Gospel of the Kingdom (Esther #4) - Bible Baptist Church

Text: Esther 2:1-4

The typology in the book of Esther is what we’ll really look at in this sermon. Ahasuerus is a type of God. He is looking for a bride after having dealt with sin in the kingdom. The first bride was lawfully put away; the terms of the covenant have been met. Vashti is a type of the old covenant. It’s a picture of the Jewish nation under the old testament. Jesus Christ becomes sin, removes sin, and offers a new covenant, new terms of marriage, based on His sacrifice and resurrection. Interestingly enough, Mordecai is going to be a type of the Lord Jesus Christ shepherding the faithful Israel (Esther) through great tribulation while also making intercession for his people.

Pacifying the king (vs 1)

Word of the king brought sinn to light
- The law pointed out sin.
Romans 7:7 …Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
The king’s wrath appeased when sin is taken away.
- John 1:29
- Sacrifices in Israel were a temporary shadow that the Lord accepted as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ to come.
Hebrews 10:1, 4, 11 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. … 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. … 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Jesus Christ takes away sin
- 1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
- 1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
- 1 John 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
- Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Conditions for the new bride (vs 2)

A better bride is searched for under the new covenant, new marriage terms.
- Old marriage had come to its natural end.
- New covenant. Paul gives some insight into this in Romans 9:6-8.
Immediately after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, he sends his Holy Spirit and begins to make up a bride in the body of Christ, to the Jew first.
Now Esther will be the Jewish bride in the book of Esther, so what you won’t see in this typology is the Gentiles being a part of that bride.
Esther 2:2 the search is on for a better bride with certain qualities that appeal to the king.
- Fair young virgins.
- Virgins immediately takes you to prophetic times such as Matthew 25:7 and Revelation 14:4.
- The secret was revealed to Paul that Gentiles would be in on this. 2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Official recruiters (vs 3)

Like God sending missionaries. Acts records the invitation going out to the Jew first, Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Appointed to gather, notice that is the job of the king’s officers here.
In Acts you have the gift of tongues to spread the word to different languages.
They are evangelists and pastors.
Hege is a type of the Holy Spirit of God
- Prepares things for their purification.
- Prepared by purifying (vs 3)
- 1 Peter 1:7, 22 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:…Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: