A Midrash on Purim, (HaSefer Esther) The book where God's name is not mentioned

[Jacob Ben Avraham]

TWO DAYS OF PURIM, THE 14th AND 15th of ADAR,  A QUICK LOOK AT THE BOOK OF ESTHER

Today and tomorrow, March 12th and 13th 2017, are the 14th and 15th days of Adar, the Feast of Lots


.....A long time ago, in a palace called Sushan, in the kingdom of Persia, there was a king named Ahasuerus who had just a little too much to drink, he called for his wife and he called for more wine, and the wine he got but the wife he got not!  His wife Vashti refused to come,
....."Hey, husband, Mr. King, I have my own party, kinda busy now, so, later dude..."
.....Wrong response, that cost her her job, she got fired! She got "de-queened" But when King Ahasuerus sobered up again, when the Manashevitz ran out,  he said, "Oi Vey, what have I done?" Did I really fire the queen?" "Yeah" his counselors said, "and you signed her out of the palace too, can't get her back now....But.. You can send out for a replacement queen!" 
....."Welllll, Okkkkeeyy" let's have a beauty contest, the prettiest girl gets to be queen, that'll work" 
.....So we know the rest of the story, Esther (Hadasah) the niece of Mordechai becomes queen.  This is not by accident, even though YHVH's name is never mentioned, He is still controling the situation.  The Book of Esther reveals YHVH's activity inspite of his name being omitted.  He is still there on the scene, behind the scene, controlling all the events;  We can even see symbolism in the characters and events.
.....Did it just happen that Vashti got fired and the king arranged for a beauty contest? And that of all the pretty women in the kingdom, all virgins, that Hadasah (Esther) was chosen?.....I would say that YHVH arranged the whole thing...put eveything and everyone in its place and in his and her place, for a reason.
.....HaSatan is always out to destroy the Jewish people, and this time, he used Haman to try and do it. So Haman is a type of HaSatan.  God places Mordechai at the right place at the right time, in order to learn of two plots, one plot to assassinate the king, the other to murder all the Jews of the provinces controlled by Persia.
.....He sends word to his niece, now queen, of the plans, both plans were revealed by Mordechai, to Queen Esther.  Now she has to let the king know.  But he hasn't sent for her in a month, to go before the king without being summoned is a death penalty, but she prays and fasts and so do the Jews of Shushan area, Since the king loves Esther, He recieves her, she touches his scepter, and she invites him to two parties, along with Haman,
.....Now Haman already has an attitude against Mordechai since he will not bow before his presence, I think YHVH has a bit of a sense of humor, Haman rides on a horse and looks down at the people under him, and everyone bows before him in homage, except Mordechai.  Now, The king orders Mordechai to ride a horse, wear a crown, and royal apparel, while Haman is below him and has to look up! Interesting change of events.
.....Haman's plot to have the Jews killed is revealed, the king is wroth, orders Haman to be hanged on the same gallows (75 feet high) that he meant for Mordechai.  That was one big and tall neck-stretcher! Haman probably grew a few more inches in a matter of seconds in that fall from "heaven to earth" by a rope. Remind you of someone who was cast down from "the heavens to earth?" a few thousand years ago?
.....The Jews defended themselves on the 13th day of Adar, which was last shabbat! And won the battle, they also collected the "spoils of war" which was a custom back them, and still is in some parts. To the victor go the spoils, like weapons, money, combat equipment, etc, that the enemy used.
.....The King and Esther can symbolize YHVH and mankind, the only way to gain access to our Heavenly Father is through YESHUA, the scepter can symbolize YESHUA, We can only come by invitation, the Father invites us to come to him THROUGH YESHUA,  if the scepter is not extended, you don't come, without the scepter, death is for sure,
.....We can look at it this way too.  Esther can symbolize YESHUA, and the king, our Heavenly Father, As Esther intervened before the king for her people, so does YESHUA intervene before the Father on our behalf. 
Esther, the bride and wife, can also symbolize all believers, the "Kehilah" of Messiah. And the king, Messiah Yeshua.  As King Ahasuerus loved Esther so much that he listened to her petition, so Yeshua loves his bride and soon to be wife,  so much that he gave up his life for us all, on Calvary's cross.  His bride consists of all believers everywhere.  He listens to our petitions, our prayers, and he responds according to his perfect will.
.....Satan was defeated again back then.  Never bow the head or knee to HaSatan, as Mordechai resisted Haman, so should all believers resist the temptations that are thrown at us by the father of lies.  So, let us rejoice this day and tomorrow, remembering the Feast of Lots, (purim) which fell upon the 13th day of Adar, a day meant for destruction of the Jewish people, but death and destruction were changed to continued life and prosperity for "b'nei Israel" and so we continue to exist, and will always exist, and be the apple of our Savior's eye, for all eternity.   HAPPY PURIM.   

Rabbi Ben Avraham

[notreligus]

Esther— God providentially brings deliverance to his people through Esther, prefiguring final deliverance through Christ.

1: 12 The rejection of Vashti is one step in God's providential acts to deliver the Jews (see note on 2: 15). It introduces the key theme of rejection and selection, by which God prepares the way for salvation.

2: 15 God causes Esther the Jew to be chosen, which will later play a key role in delivering the Jews. Esther in her beauty prefigures the church as the bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11: 2; Eph. 5: 26– 27; Rev. 19: 7– 8; see note on Est. 1: 12).

2: 22 God's hand of providence leads to key action from Mordecai, which will later prove important (6: 2). God's providential control illustrates his continual care for his people (John 10: 27– 29; Rom. 8: 28; Eph. 1: 22).

3: 1 The conflict between Mordecai and Haman is explained 1 Sam. 15: 2– 3, 32– 33. Haman is an Agagite, an Amalekite, an opponent of Israel and a descendant of the people whom Saul should have wiped out.

3: 6 Haman exemplifies all who oppose God's people, and especially Satan (see Rev. 12: 10– 12). 4: 16 Esther is willing to sacrifice her own life,prefiguring the willingness of Christ to die for us (Rom. 5: 6– 11).

5: 2 The king's favor toward Esther prefigures the favor resting on Christ as the obedient son of God who redeems us (Matt. 3: 17; 2 Pet. 1: 17). It is the turning point in the story, prefiguring the resurrection as the turning point in redemption.

5: 11 Pride goes before destruction (Prov. 16: 18). Haman typifies the false confidence of those belonging to the kingdom of Satan.

6: 1 A number of seemingly "chance" events show God's providential control and his power to act secretly on behalf of his people (see note on 2: 22).

7: 10 Fitting retribution comes as Haman receives what he would have done to Mordecai (Obad. 15). The retribution prefigures the justice of God's final judgment (Rev. 20: 11– 15) and the elimination of the enemies of God's people (Rev. 20: 7– 10; 21: 8, 27).

8: 8 The effects of victory now extend to all the Jews, prefiguring the extending of Christ's victory to those who are his (Rom. 8: 10– 11; 1 Cor. 15: 54– 57; Col. 3: 1– 4).

9: 1 The reversal anticipates the reversal of positions with Christ's coming (Luke 1: 48– 53; 14: 11; 18: 14) and the justice of God's final judgment (see note on Est. 7: 10).

10: 3 The blessings to the Jews through Esther and Mordecai prefigure the blessings that come to us through Christ (Eph. 1: 3– 14; see note on Est. 8: 8).

ESV Study Bible

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

Ishtar, Marduk, and the Prince of Persia.

It's a pretty good Babylonian myth.