ESTHER MADE QUEEN ON THE 7TH DAY OF HANUKKAH
Chanukah Day 7
Rosh Chodesh Tevet
Jewish History
Esther made Queen (362 BCE)
"And Esther was taken to King Achashverosh, to his palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tevet, in the seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won his favor and kindness more than all the virgins; he placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in Vashti's stead"
Esther 1: This is what happened during the time of Xerxes…for a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa. The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king’s liberality. By the king’s command each guest was allowed to drink with no restrictions, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.
Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women
in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king’s command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times and were closest to the king—Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memukan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
“According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?” he asked. “She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her.”
Then Memukan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, “Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. For the queen’s conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, ‘King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.’ This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen’s conduct will respond to all the king’s nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.
“Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. Then when the king’s edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest.”
Luke 14: Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
“The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
“‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
Through these stories, is the Lord trying to show us that Jesus invited His Bride (Israel) to come to His Wedding Feast of the 7th day of Tabernacles, but she refused to come? And not just the nation of Israel, but from the parable that Jesus told, it sounds like also many “Christians” who are just too busy for the Lord. They are defiled. They were invited, but did not want to come and obey the orders of their Master.
So, Esther was chosen to replace Queen Vashti. And what day was she crowned? According to Jewish custom, it was on the 7th day of Hannukah, the first day of the tenth month of Tevet. I believe this may be the day that the Bride of Christ is crowned, on the first day of Tevet (December 14-15, 2012).
Psalm 81:3-4: “Sound the ram's horn at
the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our
Feast; this is a decree for Israel, an ordinance of the God
of Jacob.” The ram’s horn (trumpet) is to sound at the New
Moon. I believe the New Moon will be sighted on December 14,
2012, making the 7th day of Hanukkah, the first
day of Tevet, the day we are crowned as Jesus’ Bride. The
Scriptures teach that the Rapture takes place at the sound
of the last trumpet.
Tevet: the month of tragedies and loss
As we enter the month of Tevet, we are still in the midst of the celebration of Hanukkah. For the first few days of the month, we are reminded of the victory in the days of the Maccabees.
But as Hanukkah comes to a close and the menorahs are put away for the year, we continue on through a month that also commemorates tragedy and loss. One event that occurred during the month of Tevet was the martyrdom of the Apostle Peter at the hands of the Roman government on 9 Tevet. This date comes from tradition preserved rabbinic literature.
On the next day, 10 Tevet, a traditional fast day is observed in the Jewish community. The fast of 10 Tevet commemorates the siege that began against Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, recorded in 2 Kings 25. This siege ultimately ended with the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the people of Judah. Thus, this fast is identified as the fast of the tenth month spoken of in Zechariah 8:19.
With all the tragedy associated with this month, perhaps this is the reason the month starts with the end of Hanukkah. In this world, we will face many tribulations. Some will be due to our sin (like the destruction of the Temple), and others will be persecution for the sake of righteousness (like Simon Peter's martyrdom). But, these situations do not have the final word. God will grant the ultimate victory to his faithful ones. As we face the trials and difficulties of life, may we not lose sight of the prize that we have in our Master Yeshua the Messiah.