Esther, the Making of the Bride
Esther is a picture of the Bride. She undergoes a process of separation and preparation to join the King as His Queen.
First, let’s get some background about Mordecai and Hegai.
The purpose of the following description is to illustrate the care Mordecai gave to Esther, which was the beginning of her transformation towards becoming Bridal. Hegai, on the other hand, took it further and refined it. He saw the potential for more.
We are introduced to Mordecai and Esther in the Book of Esther chapter 2, and verse 7 tells of her adoption. First, she was an orphan and she was taken in by Mordecai to be brought up as his own daughter. According to historical records, Mordecai was an official in the King’s court. He sat at the King’s gate, which was a place where officials and judges typically worked as influences; he therefore, held authority and a significant position in the city.
Mordecai had adopted (Hebrew:laqach=taken) her as his own daughter (Hebrew:baf=daughter). The Levison’s volume in the Old Testament library series, writes “the Greek version and rabbinic midrashim tend to see the relationship between Mordecai and Esther as one of marriage, and ancient custom does indeed know of adoption in anticipation of matrimony (Ezekiel 16:1-14)”.
In both the Greek and Hebrew, she is described as a girl, so fairly young. Since her beauty is mentioned, she probably had reached marriageable age by the time she was taken from Mordecai, but presumably the marriage had not taken place. She was therefore deemed a suitable candidate for Xerxes’s harem.
According to historical records, Hegai was a respected official in the King's palace. Besides being in charge of the women, he performed official obligations for the king. This meant, he understood exactly what the king needed, liked, pleased, and preferred. To be allowed to even get close to the king required protocol and etiquette. Hegai knew the protocol and etiquette as well, …really well.
The Holy Spirit as our Mordecai and Hegai.
Mordecai being the person he was, he would have invested in her care, training and instruction for many years. In this same way, we know Holy Spirit is invested in our care, teaching, and training so we can become bridal, as in the Bride of Christ.
Regardless of whether Mordecai’s intentions were to bring up Esther to eventually be his wife according to ancient customs, what is clear is that she received a very specific type of training from a very young age. This proved to be beneficial when she entered the King’s harem for the preparation to become the Queen. Mordecai trained her heart and molded her character to be receptive to instructions and follow protocol. This is seen in Esther 2, verses 10 and 20. Esther listened to Mordecai’s instructions, and she was receptive to his instructions, even while in the palace.
In this same way, Holy Spirit works with us to train us to be receptive to instructions, protocol, and in the process, He shapes our character. He works with our level of maturity, beginning with the childish ways and progressing with our spiritual maturity. He expects us to listen and to do as He instructs. Our obedience brings joy to Holy Spirit.
Mordecai was Esther’s counsellor, teacher, comforter, exhorter. By coming under his tutelage, this placed her in good grace with those she came across. In the same manner, by allowing Holy Spirit to be this way to us, we grow more into the likeness of Christ. This becomes very appealing to those we come across.
Proverbs 3:3-4 CSB
3 Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will find favor and high regard with God and people.
When she was taken to the king’s house under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women, she entered the next stage of her training. Because Esther found favor and was pleasing in Hegai’s eyes, besides giving her the twelve months preparations of six months of oil of myrrh and six months of perfumes and other cosmetics for women, he exclusively allocated her portions (of special food) and SEVEN girls or maidens to attend to her in the best part of the women’s quarters. Esther was able to apply herself to this process because she understood that Hegai would be the best guide to navigate her situation. Her heart was already accustomed to listening and doing as instructed. Her hearing was attuned to response, and her words were graced to express herself.
Under Hegai, Esther undergoes a very specific preparation. As we submit and are willing to work with Holy Spirit in our preparation to become more bridal, He takes us through a journey that deals more deeply in our purification and in the emitting of the likeness of Christ. This will mean that the stripping off and working in the depth of our soul becomes intensified.
Oil of myrrh, perfumes, portions (of special food).
Myrrh has many uses and benefits. It is antibacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-aging, maintains healthy skin, muscle relaxant, medicinal and it has a calming and balancing effect in the emotions (relaxes the sympathetic system: the fight or flight response). Its purpose of use would have been to purify and cleanse the body, to balance emotions and to have an overall calmness or steadiness. After all, being chosen as queen would have come with many responsibilities!
