for the GRACE, the kind which means power to be and do all that He wants us to be and do.

The character of God is well represented in this book of Esther in many ways showing us the character that we are to attain to. Lay your head at His feet (like the symbolism of Ruth) or of Jacob laying his head on the ROCK and He will perfect us. He is dedicated to doing so we have but to lean on him, to run to HIM. He longs to tabernacle with us. LET HIM touch you. Rest in His arms.

God bless you!