Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. praising God and having favor with all the people. Many years ago Harold Camping (yes, that Harold Camping) presented an amazing study of the book of Esther. Esther listened and followed the advice of Hegai who had authority over the young women. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people. Or am I striving to please men? The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 21st century BC. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? He overcame death and saved His body from the grave. New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. Free eBook: Getting Through the Storms in Life. Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. Mordecai represents Lord Jesus. Hegai represents The Holy Spirit. Esther 2:15: “She requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. Ezekiel 37:1-28 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. [3] ↩ The seven fold spirit is based on Rev 5:6 which itself is based on Isaiah 11:2-3. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. Esther 2 - NIV: Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. Vashti represents Old Testament Israel and Esther represents the New Testament Church. And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it. Esther knew she could trust both Mordecai and Hegai for they demonstrated their care for her. The Biblical account opens during a great feast of King Ahasuerus. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem. All rights reserved. (Romans 5:8) A eunuch (/ ˈ juː n ə k / YOO-nək) is a man who has been castrated. When the king summoned one of the young maidens, each was permitted to bring in with her anything she felt would help her to be more attractive. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Salem Media Group. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. E veryone loves a story of survival and victory; one that has a clear hero. When the turn came for Esther (the young woman 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. Haman represents you know who. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. A King’s Feast. Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.”. In the same way, we can trust God for He has demonstrated His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Haman (Hammedatha) – An evil man who happened to be a leader over all the other princes. During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. (, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. All rights reserved worldwide. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. Interpreters of Jesus have given slight value to the part that the body plays in the redemption of man, but Jesus Christ plainly teaches that the whole man--spirit, soul, and body--must be redeemed from the effects of sin. Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her”. 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. Cutting to the chase; King Ahasuerus represents God. Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin. 1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV / 449 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful. of Children’s books and movies are dedicated to telling the story of heroes; some are fairy tale type stories such as Snow White and Cinderella.There are also some true stories of heroes and we can find them in the Bible. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. Adding People Symbols of the Holy Spirit Favor Being Saved Having A Good Day Going To Church groups Church, Increasing Additions Church Many In The Church Progress Predestination, Spiritual Events praising God and having favor with all the people. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. So you will find favor and good reputeIn the sight of God and man. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit… 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. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Scripture quoted by permission. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Proud member Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. NIV®. Hegai (Hege) – The king’s chamberlain and the custodian of house of women in the palace. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. Bigthan and Teresh – Two more chamberlains – they wanted to kill the king. She pleased him and won his favor. And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. The king was enthralled with her physical beauty, but her quiet and humble spirit shone through, especially to Hegai, the eunuch charged with preparing the virgins for their time with the king. But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. Following The Holy Spirit’s Guide For Your Life Is Extremely Important. The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.