Perfumes would have been a combination of oils, herbs, resins that would have beautified the appearance of the body and impregnated on the skin and hair. This would have made the person very pleasant, appealing and a calm presence to be around.
Portions (of special food) would have been in keeping with health and purity.
These elements signify how Holy Spirit works with us to purify, balance, cleanse, and transform us into a pleasant sight to be beheld by our King. It is a process that cannot be skipped, neglected, or have any gaps. When we submit to this process, we became the fragrance of Christ, a pleasant-smelling aroma (His like kind).
Esther carried such a pleasant aroma and essence that anyone within her vicinity would have recognized that she was nearby, because her aroma and essence would have preceded her physical presence! In the same way, when we are becoming bridal, the very aroma of Christ will precede us wherever we go or with whoever we meet. His aromatic presence in us will announce Him to others.
Six months of myrrh and six months of perfumes (very specific treatment).
It is interesting that Scriptures make it very clear that the preparation period was a full twelve months, divided into two portions of six and six. The first six months were spent with treatments of myrrh and the other six with perfumes. If we were to compare these treatments to modern day spas, modern treatments would not hold a candle to the ancient ways! There was a lot of scrubbing, rubbing, soaking, plucking, etc. In other words, pain! There was much pain and hurt to achieve a beautification result.
Myrrh was used to disinfect, clean, and purify. It aimed to implement internal and external cleansing. It also has the bio-ability to work with the nervous system. The treatment was not just for the physical look and feel, but also to help the person’s mind to be calmed and serene.
Perfumes would have involved sessions with incense, and the atmosphere would have been choking and difficult to breathe. The sessions, and there were many in different ways, were designed to impregnate the person’s body with fragrance and sweetness. Every part of the body was aimed to be a pleasant sight and experience for the beholder. All senses were involved in the experience of an encounter with one of these girls. The encounter would have left a lasting memory.
And how about the price of the treatments? The ingredients? It was a costly, most costly endeavor! Only a king could pay it. And our King did! With His own blood.
Back to the six months x2…
The first six-month deal was cleansing and purification. Spiritually, for us now, it signifies the extent of the multi-level work that needs to be done, and with great depth and intensity. Holy Spirit works in a multi-level manner, getting deep into our soul (mind, will, emotions). This is why it is painful. The purpose is to remove all impurities, our encumbrances and our dysfunctions. We are not just looking at the right now, or however long we have lived on this earth. It includes generational freedom, freedom from things from generations of the past that we need to be released from. Submitting to this process willingly and humbly means, our attitude needs to be one of “Do as you may, Lord. For You know best”.
How can we be assured it is possible to go through this process? Because of Jesus. He was completely human and completely God. He understands and sympathizes with us in every level, even to the extent of covering and redeeming generational bloodlines. This is how we too can be guided and go through this.
If we have come this far into our journey, what lies ahead is a far more specific process.
The second six months deal with absorption of essences. I am sure it involved far more than just soaking and inhaling aromatic essences. The significance for us though, is far more than just soaking it all up. It is becoming the fragrance of Christ. When we are emptied of impurities, we have room to be filled with His fragrance, His essence. This way we carry Him wherever we go. People would then know He is present, because we carry Him in us.
2 Corinthians 2:15-17 says it well…, For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.
Seven maidens and the best part of the women’s quarters.
Why did Hegai assign SEVEN maidens? Why not five or ten? Why SEVEN specifically? These maids were assigned to act as needed, when needed, and on the spot. It seems that the significance of these seven maidens is found in Isaiah 11…
The Spirit of the Lord,
The Spirit of wisdom
The Spirit of understanding
The Spirit of counsel
The Spirit of might
The Spirit of knowledge
The Spirit of the Fear of the Lord
When we are infused and carry His presence, we also have these Spirits just like Jesus did, to deal with whatever lies ahead. This way we judge in righteousness, and justice, and in making decisions. The more we yield to the process, the more we will carry His presence and do His will.
To be moved to the best part of the women’s quarters signifies a much-needed separation to be continually in the process of change,
….a change that will be permanent.